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.
