THURSDAY LINGERING LOOK AT WINDOWS – WEEK 30

There’s a new casino in town.  Well, maybe not new.  But as the AT&T guy says in the commercial: new-ER.  This week, I thought I’d concentrate on  one place for Dawn’s Lingering Look at Windows.  Just because there are so many of them.  And don’t ask.  NO!  I don’t do windows.  But you might want to DO AC.  It’s an interesting place to visit.  Bring a camera!

The following is a view from the inside, out.

From the lobby to the ocean in one easy hop!

And the inside has a wet-your-whistle window display…

A plethora of liquor-a!

If you should be passing through on your way to, wherever, stop by.  You are always Welcome in New Jersey.

Visit Dawn’s blog by clicking here.  Thanks for the visit. 🙂

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CEE’S WHICH WAY CHALLENGE – WEEK 5

A sunny day

A bike ride

Stopping for a cup o’ joe.

A book

A bench

Taking time for myself.

What a wonderful morning!

Here’s some of what I saw along the way yesterday, that fits perfectly with Cee’s Which Way Challenge.  Enjoy the ride. 🙂

One of my favorite little homes along the way.

Near where I sit to read.

A short walk to catch the look from the other direction.

The sea wall where kids love to run.

The ride home along the bay.

I hope you enjoyed a little bit of my morning.  I did a rerun this today, but the clouds were threatening.  I still had to sit, just a bit.  Drink my coffee and read for as long as the weather allowed.  A little bit of drizzle chased me home, but all in all, another wonderful beginning to the day.

See Which Way others are going at Cee’s blog.  Click on the icon below and go where it takes you. Have a fabulous day!

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – MASTERPIECE

Yesterday, I rousted my self up bright and early.  I hadn’t been doing that lately, and I was determined to get up and walk to the beach before the noon day sun made its way across the sky.  I’ve been lazy.  Ugh!

The beach has been revamped since the Hurricane Sandy devastation, so it’s been a trek in itself to get from the seawall to the water’s edge, but my feet finally touched down on the ripples by 6:45.  I walked with the sun to my back.  There were a few runners, walkers, fishermen, and dogs.  It had its usual meditative quality.  That’s a good thing and it made for a great morning.

I could feel the sun on my shoulders and hear gulls laughing.  They were laughing at me.  They have seen me there enough times, trying like crazy to get off a picture of one of them that I thought worthy of publishing on my post.  Those birds are fast!

The heat sensation was stronger than their mocking laughter, so I turned to look, ignoring those little hyenas.   Gulls were circling, coasting, dive-bombing.  This time, I wasn’t concerned with getting off a shot of them. 

No matter what your beliefs, no matter how you imagine we got here, no matter how you think this was created, this world, my friends, is a masterpiece.

Click the icon below and visit WordPress for more of what the world sees as masterpiece.

TRAVEL THEME – PALE

This week, Ailsa @ wheresmybackpack challenged bloggers to contrast the weekly photo challenge color with a post about all things pale.  I’m not much into pale, except maybe beautiful, milky, white skin, which I don’t have 😦  but this turned out to be the most fun.  Below are a few of my pallid choices. Take heed of President Lincoln’s quote on the last shot.  Words to live by – or at least words to give some thought to.

Brigantine Beach renovated after Hurricane Sandy

a walk along Newton Creek’s trail

beach arrangement – not by me

from an arrangement of mine

new growth to hold the beach, after Hurricane Sandy

a neighbor’s grass and chair

shell on the beach

a lighter shade of pale blue sky

paled with age

trees overlayed on a pale pink flower

garden plaque

Click Here To Visit Where’s My Backpack and More Similar Posts

SUNDAY POST – FAVORITE SPOT

Hmmmm. If you have truly been a follower, then you’ll not have to guess. If you know anything at all about  me, you know my favorite spot can only be *drum roll*…

Yes, you guessed it.

THE BEACH!  

The Beach.  Where I can walk, feeling the sand and waves squish through my toes.

Where I can bird watch,

People watch,

Or watch as a father teaches his son to shoot the curls. 🙂

But the best watching being done at My Spot was that of the dancing of the dolphins.  Sadly, I have yet to get a fabulous shot of these graceful creatures, but still, it was fun trying.  Believe it or not, I actually starting jogging down the beach in order to keep up with them, trying to get the perfect ‘pose’.  Not an easy feat for these old feet.  Either I was exhausted by the uncharacteristic dash down the dunes or those guys are just too fast for me.  This was the best I could do – for now.

Any season, any time, the beach is my favorite spot.  Can you blame me?

I’ve enjoyed taking you on a tour of my favorite spot.   Stop by Jakesprinters for more great pix.

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – SOLITARY

OK.  Maybe I’m not being completely serious with a topic that sounds like it might just should be that way :-), but I couldn’t help myself.

Celebrating both International Peace Day and the last day of summer, Jeff and I headed to the beach knowing full well that we would have our pick of places to plop our chairs.   The beach is nearly void of visitors this time of year, and me, being the – ah – introvert that I am,  find it most relaxing when I can hear the waves brushing the shore, sans the hum of human beach goers.  Far be it from me to begrudge people their holidays, nor do I wish to take fun-in-the-sun time away from anyone.  I just like the space and serenity afforded me when the real estate is less occupied.

I am a solitary man, except I’m a woman. (huh?)

Apparently, I’m not alone in my need to be alone. There’s this good ol’ boy.

Those of you that know me, know Rocky, my long-haired German Shephard.  Well, this is not him.  But it could be his double.  Except Rocky would not be sitting as peacefully in the sand.  Or anywhere else for that matter.  But that’s another story.
Thanks to Cheri Lucas  for this week’s topic. There are a plethora of posts that have been submitted this week, as always.  Worth looking into. For more on Solitary, click on the WordPress logo below.

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – FREE SPIRIT

My mom, husband, sister, and I were taking a leisurely stroll on the beach when I spotted this little angel romping at the waters edge.  She was trying, desperately, to drag a styrofoam boogie board into the miniscule waves that were breaking on the sand.  She was working hard, but the wind and water were working against her.  We observed for a moment, giving mom a rest, then continued on our way.  I regretted not taking a picture, but that’s just me.  I tend to sometimes realize the moment when the moment has passed.

On our way back, as is usually the case with me and photographs, luck was with me.  So I clicked.

We found her resting after her ordeal, and no, that was not the board she was trying to get into the water. 🙂  I decided, even without knowing her, that she looked like she might be a free spirit.  With her whole future ahead of her, and as many opportunities as there are grains of sand on the beach.  She is bound for big things, soaring free to be whatever she chooses to be.  You go, girl!

FREE TO BE…

Visit other Free Spirits here at WordPress.  

WEEKLY IMAGE OF LIFE – FUN UNDER THE SUN

Here are a few of my picks for the Fun  Under the Sun Challenge, put out there by IslandTraveler.

After searching for this picture, which I knew I had but couldn’t for the life of me find it, I decided that one of my summer projects will be to catalog my photos.  (Thanks for the idea, Russel)

My muscle-bound grandson having fun under the sun…

My muscle-bound husband having fun under the sun…

My not-so-muscular mom, all 89 years of her, having fun under the sun, octogenarian style…

Don’t know who these boys are but they seemed to be having fun under the sun…

I’m guessing this guy was having fun under the sun …

And then the sun goes down …

School’s out for summer!

School’s out for ever!

No more pencils, no more boo-oks, no more teachers, dirty looks…

TRAVEL THEME: OCEAN

“The sea was angry that day, my friends.”

I can’t think of the ocean without hearing that famous line uttered by George Costanza, as he explained his whale saving escapades to his Seinfeld buds.

Sometimes, the ocean can be wild and crazy.

Sometimes it can be calm and soothing.

A place of peace and solitude.

And sometimes it simply means love.

Look closely.  Jeff wrote my name in the sand.

G-E-M-M-A

L-o-v-e 🙂

Thanks to Ailsa, again, for coming up with another great challenge idea.  Click here for more ocean views.

WORDPRESS PHOTO CHALLEGE – SUMMER

Sweet Summer.

So Special a Season.

Sweet, Sizzling, Summer

Summer is water ice and bike rides, mile long walks on the beach and castles in the sand. Summer is my favorite season. I think it’s because that’s when I feel at my best. The kiss of a warm breeze brushing my cheeks as I sit on our deck reading, sipping sun tea. Skin lightly toasting.

We walked the beach this past weekend and Jeff spotted this castle. The builder was nowhere to be found. I knew right off that this would be my photo for the Summer WP Challenge. We saw one or two other ‘construction sites’ but this was the only one that incorporated shells. I like that. It gave the kingdom a little more pa-zazz!

Oh and the other thing I like about summer is watching Jeff on the beach. If he could pitch a tent and live there, I think he would.

Ahhhh. Summer. 🙂