Sandy Kicked Our Butt!

I've been absent for quite awhile because Hurricane Sandy swooped in and devastated parts of New Jersey! But, wow! We made it. We’re safe. We’re so, so, so, very lucky! Hurricane Sandy hit the New Jersey shore on Monday, October 29th and she was relentless. I’m sure many of you saw the destruction she caused on TV. It’s really heartbreaking. 

this gazebo is from the OTHER side of the lake!!

I live 3 blocks from the shore and 2 blocks from a lake and the Atlantic Ocean actually came up to our front steps!

I had some damage to the third floor studio. . . an entire piece of wall caved in during the height of the storm! 

It was me bracing myself against it at the height of the storm with 60mph winds, while I tried to drag a dresser over to keep it from completely caving in! Then we found a neighbor to help us batten down the hatches and as he was putting the last screw in.... Poof! The electricity went out. And stayed out for 11 days. Yes, 11 days. It was cold. I was cranky. It was a whole new world. An Amish life. It was like indoor camping. Not only that but our cellphone towers were knocked out. So there was no way to communicate with friends and loved ones for quite a few days. 

We're back up and running now and I'm trying to catch up on 2 weeks worth of life, work and sleep! I could tell you all the stories I heard, but I'm sure you all saw more than me on the television (that we were without for nearly 2 weeks!). So I'll just let the pictures tell most of the story of our little square mile that is Ocean Grove... which was lucky!

Neighbor's gigantic that did not hit our house!!

Lots of fish on the streets and sidewalks.

End of pier and fishing house gone!

This is a few blocks in from the beach.

And so is this!

Bulldozers piled all the sand from the roads back up before the Nor'Easter hit last week!

The boardwalk actually has so many peaks and valleys now... that it looks like a roller coaster. But the funny thing about the shore and the people that live here is that they were walking on it like nothing ever happened. We're just like that. We live at the shore. These things happen. We stay strong and we rebuild. We work together and help each other. Neighbors helping neighbors. And that's the beauty that comes out of something like this. Amen!

Blizzicane of 2010 - Ocean Grove, NJ

Well, I'd love to say that as a work-at-home artist, I am diligently working away on this Monday. But I would be fibbing. I am actually still in my pajamas... I mean, who is going to come to my door today? In fact... being the tiniest town within the Township of Neptune, Ocean Grove is always the last to have their streets plowed. And the likes of this snow is something else. Perhaps they'll get to us around Wednesday?

Here's a few highlights from the neighborhood. Although they are all taken from inside my house as I can only open the door this much right now...

This is our neighbor's house... what you see here is her front door and the clothes line! There is no working back door! Good thing she is visiting her son!

View from the front porch...

Duuuuude... where's my car?

Neighbor's house directly across the street. Check out the snowdrift on the right side of the house!

Good thing it's plastic "wicker" furniture...

Winds still whipping the snow around...

Various neighbors digging out. We're going to wait until the plows come through though.

   

If you're stuck in this... enjoy! If not... enjoy that too!

Bill Visits The Jersey Shore...

Hurricane Bill dropped by for a short visit to the Jersey shore this weekend. But that didn't stop the local fishermen, parasailers, beachgoers, surfers and the all-around curious from coming to enjoy the festivities. Waves were high... crashing loudly... you could hear them as far as a mile from the shore!