The Bay

It is the bay that gives the island it's special character - makes it a different sort of sea coast. We have water on all sides, not just the to the east. And I have to admit that when all is said and done I am a bay person. I love the ocean views, the dunes, the waves, the sun rises - but it is the bay view that truly nourishes my spirit. As I come through these grasslands, arriving at or leaving the island, I find myself smiling and relaxing no matter what I had in my head or heart a few minutes ago. And so my farewell views of the island will be these of the winter grasses against the bay. I find it impossible to faithfully capture them either on film or in paint - and they have completely escaped any expression in glass. The light, the shades of grasses, water and sky need to be seen and breathed in without any translation. I wish that we may all have that opportunity in the near future.

The Docks

No good-bye tour would be complete without a stop at the docks. Boats - pleasure, fishing, scallopers... are such a part of Barnegat Light that sometimes you forget how wonderful they are.

The longer you are here the more the marinas and docks become just normal surroundings.
But as we prepare to leave they recover their specialness - sights I know I won't see exactly in the same way anywhere else.

The Nature Trail -

We took a solitary walk along the nature trail in the park. The views out over the beach heather towards the ocean were icy and windy, but the part of the trail that dips down into the forest was protected - although I wouldn't go as far as to call it warm. It seemed as if we were miles from anywhere, and then we could look up and see the parking lot or other parts of the park through the bare winter trees. And of course, there was the lighthouse high above us.

A Day for Good-byes

The morning of my birthday was sunny and COLD. But it was a perfect day for revisiting favorite sites and taking a few last pictures. First we went to the Lighthouse - so different now than in the summer, and different yet from the crowded scene when we were last here for the relighting. Today there was no one here but us. The parking lot was empty. Ceci did a quick tour and then retired to the warmth of the car, but Luis and I walked the whole park. The lighthouse never changes, but yet always seems new. No matter how many pictures you have of it, every time you come you take another. And I enjoy looking at them all.

It's Snowing -

It's not like it never snows here - it does. It just doesn't tend to stick around for very long in our salty humid air, warmed by that same ocean that cools us in the summer. So views of the house and neighborhood dressed in white are a treat.

Under a New Light -

On the afternoon of January 1st everyone in Barnegat Light - and most of the surrounding county with their children and pets - seemed to be heading for the lighthouse. After years of darkness, Barnegat Lighthouse was refitted with a new (smaller, but adequate) Fresnel lens. We're back on the nautical charts!!

We walked up to the lighthouse in the freezing air, leaving the car at Kubel's because we couldn't find a spot any closer. The media was there along with everyone else, waiting for the beacon to appear. As it turned out we ended up walking back and watching the first light from Kubel's parking lot as we weren't able to get close enough to the base of the lighthouse to enjoy the ceremony - and because we could then jump right into the warmth (and craziness) as soon as the act was accomplished. And it was crazy. We decided to go back to the house for a while and come in for dinner when things calmed down.

As all the cars started to head back out we were part of the first traffic jam I've ever seen in Barnegat Light. I can happily go another 50 years without seeing another.

Congratulations to Old Barney! May you continue to watch over generations to come and be part of their memories as you will always be part of ours.

Happy New Year!!

New Year's Eve at Kubel's has become a family tradition over the past few years. Changing circumstances may make this the last for a while, but that only made it dearer. We rang in 2009 with old friends and new, locals and guests, in the familiar warmth and welcome - and with the traditional headgear - that has become so familiar to us all. We wish a Happy 2009 to one and all wherever it may find us.