It’s time for me to leave the cave and head back to the island. After two trial weekends, yes, it’s good to be back. Here’s what I unexpectedly, gratefully, captured at sunset last week.
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It wasn’t shaping up as a great sunset. There was, in fact, a cloud bank above the mainland, and the setting sun was above that. By shooting with my telephoto lens, however, I was able to mask out the sun, leaving only this magnificent scene and color. The foreground grasses provide an anchor for the viewer, and the four men fishing on the boat say,
Yes! Summer’s Here!
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Another major sign of summer’s arrival is the blooming of the Rosa Rugosa or beach roses. The dune makers (more on this below) spared the extensive clusters of the roses on either side of the ramp to the beach, making a beautiful entrance when in bloom. They also have a lovely fragrance; it made me wish my camera could capture it.
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Another sign of summer for me is the return of the Purple Martins to Cotov’s Condominiums along Liberty Thorofare. So is the morning fog.
They’re Back … and their eggs have already been laid. More to come.
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But the Big Story on Action News is the $128 million beach restoration project, a very impressive, 24/7 engineering project. Security guards prevent ageing photographers from getting too close but here’s part of the feel of it. The gulls ignore the Danger sign to feast on bits and pieces that come along with the sand being pumped in; the lady is heading for ignoring the sign but not, one hopes, for the bits and pieces.
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Beach toys for big boys.
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A block or two north the beach is open alongside the pipe carrying bottom sand from an off-shore dredge. The pipe is marked “High Pressure. Danger. Stay Back” but the crew has created sand walkways over it. Oh, well. Frisbees must fly.
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Did I mention summer fog? Oh, yeah. On this morning the pipeline was pumping in off-shore fog.
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The pathway to the beach is now daunting. A compacted gravel bed has been put in place which is so much easier to walk on rather than just the sand.
This family made it to the top. They’re settling in but I expect signs soon to keep off of the dunes.
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Anyway, once you get to the top of Mt. Dune an amazing vista opens up.
Plenty of room until the first nor’easter.
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