Labor Day on the Massachusetts Street Beach wasn’t as crowded as yesterday.I make a new castle every day, and this was the 21st one I made. πLisa and Toni walked up to visit me from the Market Street Beachπ Scott Nathan, a photographer from Delaware Beach Life magazine came, and did some photos late in the day that will be in the summer 2024 issue.π
Crazy crowds on the beach, (but there was a little calm buffer around my sandcastle.) As soon as I came down this morning at 10:00, Wesley (7), Wyatt (5), Alexandra (7) and Savannah (9) all came, to carry and splash water on yesterday’s castle, to prepare for building today’s. πCecilia (9) was here with her parents, from Mertsville, PA π
After last night’s destruction; 45 minutes to build up the base; and 4 hours of building and carving, a new castle todayππ° Many people came to talkπSo nice to see Colleen Davis Jacono !π Vaughn, grandfather to Eli (5), from Carlisle and Lewes π Marna “found” me from the Market Street beach, and will bring her granddaughters Piper and Ainsley tomorrow πDeb, from Hanover, and daughter Erin, from Gilbertsville were fun to talk with, and took lots of pictures πLee, from Lewes, brought her daughter Rachel, from Harper’s County, MD, and her children, Rowan (17) and Issac (12), that I taught when they were little!π My favorite sand castle student was Aiden (10), from Wilmington π°. He was charming, with great manners! I also met his brother Owen, and their grandparents and parents.ππ°
Today’s castle, from the ruinsErin, me, and Deb (who put me to shame getting up from a sitting position in the sand!)
Just about the time I was hearing the Pineapple Coconut Rum calling me, five young friends came along, wanting to practice making steps from the castle down to the sand. Wyatt (5), Wesley (7), Reese (6), Alexandra (7), and Savannah (9). Wyatt and Wesley together, pictured.
Strong wind continuing today, from the NNE, but there was sun. The finished castle is very different from the one built a little earlier! There was an “incident” with a juvenile black backed gull, who SAT on the top of my castle the moment I went to get a bucket. I shooed him, and repaired what damage I could. But the next time I went to my bag, he came, and SAT DOWN AGAIN! That time, he took out the middle tower completely, and the top of the third tower. I did my best to make a building from the ruined middle, and make a top on the third tower, and to redo all of the steps. It’s a Phoenix castle!
High tide today was 9:27 a.m., but the NNE wind had something to say about that! I walked up to the beach about quarter after 10:00, and found there was very little beach, because the tide was all the way up. ππ Some good-hearted person saved two of my signs, and put them up with my chairs. The newer one of my signs was gone, must have been swept away with the wind and the tide. I am most grateful to the person who saved my other two signs! π I regret that I cannot build a sandcastle today. π
We are coming on to the full moon on the 30th, and the tide came way up last night, levelling everything on the beach! Since I was working from scratch, I had only a small base upon which to work. I decided to try a miniature castle and tiny houses. I found out smaller is more difficult!
miniature castle, with a tiny villagethe beach this morning, after the high tide last night