The Real Jersey Shore - July 4th Weekend

Those of us who head south (down the Parkway) to our beloved Jersey shore especially look forward to this weekend. Beside the sun and surf, great beach reading, sailing, eating and drinking - there are fireworks every night from far away towns to nearby beaches. In the past, I've been lucky enough to view them from a small boat among a multitude of small boats as they fired, boomed and rained paper and smoke directly overhead on Barnegat Bay. Fireworks bring out the child in all of us as evidenced by the very real ooohs and aaahs. After the display, while on the bay all the boats honked, tooted and blew their horns in cheering unison. Firework displays create in all of us a community of sharing in the delight, child-like amazement and fun of our youth.

June

twilight ripens
the red rose
ripens twilight

June is the month to linger late in a garden. As twilight approaches, nature puts on a delightful show of color, scent, song and flow. Birdsong is strong, fragrance rises and color deepens. It is literally the time to stop and smell the roses. You can really see as daylight transitions into dusk the deeper hue of the rose and all the deeper tones of green. It is a lovely time to appreciate nature's work as well as our own.