Up until a few weeks ago, the state of Delaware, which shares a border with my home state of Pennsylvania, was foreign territory to me. Even though Delaware is not terribly far from Pennsylvania, where I live, I’d never spent any time in Delaware whatsoever, except to pass through it on visits to Washington D.C., my nation’s capital.
That changed, all to the good, when my wife Sandy and I spent three mid-August days with two good friends of ours, a married couple who own a house in Rehobeth Beach, Delaware. They fed us well, showed us around their town and neighboring areas, and had us bunk down in their guest bedroom, among other acts of kindness. Good friends make life better, right? Just about everyone needs love and companionship, after all. And if there’s anything I’ve learned over the years, it’s that there’s no such thing as having too many good friends. The more, the merrier.
Rehobeth Beach, I discovered, not only is the name of a town, it also is the name of a stretch of sands within said town’s borders. That beach, about one mile in length and backed by a boardwalk, is kissed every moment of the day by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. On day two of our visit the skies were clear, the winds were mild, and the mid-day temperatures, though we were in the middle of summer, were far lower than normal. Perfect conditions for a beach encounter. So, to the beach the four of us headed.
We soon were sitting on comfortable beach chairs beneath a huge blue umbrella. Umbrellas abounded on Rehobeth Beach, as did the humans who employed them. A selfish f*cker, I prefer to have beaches more or less all to myself, which is often the case on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where Sandy and I vacation in the off-season nearly every year. You know what, though? I didn’t mind the crowds that day at all. In fact, I grooved on the Rehobeth experience right from the get-go. What was there not to like? I was in fine company, the weather was kind, and a fair number of cute girls were in view. What’s more, Rehobeth brought back nice memories of forever-ago summer days when lying, and sometimes frolicking, on crowded beaches, while slathered with tanning lotion in the hopes of becoming a bronze god, were de rigueur for me.
Sad to say, I didn’t become a bronze god back then, and I sure as hell am not one now. What I am is pale and wrinkled and barely suitable to be seen in public. Nonetheless, those realities didn’t stop me from rising from my chair on two occasions to set off on 40-minute walks on Rehobeth Beach. A boy sometimes has got to stretch his legs and take in the sights.
During the hikes I saw scads of folks standing or splashing around in the ocean. I watched a few kids burying two of their peers up to their necks in sand, and gazed at a prop plane flying by lazily. It dragged a banner that promoted, of all things, Pennsylvania tourism. And at a far end of the beach, a section that people hadn’t congregated on, a flock of seagulls was impossible to miss. The birds stood almost motionless, but ready, undoubtedly, to pounce on something tasty when they deemed the prospects to be favorable.
All in all, the beach day pleased me just fine. As did the entire mini vacation. Delaware, I still barely know you, but I’m glad to have made your acquaintance.
Seeing that writing this essay has put me in an upbeat mood, I have decided to raise the good-vibes quotient by including a tune I heard the other day. It’s by a young, pretty popular British rock band, The Heavy Heavy. The song is titled Happiness, and it’s from One Of A Kind, which is the group’s brand-new album.
Man, if you’re a lover of the type of rock and roll defined by potent guitar riffs, pounding drums and ecstatic vocals, then Happiness is for you. Ironically, though, the song’s lyrics aren’t all that joyful. But I think The Heavy Heavy, by virtue of the rousing sounds to which the lyrics are put, are implying that a nice amount of happiness is within the band’s reach. Without further ado, here’s Happiness:
Yeah, Another Blogger 
sounds like you had a good time, Neil; I sure had a good time reading it; I laughed a few times during this: you have the best sort of humor: the self-deprecating kind ps will get onto the song later 🙂
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Howdy. I hope to visit the state of Delaware again in the foreseeable future. I’d like to explore Wilmington, for instance. It’s a fairly big city there.
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look forward to that report, Neil 🙂
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Isn’t it awesome to discover something new?I’m with you in liking my beaches sparsely populated but can also see why you didn’t mind in this instance. It all looks glorious.
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Definitely a good time at the beach. If it had been very hot, temperature-wise, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it anywhere near as much.
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That beach looks fantastic and not too crowded, although I’m sure it’s extremely popular in July! Thanks for sharing your music find; I enjoyed it a lot. Isn’t great to be surprised by lovely finds right in your own back yard?
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Hi. There are loads of places I haven’t been to that are much closer to my town than Rehobeth Beach. I need to get out more!
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Sounds wonderful! Ocean and beaches are an international language. Some people speak it.
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In the late 1990s, when I was in my fifties, I discovered that I love being on ocean beaches — this happened on Cape Cod. The ocean beaches there are fabulous.
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Hi Neil,
It sounded a great find!
This ‘ol gal even moved a few jaded muscles to the groovy music..
All the best.
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The song brought you happiness!
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That sounds just wonderful and what great friends! I have missed the sea so much this year – yes, I have been there very frequently but only as one who has to sit and look rather than participate. I was not allowed to swim for long stretches but had a swim yesterday and will do so everyday while the weather or my persistence lasts.
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Hi Paddy. Do you swim in the ocean, or in rivers and lakes?
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In the ocean. We were out this afternoon, half an hour in the water and another half and hour basking in the sunshine to restore blood flow!
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Bronze gods are over-rated, even pail, flabby guys can have fun when the sun goes down! Looks like you had a great time, set you up nicely for the winter that will be with us all too soon.
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But first there will be autumn — my favorite season!
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Your time in Delaware sounds lovely. I have spent very little time on the Atlantic coast. It has a different vibe than the Pacific, which is familiar to me. Delaware is also a state I’ve ony passed through once. You make it seem like a great getaway.
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Morning. I hope to explore more of Delaware in the future. Joe Biden, by the way, lives in Rehobeth Beach. We didn’t see his house.
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Yes, I remember when he was Senator Joe Biden. He’s a great guy.
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Your trip sounds great. And I love the photos. Great number ‘Happiness’. Fun to listen too and fun to dance on. Thanks for sharing these delightful moments.
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Hi Yvonne. Maybe that song will become a pretty big hit. It’s a good one.
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You are SO correct in saying that you can never have too many friends. A fact that seems to become more important as we age. Though I’ve never visited the area in person, I recently read a novel set in Rehobeth Beach which you might enjoy. I certainly did! https://fictionophile.com/2024/07/10/the-same-bright-stars-by-ethan-joella-book-review-scribnerbooks-simonschuster-thesamebrightstars-joellawriting-bookreview/
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Hi. Thanks for the link. And I’m going to tell our Rehobeth Beach friends about that book.
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That’s great to hear Neil. Ethan Joella is a fine author.
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Great piece, Neil. I’ve never heard of the group The Heavy Heavy, but I loved the song and found my foot involuntarily tapping to it. So I either loved it, or I was having some muscle spasms. Either way, thanks for sharing.
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Their style of music would have fit right in during the hippie era. And the male lead singer looks a lot like John Phillips of The Mamas And The Papas.
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How wonderful to have friends who invite to their home by the ocean. Such a beautiful beach! And it’s great that the weather gods smiled on you.
I like Heavy Heavy, but l had to look them up to see if they were a current band. Yup, they are, and their specialty is retro music. That explains my confusion!
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Hi Laurie. They tour a lot and have played some pretty large venues. Maybe they’ll become a household name one of these days.
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Love the beach pictures. Glad you made it there. Enjoyed your— one again—witty post.
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My wife and I had a good time at Rehobeth Beach. Maybe we’ll be there again one day.
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I’m glad you enjoyed your beach time. Sitting under an umbrella surrounded by people isn’t my thing, but it’s great that people who enjoy such have such a lovely spot for their leisure. On the other hand, I’m all in on Heavy Heavy. That’s great music — a great morning beat, and just the right combination of happy sound and slightly edge lyrics.
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Hi Linda. Yeah, that song has a lot of kick to it. The Heavy Heavy is a good band.
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All that time in Philly and you hadn’t been to Rehobeth! I’m glad you finally checked it out!
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I’m glad our friends invited us, that’s for sure. Beach towns can be a lot of fun.
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Thank you, Neil, for the wonderful post that resonated with me! I love walking on the seashore, love the music and your reflections on having friends.!
Joanna
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Hello, Joanna. I’m looking forward to my next beach walk, wherever and whenever it will be.
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Thank you, Neil, hopefully soon!
Joanna
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I’m guessing you didn’t wear a hat or slather on the SPF 70. Not that old yet!
BTW, I’ll be in your state and my former homeland next Sunday for a thing in Hershey PA. I’ll wave!
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Hi Jacqui. I’m pretty careful these days about being in the Sun. I wore a cap that day, and I used sunscreen. I wish that sunscreen existed back when I was young. Back then, people tried to get tan, instead of trying to block the Sun’s rays.
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Our one foray into Delaware was very nice, to a wedding on the banks of the (Delaware) River several years ago. One of the DuPont mansions has been converted into an outdoor venue there. The nearby town of Newark – home of the state university – was a quaint place to stay as well.
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Hey there, Dave. There’s a lot to see and do in Delaware. I need to get back there!
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I love “Miles and Miles” by The Heavy Heavy. In fact, I’m thinking that you might have recommended that song in a long-ago blog of yours!
Anyway, thank you for the reminder about good friends. I don’t have as many as I once did (time and distance can thin out the group), but the ones that have stuck through life with me are absolutely priceless.
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Absolutely priceless, indeed. I wish I had at least two or three more good friends than I do, but I appreciate those I do have.
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I’m not a beach guy, being of fair skin, but did walk the sand often at Orange Beach AL a few years back…..very enjoyably.
Thanks for bringing back such good memories!
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Morning. When we have a beach pretty much all to ourselves, a beach walk can put us in a Zen-like state. It’s hard to beat the combination of sands, water and sky.
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Delaware is pretty unknown to me, too. I think I’ve driven through it a time or two, but haven’t stopped. Perhaps some day I’ll have to! Glad to hear you had a good beach day.
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Hi Marie. Delaware is still mostly an unknown to me. But I’d like to explore other areas of the state, now that I’ve gotten a taste of it.
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It’s always fun to sit on a beach and listen to the waves. I’ve never been attracted to bronze gods! Give me a gentle soul with a good sense of humor any day (well … too old now!)
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Hi Jan. Here’s a book you might like: The Outermost House, by Henry Beston. I liked it a lot.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outermost_House
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Looks like a book I would like definitely! Thanks!
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Were there a number of cute boys on the beach too, Neil? Let me guess—you didn’t notice. 😁
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You are correct!
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Burying your friends up to the neck in sand! That brings back memories.
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It was the first time I’d seen that in many, many a moon.
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A great beach day paired with good music. Sounds wonderful. And sounds like my youth. I used to always bring a radio to the beach. These days I like to listed to the music of the waves.
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Greetings. The music of the waves never gets old. There’s something very elemental and mesmerizing about it.
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What a beautiful day at the beach, Neil!
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The daytime high was about 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Perfect weather.
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Ah, brought me back to my childhood-at-the-beach, Neil. Nothing like the ocean waves and glistening sand for revitalization. Glad you enjoyed your visit with friends.
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It was good to get away!
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I always enjoyed Rehoboth Great photos and good song.
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Hi Joyce. Yeah, Rehobeth is a good town. The beach is fine, and there are lots of restaurants. I liked being there.
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I’m so pale that I’m being considered for the centerfold of Old Geezers “R” Us.
Glad Delaware treated you well.
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I hope the magazine will pay you very well!
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Thanks for sharing Heavy Heavy’s Happiness. I’m putting Delaware on my list to visit.
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Hi Jan. Delaware is one of the smallest states in size. But there’s plenty to see and do.
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I have always loved beaches (our favorite is Laguna Beach in California). Sometimes I cannot find Delaware but have been on the beach there a few times.
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Hi Geoff. I have relatives who used to live in Santa Cruz, California. There’s a beach area/boardwalk/amusement park there. It’s real nice.
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At least water at the beaches in California (especially Southern California) is warmer than water in the Pacific Northwest where I live.
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I’ve heard of Rehobeth Beach, Delaware, all my life but have never known anyone who has gone there. It looks pretty and is going on our list of places to visit someday.
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Morning, Ally. RB is a fine beach town. Ditto for Cape May, New Jersey. The two towns are pretty accessible to each other via a ferry that goes between Cape May and Lewes, Delaware. Thanks for stopping by. Take care.
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Hi Neil, Nice you had the chance to visit, looks like it was a glorious day. I think humans were meant to walk on sand at least a couple of times a year, especially those of us who live in cold climates.
Not heard of The Heavy Heavy, but I liked the song and instrumentation. There’s something retro about their sound, and the song reminded me of The Temptations “My Girl.”
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Hi Eden. I just gave another listen to Happiness. It reminds me too of My Girl. Maybe they share a chord sequence. Have a good rest of the week. Take care.
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“nd if there’s anything I’ve learned over the years, it’s that there’s no such thing as having too many good friends. The more, the merrier.”—This, yes!! And also, there is no such thing as being too old for adventure, even if it’s right next door.
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Hi Michele, and thanks for visiting. Yeah, good friends make our lives better. Ditto for enjoyable adventures!
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That sounded like a very happy little vacation 🥰
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Hi. It was short, but very sweet.
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What a nice upbeat post, and I love the song and band! Like many have commented, it has a 60s feel.
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Hello there. I hope to see The Heavy Heavy in concert one day.
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I know next to nothing about Delaware, so it was good to get an introduction!
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Hi. I still know only a little bit about Delaware!
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Nothing like a day at the beach to live your spirits! Like you, I usually prefer my beached unpopulated, but sometimes it is fun to sit among others and enjoy the vibe. It sounds to me as if you had that kind of day!
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Hi Ann. It was a fun day. And it was great being at an ocean. The vastness of oceans is very incredible.
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It’s incredible how close we can be to places, but don’t go there. I’ve been to many places, but primarily outside of Canada. I need to change that this year. I’m thrilled you had a great time on the beach in Delaware.
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Hello there. What you say is very true. There are many towns and small cities, within 60 miles of my house, that I’ve never been to, even though I know that some definitely are worth visiting.
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Great post, Neil. We are looking forward to a beach getaway in December. I can hardly wait! ☀️
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Hi Lisa. Your vacation is just around the corner. Enjoy!
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Thanks! 😊
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Thanks for sharing your nice and relaxed Summer culmination. Here’s to a grand new season. 💤🛌
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Hi. I thank you. You’re listed as Anonymous though, so I don’t know who this is.
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A lovely getaway. I do enjoy beach walking. This was a good way to taste Delaware.
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My next time in Delaware will be to have lunch with the Bidens! (Yeah, right)
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I haven’t been to Rehoboth is probably 35 years. Your pictures definitely make me want to go back, though! Great shots, Neil. – Marty
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Hi Marty. Rehobeth awaits your return!
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“Good friends make life better, right? Just about everyone needs love and companionship, after all. And if there’s anything I’ve learned over the years, it’s that there’s no such thing as having too many good friends. The more, the merrier.”
I cannot possibly improve on that, Neil. We MUST (and it feels great to do so) connect wherever we go in this world. Just tonight, Ed and I had two amazing conversations with Roman waiters (here it is a respected profession, as it should be, and not just something you do when you’re between college and a “real” job). It is mutually beneficial to reach out to others. You feel great. They feel great. The world gets a little closer, humanity is more humane.
Glad you and Sandy had a wonderful visit to Delaware with old friends. Now I’m off to sample “Heavy Heavy.”
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Hi Amy. I’ve always been in tune with the way you look at and approach life. You have your head on straight! By the way, somehow your comments were posted as being from Anonymous. See ya!
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Okay, I am LOGGED IN to WP. For some reason, Google is making everything I do on my laptop a LOT harder this trip–never happened before. Perhaps they’ve gone MAGA. Hopefully this one will appear from ME. That Anonymous character has got to go.
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I left you a lengthy comment. Hope it got through.
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Hello again, Amy. Your replies are listed as being from Anonymous. Maybe you weren’t signed into WordPress when you sent them. Take care. Have a good day.
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I love any ocean and beach. That is where my soul lives. Great pics and music, Neil.
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I agree. Sands, ocean and sky can be a perfect combination. Hi, Michele. Have a great day.
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Neil, the song has put me into a lovely summer vibe – in contrast to the rainy autumn chill! 😀 You’ve sold me on Delaware and its beaches although they do seem to be a bit busy. Glad you had a first time there and enjoyed meeting up with friends! Annika
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Hi Annika. I’m glad our friends invited us to stay with them. If they hadn’t, I’d still never have done anything in Delaware!
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CB is kind of a Robinson Crusoe beach type. Like the tune.
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Yeah, ordinarily I like having beaches to myself. But I guess I was in a social mood at Rehobeth Beach. Hi CB. Have a good week!
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I’ve never been to Delaware either, or anywhere else in that part of the country. Thanks for the intro. (And the reminder we should go to our own coast more often.)
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Howdy Dave. I live fairly near the New Jersey ocean coastline, where there are many beach towns. I’ve been there only a handful of times. I should get out more!
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Here I was hoping for a story about sighting that beaches most famous frequenter. Oh well.
Like you, I prefer the off-season. The beaches on the shores of Lake Michigan are lovely in mid September.
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Hi. I prefer the off-season too. But I’m glad I got into the spirit of things at Rehobeth Beach. My friends would not have been happy if I hadn’t!
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