The Sandy Castle...

It was a beautiful day when I went to visit the castle. The sky was a brilliant turquoise blue!! And who can resist building sandcastles on the beach on a such a wonderful sunny day?  For sculptor, Ed Jarrett, he has taken sandcastle building to a whole new level!

 The Sandy Castle was built by  Ed, in Point Pleasant Beach, at the Jersey Shore. He was hoping to break a Guinness World Record -- on the beach in the middle of a shoreline that just had been decimated by Superstorm Sandy.

 

The Guinness record, which Jarrett previously set  in 2011, was a sandcastle that stands

 at 37-foot, 10-inch high. Sadly, This Sandy Castle did not beat his old record....but there are plans to try again!!!

Sculptor, Ed Jarrett, stands in front of his Sandy Castle

Close up of the Sandy Castle shows a laughing Gargoyle, and alligator,  and a prince trying to save Rapunzel.

One side of the castle depicts a Grimm fairy tale, complete with a two-headed dragon, one head fire-breathing, and  Rapunzel in a tower with her prince to the rescue! The other side of the sandcastle is an ode to the Jersey Shore, with the  tower becoming the Barnegat Lighthouse.

Long Beach Island...

Green Moss on Jetties

Long Beach Island, better known as LBI,  is one of New Jersey's premier beach destinations. It has something for everyone.

 Here are a few images from my last trip there ~~can't wait to go back!!

Fishing Boat

Two images, one soft and the other in vivid colors,  of an old fishing boat docked on the bay side  near Viking Village on Long Beach Island

Old Fishing Boat in LBI

Lucky Thirteen

The Calm Before the Storm ...

Hurricane Sandy Delivered Extensive Damage Throughout New Jersey, Keansburg Amusement Park was Hit Hard 

The carousel house at Keansburg Amusement Park is almost empty now. The ride has been dismantled. The shiny jewel-laden horses and carriages, and other animals, are being stored at the water park across the street.

All of the pieces been recovered since they were swept into town by Hurricane Sandy’s tidal surge on the Raritan Bay. Even the lion that a local teen tried "to procure."  

 Click, to Read the full article on the Keansburg Amusement Park

Below are images of from my Painted Ponies Gallery taken before Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the amusement park.  Scroll down to see the storm's aftermath. 

Photo images were created using Selective Color. 

The Wild Stallion

Sea Dragon

The Warrior Steed

The Carousel After Hurricane Sandy

 
Photo Credit: The Star Ledger

Above :Look closely, to the right, you can see "The Warrior Steed" and "The Sea Dragon" hanging among the debris.

Photo Credit: Andrew Burton, Getty Images

Photo Credit: Andrew Burton, Getty Images

Greetings From Asbury Park...

Images from Asbury Park 

Founded in 1871,  the city that became famous for honky-tonk entertainment was  named after the first U.S. bishop of the Methodist Church, a movement whose founder condemned "vain and demoralizing amusements."

The new resort had a mile-long beach and avenues that flared out as they approached the water, affording excellent sea views. It became a year-round community, with a downtown business district and fine single-family houses.

Click on any image to bring you to my website

Old Casino at Asbury Park, New Jersey

The Casino in Asbury Park, N.J., never housed gambling but did have a carousel and a roller rink. In the 1990s it turned into a flea market. Now it symbolizes the city's decline.

 Vintage Poster of SouthSide Johnny  framed on a Cracked Wall

Asbury Park was the music scene that produced Springsteen, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, and a Shore sound that eventually provided a seed for Asbury's rebirth.

A muted gray sky back lights an industrial landscape in Asbury

Yet by the early 1980s, the city "started to close down."  

The Ferris Wheel and the Carousel were sold off.

Asbury eventually adopted a redevelopment plan, and a 12-story condo tower began to rise in 1989. Then work stopped in 1991, and bankruptcy litigation kept the site in limbo.

Tillie -Wonder Bar

The famous face of Tillie, a symbol of the Jersey Shore

Lost Memories

Windows from the Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel House

The Pearl Mermaid

Welcome to Asbury

The Copper Ship

South Side

Detailed views of the South Side section  of the Paramount Theatre and Convention Hall, built in the 1920's