It's that time of year again...

[Bob Schroeck]

...the week in July when we stay in a beach house on Long Beach Island, starting on this Saturday (July 6).  As has been usual for the last ten years or so, the house has wi-fi, and we'll be bringing at least one computer, not to mention all the smartphones, so it's not like I vanish from the board any more, but I figured telling you all about it is something akin to a tradition here.

[robkelk]

Thanks, Bob.

Don't spend too much time online - go out and enjoy your vacation!

(Rob goes out and enjoys his vacation.)

[Bob Schroeck]

In 25 minutes I'm leaving work (early close for holiday weekend) and then tonight is frantic packing time. By this time tomorrow we should be on the Island and not quite picking up our keys to the house.

[robkelk]

Is that like in Azumanga Daioh, when Tomo did not quite "pick up" the keys to the summer house but more "threw them away"?

[Bob Schroeck]

I trust I'm a bit more capable than Tomo. <grin>

[Labster]

I can only assume that you have a better throwing arm than she.

[Bob Schroeck]

Well, we got here earlier than in previous years and were settled in by 3PM -- about 10 minutes before a stormfront complete with lightning and thunder rolled through. I have some dramatic photos to share...

[Norgarth]

Much better than getting there 10 minutes _after_ the stormfront rolled in...

[Bob Schroeck]

So, I promised some dramatic photos.  It took a little wrangling to do this with the computing resources I have to hand but I managed.  So, to start with, the sight off the deck 10 minutes after we got the last bag inside:


  storm&sun.jpg (Size: 42.85 KB / Downloads: 53)

A moment later, a panorama of the entire storm front, rolling southward at us:


  stormfront1.jpg (Size: 47.52 KB / Downloads: 54)

  stormfront2.jpg (Size: 46.1 KB / Downloads: 53)

  stormfront3.jpg (Size: 48.75 KB / Downloads: 53)

The storm itself lasted about half an hour, and when it passed, we went out to the beach and flew kites -- including, for the first time, my new 30-foot octopus kite:

   

[Bob Schroeck]

So my brother- and sister-in-law Jim and Nancy just arrived to join us for the week, and I got a picture of them in their beach gear:


  jim&nancy.jpg (Size: 58.22 KB / Downloads: 48)

Okay, not really.  They drove directly here from the Gaufest, a convention for German singing and dancing and stuff that was held this weekend in Washington, DC.  The way things worked out, it was faster and easier for them to drive up in their convention clothes.  Plus Nancy wanted the gag shot of them in dirndl and lederhosen at the beach, so I obliged with the caveat that it was going up here.

[Labster]

The storm itself lasted about half an hour, and when it passed, we went out to the beach and flew kites -- including, for the first time, my new 30-foot octopus kite:

Anthy would be so jealous.

[classicdrogn]

I know I am. That's a lot more impressive than the octopus kite I had as a kid.

[Black Aeronaut]

Heh.

Long time ago when I was a kiddo, my mom had this fun little book that was one part instruction manual for building kites, and one part catalogue for ordering specialty kites.

One of the specialty kites was an eleven foot long "Shark Kite" that looks just like this one here:
http://www.newtechkites.com/products.php...7-Shark%29

The thing that made me always remember it? The nick name the manufacturers gave it:
"The It-Ate-Everything-But-The-Rolex Kite"

[Bob Schroeck]

Oh, cool. I have a killer whale kite, too, and I was wondering how I would top myself next year. I'm going to start by going through that site. Thanks!