Jaymann's Blog – December 2010 Archive (25)

Friday, December 31, 2010:

Well, it’s almost time for that stupid apple to fall in NYC. For me, the sound of shotguns air-blasting and contraband ashcans (large firecrackers) rattling the clouds above the Pines is how to best usher in the

New Year. There were years an M16 or two joined the blasting tradition, still

carried on by a few gun clubs tucked deep in the Outback.…

Thursday, December 30, 2010:

It now seems as if there will be no quick retreat of the snow. Despite mildish weather, the snow pack is so thick it will generate its own coldness. Even all these sunny days won’t make a huge impression on the

many feet of snow piled up.

LBI life is getting back to normal – just a lot narrower than it had been. Virtually every year-round…

Wednesday, December 29, 2010;

It’s dark out and the side streets are hideously slicked over. Also, Rte. 72 westbound from the Parkway down to Rte 9 has lethal ice zones, mainly the lane where people are pulling out from plazas and onto 72. Drive

out in the fast lane. It’s the driest.

I was watching the huge cranes working to ease the snow…

Wednesday, December 29, 2010:

I am going to approach digging through four-foot-plus snow in my backyard. If you don’t hear from me in, say, a couple days, I’ve either frozen or become one with the snow. No, they’re not the same. The second

possibility allows me to eventually melt and evaporate into the atmosphere to

circle east then south and wind up in the tropics – where I’ll manifest during

a passing…

Tuesday, December 28, 2010:

I hit the mainland for the first time since the white-out and was a tad stunned at the lesser amount of snow over there – a mere three or four miles away. Not that there isn’t plenty of whiteness – and Route 72 is a

long way being its old self (6 p.m.)

– but there simply isn’t nearly as much snow as on the Island.

Fact in…

A towel too far. Artistically inclined, it made some wonderful snow patterns. eh? Next is just a portion of my custom-crafted the bakelite jewelry, egged on by short days and a coastal custom of doing artsy things while waiting to get back outdoors. 

 …

Update:  Monday, December 27, 2010

Well, it’s sunset and the snow is still out there. As expected, some absurd snow amounts are being bandied about. When I got today’s prerecorded “Emergency” phone call regarding the Island’s state of

emergency, the voice said we got 15 inches. Hell, we had 15 inches before the

really hard snow moved in last night. Tom’s Rivers’ 28 inches is a sensible

starting…

(Quick pics: The top is my backyard, approaching from side-yard. If you look closely at the lower right corner, that would be my snow shovel peeking through. Next photo is my truck, which I have no intension of digging…

Sunday, December 26, 2010: If you’re watching the weather from elsewhere in the state, you might think LBI has received something like 6 to 8 inches. That’s

correct, providing you just measured what fell before dark. Now, it’s gone

insane out there. The wind is whipping but nothing out of the winter ordinary.

What is out of frickin’ control is the inch count. I can’t even venture…

Sunday, December 26, 2010: Say it ain’t snow, Joe. I’m still pushin’ for the storm to suddenly veer out to sea and take its blizzardy attitude with it.

As of midday, roads on LBI are down to one lane – and that lane pretty much sucks. Lots of DOT…

Friday, December 24, 2010:…

Wednesday, December 22, 2010: Well, it’s getting close to Christmas shopping time for me – give or take a day or

two.…

Tuesday, December 21, 2010: I’m officially on vacation. Now what?

Seems the weather will remain blustery and aggravatingly cold. The upside is we’re now done the longest day of the year. Days get longer from here. In other words, we have winter on the run.

There are still small bas in the surf, per an angler who busted away from a get-together, went to his street and with thawed clams and landed a 26-incher, just…

Monday, December 20, 2010:

If you didn’t read the Dec. 22 weekly blog:

You still have time to do an end-around and grab a free 2011 Saltwater Registry card, via the feds. Get your reg number off this year’s (2010) freebie card, go to https://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov/register/ and registered by Dec 31.…

Sunday, December 19, 2010:

Well, not only didn’t any storm-age show but the day ended up offering a damn nice late-day stretch of sun. There were some anglers on the beach but I got no reports of catching.

I got in some tracking and had an odd encounter with a female coyote, east of Rte. 9 near the Stafford/Eagleswood line. It was late day and I was, at first, trying to get in a quick stint of metal detecting in an area I had previously found some super old…

Saltwater License 2011;

Getting’ Down to Givin’

As I ready for my SandPaper vacation, Merry Christmas to one, all -- and anyone in-between. The paper (and this column) will be back – and better than never -- on January 12, 2011. For angling blogs during the holiday hiatus, go to http::/jaymanntoday.ning.com.

Odds of besting a Christmas striped bass for…

Odds of besting a Christmas striped bass for the feast table are incalculable. Seems the odds machine froze solid overnight. I heard of night temps as low as 10 degrees in the Pines. That frigidity doesn’t rule out a bass or two still feeding within surfcasting distance of the beach. It does kinda rule out an overload of anglers seeking stripers.  I’ll be one of a few out there jigging and plugging, most like during shivery trip to Clamland. Speaking of which, the crumby…

The Bear Essentials;

Salmon Carcass Wine

BAGGED BEARS: The bear hunt went kinda crazy -- if initial kill returns are any indication. Reports show that up to 1,000 bears might have been taken.

By my numbers, that might be…

(Donations greatly appreciated. Jay Mann, 222 18th Street, Ship Bottom, NJ 08008-4418. PayPal: jmann99@hotmail.com)

Sunday, December 12, 2010:

The ocean exploded into action. Admittedly there was a bad on-shore flow but the ocean sure seemed to take it to the limit. It’s 10-foot-plus out there and it’s in a high erosion mode. Holgate will be taking a fierce beating. Odds are not good of getting on through…

(Donations greatly appreciated. Jay Mann, 222 18th Street, Ship Bottom, NJ 08008-4418. PayPal: jmann99@hotmail.com)

Saturday, December 11, 2010: There is a goodly number of anglers on-Island today. Conditions are very nice, even for boaters – those with boats still in the water. On that subject, a lot of folks are pulling boats this weekend as that hideous cold snap – and fierce west winds – approaches. Of course, there…