Shore To Please

I am back from vacation! We went to the Jersey shore where my father-in-law has a house at the beach. I know I've said this before: Don't let anyone tell you the coast of New Jersey is not gorgeous. It is incredibly beautiful. So we spent two week on the sand, in the surf, and at various places along the shore.

With no brumby to photograph, my husband made it into a lot of the pictures I was taking. Here's Brandon on the beach in the town where his dad lives.

The heat was relentless. It was often 100 degrees in the shade. I can't figure out the people who can sit on the beach with no umbrella. In the sun??? We lugged an umbrella to the beach each day. I love to read on the beach. Then, when I get too hot I put on my goggles and we do a little body surfing. Brandon is much better at catching waves then I am. He actually has strategy while I just sloppily flop into them.

A few days we ventured out to other towns that have elaborate games and amusement parks on their boardwalks. In Wildwood, I forgot to take my camera but I can tell you we did ride a crazy rollercoaster. It was the kind that shoots you around a steel rail upside down and into one curly twist after another a million feet above the ground. I screamed the entire ride.

This was taken at a tiny but charming aquarium in Point Pleasant. (I made Brandon put his head there. He didn't want to. Several children were watching curiously. But you can see he looks cheerful enough!)

We also went fishing on a charter boat. Here we are as we head out.

I wasn't even trying to catch fish on this boat and used the wrong bait intentionally. Still, I caught two flounders that passed the "keeper" measurement. Here I am with one of them. I think a few of the other people on the boat were incredulous when I returned both of them to the sea. I threw them back yelling, BE FREE, LITTLE FISH! I also caught two sea robins and set them free. Two people on the boat caught sharks. Which were also let go.

One of my favorite places to go when we visit Brandon's dad is the Edwin Forsythe Wildlife Refuge. It is a fantastic place to look for birds. It's a huge saltwater marsh and if you visit during bird migrations you won't believe the crazy birds and ducks you can lay your eyes on there. This time there was not too much bird traffic, but all the same, we managed to find a Willet, several herons, a Yellow Legs, Glossy Ibis, Wimbrel, a Clapper Rail and a flock of Semipalmated Plovers (to name a few).

But mostly, we hung out at the beach in Ocean Grove, me in my stars and stripes.

Well, we actually could not resist a trip to Atlantic City. I did the slot machines twice and won nothing. That's Brandon with his dad, Jeff.

These are the only brumbies I saw the whole time I was away!!!

Next time: Back to my Beautiful Brumby!!