I am not naive enough to believe that winter is over here in NY. I've seen it snow in April, on opening day at Yankee Stadium and I've witnessed a snowy Easter or two. But, today was a special treat for us. It was a day close to 70 degrees, a day my town, one that I adore so very much, came back to life.
Long Beach, NY, a town known for it's boardwalk, it's summer nightlife, it's recreation, it's beaches, it's restaurants, and it's summer feel had a burst of life today. You see, come October, this town "dies" in a way. Only us locals stick it out and deal with the long, cold winters in this beautiful seaside town. From October-April we can get a table in our restaurants without a wait, drive across town in a few minutes, have the boardwalk and beaches to ourselves, and the peace and tranquility of the ocean waves. But come May-September, it all changes. We share our beautiful town with the rest of the 'world.'
Today, I got a feel for how things will be here once again in just two short months. About 11am, I went down to the garage and dusted off my bike. The poor thing has been sitting since mid-October. I filled the tires with air, dusted it, oiled the chain and hopped on in my "running gear" complete with my radio/headphones. I rode the few short blocks to the boardwalk and saw that everyone both local and out of town had the same idea. The town was brimming with joggers, bikers, walkers, strollers, kids laughing on the seaside playground, and dogs galore. I rode that 4.4 stretch three times and just took in all the sights. Girls in tank tops and shorts, people laughing, joggers trying to shed that winter 'insulation', kids playing, older couples holding hands, etc. It all reminded me once again as to why I live here.
After my 13.2 mile trek, I hopped in the jeep with Brucie and headed down to another beach in Lido where there is a dog park. A park Brucie knows well. He knew we were going there and started howling as we got a half mile from there or so. He was reunited with some of his doggie pals from last summer and introduced to some new pals. He frolicked and played for an hour or so while I chatted with the other dog owners. Then we headed home. Today was a perfect sampler of what's to come in the next 6-8 weeks.
Tonight, I will take in more of my town. Dinner and then a night out in the town I call home, the City By the Sea....Long Beach, NY.
6 comments:
Okay you got me jealous now. Sounds like a "picture perfect" day!
The trees are bloom, along with all the lillies. I love Spring. We had 70 today, also. The kids were outside, I ran early and wasn't even chilly...and I enjoyed my book while the kids were at the park.
Lovely day....
C-Mac... Spring is coming, baby... I can hear the cheers in Yankee Stadium already.
Miss you stopping by the ol' blog... hope you'll start visiting again soon!
Charlie Boy! Dennis and I were so happy to see you in town! It has been way too long, you look great! My friend Melissa really liked you ;) but I know Mr. C-Mac is sweet on someone else, too bad!
Katie B, its not too bad for me. ;)
Ahhhh....
Sounds like a fantastic weekend, Charlie.
Lying in my driveway taking a nap with Milton just isn't the same as the beach and the boardwalk, but it certainly was a great weekend.
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