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B and I took a drive over the bridge to the barrier island. To our surprise the road blocks were down, we traveled south to the State Park and again to our surprise we were allowed entrance. After a brief discussion with a State Trooper, we learned the park still has a large population of red fox. They have survived the storm. Although the temperatures are in single digits and the wind chill made it feel like negative numbers, we took a brief walk to the beach. The smell of salt air was refreshing.

Backtracking we found ourselves at the southern end of the boardwalk. Like the northern end, it too suffered great damage. Funtown pier was ripped and torn apart. It’s amusement rides falling to the ocean.

Nearly three months have passed. We have read about, heard about and seen photos of the massive devastation which occurred in the beach front towns. Today the previously off limits ocean road was open. Nothing could have prepared us for what lay ahead. Our hearts are heavy, our hopes are high and we remain thankful lives were not lost.

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During their months of training, Seeing Eye dogs are taught to have “intelligent disobedience”. They learn to disobey a commend if it will put them and their person in any kind of danger. They will not move forward across a street if a car is coming, they will not go down steps if they appear unsafe, and they will walk around obstacles. They are taught to stop and recalculate their path.

B and I raised Willow as part of the Seeing Eye dog program. She, however, decided upon a different career path and came home to live with us.

This morning it is 8 degrees Fahrenheit. Which, if my math is correct, is 24 degrees below freezing!

When I kindly asked her to get off my bed (the one with the electric blanket cranked all the way up), she could apparently sense the danger of freezing her rear end off. Oh, I know she could hear me but used what she had learned to disobey my direction.
  

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a touch of Spring on this cold winter day ~

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Our Love Story ♥

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winter @ the beach, anyday @ the beach is a good one ~

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standing like a memorial ~

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Ocean Grove Pier or what's left of it.

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Play me a song, guitar man ~

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Sepia Girl ~

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B and I attended a party in Atlantic City.   I, of course, was thrilled as I expected to find many photographic opportunities, but much to my chagrin I did not. The night was cold and rainy, leaving the boardwalk void of people (including myself) and the casinos are not fond of photo images being taken on the gaming floor. The room in which we attended the party was so dark we couldn't see what we were eating let along present the chance to take a photo.

However, while walking down one of the many hallways I spied this wall of colorful lights and the image of a silhouette photo came to my minds eye.  With my camera at the ready, I lay in waiting.  When the gentlemen walked over and sat down and I kindly asked B to walk through.

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It was a great day to get the girls out for a nice long run in the farm.

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"The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought by the touch of the masters' hand."

 ~ Myra Brooks Welch

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It felt good to be near the water ~

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It is difficult to believe Yellow Girl ♥ turns a year old today. Time passes so quickly.

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the challenge for my flickr group today was the letter P ~ so playing with a pick is what a choice ~
 

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something a little different

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Topic on my flickr group today was whimsical. Thanks to photoshop, a photo of the Allaire train + another one of Ruby Blossoms awesome backgrounds =

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Since Sandy reeked havoc over two months ago, I am still amazed by two things. First, and I know this may sound strange as I live at the beach, but the massive amount of displaced sand. There is still sand everywhere, roof tops, roads, and covering street signs. It resembles freshly fallen snow. And sadly a sight which I will not soon forget, that of all the personal belongings which are now trash. The piles yesterday’s treasures reach high in the sky and stretch for blocks in the many make shift landfills. It will be months, perhaps years before our beaches and towns are restore to their prior state a beauty.

 

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photoshop ~ my best friend and worst enemy

thanks to Ruby Blossom for the awesome background

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One of the requirements of raising a Seeing Eye puppy is to complete a monthly report. It’s a short form with several simple questions and space to discuss any concerns we have be having with our current foster. We must also fill out three rather lengthy reports; one when the puppy is 6 months old, one at their year birthday and one just prior to recall day.

Like many of us, I have several email accounts and I don’t regularly check each of them. Having sometime this morning I opened each of them and there waiting for me, in one, was a reminder; with Yellow Girl’s first birthday just around the corner, her first year report is due. I have not received official notice but this can only mean recall day is not far away.

On a side note, I have successfully completed a Project 365/366 for the pass two years. During 2011, I didn’t miss one day but do to some health issues during 2012 I did miss several days. This Project can be time consuming and at times daunting while trying to decide what to photograph. I wasn’t certain I was going to participate this year. But here with it being January 1, day 1 with 364 more day to go, I find I am posting. So I throw my hat in the ring and here we go again!