Off to the shore for Memorial Day weekend. Lots of memories of such weekends, usually culminating in a picnic at the old Lake Lenape park in Mays Landing. I’m sure there were rained out holidays but I don’t remember one as cold and windy as last weekend.
The wind was blowing 25 to 30 knots out of the west, cold and churning up a vicious chop breaking on the west edge of Mordecai Island. The chop seems moderate in this view but this is a telephoto of a scene almost a half mile away. It was raw enough that the fire felt very comforting, particularly as we watched the wind rage on the waters and around the house. Clearly we weren’t going to be having drinks on the deck so the porch furniture remained where it had spent the winter.
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Of most concern was that the club’s annual spring commissioning and opening was scheduled for Saturday night. With over 400 people pre-registered the prospect of moving it indoors from dockside was not greeted enthusiatically. One look at the flags, secured in preparation for being raised during the ceremony, made the decison clear: indoors! The decision made, the evening went forward beautifully, celebrating the hundred and first such club opening. When the Fleet Captain, Tom M., opened with that announcement I could feel the clubhouse timbers shivering.
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As you might well then guess, last year was the hundredth anniversary and it was a busy and exciting season. The club adopted a special logo for the centennial year, comprised of the 1912 burgee and the burgee of subsequent years (there had been a conflict with the original design). I thought the logo begged to be done in stained glass and so it went…the second project from my glass bench this winter. As my late wife, Marty Lou used to observe, these deliveries are frequently accompanied by outbursts of blue words, and so it went as well. A difficult piece but, as usual, when it’s done I’m glad I did it. Comments on its construction can be seen by clicking on the tab above marked “Some of My Stained Glass Work“.
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May 30, 2013 at 8:36 am
I think that the fireplace burning tells the whole story at the shore. All you need is a drink in your hand and your feet propped up! Glad it turned out well.
May 30, 2013 at 8:49 am
Literally LOL’d Bonnie, because that’s exactly what we were doing.
May 30, 2013 at 12:14 pm
As always, I am as impressed with your words as with your pictures and art work!
Joanne
May 31, 2013 at 11:21 am
Thanks, Joanne…letter follows…honest.
May 30, 2013 at 1:51 pm
Nice stained glass work by the Master. Ahhh weather, so changeable. I’m in the precess of re-checking my hurricane supplies and the contents of the GO Bag. I see the first storm hit Mexico on the west coast, so get ready even if it is chilly.
May 31, 2013 at 11:23 am
Thanks, Del. I wish you better in the coming hurricane season than we experienced with Sandy. I still have some repair work going on.
May 31, 2013 at 2:48 pm
Ralph, your pictures and sentiments brought back many fond memories of Memorial Day weekends in Tuckerton and the special glow seen on stormy days on the bay. Thanks! Howard
June 1, 2013 at 3:20 pm
Thanks for visiting, Howard. I would have guessed that you’d relate to on-the-water stuff. Long time no see you and Jean. Are you done at Tuckerton Beach???
June 1, 2013 at 1:30 pm
Oh baby… I felt those winds from an old Navy dingy… kind of what the Coast guard uses in the harbors except ours did not have the cabin on top :-). I was shooting with the Ridgewood camera club meetup group. Our lil boat left Jesey City port early in the morning and got back at 4pm. Quite a challenge to shot from a moving boat w/wind.
This day always brings back my father…23yrs in the Navy… thanks Ralph
June 1, 2013 at 3:18 pm
Thanks, Mike. Sounds like a great day. A little scary being that close to the water in a chop? I was wow’d by the skyline scene you posted on F/B.