Ann Delaney Beach Blog

Category: Life at the Shore

  • Life at the Shore

    Had a great time on the Ventnor beach yesterday watching the Atlantic City Air Show.

    Perfect weather- comfortable temperatures, clear skies, and a nice breeze.  And always fun to hang out with family for the day.

    It’s no ordinary beach day when fighter jets are flying overhead  😉

    Another opportunity for a unique seashore activity: The Brendan Borek Surf Memorial takes place this Saturday, 8/20 (an all day surfing contest held at 30th Street in Avalon).  For more information:  www.brendansfund.org

  • Seashore Rain…

    …leads to seashore rainbows.  Skies clearing this afternoon- hurry back to the beach 🙂

  • Atlantic City Air Show

    Look, up in the sky!  It’s a bird… it’s a plane…it’s an F-16 fighter jet??

    The annual Atlantic City Air Show takes place this Wednesday, 8/17.  A spectator friendly event : everyone has a front row seat along the beach in Atlantic City and Ventnor. Weather conditions this year should be ideal 🙂

    http://www.atlanticcitynj.com/acairshow.aspx

    Depending on the wind direction, you may hear the roar as far south as Stone Harbor- and see various planes fly along the coast to and from the show.

  • Beach Rituals

    Long time Avalon property owners stopped by our office the other day.  A few years back, they sold their home on the bay, and now return on regular basis to visit family… and have recently discovered “the beach”.

    The woman asked a question: “What’s up with the giant holes on the beach?”  She thought this must be a new trend (remember, they spent all of their family time on the bay).

    I assured her it’s a long standing tradition (at least in my family) to dig a hole at the high tide line to keep the kids occupied.  The “big boys” bring real shovels to the beach for the excavation work, and take great pride in the engineering details such as steps and retaining walls.  If timed correctly, the ocean rushes in and creates a sandy swimming pool just before it’s time to leave  😉

  • Shore Weather

    Stormy skies, but only off and on drizzle so far in Avalon and Stone Harbor.  Shoppers out in full force… downtown business owners must be happy!

     FYI-  This is my 1,000th blog post!   Thanks for reading along 🙂

  • Mid-August Switch

    It happens every summer.  We are gliding through August and suddenly,we notice the signs.

    Darker in the mornings…cooler temperatures…the Tree Swallows gathering in the dunes and on the wires…amazing colors in the sky for sunrise and sunset.  A preview of fall??

    We are not ready to turn over our summer weather quite yet.  However, happy to enjoy the lower humidity and peaceful views as we approach Labor Day.

  • Cooler by a Mile…finally

    Ahhhh….

    We can finally turn off the air conditioning and open the windows after WEEKS of high temperatures.

    The strong north west breeze = cool, dry air.

    P.S. A seabreeze as of mid- afternoon…our favorite 🙂

    Beautiful this morning on the beach. 

    Rays of sunshine peeking out behind the clouds provided a dramatic backdrop over the ocean.

    Busy weekend ahead- the Home/Health Show at Avalon Elementary School on Saturday http://www.caperegional.com/  and a Seafood Fest at St. Mary’s Church- 95th and Third Avenue in Stone Harbor (lunch and dinner Saturday).

  • Driving in the Real World

    For years, I resisted buying a GPS for my car- for obvious reasons:  I live on a 7 mile long barrier island with numbered streets 😉

    But, then again, maybe that explains why I find the device so helpful when I’m out in the “real world”!

    A recent family visit in the mountains of North Carolina required a 3 hour drive from the Charlotte Airport- and I welcomed the confident woman’s voice providing instructions along the way.

    Glad to be back navigating Dune Drive!

  • Stormy Day

    A light mist turned in to a steady drizzle during my beach walk.

    Still dreary this morning…hopefully the sun returns later today for our vacationers.

    The tents are already in place on the 80th Street field for this weekend’s Arts & Crafts Show.   This is a BIG event…secure your parking spot early!

  • Wetlands Institute

     A unique perspective of the Wetlands Institute– from the calm tidal basins on the south side of Stone Harbor Boulevard. 

    I was able to kayak through this area yesterday, and even spotted an osprey diving in the bay for breakfast.  Might have been one of the “Real Ospreys of New Jersey” ??  For more information on the programs/events at the Wetlands:   http://wetlandsinstitute.org/    and to view their special osprey cam:  http://wetlandsinstitute.org/education/osprey-camera/