It's all a part of the unique North Shore/South Shore dichotomy (mentioned here) that exists here on our island.
You see, Long Island was formed during the two most recent Ice Ages around 21,000 years ago. When the glaciers receded on two separate occasions, gravel and loose rock was left over in the form of two moraines that run along the North Shore and the middle of the island. Everything south of that second moraine is an outwash plain. That's just a bunch of technical hoo-ha to explain the fact that the beaches on the North Shore of the island are rocky, hard and awful while the beaches on the South Shore are sandy, soft and beautiful.
I experienced both in the past two weekends. Two Sundays ago, my sister and brother-in-law took us to Fire Island (the non-gay section) on their boat to watch the fireworks over the bay. It's a barrier beach on the South Shore of the island, for those of you not in the know. The fireworks were preceded by a day of play on the ocean. And the beach was gorgeous. Then yesterday, we opted for the closer option. A North Shore beach* that is about a mile from our house. The best thing I can say about it is that it's convenient. Other than that...not much.
*Here's a picture of a typical North Shore beach. Try walking on that beach with your bare feet!
We packed a lunch, grabbed the NY Times and a beach blanket and we were off. And I was cooked after about 2 hours even with a liberal dose of sunscreen. But since it was so close to our home, I was able to run home for a while and pick Gia up a couple of hours later. She can spend all day at the beach as long as the water is inviting. Me? Not so much.
It's 7PM on Sunday as I'm writing this and I'm watching the Jimmy Buffett Gulf Coast Benefit show streaming on CMT.com. Seems to be a fitting end of the day for a dude with beach brain.
Hope y'all had a nice, sun-filled weekend!
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Note: Remember to play the Badgerdaddy Trivia Challenge every day. "I got my hush puppies on, I guess I was never meant for glitter rock and roll."
15 comments:
More like a sweat-filled weekend. Flippin' humidity.
The non-gay section?
Why, did you get lost?
p.s. i cannot stand the north shore beaches.... im south shore all the way.
p.p.s. how come the title of this song makes me thing of the time you sang a duet with a mongoloid? why dont you tell THAT story?
I could beachify all day long. Seriously, lottery winner = beachification. Just farther south...
Uncool - That was Saturday...our humidity broke for Sunday. Kinda.
Slyde - First off...mongoloid? Seriously? Who uses that term anymore? Secondly, I did the song first and then he did the song afterward. There was no duet performed anywhere. But it is a funny story.
RW - My lottery dream includes a beach town, but not necessarily the beach all day. But I do love me a beach town.
Beaches are soft enough to doze on. What more do you want on a hot day? Okay a cool drink and something to read. Sorted...
I also confess to a liking for snorkelling.
Wabbit - No snorkeling for me. I've got a bit of a phobia about swimming with fishies.
GAH.
I need to move to a beach town. Badly. It's where I belong. Well, there, and Dave Grohl's bed.
Sounds like your weekend was awesome, rocky beach and all!
no matter where I go, or what I do, I am always thinking and being inspired. the brain of Mrs. Hall, it is a busy, clattery brain.
except when near an ocean or lake. Or on the back of a motorcycle riding through the country.
these two places, they calm the busy brain of Mrs. Hall.
good stuff, good stuff :)
Sybil - Or the yummy center of a Grohl/Homme sadwich, right?
Holly - Any body of water works for me. Just don't ask me to swim in it.
Earl - I've always found something vaguely icky about (dead) fishes out of water but snporkelling with a bunch of fishes is cool!
Less cool though - as once happened to me - is to be snorkelling happily along and looking about 18 inches below me to see a sodding great jellyfish!
I never shifted so fast through water in my life!
while i love beaches, i'm more of a mountains / lake kinda girl. probably because this irish & polish skin burns entirely too quickly and i hate sun tan lotion.
regardless, i am so happy you had a wonderful few weekends. they sound like they were relaxing!
In my youth I was a huge beach person. Had many a vacation to southern Spain and slept on the beach to recuperate from the previous night's festivities. Oh, good times they were. My skin as I'm getting older, is not exactly thanking me though.
Wabbit - See....just the random appearance of something like that is enough to keep me away from snorkeling.
Becky - Yeah, they were pretty nice. Thanks! Doing the ocean again on Friday night. Dinner and sunset. :)
Kevin - Yeah, I hear ya. I had some bad burns when I was a kid, and I'm lucky that nothing has come of it so far. ::knocks on wood::
Did you venture to the OTHER section at least long enough to say hello to Slyde ?
Heff - Niiiiice!!! :)
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