Summer was nearly over and it was time to take a family trip to end with a bang. So, we rented a house at Long Beach Island and drove down. I made my way through the dunes across the plains until I could admire my feet and watch the family coming back as Ben showed me the shell he had gotten and we had a display of the family's feet to the amusement of these passersby, the orthodontist in Randolph and his wife, who felt another family feet picture was in order before taking these group pictures of our family as we admired the beach signage and then made our way back to the house where this sign warned us to not fall out the window and this sign warned us not to cause a shower flood all of which amused Ben as he enjoyed his daybed and we set up the fans to ease the heat before heading to the deck where we could observe the conversation next door as I settled into vacation mode while in the kitchen, cheese was being shredded to make this mozzarella platter as the refrigerator was filled and the cheese platter grew while Sarah worked on the cheese and tomato plate and Suzanne relaxed as the Mulvey's appeared which led the children (many of them, some not so young) to engage in corn husking with the result being this nice plate of corn as the children reassembled in the living room for a game of Five Crowns until the steaks were ready and the chicken was sliced and this was the plate that Johnny Mulvey assembled and from this table I made this plate for my dinner Sunday was our first full day at the beach. On my way down the spiral staircase, I surveyed the cereal situation and took a photo of the fan that stopped it before gathering my beach badge and following Ben and his chair and Sarah and Jane who was gathering buckets and then Jane grabbed a chair and we headed to the beach where the lifeguards watched as Jane and Sarah read and Ben explored before we took pictures of Ben Sarah Jane and me as the beach badge checker arrived but we were prepared. Back on our porch, Jane posed then Ben posed then Jane posed then Ben then Jane as I took this self portrait and then checked out my book as Suzanne Sarah Jane and Ben got together for our dinner starting with appetizers and pistachio nuts as Sarah read. Monday at the beach began with a fan picture though the weather was breaking and soon we'd need fewer fan cycles. Then, Sarah began our beach project by reading aloud a chapter of The Tenant of Wildfeld Hall while I admired the 100% Bran and the proposed diet that would make me lose 10 pounds and Benjamin stretched as Sarah finished the chapter so that we could gather the basketball and Jane could do her stretching and we could adjourn to the basketball court

with pictures from through the fence as the game came to an end and we vacated the court, step by step

to the bench where the others were gathered as Sarah took a cell phone call and we watched as this kid videotaped his father skateboarding before recording the memorial on the bench having Jane pose in front of Bob on the job (porta potty) seeing the beach badge sales place and the warning side on the sewer before heading home so that Sarah could have her sandwich as I read this page of Anne Bronte's book and Ben's lunch only briefly kept Ben from his game as I took this self portrait and Sarah took this picture of me and then a few pictures of Ben and of me and then many pictures of Ben playing with his beach bucket as a hat

as I read on further into the Bronte and Ben listened as we accumulated goods on the table as Sarah posed for numerous self portraits

and then took this picture of the thermometer and the backdrop while waiting for Claire and Lizzie Mulvey to arrive so that we could head to the beach and set up as Suzanne took her cell phone call After a number of pictures of Jane, Claire, Lizzie, and Sarah

and a picture of Ben's buried shovel as we sat and looked out at the beach until the beach badge checker arrived and posed for this picture as this woman passed by I took a self profile missed a self profile and took another self profile before capturing these pictures of Ben and Claire, Sarah and Lizzie as they headed down the beach past many shells and continued on as Suzanne looked at the gulls and our walk down the beach with the gulls continued and the shell gathering continued even as I photographed my shadow and this gull carrying dinner followed by the shadows of everyone else as we watched the gulls eat

and Suzanne and Jane sat on the barrier rocks until the rest of us gathered for these family photos and then came rushing away because the green flies were biting. Back at the beach house, Ben found his perch as I read the next chapter as Sarah listened and took this artistic picture of her foot while Suzanne moved too fast for a clear picture Tuesday morning, Anne Stan and Rachel arrived as we were beginning breakfast with Sarah me (in this self portrait) and Stan ready to go to the beach, some of us waited for the Straus family; first, Joel and Cara then Audrey, Cara and Joel and then Alan and Joel before we went to the beach where the Levins were approaching and getting ready to go as Alan read a chapter of Anne Bronte and Suzanne and Jane headed to the tide pools as the woman next to us worked on her sun burn and Jane and then Jane and I tried to get into a self portrait for pairs as Alan continued reading Bronte aloud and a parasailer landed as Ben returned and Joel and Eddie dug and sat as Ben ate his sandwich and Cara borrowed a bucket from our neighbors as Joel, Ben and Eddie marched down the beach and Suzanne and Audrey returned and those present ate some more lunch before the Kadema game began with spectators watching Jane serve as the spectators watched and the beach badge person came and scolded our neighbors as Ben, Joel and Eddie dug as we ate and Alan checked his Blackberry while the mirage ladies returned with this gin and tonic for me while Ben wore Jane's shirt and Suzanne and Audrey returned as we stayed at the beach happily for the rest of the beach day

Wednesday started with Ben pretending to be asleep as we unloaded the dishwasher and headed past Whites as Suzanne and Jane followed until we got to Viking Village where Jane and Ben had their muffins on the porch of the Village Brew as Suzanne took her change and leaned on the rail while a FedEx truck passed and Jane waited at home as I took these self portraits and this self profile as I started my next book and Ben was happy to see Jan arrive as the fruit bowl told us that it was time to go to the beach and not time for a drink as Jane watched Fred get dropped off and then Fred entered the house as Jane packed pretzels for the beach and Jane admired Fred's driver's license as I took pictures of Fred's driver's license and then we went to the beach where Ben and Suzanne sat as the sky clouded and Ben wondered if Suzanne could get the umbrella to stand which it did for a while after which we recorded the welcome sign and Jane and Jane and Fred and Ben, Jane, and Fred posed after which Ben and Fred then Fred and Ben tried to make the umbrella stand as Jane got ready to call it a day at the beach and Suzanne finished her time there as well so that we could head home for a game of solitaire as Jane showered and I had a gin and tonic and the food on the counter showed that the solitaire game had gone well as the cheese and mozzarella was served and the salad and mussels and pesto pasta and the assembled enjoyed seeing the food on my plate and knowing that I made the clean plate club as you can see from Jane Jan Fred Sarah Ben Suzanne and me in this self portrait though I could not capture a self portrait in profile with Ben but we did think that the mussels made the ice cream truck appear as we recorded the sign and Mike, our favorite driver, posed in one of his many basketball shirts even as Ben, Fred and Jane got into the truck and posed before collected their ice cream and posing with it as Jan prepared for her journey back to Princeton and Suzanne and Sarah occupied the kitchen as the rest of us played Ohell and Ben and I switched, so I was wearing his glasses and Ben was wearing my glasses and Ben and I wore each others glasses before Ben put on my glasses in stages and I couldn't bear to look before Ben and I decided that this self portrait would work until Fred read the next chapter in the Bronte book for all to hear. Thursday began with Sarah reading as I looked down on Fred and Jane at the breakfast table while Suzanne Ben Sarah and Jane hung out before we began our trip south on the island to get propane in Harvey Cedars and to Surf City where we went to A Little Bite of Italy, the deli and admired their cases before bringing home this hoagie and these pickles and another hoagie for our lunches after which I admired the cell phones on the steps and Sarah's solitaire game below before Dr Len (soon to be Mr. Lennie) arrived and Sarah checked out her scar and Jane cut lemons so that Jane and Fred could try to lighted their hair color before we went to the beach where Dr Len read as Suzanne Jane and Fred and Ben relaxed until we saw a balloon adrift out to sea and Jane and Fred captured it when it hit the shore. This caused Dr Len to teach Ben to make a beach baseball field though eventually we all read as Suzanne Dr Len Sarah and Ben and Jane were reading until Ben and Fred started burying Jane until Jane was half buried and the rest watched as the burying of Jane process continued until it was decided to bury Ben and Dr Len did the torero thing over Ben though Ben was still buried even as Suzanne prepared to leave though Ben was underground even as the shadows grew longer but when we got home Dr Len waited for a shower as Fred and Jane were outside and Sarah was inside though Sarah came outside to read the next chapter of Bronte to Ben and me even as Dr Len ate a bagel and Sarah's reading caused me to take this self portrait with sunglasses off before we headed to the liquor store and returned where eventually the Mulvey's arrived and Johnny read while Suzanne and Sarah chatted and I enjoyed my Foster's and the cheese plate chips and dip and salad and pesto pasta and burger rolls as we made a dinner good enough to attract this slug and his brother slug who did not seem to enjoy being bathed in beer

Friday morning Ben and Dr Len got up and then Ben and Dr Len did the neck grab thing after which I toasted a bagel and took a self portrait of myself with my bagel as Suzanne and Dr Len watched and watermelon was eaten as Dr Len decided to teach us how to play pinochle with a few open hands as Jane and Sarah was excited to see my hand (with a marriage in trumps) before Lucy and Carolyn arrived and Sarah and Jess headed for the beach since Jess and Joyce had arrived but we admired the fruit, including tomatoes from her garden, that Carolyn had brought along with the cannoli even as we brought out the turkey to make beach sandwiches and Ben Lucy and Jane started making sandwiches and gathered a Diet Coke (caffeine free, of course) to bring along so that we could gather at the beach and watch Lucy's kite fly as Lucy and Jane were captured by Fred's camera and Carolyn and Suzanne watched as the kite flew on before Suzanne and Jane gathered as Ben made a new beach baseball field and the girls stretched while Suzanne Carolyn and Dr Len engaged in conversation and the girls had their own conversation until Suzanne Carolyn Ben Dr Len and the gathered girls realized it was time to head back so that we could take these portraits of all the girls -- Lucy, Jane. Fred, Jess, Sarah, Joyce, Claire with a break for Ben then back to the girls -- Lucy, Jane. Fred, Jess, Sarah, Joyce, Claire until they dissembled and Carolyn and Suzanne posed and then Carolyn and Suzanne posed with Jane and Lucy as Ben Dr Len Suzanne and Carolyn and Fred wondered what came next or how the fan rotated as the case may be. It was time for Anne Bronte, so Jess read as Joyce read her book I took this self portrait and Ben climbed the stairs until Jess finished her reading and we headed to the Levins.

Adele Sternberg greeted us and Janet offered us a drink and then Sally and Janet Levin posed before the girls and Henry found the food and Frank discussed the Phillies as the food beckoned and Robert Levin appeared and Henry sat on the sofa as Suzanne was enjoying herself even as Janet and Frank made another drink (maybe for me) and Robert and Frank and then Robert and Frank and Adele checked the kitchen where Suzanne, Janet and Henry were gathered and Henry was getting ready for the food on my plate as Sarah, Devon and Fanny announced their departure and the rest of us kept eating When I woke up on Saturday, Joyce was reading and Jess and Fanny were sitting in shadow (artistically) as I ran into Claire downstairs who was about to depart which didn't distract Ben from his solitaire game as Joyce read the next chapter of Bronte to Sarah and me as Sarah watched and Joyce read and Jane then Jane and Lucy gathered food after making their cookies so that Ben could have his meal and we could greet our neighbors on the way to the beach where Ben was reading and everyone else was sprawled out as I started a new book until Jessie and her boy friend arrived and he showed off his ink as Jess and Joyce tended to the broken chair with Jess sitting down and getting trapped much to Joyce's amusement and so we passed the rest of the day at the beach

before heading back so that Fanny could read the next chapter of Bronte to Ben Sarah and me (in this self portrait) and Devon could read the next chapter as seen through Ben's Fruit Loops before the corn was shucked the meat was prepared the burgers were made and all was placed on the grill including the veggie burgers for a full grill so that this was my plate and this was my neighbors and Jane had her plate and Lucy had hers as they posed for a Jane and Lucy photo before Jessie's friend, Tony and then Jessie read chapters of Anne Bronte which Suzanne, Jane and Lucy avoided by adjourning to their chambers. On Sunday I took few pictures. I did record Jane's new shirt and Sarah's new ear rings with a closeup of Sarah's new ear rings. and then I recorded Joyce, Devon, Fanny and Jess as they posed with Sarah before leaving and Lucy as she prepared to leave On Monday we went to Mustache Bill's for breakfast with Jane and Suzanne on one side Ben and Sarah on the other and me at the head of the table though I was not successful at getting a profile picture of me with my food though I did record my food and my food in profile and parts of myself in profile as well as this shaky picture of myself and a few pictures of the table before we took a picture of the kids with Mustache Bill's surrogate and Suzanne and Sarah left to see Ben, Jane and Suzanne off on their bicycles as Sarah and I returned so Sarah could read further. Tuesday was a day of questionable weather, so Sarah and Suzanne lingered in bed before Sarah posed I got my new book ready and Sarah posed again after which we considered this jigsaw puzzle with many pieces and started the project though we were not to make great progress because Lee and Judy Cohn arrived and so we adjourned to the deck for drinks and fruit before getting Lee Cohn and then Judy Cohn to read the next installments of Anne Bronte's book.

That evening we went to the Harvey Cedars Shellfish Company where Sarah and Ben Ben Suzanne Jane and David in this self portrait admired the menu and the plant hanging from the ceiling (is it real?) after which our meals came and unlike our neighbors we did leave a tip

but only after many family pictures beginning with Sarah and then Sarah, Jane and Ben

and then David and Suzanne and then a number of self portraits of Sarah, Jane and Ben.

Outside the restaurant, I was asked to take pictures of a passing family but Jane thought it was better to take pictures of me though the family seemed happy to take these family portraits for us and this was the photographer before we took a picture of the family feet and headed to the Harvey Cedars Ice Cream Parlor where Suzanne and Jane Ben Sarah and Jane enjoyed their dessert. Wednesday was a very windy day as we dealt with the fallout from Katrina so I went to get a haircut from this barber who used to own the Rialto in Princeton I also took pictures of the other barbers in the shop and this self portrait of myself neat and clean afterwards. After Ben posed for the obligatory phone booth picture, we came home and watched the Buddy Holly story before making our way to the 9th street beach where the lifeguards were posied for the heavy surf Suzanne had an artifact to show and Sarah Suzanne and Jane posed before Jane showed her driftwood. Afterwards I took numerous pictures of the surf as potential backgrounds

including one with a passing fisherman in the surf and then some generic surf pictures before this lady happened past and then after a few more surf pictures, it was time for a few self portraits and then another surf picture before this picture of my toes in a heavy wave another collection of surf pictures

another passerby image and a few final surf pictures before returning home where Jane and Ben were playing double solitaire and then heading to the ATM on the way to SunSations where we admired the monster and the model in the window and then Ben posed with the monster before we went in so that Ben could try on some hates and then Suzanne could try on some hates and then I could take self portraits of myself in some hats before admiring this sign (no chance of that on vacation) and heading tot he Chicken or the Egg where there was a long line so we went next door to buy a cigar from this woman as Sarah and Ben waited and we then posed for family pictures taken by this child who was too young for the cigar he had. Once inside, I opened my menu as Suzanne Jane Sarah and Ben studied theirs while I took this self portrait before the first wings arrived and we dug into our main courses before we realized that our neighbor was the ice cream man which inspired us for the walk to the play (The Music Man) though we decided to heed this sign even as we went to the ice cream parlor after the play as Sarah, Jane and Ben posed with the waitress Ben studied the menu and Suzanne posed with the manager, who was her former student. Once the ice cream came eating was a major challenge that amused Suzanne even as Jane and I were encouraged to sing and then we were outfitted with hats. Here is my self portrait and Ben Suzanne Jane and the manager before another self portrait and pictures of Jane Ben and Sarah gave way to these family portraits before Suzanne paused at the tattoo shop and once home we made our way through the front door in the dark at the end of a nice evening. Thursday was a beautiful day. It was a new month (we said rabbit) and we were running out of beach time. So, Sarah put on her bathing suit and the Kramers arrived and we went tot he beach where Sarah put on Ben's sun tan lotion with a break for Peter to get his chair back from the surf before the tanning lotion was completed before John and John and Jane arrived and Ben practiced his football as I studied my sandwich and Suzanne and Seva sat in the surf as the waves rippled and I read the next chapter as Peter Kramer eventually made his way back to take these pictures of Sarah and David and Seva and Suzanne did beach exploration

as Ben disavowed any interest in exploring the water and after this misprint I watched as this raft got too far out to sea while these pictures of the Dobkins and the Kramers were taken before John's legs were buried and we made our way home where Jane showed off her sun tan and Peter and Seva returned with their possessions before Peter Sarah John Suzanne Peter Seva Ben and Jane thought about the San Pelligrino or maybe it was the gin and tonic or the appetizers of tomatoes and cheese and then the main course of fish with sauces as the flounder was opened and the chicken tenders served before our friendly ice cream man returned and we all posed in his truck. As the evening passed we were back to playing pinochle though we didn't have all of the rules correct. Friday was our last full day of vacation and so some of us went down to the docks to book passage on this fishing boat where Ben and Sarah waited as I surveyed the view before we began our journey to the place where Ben Sarah and I (in this self portrait) would say good bye to the lighthouse and put these fish on our rods and cast away so that Ben could catch this bass Before I case again as did Sarah while Ben put bait on his rod from this collection and lo and behold, I pulled in this fluke and we were treated to views of the mates cleaning our fish

which amused Sarah and Ben as we passed the lighthouse with Ben posing and came home to show the fish to all

before Jane started making a sandwich and Jane and John got ready for the trip to the beach so that on our return Ben in various sun glasses

could watch my cigar as it was removed from the package the matches prepared and the cigar prepared to be lit so I could begin to puff away

as Sarah watched and I had a little more cigar before settling in as John watched and I went back to admiring my feet and then having some more cigar as we assembled on the deck for a pinochle game before our friendly ice cream man reappeared and we checked the score and continue the pinochle game while the fish and pasta were being prepared and put on my plate as Sarah Jane David John Jane Suzanne Sarah again and Ben took final pictures of the vacation experience which ended with Ben and Sarah making happy faces for the camera.