It's been a beautiful day . . . .

The storm is over, the sun is shining, and the weather is warm. Thankfully, there was hardly any property damage anywhere. Beach erosion was very heavy and that is bad enough. The wind driven ocean spread sand all over everywhere. Some of it ended up in huge piles on the roads and boardwalks. Even more was carried out to form wider beaches that are dotted with shells now.

So now the clean up begins. Front end loaders are busy scraping the sand off of the roads and boardwalks. Thankfully, that's about all that needs to be done. In a week or less it will all be cleaned up. The officials really don't want people on the beach, but that isn't stopping anybody. Crowds of people came down on Sunday to see how we made out and they all wanted to get on the beach. Who can blame them? It's fun walking on the beach hunting for shells.

The worst thing that happened to my properties was lost limbs from the Black Walnut tree. It's a very old tree. We plan to cut it down sometime this winter. I've known it needed to go for several years, but oh do I hate to lose it. It's been there as long as I can remember. I have pictures of the house when it was just a small tree. When I was little, one of my fall jobs was to beat the squirrels to the nuts. Although the squirrels got their fair share, I've managed to pick up big baskets full of nuts. After I collected them, I would watch my grandfather shell them. That's not an easy job. They are very hard. He used to bust them with a hammer, then pick the meat out.

Maryland Black Walnut Cake was my father's favorite cake. Mom mom always made one for his birthday. Yum!!!!! I haven't had one in a very long time, but I think I will make one for Thanksgiving. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water! For Christmas, Mom mom made big batches of cookies with those nuts. They were so good we ate them almost as fast as she baked them.

Aaaand, so the excitment is over and life is back to normal - for now!

Today's pictures of beach errosion . . . .

I don't have time to drive around to Rehoboth today, so all of these pictures are taken at Bethany Beach. I wish I could make the pictures larger as there is so much that doesn't show. There is a lot of beach errosion. The beach replenishment is almost all gone. The first two pictures were taken just off of the main street. The drops are straight down and more then 60%of the duneline is gone. The middle picture was taken about a block from route 1. If you look closely the water is almost to the top cross piece on the barricade. Bethany is much lower then Rehoboth. It is not unusual for parts of it to be flooded during a storm, but this is a little much.

The next picture is of an entrance to the beach at Wellington Street. The stuff that looks like mud is actually dirty seafoam. It is slimy and very slippery. I had to walk through it to get the last picture. It is of the south end of the boardwalk. Look closely - the dunes are gone, water is under the boardwalk, and the fence has been thrown all over. That piece sticking up in the air that looks like part of a pier was actually the walkway that took you from the boardwalk to the top of the dune. As you can see, beach errosion has been heavy. It is worse here then in Rehoboth from what I hear.

The good news is the storm is winding down and there has been no significant property damage anywhere that I have heard of. The beach will be back by Spring!!!!!!

Three Day Nor'easter hits. . . .

Hello, everyone!

I took these pictures yesterday.

The one at the top left was taken at the end of Rehoboth Avenue. The fencing that you see is blocking off where they are replacing the boardwalk. It is not there because of the storm. Believe it or not, they are taking out the concrete to replace it with boards. The concrete was in very good shape and would have lasted way longer then the boards it will be replaced by. GRRRRR!! Such a waste of taxpayer money!

The next two pictures were taken at the point just past the Henlopen Hotel in North Rehoboth. It is not far from my homes. The water was already up to the bulkhead that protects the road. The spindrift was flying like snow. There was so much traffic that I had to wait in line to even get up to the bulkhead. It sorta reminded me of going through the drivethru at McDonalds at lunch time. I didn't even try to get out of the car, the winds were just too strong. We have had gusts of up to 70 miles an hour over the past 48 hours. By this time I am sure that the ocean has breached the area at the next hightide.

The last picture really doesn't need much explanation. Yup, Dolle's was open aaaaand there were actually people buying popcorn. I am sorry they didn't show up in the photo.

This is the worst storm to hit our area in a long time. When I went to Rehoboth yesterday, route 1 was still passable. Several hours after I got back home, the ocean broke through the dunes just north of the inlet. They had to close the road from Bethany Beach to Rehoboth Beach; it remains closed at this time. I will now have to drive around the backbay to get there. Fortunately, my God son is staying at one of my beach houses, so he is taking care of everything for me. It's a relief knowing that he is there. So far, I haven't had any major damage. There were several limbs from the walnut tree down and there are several leaks in the older house. Of course, considering how strong the wind has been, it is no wonder.

We still have flood warnings out until this evening and the entire county is under a State of Emergency. Our EMS are busy rescuing people that are stranded by the flood waters. Rehoboth isn't affected by flood waters. It was built on high ground. Dewey Beach, Lewes Beach, Bethany Beach and the backbay areas are all affected. Most of the rescues, have taken place in the Long Neck/Oak Orchard areas.

As I write this, I am sitting on my porch watching the rain and the wind. Later, I will try to get down to the boardwalk in Bethany Beach for more pictures.

Shopping and the beach. . . .

The weather has been just wonderful this past week. During the day the sun is so bright and warm; there is hardly a cloud in the sky. It's so warm, you hardly need a sweater! I am still wearing shorts and flip flops during the day! The evenings have been so balmy that the boardwalk is still frequented by a good number of people. In fact, everyone is so thrilled with the mild weather that the atmosphere is quite festive.

I am still enjoying the beach. The sandpipers are back. They are so much fun to watch as they dart to and fro as the waves flow in and out.

Personally, I would like some cooler weather. My winter walking gear is all ready! Thanksgiving and Christmas are fast approaching, but I just can't get in the mood with all of this warm weather. At this rate, they will slip up on me and I will be in a mad dash to get ready. Sorry, but housework is just not high on my priority list when the weather is this nice.

Friday, I went to the outlets! My grandsons were in need of new jeans. Of course, the stores are crowded. They have tons of buses pulling in there everyday. They have had as many as 70 buses in one day there. Can you believe? I guess it's the "no sales tax" thing.

Of course, I have my favorite stores. Lately, I am having great luck at Osh'Kosh for the grandsons. Great buys there! I had recieved an e-mail coupon for 20% off of my entire purchase. I spent over $100.00, so I got a card that gives me $10 off my next purchase and another 20% off coupon. Whoppeee! For myself, I love Coldwater Creek. I bought $80 jeans there for $9.99. What a buy!!!! For gifts, I love Kirkland's. My son likes Tommy H.,, I can't say I have found really good deals there though.

After the storm . .

I still haven't had time to run up to Rehoboth to get pictures. I will try to do that tomorrow.

The weather is lovely right now. It has been in the 70's for the last 2 days, the sun is bright and there isn't a cloud in the sky. Purrrfect fall weather!!!!

Yesterday, Chance and I walked on the beach in Bethany. Chance is my sweet doggy. You can see her in the picture above.

As you can see, the storm caused a great deal of beach erosion. I found beach access at Oakwood Street. (The bottom picture.) Walking north, I there were drops of up to 15 foot straight down. The "cliffs" are so high that I wasn't sure exactly what part of town I was in at times. Once in a while, I could see just the top a roof that I recognized. Needless to say, the beach wasn't crowded. I only met one other person on the beach. The winds were gentle and there was only the gentlest of waves.

We walked a little over a half mile north before I found a place to get back to the street without having to turn around. The handicap ramp on the north side of town is still in place, so I used that. It was such a beautiful walk that I would have loved to have stayed much longer.

The shells are starting to wash in. Late fall, winter, and the early spring are good for shelling. I find it fascinating that different types of shells seem to the be more plentiful at certain times of the winter season. The beach was full of shells as you can see in the picture of Chance. Of course, all Chance wanted to do was run and that didn't make shelling easy. I did find a coupla nice conch shells.

The beach replenishment here was done in a much different way then in Rehoboth. The duneline was put much farther away from the boardwalk and it is much higher. It rally doesn't take much of a storm to give the ocean reason to claim what is hers. Rehoboth didn't have as much erossion this time.

A Stormy Jazzfest. . . .

There is soooo much going on in Rehoboth this fall. During the week the town is filled with people taking leisurely walks through town and on the beach, but on weekends it is still downright crowded. As you can see from the photos that I am posting many of the businesses in town are still open. It is so very different from when I grew up here. All of the businesses closed and boarded up on Labor Day back then. I think the only store open in the fall was Lingo's Market on first street. Back then, they were the small "country store" that provided for the needs of the "locals" all year.

Now, there is tons of things to do all over Sussex County every weekend. It is hard to pick what festivals to attend and impossible to do it all. This weekend was Jazz Festival weekend in Rehoboth. Almost every restaurant had a Jazz singer, group, or band for entertainment. There were so many choices that it was mind boggling and leaves you wishing that you had a whole week to take in everything. Each year, this festival gets bigger and better.

Thursday, we were visited by the first of two Nor'easters; the second arrived yesterday. The winds have been bad all weekend, gusting to over 40 mph at times. It has rained almost continually all weekend - sometimes just a mist and at other times torrential. When the rains have lightened people have rushed out wanting to get a look at the beach and to feel the shear power of the ocean. There is nothing like the feel of the salt air stinging your face. The beach has been eaten away by the surf and the water is licking the dune lines at high tide. Interestingly, a Nor'easter, draws people to the beach, so there were even more people here for Jazzfest then usual. Unfortunately, it wasn't possible to stroll restaurant lined Wilmington and Baltimore Streets to listen the the jazz music drifting onto the streets.

I drove from Bethany Beach to Rehoboth around noon on Thursday. The winds have blown the water up into the backbay, so water was all the way across Route 1 in places. Friday, really wasn't a bad day for winds, so driving around wasn't bad at all and people packed the outlets. Yesterday, it was the worst day of the weekend. The winds and rain were at their worst and only the hardiest were out. Route 1 between Rehoboth and Bethany was not a fun drive as the water was on the road in many places and crossing Indian River Bridge was a nightmare. It seemed to me that the worst of the storm hit last night. Today, I didn't go to Rehoboth. I did walk around Bethany and much of it is under water. Bethany is much lower then Rehoboth and is often flooded during a storm.

Good news, Rehoboth has received some of the federal stimulus money. They are replacing the rest of the boardwalk with that money. As many of you know, it is not before it is due. I have posted a picture of the construction. They have started on the south end of the boardwalk and will move to the north end when they are done there. Until they start on the north end, it is still possible to walk from my house to Funland on the boardwalk.

Life is good here!!!!

Yesterday was our first Nor'easter for the year. The surf was only slightly angry, but the winds were strong. Walking down to the beach, I felt like I was walking through a wind tunnel. The closer I got to the beach the harder the wind pushed me back. By the time I reached the boardwalk, I was leaning into the wind and it was taking a good deal of energy just to move forward.

The pictures that I am posting only give you a slight idea of what it was like. They weren't even taken at high tide!!! As you can see the water was already reaching the dunes and sea foam was flying. There were a few hardy souls that were trying to sit on the beach up against the weather fencing to watch the waves. They were wrapped in rain gear and were having to hold onto everything they had with them. Later in the day, the water reached the street at the Henlopen Hotel not far from my homes.

By the time I decided that I needed to head back to the car, it was starting to rain in ernest. We ended up with over 4 inches!!!!! At times, the wind was driving the rain so hard that there were many leaking roofs and water driven in around windows.

Today, when I walked around town, I noticed a number of awnings that had been damaged. Over all this was a pretty mild storm that left very little damage. The worst was beach errosion. It is early in the year for that much errosion. The good news is the sands are ever changing. We always loose beach in the fall and winter, but the sea is kind and usually brings it back in the Spring.

It's no seacret that I truly love the ocean no matter what it is like, but I think I like it best when it is like this. I love the sheer power of those waves.

Not so beautiful beach days. . . .

With late August comes uncertain weather here. For the last week, the humidity has been very high making it feel warmer then it really is. Most days it has been mostly cloudy, but there hasn't been much rain in those clouds. Today, the high was in the mid 70's - very cool for this time of year. Not a good beach day!!!

The ocean has been churning due to off-shore storms. As the storms go up the coast they drive the water into the land, making the surf rough and creating strong undertows. There have been several days when the surf has been so rough that the lifeguards wisely kept everyone out of the water. Even so, there have been more then a few injuries in the past week. Those injuries run from minor abrasions, to dislocated shoulders, broken limbs, and several possible broken necks. If you aren't accustom to swimming in the ocean, please stay out of the water. A strong undertow can knock a large man, who is only knee deep in the water, down or whisk a small child right out of your hold. The thrill is truly not worth the risk.

Since the storms have been so far out off the coast, we have unfortunately not had very much rain. That in itself is creating problems. As you walk on the beach or the boardwalk, you notice that your glasses or sunglasses become coated with salt from the air quickly. It can become quite irriating. Be careful cleaning the salt off, as it can scratch your lenses. It is best to rinse them with water before you try to polish them.

That salt can cause eletrical problems and kill trees as well. You might notice transformers at the top of electric poles are arcing or heard crackling noises. This is caused by the salt build up on the transformers. If it gets really bad the fire companies have to use their trucks to wash down the transformers, so that they don't catch fire or explode. So far, it hasn't gotten to that point this year and let's hope it doesn't.

If you have a chance to drive south on route 1, you will notice that a large number of black pines appear to be dying. It's the salt coating the needles. If it continues, the salt can kill the tree, but most of the time it does get that severe. This year, it appears that we really could loose some of those trees. Some trees have a great deal of dead needles already. We need several days of steady rain soon, if they are going to recover.

You really can feel summer slipping away.

Beautiful Beach Days

It's been a wonderful summer for the beach! Over all the temperatures have been cooler then normal, but today is a hot one. I was down on the beach earlier and the water is sooooo warm. I really didn't want to get out. I could have stayed in all day. There is just something so therapudic about warm salt water! Of course, the whole beach thing is therapudic as far as I am concerned. I find it hard to go more then a few days without getting a fix of sand and sea. The wind in my hair, the smell of salt water, and the sound of the waves and gulls pull at my soul.

The only down side is there are a lot of jellyfish, when the water is this warm. Yup, you can always tell how warm the water is by the number of jellyfish. A little hint: If you get stung by one sprinkle the area with meat tenderizer. It really works, but I have no idea why.

It is hard to believe that the summer is almost over. It seems to have flown by faster then usual. Is that a sign that I am getting older? Our oldest grandson starts school tomorrow, the middle one started yesterday and the youngest starts kindergarden the day after Labor Day. I haven't had them on the beach anywhere near as much as I had planned. I am feeling pressure to make the most of the time left before school with the little one.

Tonight, we are taking him to the boardwalk. He loves the rides! We will probably go to Funland first, then we will get pizza at Louis' Pizza. They do have the best pizza and their fresh cut fries are out of this world. The evening will be topped off with ice cream. Then I will deliver him home undoubtedly with a tummy ache. (Isn't that what grandmothers are for?)

Chek-in/Check-out day. . . .

It's Saturday, so that means that I have spent the day in Rehoboth. I always like to make sure that everything is in order after the cleaners are finished. Somehow, I have never been able to find cleaning people who leave the houses exactly as I want them. I guess I am picky, but I want to make sure that the beds are neat and that each room is not only clean but neat a pin. I want the houses to be so inviting that my guests feel like they are walking into their own home. I make sure that all of the plants are watered and the flower beds are weedless. While the cleaners are finishing up, I run whatever errands I have to do. If I finish up early enough I take a walk on the boardwalk.

The weather today was just the best. The humidity was low and there was a wonderful breeze
- the kind that feels like it is carressing your skin. I walked down Virginia Avenue to the boardwalk, then south to Rehoboth Avenue. Once on the avenue, I couldn't decide if I wanted Louis' pizza or Kohrs. I fnally decided to treat myself to a huge Kohr's Custard (Banana-Strawberry). It served as breakfast and lunch, so I didn't feel bad about the huge part. It was great as usual. I never have one of those ice cream cones that I done thiink of my best friend , Ahrisha. When she is down, we can't walk past that place without getting ice cream, no matter how much we have had to eat.

I took time to enjoy every lick of that cone while I strolled down the avenue widow shopping. There are some very interesting new shops this year. I really need to make time to do more then window shop. Then I will give you a report on what I have found. There is one new shop that I love. It has lots of hair accessories and some really cute "junk" jewelry. I have bought 3 blown glass pendants there. (3 for $20.00) I have worn several of them and gotten some compliments. I don't know the name of the place, but it is on the north side of the block just a few stores from First Street.

It day was so nice that I really didn't want to head home, I would have prefered to veg on the beach, but all good things must come to an end.

It's a beautiful day on the beach. The temperature is nearly 90 today.. It's hot a block inland, but here on the beach there is a cool breeze.

The water is warm and there is no undertow today. The perfect time for a swim! Earlier this morning the dolphin put on a show. There seemed to be more then usual swimming up and down the shoreline. Several flipped over turning their bellies up to the sun, another patted the surface with it's tail and one jumped out of the water. Several people saw it and all of a sudden everyone on the beach had their eyes glued on the water.

One of my favorite things is watching for them. I love watching how they swim the shoreline. The water is their very own highway. There seems to be 2 lanes with some gong north and some going south. Sometimes, when they meet they appear to be greeting each other. It's fascinating!

It is so wonderful to be sitting on the beach after the strong thunderstorms we have had over the past coupla days. Awwww! There is no better place to be on a summer day!!!!!

Cloudy Days

Well, the sun didn't show today. The wind was coming off the ocean which created a hazy mist on shore that disappeared within a block. It was very humid making it feel much hotter then it was. There were plenty of hardy people on the beaches - some of us just can't resist the call of that ocean.. BUT it's just the type of day that you can get too much sunburn without realizing it, so always use plenty of sunscreen even when the sun is AWOL.

My son took the day off to go crabbing with his 5 year old. Just the purrrfect day for it. If any of you ever want to crab, the very best place is Holt's Landing - about a 20 minute drive south from Rehoboth. There is a great pier there and a really nice play ground for the kids.

I had a lot of errands to run out on the highway. Wrong day for that!! Traffic was gridlocked around the outlets with 3 lanes of traffic all trying to make a right turn into the parking lots. Yup, you guessed it, I was one of those making that righthand turn. I had sevral coupons that I had to used by tomorrow and OshKosh was having a great sale. I picked up some really nice tee shirts for school. I just can't resist buying for my grandsons. If you're familiar with the outlets, you are in for a shock. They keep changing. Many of the store are no longer discounted, they are full retail and we keep loosing stores. Some of my peronal favorites have disappeared. Others have relocated within the mall. GRRRRRR. . . it's so irritating.

Then I headed out to Midway to buy 20 yards of fabric. For over a year, I have been looking for fabric to make curtains for my livingroom. I haven't been able to find what I really want - a blue and yellow plaid. I stopped into Dreamweaver's last week. They had a plaid that I liked, blue and white. I got a swatch, took it home and laid it on my sofa. It has sat there for a week. I finally decided that, although it was not exactly what I had in mind, it would work. The curtains will be a winter project.

The trip home was slow. Traffic hadn't let up and the 35 mph speed limit makes a bottle neck at Indian River Inlet. Secretly, I like the slow speed limit over the bridge as it is such a gorgeous view. It's nice to be force to drive slow enough that one can enjoy it. As soon as Icould I cut inland so that I could avoid the traffic in Bethany Beach.

Tonight will be a sweater/jacket night on the boards. If you plan on sitting on a bench be shore to take a towel or you'll have a damp bottom.

FYI/warning/pet peeve

I wanted to pick up some shorts for my grandsons, so I headed out to the outlets this morning. Seems like every time I go there stores have moved out and new ones are there in their place. It is so irritating!!!! What's much worse is many of the incoming stores are not true outlet stores; they are full retail stores. Old Navy is no long an outlet store, they are full retail. Please beware!!!!

Some of my favorite places:

First and formost - THE BEACH there is nothing better then sitting on the beach as the breeze caresses your skin. The best time for dolphin watching is the early morning. Please take the time to enjoy watching them play. At times they put on quite a show. I walk the beach 3 to 5 times a week all year long. I love the sea, somehow I don't feel whole unless I am close to it. There is just something about it's energy and shir power that draws me. Awwww, the smell of salt air.!!!!!!!! Open the windows at night and listen closely, you can hear the surf hitting the beach.

Pizza - You haven't had pizza til you've tried Louis. The pepperoni is slice so thin that it comes out of the oven crispy and a little crunchy - sorta like bacon. The crust has a buttery taste. He is located on the North side of Rehoboth Avenue next to Ibach's (best truffles). Louis ,also, has my vote for the best beach fries. He started out selling French Fries where Thrasher's is now when he was in his teens. (Don't tell him, but I had a huge crush on hm back .) The next best thing to pizza is Nichola's Nic-a-bolis. Nick was a teacher when I was in high school. I love him dearly. Grotto Pizza although the most popular is my least favorite. Personally, I think that they lost quality control when they openned so many pizza palors. IMHO their pizza changes and it is better at times then it is another.


Best Sandwiches - I love Arena's Shrimp Salad, crab dip, and nachos. Obie's has the best burgers and I love sitting on their deck watching the ocean.

Family dinners - you can't beat the Rehoboth Diner. The food is good, plentiful, and reasonably priced. They don't serve alcohol.

You can't beat Aqua's for cocktails and dinner. The atmosphere is a little like Key West complete with sand in the front of the restaurant. Their crabcakes are made from the same recipe that the owners mother used - makes my mouth water just thinking about them. Rancel loves their scallops, he orders them everytime we go there. I love the way they serve their condiments, but I'll let that be a surprise for you. Best of all their prices are very reasonable. They are located on Baltimore Avenue close to Second Street.

Welcome to my Blog. . .

I am so glad you found me. Friends have been encouraging me to create a blog for sometime so that I could keep my friends, family and guest up to date on all of the happenings in the Rehoboth area and specifically my beach homes. Frankily, I found the idea a little intimidating and kept putting it off, but here goes.

I have two beach homes. It is property that has been in my family since the 1930's. My mother started renting our family home after my father passed away. The house was just too big for her. She built a smaller house on a lot behind it, where she lived out the rest of her life. I began renting that house when she joined my dad.

Our Springs are spent updating, cleaning, and painting, so that each house is in tiptop shape to welcome our summer guests. That is when the real story can be told!

Now, they are rented and it is non-stop weekly tenants over the summer months. Each house becomes a hectic whirlwind of people enjoying every minute of what seems to them a week that is over in a blink of the eye. Some have become dear friends - extended family - as they come the same week each year. They feel like they are coming "home" when they head out for "their week". I have watched their children grow up, marry, and start the next generation of guests. I look forward to seeing them as much as they look forward to coming. As I fix up the houses, I can picture just what some of them will like or how they will enjoy some of my changes.

For others, it's a first time visit. Some return to enjoy repeat vacations and join my growing family. Sometimes, return visits just aren't possible, but that's ok as they have at least had the opportunity to experience the magic of a Rehoboth Beach vacation at least once. Aaaaand a summer beach vacation is a magical experience in deed.

Rehoboth Beach is a great place to vacation any time of year and my guests have found my beach homes just as inviting in the "off season" as they are in the summer. There are all sorts of festivals and special weekends, so we have become an "all season" resort. It is a rare month that my homes aren't booked for at least a long weekend.

As my blog evolves I plan to add links to my favorite places, give you my views on regional happenings, and anything else that may be on my mind. As soon as I figure out how I will begin posting pictures of the beach, the houses, and what ever else I think you will find of interest.

I hope that you will enjoy my commentaries. Please let me know what you think my blog. I welcome comments and suggestions.