Need to work off a few Christmas cookies? If you will be in Avalon on Sunday 12/26, sign up for Dashing Through the Sand 2010 (5K fun run).
Registration opens at 8am at the Avalon Community Hall (30th and Avalon Avenue); race starts at 9am.
Proceeds benefit The Craig Kenneth Lozier Memorial Scholarship fund.
Hey…where is everyone??
No excuse to skip my beach walk this morning. It was VERY cold, but at least no wind.
Now it’s snowing.
Only 164 days until Memorial Day 😉
3:20pm- Â More snow than I expected, and it keeps falling!
Worth repeating on a day like today:Â Is your shore house prepared for winter?
The combination of cold temperatures and high winds causes exposed pipes to freeze. Outside showers and non-frost proof hose nozzles must be shut off and drained. Disconnect all hoses (water in the hose will expand and crack even the frost proof nozzle).Â
If you leave your inside water on, set your heat between 55 and 60 degrees, and open the cabinet doors under all sinks to allow warm air to circulate around the pipes.Â
Purchase a “watchman” red light from the local hardware store (a thermostat connected to the light will indicate if the inside temperature falls below 45 degrees).  And, provide the police with your contact information.
Or, hire someone to regularly inspect your property to make sure the heat is functioning. Based on last winter…this is money well spent.
As I walk along the beach, I see the typical colorful sea shells, and an occasional piece of sea glass.
Every few blocks…a sun bleached plastic shovel hiding in the sand;  or, a random green GI Joe figure.
Also spotted? Peach seeds.Â
We are all responsible for this. A warm summer day…sitting on a beach chair eating a Jersey peach or nectarine. We finish, and with our heel, make a hole in the sand to properly “plant” the seed. What are we thinking? That there will be a big peach tree growing in the middle of the beach next summer??
Thinking of warm beach days ahead…Â 🙂
I occasionally whine about the winter weather at the shore. Yes, it can be damp and dreary…and we can’t forget the WIND!
But then I walk on the beach, and remember why I love where I live.Â
This beats a treadmill any day 😉
P.S. Sunday morning and I’m back to whining. Rain and high winds = no beach walking today 🙁
The sun is out, and the high winds subsided…time to get back on the beach.
This time of year, even the “soft sand” is hard. The moisture in the sand freezes- providing a more stable walking surface (always looking for the plus side of walking in 28 degree weather!)
I have two “old” Santas. One, a life size painted version proudly displayed in front of the house (his story is posted each year on Christmas Eve); and this plastic Santa.
The red light bulb attached to the electrical cord is long gone. And like the outdoor Santa, the paint is starting to fade.
But for some reason, I smile when I place him on the table each year.Â
I have newer Christmas decorations to display, but my favorites are those wrapped in memories. The ornaments that celebrated babies’ first Christmas, welcomed us to a new home (I have a collection of those!), grade school crafts, and souvenirs from far off travels. A collection 30 plus years in the making.
Strong northwest winds and cold temperatures again this morning.Â
Heading north, the only reasonable spot to walk is near the dunes (a bit of a wind block). Grateful for the warm sun on my face, too!
The solitude on the beach provides the freedom to sing along with gusto to the songs on my iPod (oh, sorry…I guess I do that year round)
During the past 30 days, 22 properties in Avalon and Stone Harbor, NJ SOLD. The final selling price ranged from $400,000 (for an updated 2 bedroom condo) to $3,595,000 (an oversized lot- and house- near the beach). 7 properties sold in Stone Harbor; 15 in Avalon. The median selling price was $890,000.
In addition, there are 33 island properties under contract (with settlement scheduled within the next few months). 7 are in Stone Harbor; 26 in Avalon. They range from $364,900 (a hotel/condo on 79th Street) to $5,495,000 (a beachfront on 14th Street). The median list price is $925,000.
Last Day of Fall?
Along the dunes and in the sun…it was much warmer. Maybe 28 degrees.
Watch for the almost full moon tonight, and the lunar eclipse around 3am (hoping I can see it from our west facing sliding glass door).
P.S. The moon was overhead at the time of the eclipse, and therefore hard to see from inside the house (oh…and maybe my glasses would have helped). The huge yellow moon setting over the bay early this morning was pretty, though.
Happy Winter Solstice…