Grimsby Beach

Yesterday's rain got so intense that it stopped work for for today's plant sale.  I went down to Grimsby Beach to see the flooding, and the first picture is the parking lot, with water covering almost all of it.  The waves crashed against the shore rocks, overwhelming the pier.  The winds whipped up the water turning it brown with the sand.  As soon as I lifted the camera, it was plastered with water on the lens. Today's forecast looks similar to yesterday's.  My plant sale may be a 'wash out'.  I have posted a rain replacement date of Friday May 26th 3:00 - 6:00pm on the kijiji and craigslist ads.  I hope a few people brave the weather today besides me.

Pretty Florida Architecture

As I finished taking pictures of the sunrise, I heard a yell from the beach and the two very hardy and hearty young surfers had just jumped into the water.  The waves today are great long, rolling waves. They must be perfect for surfing even though the temperatures are cold this early in the morning.  A walk along the beach yesterday revealed where the dead tree had been moved to. l wonder where it is today.   View this email in your browser

Is the Ocean shore different from the Lake shore?

We're looking at the things that wash up on the ocean shore.  These don't wash up on the Lake Ontario shores.    However, there are places where you can stand on the Lake Ontario shore and it seems endless like the ocean.  So what is the difference? Here's one eloquent answer: "It feels different.  It smells different. There is a general loudness and foaminess of the ocean that the Great Lakes (inland seas, actually) don't match.  You can sense the deep, powerful rumble of the ocean, but the lakes don't carry that vibe.  The smell of the ocean is, of course, salty.  There's a scent to the lakes as well, and it is watery/freshness, somewhat reminiscent of what is called petrichor (negative ions caused by the rain, but in this case, clearly the friction around the water surface).  No salt.  The waves in the smaller lakes are typically choppy without the rolling crests that flow in as one would expect in the ocean..." I conclude with some Sarasota beach art.

Port Dalhousie Beach

The Port Dalhousie beach is a perfect summer spot.  I was struck by the pretty umbrellas and have highlighted them in this picture. It seemed there were so many stories in this waterside scene - my favourite is the man lying on his back in the foreground, with the dog looking my way.

Where's the Beach?

Lake Ontario South Shore Beaches

A few weeks ago I was looking for more information on the Charles Daley Park dynamic lagoon.  I came upon the 2009 study of south shore beaches.  I had no idea that there were 58 distinct shoreline areas.  The formal definition is 'reaches'.  These are "a length of shoreline having common physiographic characteristics, shore dynamics, environmental elements and land use."

Our pictures today include Port Dalhousie's lighthouses from the west side - from Lakeside Park.  It is 28 on the map.  At the shore is what remains of the amusement park at Lakeside Park.  All that's left is the antique Carousel which has been beautifully preserved.  One can still ride for 5 cents in the summer.  Lakeside Park has a long, long sandy beach with great views of the sky in both directions.  It seems particularly exposed here.  The day of these pictures there were huge waves beating a frozen shoreline.  In Grimsby there was no ice on the shore yet.

We'll be visiting many of these points on the south shore and see what these different reaches have to offer.

Open Doors Grimsby - A Look Into Grimsby Beach

Grimsby had its Open Doors Day yesterday and I went down to Grimsby Beach to see the Painted Ladies interiors and back gardens.  It was worth the trip - lots of fun with interpretive actors standing at corners, telling tales of Grimsby Beach.  And of course, the houses, so beloved by their owners. 

Here are a few images of living on the beach in Grimsby.