Ode to Summer

By Beth Hanning

As I sit and wait to begin the first meeting of the school year, I am thinking about all of the wonderful things I enjoyed this summer and the things that got away from me.

The things I enjoyed the most:

1. Our lovely boardwalk. Bike riding on the boardwalk is the best mode of transportation. And we got to enjoy many fabulous local restaurants and bars on our rides.
2. Boating. The boating weather was spectacular this summer. And the nature we got to witness so close up was one of the best I have ever seen. We were in the bay by Roxbury when a pod of dolphins showed up and they were so close to the boat, it was really something! We also saw tons of fish and a giant stingray. We even had a nature first this summer: a seagull caught a fish and was flopping it all over the bow of the boat trying to kill the fish. I also know from social media that there were whale sightings.
3. The beach. Even though my beach was closed due to the construction of the dune, the beach is my happy place. I love seeing people you have not seen all winter and I love seeing all of the kids. To me there is nothing better than sitting on the beach with friends sharing laughs and making memories. However, the Parks Department should be in meetings right now preparing a plan to man the beaches. Many beaches were not open due to construction and the ones that were “open” did not have lifeguards every day. Is anyone worried about this problem?
4. The live music. Kudos to so many of our local establishments for the fabulous live music many nights a week. Even weeknights!

I also have a bucket list for next summer of things I did not get to do. Where does the time go?

1. The Rockaway Hotel Pool. For the last few years, my friends and I enjoyed a cabana day. We sat on the beach last week and said, “Why didn’t we do a pool day?” And I also heard that the night swim is fun. They are both on the agenda for next year!
2. The Rockaway Hotel (again). I never made it to Thursday night’s dinner and a band. I saw lots of social media posts and it looked like so much fun.
3. Paddleboarding. Although I did get out a few days on the board, I would love to paddle with friends. It was kind of boring paddling alone. Next year I want a steady date or like a club of people to paddle with me each week.
4. Wednesday night volleyball. I usually get up there once a summer and try to enjoy the Riis concessions and catch some great volleyball. Again, I do not know where the weeks went but I never got up there.

I hope everyone enjoyed their summer even though we technically have a few more weeks of “local’s summer.”

Have a great week everyone.