The Sandcastle Lady

There was a light wind, coming onshore that was very nice today!
Zain, 7 years old, worked with his brother, Aiden 4 years old, on a very nice castle.

Anna’s little brother, Jack (4 yrs old) made one jump too many over Anna’s beautiful dolphin sand sculpture! Luckily, Piper and Anna were able to smooth out his footprint (where he missed the jump.)
Anna 7, from Swingerland, NY was the mastermind behind this wonderful dolphin sand sculpture. Piper 5, from Blue Bell, PA, made the blow hole for the dolphin.

Clouds hanging over my castle made this picture better, today.

Castles don’t have to ‘fit the mold,’ for sure! Anna and Piper made a Volcano Water Slide Ride castle!

Piper 5, and Anna 7’s volcano water slide ride castle

another late start castle for me. I’m hoping to get there earlier tomorrow.

It was so good to see my old friend, Piper, come up the beach with her mom Stephanie and grandmom Jody! Piper teamed up with two new friends, and made a fantastic castle!
Jack, 4 and sister Anna 7, from Swingerland, NY, with Piper 5, from Blue Bell, PA and their fantastic castle

I had a late start on the beach today, but did manage to get the front of a castle done. Hopefully, I’ll work on the back of it today – or maybe get an earlier start with a new castle.

It was such a disappointment when we went to the beach this morning, and found all the lovely castles tramped down and destroyed. I can’t understand parents/kids who think it’s okay to tear down something that someone else has made (not to mention the intense work it takes to pile up and prepare the sand with buckets of water to begin carving.)
When kids like Sebastian, 10 years old, from Wilmington, DE, come, and create, it makes my faith in humanity soar <3 Sebastian, 10, from Wilmington, Delaware, and his castle village today.

What a great day on the beach today, having seasoned builders come back!
The first two are two of my favorite people, Molly and her brother, Colin, from Toughkennamon, who were here on August 3rd, saying they’d be back – and they did come back! Colin was in process, working on his castle, when the calimari called him from Striper Bites (actually, it was Colin’s mom, saying they had to leave, enticing him with lunch, including that calimari!) Colin’s castle had a collapse, but I promised him I would give his building site to an accomplished sandcastle builder.
The third picture is my son, Brendan, who starting building castles when he was 2 years old (well, really roads and bridges.) He hasn’t built a castle in a long time – but came up with a crisp, angular design yesterday, that made me really happy to see him building alongside of me again, after many years! (I hope Colin is happy with his ‘sub!’)
Fourth, is Lila and Owen’s Aunt Kelsie, who used to watch me many years ago, and build her own castles. She was the best cheerleader for her niece and nephew!
Last, my castle, yesterday.

Molly 7, from Toughkennamon came back to build again!

The calimari called Colin 10, from Toughkennamon, right before he had a major collapse

My son, Brendan, came to the beach with his wife Julie, and their 15 month old baby, Maura. It made me very happy to have Brendan building alongside of me, as he used to do. And what a great structure!

It was amazing to have Lila 5, and Owen 8, from West Chester, PA and their Aunt Kelsie (who used to build here)

My castle today (one of my favorites.) Then again, every day is my favorite <3

When the wind changed, coming out of the North, it cooled things off so much! The rainstorm we had last night must have had something to do with the weather change, and we were all very grateful!

Andrew 10, and his sister, Julie 8, from Baltimore MD made a great castle today

Sebastian 10, from Wilmington, DE and Sophia 7, from Newark, DE, worked together on a wonderful castle today.

My castle, looking out towards the bay

my castle today, looking up towards the inlet

A breeze on the beach, and clouds blocking the sun made it a good day, today. Lots of kids!

Connor 8, Ian 10, Charlie 6 and Owen 10, from Takoma Park, MD, with a magnificent castle, complete with a dragon on top!!

River 10 and cousin, Finn, 11, frpm Washington, DC, with their waterway castle, complete with a stick gate

A small castle today, sun and wind drying out the sand. Hopefully, bigger tomorrow!

I had to build a new castle from the ground up, today. (I was on the 12:15 ferry yesterday, to hear my brother, Bill Hicks, dressed in colonial garb, as Gilbert McCracken, a Lewes Pilot, born in 1766, who lived in the Cannonball House.) Bill is a member of the Lewes Historical Society, and talks about shipwrecks, pirates, and life in Lewes in those bygone days.
When I got to the beach today, I found my castle from Sunday gone (really gone!) a huge hole where it was! I’m hoping today’s castle will stand, so that I can build a little bigger on it tomorrow.

It was hot and humid, but I think a bit less than on Saturday. I was able to finish building before I melted.

After I was packed up and leaving, a sailboat and the ferry came into view – I just caught them in the frame!