Wanderlust: Sea Bright

Showing posts with label Sea Bright. Show all posts

Thursday, April 7, 2011

The Chronicles of Our Beach

Living in a small, simple town by the shore has forever changed my relationship with the beach. Before living here, the beach was always a busy, crowded place that tried to burn my skin, put salt in my mouth and leave sand in my pants. But living at the beach, I've been able to see that the beach has many different moods. The beach, like all things famous, gets stereotyped. And there is certainly a bit of truth to most people's expectations of my beach, but like most stereotypes, there is also so much more.

Welcome to my Beach

The beach, like everywhere, changes drastically with each season. In the summer, great crowds of frolickers come to play in the sand and sun and sea. They bring their umbrellas and their beach towels and they decorate the beach with their excitement and joy. The people find so many things to do on the beach: swim, surf, read, build castles, search for buried treasure, play sports, take naps, I even saw someone film a TV show. It seems everyone loves to do something different at the beach. Quite solitude is very hard to come by during the summer. But it can be found, especially after the sun goes down when, like most of the world, the beach gets much quieter.

The Beach decorated with People

Filming something for HBO

Children Playing

Searching for Treasure

In the fall and spring, the crowds mostly leave and the fishermen come out to play. They are most present during the twilight hours, I think because that's when the fish are hungriest. Some of them have great big poles the size of two men. They throw their lines out beyond the waves, shove their poles into the sand and wait for animals of the sea to bite. Others have simple fishing poles and stand on the edges of piers and jetties dodging waves and searching for fish.

People fishing at daybreak

Giant Poles

Exciting Discovery

Winter is certainly the quietest time at the beach, but people still try to surf in stormy waves or plunge into the freezing water for charity. But mostly people seem to take peaceful walks along the beach during winter, especially with their dogs. Dogs aren't allowed on the beach during summer, I guess because tourists and dog poo don't mix very well. If you want to be alone with the beach, winter is the best time to do it.

Solitude at the Beach

I've seen the beach change more than just moods while I've been here as well. It seems the constant assault of waves is carrying the sand from our beach away to some unknown adventure. To keep the beach from washing away, the government trucks in several tons of sand. But instead of dumping the sand evenly all over the beach, they built a 10 foot mountain of sand. Perhaps it was to help shield the town during the stormy season, but it also makes a great new vista point. I love walking along this new mini-mountain range and soaking in the beautiful view.

Erosion of our Beach

It seems there is always something new at the beach. Nothing ever stays the same, even somewhere as simple and enduring as the beach. I'm so grateful for the chance we were given to spend a year living on this beach. I have learned a lot about the place I once disliked and I have come to love the beach. I never know what I'll see or find next at the beach, which is all I really want from life anyway.

New York City as seen from our Beach

Some Locals at the Beach

My Wife's Footprints

Strange Object Found at the Beach

Monday, March 14, 2011

Lunch with the Birds

The other day, while walking along the beach, I came across a group of birds during lunch time. The birds at my beach (which I think are seagulls, but all I really know is they're not penguins) don't usually like getting too close to strangers and seem mildly uncomfortable when I try to take their picture. In those two ways, they are like my wife. But on this particular day, the birds were mostly too busy with the work of catching their lunch and gulping it down to pay too much attention to me. So I got to play and take their pictures while they feasted and it was one of the best things I did all week.

Hunting for food

Seagulls eat Clams

Seagulls eat Muscles

Seagulls eat Starfish

I had no idea seagulls ate so many different kinds of food! I think I also saw one eating a crab, but I didn't get a picture of that. So apparently seagulls eat pretty much anything that moves and is smaller than they are on the beach. (Clams and muscles technically do move right?) I had so much fun watching the birds eat and play that I almost felt like one myself.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Surfing on a Snow Covered Beach

As you probably know, my wife and I moved to the beach last July and it's been a wonderful experience. I've tried my best to take advantage of the beach and I've been boogie boarding, thrown starfish back into the sea, had picnics and watched the sunrise on the beach. Although I imagined that nothing would happen on the beach once winter arrived. While things have certainly slowed down, people still find reasons to dive into the ocean even when it's below freezing.

A few weeks ago my wife and I just happened to visit the beach when a group of people know as the 'Ancient Order of Hibernians' gathered over 400 people together and then they plunged into the 40 degree water. Apparently they raised over $100,000 dollars for charity, a pretty impressive feat.

Hundreds gathered for Sea Bright's annual Polar Bear swim

'I can't feel my feet.'

Lifeguards on hand, wearing space suits?

The other day, I also saw a pair of surfers ready to brave the winter weather in the search for fun and adventure. I admire these guys' passion and dedication. They must really love what they do, if they're willing to surf with snow on the beach. I think when you're truly following your bliss, no obstacle feels too large.

The beach is a great place in the summer, so full of energy and joyful people. But I also love the beach in the winter. I love how quiet and peaceful it almost always seems, when the summer crowds are gone. When I'm the only one on the beach, which happens often in cold weather, nature's voice seems much stronger. If you've only been to the beach when it's sunny and warm, I suggest you try taking a walk on the beach during the winter. It's a completely different and very worthwhile experience.

A different kind of beauty

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Views From Bridges

I kinda live on an island. I think it's technically a peninsula, but whenever I want to go somewhere I have to drive over a bridge. Which is fine with me because I LOVE bridges, especially when I'm on foot. Some of the best views in the world are from bridges.

View of my town in the Summer from a bridge

View of my town in the Winter from a bridge

Today when I was taking some pictures from one of our bridges, the whole world just seemed so peaceful. It bothers me when bridges don't have pedestrian walkways. There's a bridge we take every time we go into New York City that has a gorgeous view of the city's skyline. But I can't take a picture because there's no sidewalk on that bridge. At least the bridge has a pullover lane, so one of these days I'm going to fake a flat tire and take some pictures.

Some pictures from a recent trip to the Brooklyn Bridge

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