in which we escape our land-locked state

Where to begin, where to begin?

With my new camera’s ‘panorama assist’ feature, which helped me take this awesome shot?

With my observations about the best way to remove a quarter cup of sand from my no-longer-shiny but-still-new Vibram FiveFingers?

Or how about I just launch into a rant about how unbelievably fantastic the Jersey shore is – the Actual Jersey shore, as in, the ecosystem, the land, the water, the dunes, the breaching dolphins, the birds?

 

Lemme back up.

 

We went down to New Jersey for a couple of days. Newer readers, please be advised that my beloved husband grew up near the beach in south Jersey. We took a spin to Island Beach State Park, which consists of about eight or nine miles of pretty-much undeveloped barrier island. The northern end of the same island has been completely flattened and paved over. One of the several towns involved is the infamous Seaside Heights featured on that MTV show.

To give you an idea of the contrast…

Heavy, heavy sigh.

East coast barrier islands figure prominently in both my original, and my in-law, families. Kevin grew up within the smell of the ocean. His sister met her husband while working at a candy shop on the Seaside Heights boardwalk. My mom and her siblings spent their summers on the Jersey shore - two of my uncles met their wives there. The tradition continued in my generation – we started in Avalon, about 70 miles south of Island Beach, and later migrated south to South Carolina.

A love for the ocean seems primordial, does it not?

Speaking of love, here’s mine.

I love the smell of the salt air as Kevin and I approach his original stomping grounds, so the pavement, the sprawl, and the seemingly never-ending encroachment on the pine barrens bums me out.

Getting out on the beach helps.

 

Sandpipers.

Medium size bird…

Isn’t he handsome? When I’m not wanting to decorate my entire life with rainbow colors, I lust after shades of brown like this bird, the scientific name of which is, I believe Seabirdicus beautious

 

Filthy beach lucre.

So, does anyone have any tips for how to photograph breaching dolphins? I can tell you how not to do it: Set camera to maximum zoom, train it on a spot just in front of where the dolphins were last seen, and hope something good comes of the shot.

Well, that didn’t work.

Neither did that, apparently. 

 

What else.

On the drive home this afternoon, a Bald Eagle flew directly over the Garden State Parkway. Please, Universe, do not let me be the only person who noticed this.