Ann Delaney Beach Blog

Blog

  • Double Vision

    doublevision Seashore double vision- the bay front homes reflecting off of the calm water in the early morning sun. 

    Took advantage of our summer like weather and kayaked for the 1st time this season.   Very peaceful…

     

    aprilkayaking

     No boat traffic or bugs…but the bay is still cold.  I stay close to the docks in the event of an oops!

    What an odd month- record rain fall, freezing temperatures, severe thunderstorms, a nor’easter or 2, and now a heat wave.  

    Celebrate May at the Stone Harbor Boat & Craft Show next weekend.  All day Saturday and Sunday along 96th Street- food and music, too.

  • Sights & Sounds of Summer

    parkingmeter Parking meters in the business district of Stone Harbor are in,  and will be operating as of May 1st (the 2 blinking traffic lights on the island will be turned on the same day- watch out!)

    What a weekend.  It feels like July.

     

    111thbeach The distinct sound of  outside showers;  hearing  noise on our street while sleeping with the windows open (versus the silence of winter!); geese flying north; the return of the die-hard surfers (they call themselves the 110 Surf Crew); and defensive driving on my “commute” to work around the numerous walkers and bicyclists.  All definite signs of summer 🙂

  • Dolphins Return to the Shore

    dolphinsightingBeautiful morning… and warmer temperatures expected this weekend  🙂

    The dophins were swimming by during my walk- glad to see them back for the season!

    Unrelated info- I was driving behind a plumber’s truck today  and loved their bold mission statement:  “Our technicians smell good”- how funny…

  • Earth Day 2009

    earthday I read an article in today’s paper about the relevance of Earth Day – “has it outlived its usefulness and potentially become more of a feel-good token symbol…”,  and was thinking  about this as I approached the beach path for my morning walk.

    Unfortunately, it didn’t take me long to mentally draft this post after spotting the deflated balloon stuck on the snow fence. 

    In my quick walk, I picked up 5 or 6 balloons, a beer can, a plastic cup and jug, and a potato chip bag.  That was all I could carry- so I stopped there.

    If Earth Day is an opportunity to remind all of us about the environment- then it has value.  If it inspires me to pick up trash along the beach- then it has value.  Hope you are equally inspired today!

  • 2 for 2

    apriljettyBack to work for me…but another beautiful “beach day” in April.   People are out taking advantage of the warm weather- should be a great weekend.

     

     

    aprilsnow

     

    In response to my “1st Beach Day” post, my daughter in law sent me a picture of their “beach day” in Colorado- several feet of snow!

  • 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.  

    100_0822

     

    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!

  • Craig’s List- caution

    http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/181/story/452497.html

    I know many owners post their rental properties on Craig’s List for the added exposure- and I guess fraud follows what’s popular (see attached article from The Press).

    When traveling and looking to rent a house,  I like to search on line, but prefer to talk with a live person about the property- ideally an established agent located in the community who will be there to assist with any issues.  

    Likewise, I take my responsiblity seriously when I help a family book a seashore rental.  It’s a large sum of money, and I want it to be the best fit for their needs.  After 25+ years of handling rentals, I have knowledge of not only the properties, but the neighborhoods as well. 

    If you are looking to vacation in the Avalon/ Stone Harbor area,  I appreciate the opportunity to help.      ann@anndelaney.com