Ann Delaney Beach Blog

Category: Life at the Shore

  • 1st Beach Day

    aprilbeachdayWell…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.   

    Otherwise, a perfect day at the beach…for April  🙂

  • April Weather

    aprilrain The sun is finally back out after several days of rain.

    In February, we long for April.  But the reality of our east coast spring looks more like this picture taken yesterday.

    The gusts of wind on Stone Harbor Blvd had to be close to 60 mph! 

    Always wondered how the year round residents along the boulevard cope with the non-stop wind.  Our house shakes and roars during a wind storm, and we have some protection from neighborhing houses.   Their homes are completely exposed- I can’t imagine how loud it must be.

    Thankfully, only 2 weeks until May!

  • Walking Destination

    100_0820Worth 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.  

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    Or, just sit in the gazebo and enjoy the view.

  • Easter Activities

    kitesurfing 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?? 

    Happy Easter!

  • Easter Weekend at the Shore

    moonEaster, 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. 

    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.

  • Brilliant Sunset

    aprilsunset A bright fireball for the sunset tonight- blinding to view, and coloring the neighborhood with a soft orange glow. 

    In the summer, this type of sunset precedes a hot day…if only that were true in April!  Today’s 48 degree temperatures felt soooo much colder with the strong north west winds.

  • April Showers & Flowers

    flowersA sunny weekend after several days of rain.  It’s windy, but temperatures are mild at the shore. Even better weather expected tomorrow.

    Nice to finally see color around the island- spring flowers, green grass, and budding trees. 

    Uncle Bill’s in Stone Harbor is back open 7 days a week (the Avalon restaurant is open year round), and we are seeing more “Open” signs on the weekends around town.   The old Henny’s building on 97th Street is getting a facelift in preparation for the Mother’s Day weekend opening of BlackFish Restaurant.  Avalon Coffee, The Concord, and Windrift are weekend options, too.

    Glad to see the return of businesses and people!

  • Avalon Boardwalk

    100_0771

    The re-construction of the Avalon boardwalk is partially complete.

    Nice, smooth boards for early morning bike rides or evening walks. 

    The light wood will eventually darken from the elements-  ice cream drips and spilled soda!

  • Ocean Drive Marathon

    marathon 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:  the winds are from the south- 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.

    bridge

    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.

     

    For race specifics and results:           http://www.odmarathon.org/

  • 2nd Bird Watching Post

    birding The Borough of Stone Harbor reported the construction of 2 new bird watching platforms at the point.  The first one is easy to find- follow the driveway path off the 123rd Street parking lot.  It’s basically a nice sun deck positioned on top of a dune- with exceptional views of  the ocean, bay, wetlands, and birds (the official purpose of the site).  

    The 2nd, smaller platform is harder to find.  Two choices: from the 1st platform, follow the  crushed shell path west (toward the bridge) and look on your right.  This one sits lower and closer to the marsh.  Or, for a more interesting walk (at low tide only), follow the path at the end of Third Avenue- south of 122nd Street.  The bay side of the point gives you a completely different perspective of the end of the island.  The path will bring you around to the 2nd platform, and then you can continue your walk around to the beach side.

    Tip- take advantage of the spring weather for the marsh walk.  Once the warm weather arrives, so will the bugs 🙂