Ocean Grove - Tent City

I'm not sure how you would describe Tent City in Ocean Grove...

except that Tent City may be the coolest campground around.

Canvas tents are attached to wooden cottages, 

the cottage part is used for the kitchen and bedroom,

the front tent part is usually used as a living room. 

They all have cute little "front porches"!

The tents go up in May and are taken down in September.

If you are interested in reading more about Tent City, there is a great article, 

explaining it all a little better here.

Ocean Grove is about 20 minutes north of where we live, we visit often during the summer.
Tent City is not a place that can be easily described with words, 
you have to see it, to get it.

It's a lifestyle...a summer at the shore and the people who live here love it!!

How are the Hummers?

I get that question a lot, so here you have it,

just a few of the one million pictures I have taken of the Hummingbirds this summer!
If you have never seen one, it is difficult to imagine how small they are.
They are small in size, but huge in personality!
And this one, what a ham...

That is her tongue.....

some weird contortions...

and then she ended our photo secession with a wink - as if to say "did you get all that"??

Coney Waffle Ice Cream

Coney Waffle Ice Creams - they are a thing - did you know they were a thing?

They opened an ice cream shop in 

Long Branch, New Jersey...

Long Branch is one of my favorite, more modern, beach towns.

Once considered a blighted area, 

the revitalization of Long Branch started about 15 years ago with the construction of 

Pier Village

and has continued to this day.

Coney Waffle Ice Cream is a part of that plan, new, fun shops.

The Sideshow Shake, it is a "real thing"...

The cost $ 18.00, you can see the real thing at the end!!

- we - did not get this -

We got the "Coney Waffle"

This is what we got and shared the Coney Waffle
Three different scoops of ice cream, drizzled with chocolate syrup and caramel.

It was awesome!!

The difference, the waffle was different, it was amazing and it stayed crunchy!!

And here it is - a real Sideshow Shake.

Yes someone, not me, shelled out eighteen buck-a-roos for this baby,

and they were thrilled to let me photograph it!

Listen, for 18 bucks, somebody better photograph it!

Some people are so much fun!

Thursday August 24, 2017

Stitched with Love!!

- I needed a new bag for my knitting - 

...really, I did...
I found this perfectly sized (13" x 13 1/2"), perfectly colored bag at my friend
Stephanie's Etsy Shop - Rose Petal Blessings
I encourage you stop by her Etsy shop, 
she has a nice variety of beautiful, hand made, well crafted, quality items for sale.
Stephanie also writes a very special blog...
The Enchanting Rose

This bag is perfect for taking my knitting projects on the go.

Everything is always wrapped beautifully when you receive it...

and there is always a little something extra inside!

Thanks Stephanie, I adore my new bag - it is absolutely perfect!

Saturday Critters ~ 193 ~

I have exciting news, super exciting news...

We Have Butterflies

Big, beautiful, colorful, perfectly shaped, friendly butterflies.

Black Swallowtails

So far four have emerged, each one is more special than the one before.

It all started on Thursday, I found number one already out and fluttering around,

while I watched number two emerge.

What a thrilling experience!

They need about 2 hours to dry their wings and learn to fly.

I needed and spent a few special minutes with them...

Next, I invited the neighbor children over for the release...

and much to my surprise, the butterflies stayed with them at least 20 minutes, before flying off.

I am so happy I invited the kids over to share this experience with me.

They were so excited, so kind and gentle with the butterflies, I know they really enjoyed it.

- now they are free -

I am so happy to have been a part of raising and releasing them - one of the many joys of my life!

Sharing today's images and fun facts with 

Eileen at Viewing Nature With Eileen

Also sharing with Mersad for Through My Lens

SaveSave

Summerfest!!

Five or six times during the summer, our town hosts 

Summerfest

An outdoor concert with food trucks, activities for the kids...

ending with fireworks.

We don't go anymore, it's too crowded, 
but we miss what we enjoyed most, the fireworks.

You may remember that we found a spot across the way to take pictures of the fireworks.

The fireworks were beautiful and I enjoy seeing them from a distance.

We were going to get ice cream but it was too late!

Wednesday August 23, 2017

Debbie's Creek...

I love where I live and where I live love's me back...

they even named a creek after me...

On the Manasquan River

There are 6 Egrets in this picture, it's kinda' like a Where's Waldo.

See if you can find all of them?

At low tide the Egrets,

and the Herons hang here.

Lot's of boats are docked here too, but not for too much longer!