Category: Life at the Shore

Local contractors have crews on their construction sites today to stabilize and secure the many new job starts.   Extra lumber has been added (cross bars) to the framing, and loose materials stored.   Hopefully the Porta Potties will be hauled away, too!

As I walked by this ocean front house in Stone Harbor, I thought it would be helpful to explain that its condition has nothing to do with Sandy.  A demolition sale took place last week and obviously, someone purchased the sliding glass door and much of the interior components.  The house is scheduled to be torn down this week.

Just didn’t want this pre-demolition look to become labeled as a post-Sandy look!

We noticed the trucks with  snow plows just before “Irene”, too.  The purpose (certainly not for snow!): to move debris and/or sand from the streets and near beach paths after the storm.

The island is very active today with owners in town preparing their properties.  Avalon Coffee and Wawa have a steady flow of customers- as well as Hoy’s and Seashore Ace.

Effective tomorrow, there is a mandatory evacuation of all New Jersey coastal communities.  It’s very hard to leave my “home”, yet foolish to think I can out wit Mother Nature by staying on the island.

Will continue to post here and on Twitter…

Coming down tomorrow to prep your shore house? Besides the obvious of securing the outdoor furniture and trash cans:

Lock all windows and doors (casement windows can rattle open in the wind if not locked).

Empty the ice maker bin (in case the power goes out).

Turn off circuit breakers for non-essential appliances/electronics.

Turn off the fireplace gas pilot.

Secure the outside shower door.

Walk on the beach…smell the salt air…and convince Sandy to stay out to sea!

Although it makes sense to be prepared, we are always concerned about the “hype” common with impending bad weather.

If you have a shore house, take the time to secure the outdoor furniture, grill, trash cans, etc.  Thankfully, that’s normal procedure for this time of year anyway.

If your neighborhood tends to flood, make sure there is nothing in the crawl space area or garage that could be damaged.

And then follow along here and on Twitter for real time updates.

P.S.  Borough of Avalon Emergency Management- web site

It’s always worthwhile to be on the other side of the vacation experience.  And, I try to incorporate the benefit of a fresh perspective in our summer rental business.

For example, I appreciated that our rental cottage was immaculate and thoughtfully equipped.  The owner supplied all of the extras needed for a comfortable week.  And, she provided instructions regarding disposal of trash, recycling, and even composting (a container in the yard).

The best meals were in restaurants that also happened to make us feel the most welcome.  We called for a reservation in a popular beach side restaurant. The hostess said they were filled for the night, yet suggested that if we come early, we will be able to sit in the bar area and enjoy the same view/menu.  It worked out perfectly- an outdoor table with a front row view of the sunset.

My final lesson was from the attendant at the car rental return.  He was so upbeat as he asked us “How are you this evening?”  When I replied that we were sad to leave, he gave the best response ever: “No need to be sad. The island will always be here- so come back!”  What a nice thought.

The attendant then mentioned that he loves to visit the Philippines- it’s his favorite place.  So here is this man living in Hawaii…yet talking about vacationing somewhere else.  We laughed because we understand that even when you live by the beach, it’s normal to be drawn to other destinations.

This is my official “Out of the Office” post.

Leaving the Seven Mile Beach to walk along another beautiful beach!

No blog posts until I return. However, I may post a few pictures on Twitter, so follow along!

http://twitter.com/AnnDelaneyBeach