September Gratitude by Barbara Quinn

Summer is drawing to a close here at the shore. The ocean is still warm and inviting and I would like that to linger, though I know it cannot. This is the time of year when the tourists no longer throng the beaches and restaurants. We shift back to being a sleepy beachside community. The economy needs the tourists, I understand that, and people need vacations so they flock here to have a good time. During the season I enjoy seeing the happy families enjoy the boardwalk and waves. And I appreciate how lucky I am to be here at the ocean all year round. I also appreciate how most people who live and visit here do take care of the place and keep it special for all.

There is another side to being grateful at this time of year. It's is not the usual way to be grateful, but I have to admit I am thankful when the disrespectful folks, the ones who grate like sand in your bathing suit, disappear. There is a local derogatory term for these tourists: “benny”. Some say that comes from Bayonne, Elizabeth, Newark, and New York, the places most likely to visit this area of the Jersey shore. These are the people who leave behind plastic bottles and litter when there are trash cans right on the beach, and the people who play their radios too loud, who bring large coolers with lots of illegal alcohol, who kick sand onto you when they pass, and most dangerously, the ones who are oblivious to the fact that they and their children must swim in lifeguarded areas or risk drowning in a riptide. I found a seagull chomping on a condom one morning.

Next week the tourists will be gone for the season. So will the lifeguards. I will swim wherever I wish without shrill lifeguard whistles piercing the air. The ocean's rumble and gulls cawing will be the predominant sound. I will go back to my favorite restaurants even on weekends, and chat with the staff again. The pace will slow everywhere. The underlying hint of fall with its cooler air and rustling leaves heralds the passing of another season. September is still warm and lovely, and oh so empty here at the shore. And for that I am slightly sad, but oh so grateful!

Dolphin Daze Gratitude by Barbara Quinn

There were dolphins leaping in the ocean, right off shore today. A line of them looked like they were playing leap frog out in the surf. I’ve seen them swimming by in the past, their dorsal fins rising up and dipping down in a smooth motion that makes them appear mechanical and reminds me of the metal cutouts of a shooting gallery. Today, there were several pods of dolphins, some following the returning party fishing boats. Every once in a while a dolphin’s snout shot straight up in the air. The creature wriggled its sleek gray body and dove back down, with a flash of white underbelly. I’ve never seen them leap so high.

These are the lazy and hazy days of summer. We’ve been over 90 degrees for a week now inland in NY and New Jersey. But along the ocean where the dolphins frolic, it’s a different story. The humidity may be high, the temperature hovers around 80, and a cool fog has been drifting in, an eerie sight that keeps us on the cooler side. Once the ocean heats up later this month, we will lose the cooling air that comes off it. In the winter the ocean is a warming factor and it’s usually warmer here than inland. And in the summer, it is cooler due to the wind sweeping in off that chilly water.

The water has turned to icy again. It had warmed up for a while and I went swimming a week ago, but when I attempted to go in today my feet cramped with the cold. So it was back to lazing on my beach chair again, and scanning the horizon for more of those leaping dolphins. Why do dolphins leap like that? I have no idea, but my own heart leapt each time I caught sight of one. For that magical vision I am grateful.

Suddenly Summer by Barbara Quinn

It went to suddenly summer in the last couple of days here in the Northeast. One day I was wearing long pants, shoes, and socks, the next, my flip-flops and capris. Since summer is my favorite season, I’ve been quite happy to see it finally arrive. My herb garden is finally starting to grow and my flowers are thriving in the heat.

I spent Sunday on the beach where there was way too much wind to hoist the umbrella. But the breeze was warm, so I slathered on the sunblock and later a long-sleeved shirt. In spite of the breeze I managed to read most of the Sunday Times. There’s nothing better than sitting on the beach reading, with the sound of the surf and gulls surrounding me. And when I get tired of reading, the people watching is just as pleasurable.

Couples old and young stroll hand in hand along the shore. Babies toddle toward the surf with concerned parents following behind. Children dig holes and build sand castles. Gulls and sandpipers look for dinner in the waves. Women collect shells, men use metal detectors to find treasures. It’s the same every year. And best of all, people are smiling. The ocean is not for the grumpy. The sea and salt air work their magic on those who draw comfort from dipping their toes in the sand and soaking up the atmosphere. Not all of us are beach people, but for those of us who are, the beach is a joyful place, second to none.

Hooray for the summer season!