The morning sky was a mix of storm clouds and bright sunshine. This was the view from my kayak in the back bay looking toward the beach side of the island (just before 7am).
The late morning rain chased everyone off the beach and into the downtown shops.
Sun returned this afternoon…along with cooler temperatures. Should be a nice evening at the shore! Enjoy the weekend.
A sign of possible thunderstorms later. In the mean time, a nice view over the back bay while showing water front homes for sale in Avalon.
Did you see tonight’s sunset? A huge red fireball over the bay clearly defined against the hazy sky.
Unfortunately, my cell phone camera didn’t capture the brilliant color- but it was impressive, even from the beach path.
Kayaking in the ocean takes place only under the perfect set of conditions: low tide, calm water, and WARM water (unlike bay kayaking- I can’t avoid getting wet in the ocean).
My main motivation is to see the dolphins- I’ve had several exciting dolphin encounters. Today, I only saw 2 in the distance- but it was a beautiful morning on the water.
I don’t mind the ride out over the waves- it’s the return to the beach that’s tricky. It’s not an attractive dismount- my goal is to avoid being hit in the head by the boat as I’m thrown to shore 😉
The Atlantic City Press featured a 3 part series about South Jersey families dealing with the loss of their children to drunk driving. A father’s quote  in today’s article jumped off the page: “My son was so full of life. I’m thinking this guy just drank every day. He’s tired of living. It doesn’t make sense why someone who drinks everyday….and uses that to get through life, killed my kid who loved life…”
So sad.  To read the full article:
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/legacies/article_b039be0e-887b-11df-bc96-001cc4c03286.html
Twitter accounts to follow:  http://twitter.com/AnnDelaneyBeach and http://twitter.com/PowerPlayRealty
The Power Play Realty site features rental and sale updates for Avalon and Stone Harbor. The Ann Delaney site has island news and information- plus my perspective as a year round resident.
The popular 7 mile bike path through Avalon and Stone Harbor – it’s like watching the shore stage of Tour de France 😉
Keep cool, drive carefully, and enjoy the fireworks tonight (in Avalon off 30th Street; in Stone Harbor off 81st Street).
My “commute” took a few extra minutes this morning- the shore version of rush hour: church letting out, pedestrian traffic heading to Avalon Coffee, cars looking for parking near Uncle Bill’s, etc. Â 😉
Took a REALLY long walk yesterday to the very south end of the south end of Stone Harbor Point.
Boaters have discovered this quiet stretch of sand as their private beach. Â
By the way, the condo building on the left side of the picture is in North Wildwood-  a good perspective of how far south the sand extends at the point.
Custom Homes at the Shore
Interesting article  in The Press of Atlantic City regarding new construction along the Jersey Shore: http://tinyurl.com/28bjeok
My observations?  Most homes under construction are not “spec” homes. Long time property owners (as well as those who purchased more recently) know that this is a great time to tear down and build new. The slower real estate market means more competitive pricing from builders and related services.Â
As mentioned in the article, the homes are built for personal use. Therefore, the owners want quality amenities plus functional space. The basic beach house now includes: granite counter tops, flat screen televisions, marble/tile baths, hardwood floors, custom interior trim detail, high end siding, roof, and deck materials, and often a pool!