Stormy Friday

Mornin!  It's 75° in Wildwood NJ.  We have the aftermath of some major thunder boomers last night. Lots of thunder and lightning with heavy rain showers took us to bed.  We never lost power thankfully.  I'm just happy everything's watered!  It's gray and humid and still (no breezes again this morning).  Plenty of cloud cover, scattered showers and thunderstorms (80% chance) are on the weather menu today. Some of these storms like last night could produce heavy rainfall. Temps will be in the low 80s with East winds becoming SE 5-10mph by this afternoon.  Not sure how much of Ms Sun we'll see but I'd have sunblock close at hand...never know.  Tonight...mostly cloudy, scattered showers and thunderstorms (60% chance) with temps in the low-mid 70s and SE breezes 5-10mph becoming Westerly after midnight.  The weekend's still remains near perfect with clear blue skies, 80° temps and light breezes.
High tide:12:24p.m.
Low tide:6:05p.m.
Ocean temp:74°
Sunset:8:26p.m.
UV Index:8-9 (high)
Rip Currents:Low Risk

Friday Beach Etiquette tips~
~Never leave trash on the beach and even better yet...pick up any you see whether it's yours or not.     Note trash and recycle containers as The Wildwoods do recycle. (I'm happy to say that I recently saw a gentleman walk a fairly good distance from his beach camp site to a used site left with litter and pick up someone else's trash.  Very happy to witness that as that trash would have been taken out to the ocean by the breezes and high tides!)
~Don't forget those cigarette butts...collect and trash them (or just don't smoke and pollute the lovely sea air). Never stick them in the sand and leave them...that'll be tomorrow's find for the little kid digging in the sand.  Plus, cigarette filters take years to decompose and could be taken to the ocean by the tides giving sea life harmful/toxic cigarette filter tidbits to swallow.
~Remember to pack headphones (believe it or not no one wants to hear your music blaring from your boombox).  Big boomboxes are not welcomed on the beach.
~Kindly give your neighbors space when selecting your beach site. Careful not to plop down in others personal beach space.  Courtesy is key.
~Teach children beach etiquette. Running nearby others and kicking or throwing sand is a no-brainer but sometimes you'd never know it.
~Playing ball, frisbee, corn hole, and kite-flying etc on the back side of the beach (dune side), not near beachgoers (the beach patrol will usually stop you anyway if you're in the wrong area.)
~Feeding the seagulls is a big no-no. Eat and snack smartly. Using hands to express emotion when holding your sandwich up or out is a magnet for swooping gulls.  Eat under your umbrella or hooded sand chair as the beach vultures (gulls) are eyeing beach goers constantly trying to find who's eating and looking for the right opportune moment to swoop down and pluck your lunch right out of your hand or mouth (seen it happen many times). Once they get you then the havoc begins as 40 other gulls come in for a food fight of your scattered lunch.  By the way, seagulls know "chip bags" and if they see one sticking out of your unsupervised beach bag, they will think nothing of helping themselves and remove the chips from your bag as well as share your snacks with their gull friends while you're taking a walk or a dip (seen it happen many times).
~shake towels and blankets away from others noting the wind direction.
~follow posted warnings (closed beaches, rip currents, surfboard/boogie board area etc) and pay attention to lifeguards.
~(hubby suggested this one) If you must use your cell phone on the beach...courtesy would be taking the call away from all the surrounding beach goers and head to a quieter area (dune side of the beach) as again...believe it or not no one wants to hear your phone conversation on their quiet, relaxing beach day.  Happy Beaching!