Sunrise...

While I normally have no trouble photographing sunsets during our month at the beach, I have found it nearly impossible to get up early enough to catch the sun rise.  The other morning, my husband woke me up early and I was able to grab my camera, run out the door and drive the couple of miles to see the sun rising near the Point Judith Lighthouse.  I then drove down the street to Scarborough State Beach and collected a few more photos.  And while I was actually a little later than I would have liked, I did enjoy my first attempts!

Don't Leave Food Laying Around At The Beach!

Seagulls.  Rats with wings.  One of the beaches most hated creatures.  Beach goers are constantly complaining, shooing them away, hope they don't get shit on as the seagulls fly overhead.  But I don't hate the gulls.  I think they are beautiful.  To me, sea gulls signify the beach which is my favorite place in the whole world.

The gulls are pretty damn clever too.  They fly around and scope out the blankets, waiting for the opportune moment to grab a snack.  Last year a group of people were laying on the beach fairly close to us and one of the guys fell asleep with his mouth open.  His buddy thought it would be fun to put a tortilla chip in his mouth.  Within less than a minute, a huge seagull swooped down and took the chip out of the sleeping man's mouth, waking him up with a start. I'm not sure if he is still friends with his buddy!  

This year, a group of 4 were swimming and left two bags of chips on their blanket.  One seagull came over and began trying to get at the Doritos.  A few of us nearby chased it away.  It didn't work.  He came back with several of his friends and soon there was a flock of seagulls attacking the bag of Doritos.  One got daring and grabbed a sandwich wrapped in aluminum foil.  I was amazed to see how quickly and deftly he got it open and devoured the sandwich.  It just goes to show, don't leave open food lying on the beach.  Packaged or wrapped food isn't safe from these birds if it's just sitting out on a blanket.  One even came and swiped a piece of sandwich from a woman's hand while she was holding it, but looking away, talking to her friend!  These gulls really have a knack for finding food!

Don't shit on me!

Boys Will Be Boys

Salty Brine State Beach, Galilee to us older Rhode Islanders, is one of my favorite spots.  It boasts a beautiful beach and a cove to watch the boats come in and out, with many shops and restaurants within walking distance.  While the kids play in the water, I like watching the boats going in and out by the rocks.  

The fishing charters go out every few hours and you can tell how successful the trip was by the amount of seagulls flying behind it.  The staff cleans the fish for the men while they are coming back into shore with the gulls trying to get a bite of some of the waste.  Occasionally, however, a boat will come in, beeping its horn, guys hollering and yelling while one holds up his big catch of the day.  The guy is usually wearing a shit-eating grin, showing off his prize to us beachbums.  Everyone on the beach cheers and claps their hands as the boat heads to its dock. 

I guess boys will be boys no matter how young or how old!

And this lady is loving it too!!

  

Gone to the Beach

My sons, daughter and I have been at the beach for the past week and a half.  This is the fourth year that I've rented a beach house for a month.  I grew up always wishing to live at the beach during the summers, from when school got out in June until Labor Day, but my parents never even took me to the beach.  As my 50th birthday approached, I told my husband I wanted to rent a house for a month.  He sarcastically retorted "yeah right".  I heard the 'yeah' and went with it.  We almost divorced that year.

After he saw how much the boys enjoyed it, he told me to rent the house again the following year, so it's now become a yearly event.  He hardly comes down during our month, which I have to admit is a nice break for me!

He will call and ask, "what did you do today".  And it's always the same answer.  "We went to the beach, came back to the house, showered and had dinner."    

Well, what else are you supposed to do when you're at the beach?

Hope you are all enjoying your summer!

Point Judith Fisherman Memorial

At the end of Ocean Road in Narragansett, Rhode Island is the Point Judith Lighthouse overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.  Less than a half mile on the right is a dirt road which leads to a beautiful park, likewise overlooking the Atlantic.  This is home to the Point Judith Fisherman Memorial, a tribute to commercial fishermen who have been lost at sea.  

The following poem, Sea Fever, is engraved on the center stone, while the names of lost fishermen are engraved on stones placed on each side.  On the day we visited, there were mementos left including two cans of Budweiser beers in 4th of July packaging.

Sea Fever

by John Masefield

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,

And the wheel's kick and wind's song and the white sail's shaking,

And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the brown spume, and the sea gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yam from a laughing fellow rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

The scene is beautiful, serene, reverent.  There are sweeping views of the ocean and of the lighthouse.  Dedicated on July 27, 2008, members of the local fishing industries started and manage this strictly on a volunteer basis.  The hope is that funds will continue to be raised in order to help families who have lost a family member.  

  

If you are interested in their site, please view here...

  Point Judith Fisherman Memorial Foundation     

Mascots of the Ocean

Seeing the seagulls at the beach reminds me of my college days when I lived near the Narragansett beaches while attending URI (University of Rhode Island).  At the time, Bad Company was my favorite group and their song Seagull was one of my favorite songs. This first verse always comes to mind when I see seagulls flying around. 

Seagull, you fly across the horizon

Into the misty morning sun.

Nobody asks you where you are going,

Nobody knows where you're from.

Yes, they are dirty.  Everyone here hates them here.  My son Mikey loves chasing them off the beach.  But I have to admit I love watching them fly (as long as they don’t crap on my head).   To me, they are the quintessential mascots of the ocean.  And I adore the ocean.

When you talk to people at the beach, everyone seems to have a story about seagulls.  My friends watched a seagull sit on the roof of a house and take a burger off the grill while they guy cooking went into the house for a minute. He thought someone was playing a trick and when he went back in the house, the gull swooped down and grabbed another burger.

Another guy on the beach said his friend was eating a grinder (or hero) sandwich, turned his head and a gull swooped in and took the sandwich right out of his hands.  It was heavy and the gull had a hard time gaining altitude.  The guy almost got the sandwich back.  Almost. 

One day we were on the beach and another guy fell asleep with his mouth open.  His friends put a potato chip in his open mouth and a seagull swooped down and grabbed the chip.  He was so startled, he jumped up and everyone near him on the beach was laughing!  Except him.  Nice friends!

We watch the fishing boats come in every morning and you can see when they have a big catch or are cleaning fish by the amount of seagulls flying behind the boats. 

And while people shoo them away, shout expletives at them and kids chase them away on the beach, I smile, sometimes laugh, and grab my camera.

Salt Pond on Fire

Sunsets in Narragansett can be breathtaking!  The sun sets over Salt Pond in Point Judith and this one particular evening it looked like the water was on fire. 

Salt ponds are formed as the ocean waters rise.  They spill into depressions in the landscape.  They create shallow estuaries and inlets which connect the ponds and the sea.   

In 2006, as development of a 67 acre housing project was getting underway, developers found the remains of a Native American settlement (the Narragansett Indians), temporarily halting construction.  Construction did resume and Salt Pond is not only home to many fishing boats and marinas but also beautiful homes around the pond.  

And the sunsets are amazing.