A Note From the Heart

After another cold winter week, I find myself dreaming of summer - dreaming of the warmth still to come. We've had another snowy week with the snow flying all of Thursday and Friday. While Thursday’s snowfall amounted to several inches of slush on the road surface, by Friday morning we had 8+ inches of accumulation with another 3-5 inches falling and melting throughout the day. It just didn’t seem to want to stop falling.

Now is the perfect time to reminisce over a few of my 2009 summer activities. All my summer vacations take place in and around New Jersey. Last May, my boyfriend and I made a road trip up to Deerfield, Massachusetts. Just look at the sun on these green hills.



With all the snow we’ve been having, the road to June 2010 seems to stretch out to forever. Later in May of 2009, at Sandy Hook National Recreation Area, a horseshoe crab makes its journey down to the sea.


It was a perfect day, that day at the shore - this visit was before the mosquitoes took over the bay.


Another trip, later in the year, brought a sky swathed in clouds. My family and I watch the storm blow in - the rain started to fall far out over the water, and we ran to the car when it reached the beach.



On my annual trip to Seaside Heights, it rained again. This time we watched the rain move down the boardwalk, eventually catching up to us. The boardwalk looked interesting slicked down with rain water, with the many lights of the games, shops and rides reflected back off its surface.

I am pleased to report the next day dawned fair and clear. Oh to be back on a beach blanket, enjoying a sunny day at the beach!





Taking advantage of another a sunny day during the Fourth of July holiday, I visited the bay at Sandy Hook again. By this time the mosquitoes had taken over, and my party and I could only sit when the breeze picked up and held them back. Still, overall, another good trip.


On an overnight camping trip in Stephen's State Park in Hackettstown, NJ, I recall getting so many mosquito bites, despite repeated applications of repellent, I feared they were the product of a brush with poison ivy. I was fully recovered within a week or so and I can't wait to set up the tent and watch the smoke from the campfire drift upwards on a sunny Saturday evening this summer.





Towards the end of the season, I managed a second trip through the Garden State Parkway traffic to Seaside Heights, NJ. For the record, with the exception of a few fishing trips with my family, I owe all the driving for my many adventures to the patience of my boyfriend, Aengus. His patience behind the wheel in all conditions, from extreme traffic to extreme weather, is truly remarkable.


For the record, the view upwards on Feb. 24th and 25th was as follows:


With luck, June will be upon us before we know it and I can brainstorm post ideas while gazing up at my beach umbrella once again.


In future years, I fear I will look back at these pages and conclude that I was in love with hiking in cold, wet conditions. The truth is I was determined to take advantage of the beauty of the fresh snow fall on Friday despite the uncommon frequency of precipitation this winter. I plan to share these photos in my next post. Stay warm!