Off to Ortley Beach, NJ

I've posted my "Sandpiper Close Up Ocean Edge" today because I'm off to the sea for a weekend get away, the same beach where I found and got a close up of this cute little sandpiper, strolling the water's edge with some kind of snack in his beak. I grew up going on family reunions to Ortley Beach, NJ, meeting up with 16 cousins, aunts and uncles I adored, and a reconnection to the family bond we so thrived on. We lived several hours away, so it was a real adventure to watch my parents pack up the Packard, fight over which of the 3 of us got the window seats and go off to the Starlight, a motel that is still there and where we now bring our kids and grandkids. We'd burn ourselves silly on the beach, not knowing, then, the hazard.. then off to the nearby Seaside Heights boardwalk for pizza, sausage and peppers, cotton candy and the rides. Oh! How we loved those rides! Afterwards we'd meet in the pool area for the evening, to share food and jokes and an occasional push in the pool. It was so much fun for me that I get an endorphin rush just thinking of it! Due to health issues and, truthfully, not enough effort on my part (life does really happen when you're making plans)it's been years since I've gone down. Now today I have the pleasure of bringing my own daughter and two grandsons- As it turns out, she married a boy from Ortley Beach, who she met during my long hiatus from the family fun. Kind of weird. They could've played in the sand never knowing that one day they would meet and marry. Who knew? Better yet, we're bringing her two little boys to introduce to the family. And maybe, just maybe, they will one day continue the family tradition.