The beach groomers are back on duty, benches dug out from the drifts of sand, and trash cans are in position. All set for a big weekend.
After a long, gray winter (and endless days of rain), I am happy to report the return of color to the island . The lawns are bright green, and the trees and flowers are in full bloom.  Another sign of summer? Nuns.  At the Villa Maria Retreat House on the beach.Â
Enjoy the weekend 🙂
 This is the weekend for the annual Stone Harbor Boat Show & Seafood Festival on 96th Street. The gray skies and drizzle should not stop the true boaters from shopping!
 Seashore double vision- the bay front homes reflecting off of the calm water in the early morning sun.Â
Took advantage of our summer like weather and kayaked for the 1st time this season.   Very peaceful…
Â
 No boat traffic or bugs…but the bay is still cold. I stay close to the docks in the event of an oops!
What an odd month- record rain fall, freezing temperatures, severe thunderstorms, a nor’easter or 2, and now a heat wave. Â
Celebrate May at the Stone Harbor Boat & Craft Show next weekend. All day Saturday and Sunday along 96th Street- food and music, too.
 I read an article in today’s paper about the relevance of Earth Day – “has it outlived its usefulness and potentially become more of a feel-good token symbol…”,  and was thinking about this as I approached the beach path for my morning walk.
Unfortunately, it didn’t take me long to mentally draft this post after spotting the deflated balloon stuck on the snow fence.Â
In my quick walk, I picked up 5 or 6 balloons, a beer can, a plastic cup and jug, and a potato chip bag. That was all I could carry- so I stopped there.
If Earth Day is an opportunity to remind all of us about the environment- then it has value. If it inspires me to pick up trash along the beach- then it has value. Hope you are equally inspired today!
Back to work for me…but another beautiful “beach day” in April.  People are out taking advantage of the warm weather- should be a great weekend.
Â
Â
Â
In response to my “1st Beach Day” post, my daughter in law sent me a picture of their “beach day” in Colorado- several feet of snow!
Well…sort of.  The beach chair was there, along with a good book. Wearing jeans and a fleece jacket though. But the sun felt great. April is so fickle…
One “pet peeve”- literally: dogs with poorly trained owners. Saw two incidents just today: a dog chasing and running in front of the police vehicle patrolling the beach -while the owner unsuccessfully used a clicker to get the dog’s attention; and then another dog that barked, growled, and jumped on a woman walking along the water’s edge- and headed toward me with the same aggression. The owner was insulted when I complained and asked him to leash the dog- hey, it’s the law either way.  Â
Otherwise, a perfect day at the beach…for April 🙂
Worth the effort to walk or bike ride to the bay side public area located on the Avalon/ Stone Harbor border (between 80th and 82nd Streets) – at least to watch a sunset, or two.
There is a boat launch adjacent to the (free) parking lot, plus plenty of room to fish along the bulkhead. Â
Â
Or, just sit in the gazebo and enjoy the view.
 Not your traditional Easter activities…but the shore is a unique environment.
This kite surfer appreciated today’s high winds and rough ocean; jumping waves and flying through the air. Fun to watch.
Also saw a couple hiding colorful plastic eggs near the bird watching platform at the point in Stone Harbor (for a family Easter Egg hunt tomorrow, they said). Wonder if the wildlife will find the treats inside the eggs before the kids arrive??Â
Happy Easter!
Easter, Mother’s Day, and Memorial Day- all target dates for the return of activity at the shore.
 Owners are starting to arrive for the holiday weekend- good to see more houses with lights!
Beautiful here today. The official full moon is tonight- a great excuse for a walk along the beach at sunset.Â
For a beach experience on Easter Sunday, the island churches participate in a community sunrise service- held at the 88th Street pavilion at 6:15am.
 The 26.2 mile run from Cape May to Sea Isle City is underway. Today’s weather is standard fare for this race (maybe because it’s scheduled for March??)
But, there is good news:Â the winds are from the south-Â giving the runners a bit of a push along the way; and the air temperature is 50 degrees, so the rain won’t feel as biting as in past years.
For truth in journalism, I walked part of the course before work.  I was tired after 2 miles…can’t imagine the remaining 24.2! The runners start in Cape May along the promenade, and cross each foggy, Ocean Drive bridge connecting the barrier islands.
Â
For race specifics and results:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â http://www.odmarathon.org/