Post-Jonas Post

I wasn't going anywhere on Saturday.  I was sick with the flu, there was a foot of snow outside of my North Wilmington home, and Governor Markell said I couldn't drive anywhere (even if I wanted to).  All the while, I was following social media and seeing the scary photos of roads that I drove on a week ago that were now completely under water.  Pictures of street signs from Bethany being found on the beach in downtown OC, shots of roofs that were blown off and docks that were broken in two, videos of sea water rushing under beachfront homes, and reports of hurricane-force winds that were hammering the area that I call my second home.

Snowman by the Snow-cean

What could I do? 

I still don't know how my beach house fared during the storm.  I'm going to believe that all will be well when I show up there this coming weekend.  All of my furniture was put away in the shed and my trash can was in my fenced-in back yard (and, hopefully, still is).

I'm more concerned with "my" dune crossing on 136th St., which took such a beating in October and still wasn't quite right when I crossed it a couple of weeks ago.  I worry about the damage to the OC Fishing Pier, where I love to walk and hang over the ocean. Most of all, I feel for the business and property owners in places like Dewey Beach and downtown Ocean City, where the bay and the ocean were rushing on to the city streets.

As much anxiety as this storm caused me, it also helped to remind me that certain things cannot be controlled. In the almost two years since I purchased my OC home, I have seen portions of dunes and boardwalks built up and re-built due to storm damage.  The shore communities are incredibly adept at quick repairs and remediation.  Ocean City's town web site is encouraging visitors to come back this weekend because they will be all cleaned up by then (a stellar feat when you look at the photos of the inlet on Saturday morning).  And I believe that they will be.

Damage to the OC fishing pier

I'm looking forward to my trip down this weekend.  I know that there will be bigger storms in my future and many nights of worrying about how my little beach shack is doing.  It's the flip side of the coin to the joy of owning a beach house - the worry of owning a beach house.  Many would say that it's a good problem to have. It is. 

Into The Mystic

I feel like every weekend that I spend at the beach is a gift. Actually, it's more like a pile of gifts - each one a small surprise.  I never know what I'm going to be given or how great it's going to be.

This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to witness Snow Geese on the bay in Fenwick Island, a beautiful sunset viewed from the second floor of Papa Grandes, a warm and sunny walk around Rehoboth Avenue, and a breathtakingly beautiful snowy beach on Sunday morning in Ocean City.

Seeing the Snow Geese was amazing (until the cops asked us to leave).  There were probably at least a thousand birds just sitting and squawking in the bay near the shoreline.  I've never seen anything like it.

Snow Geese on the bay in Fenwick Island

It was so great to have a warm and sunny day followed by a real winter day - complete with snow!  As refreshing as it was to walk on a snow-covered beach on Sunday, it was also nice to sit inside a warm house and watch movies all day.

Snow on the beach in OC!

The next couple of weekends at the beach aren't really that exciting.  There are very few events and many of the local businesses are closed until Valentines Day.

I will probably be staying North until the end of the month.  I have a family dinner and my daughter's graduation this weekend and there's talk of a major snowstorm heading our way.

I leave you with my happy, snowy face.  See you in a couple of weeks!!

Sno-cean

...And God Saw That it Was Good

"A Haven of Rest for Quiet People"
That's how the founders of Bethany Beach (also known as the Disciples of Christ) referred to the resort in the late 1800s.

A church goup from Ocean View, DE attends a beach fish-fry.
Heavy clothes + summer day + fish.  Bet they all smelled great.

When you consider that Bethany Beach was a short horse and buggy ride down the coast from the Methodist Camp Meeting of Rehoboth, I think it's fair to assume that things were a little bit different than they are today in the two resort towns.

I often wonder what the founding organizations would think of the Sunday night drag shows at the Purple Parrot in Rehoboth, or the Elvis impersonator who performs at the Bethany bandstand each summer.  I also wonder how rowdy Dewey Beach got stuck in the middle of these two locations.

The "Allie May" was used to transport passengers from
Rehoboth Beach to Bethany Beach from 1910 - 1912
 (that's one way to avoid Dewey Beach)

While neither town has a terribly sordid reputation, things are definitely not the way they used to be.  The little, wooden "tents" that were constructed along the shoreline in Rehoboth Beach have been replaced by condos, stores, and multi-million dollar homes.  And, although the area has many churches close to the sea, you would hardly call it a religious retreat.

This Friday and Saturday (Jan 15 & 16) are predicted to be cloudy and mild (low to mid 50s).  I'm heading back to the beach to check on things and relax a bit with my family.  There are only a few events worth mentioning:

The S* Show at Camp Rehoboth - This special tribute to Sondheim, Sinatra, and Streisand will be performed by select soloists from the Gay Mens Chorus of Washington, DC.  Shows are on Saturday at 4 PM and 8 PM and there is a Sunday matinee at 2 PM.  Tickets are $25.

The East Coast Commercial Fishermen's & Aquaculture Trade Expo - This event touts itself as the ONLY commercial fishing expo event in the mid-Atlantic region.  So, Dear God, don't miss it.  It's at the Ocean City Convention Center Friday through Sunday.

If fishing isn't your thing, you can head to the upper level of the OC Convention Center to attend the Nautical and Wildlife Art Festival.  Hours are 10-5 on Saturday and Sunday.  I think there is a small admission fee, but, if I remember correctly, it goes to a charity.

I should also mention that the Ocean Pines Youth Theater is performing "Beauty and the Beast" at the new OC Performing Arts Center.  Admission is $15/adults and $12/students.  Shows are Friday - Sunday.  Click here for ticket info.


Many businesses are closed right now and others are open on weekends only. Gone are the loud engine sounds of muscle cars and banner planes.  Gone are the sirens, the fireworks, and the joyful laughter of families gathered on decks and porches.  All have been replaced by a near-deafening calm and eerie quiet that enables me to stand on my patio and hear the waves crashing on the beach.  I don't like to say that it's "dead" down there. I'd rather say that the area is in a state of peaceful dormancy.

It looks like this weekend at the beach will be a haven of rest for all people - quiet and otherwise.  

All The Light We Cannot See

Happy New Year!  

I just spent a fun weekend with my family in Ocean City ringing in the new year and trying to relax before heading back to work on Jan. 4.  We dined at Papa Grandes on New Years Eve (which was also their 25% off your whole check Thursday night - bonus!), then watched the fireworks at Northside Park from my front yard as we sipped champagne and listened to the revelers in the condos across the street from us (a.k.a. kids banging pots and pans).  It was a beautiful night and a great start to what promises to be a great year.

My son bought himself a new camera for Christmas and took some photos of the ocean at night while he was in town.  I was amazed at the number of stars that appeared in his shots!  I look at these skies all of the time and I can only see a fraction of what his cameral captured.  I could get all philisophical right now, but I'll just say that it's a good example of how looking at something through a different lens can make it so much more beautiful.

Like many others, one of my goals for 2016 is to eat healthier and be more active.  Since buying my beach house in 2014, I have done a really good job of sampling a good portion of the beach cuisine.  Everything from Kohr Brothers ice cream to Purple Parrot potato salad has found it's way to my ass.  It's been wonderful!  I have been able to relax and enjoy all that the resort towns have to offer in a state of full-bellied bliss.  Other excuses, such as quitting smoking and the death of my father, have enabled me to reach a new level of "curvy" and lazy.

I'm going to have to pack my willpower and my walking shoes when I head back to OC next week.  I may even consider getting my big, scary bike out of the shed (ugh).  The thing that sucks about losing weight is, unlike smoking, you can't just stop eating cold turkey.  The trick is to be smarter about what you're eating and try not to let temptation, frustration, emotion, or the fact that your husband wants to eat cheese steaks at 10 PM sabotage your efforts.

There's a whole lot of nothing going on at the DE/MD beaches this weekend.  The weather is supposed to be in the mid to high 50s, but it looks like some rain could be on the way.  Honestly, it would be a good weekend to not go to the beach.  Stay home and do shit so that you can spend your warm and sunny weekends away from home!

OC Fishing Pier and my husbands ass

I wish all three of the people who read this blog a happy, safe, healthy and prosperous 2016.  Thank you for giving me your time and allowing me to share my silly excitement about my favorite place in the world.  I'm looking forward to sharing more adventures and, maybe, trying a few new things with suburbanmermaid.com this year.  Stay tuned and check back soon!