Seagull Standing Sentry Duty on a Snow Fence
Snow Fence on the Beach at Ocean City, Md
SAND
“It’s been a quiet week in Ocean City,” Garrison Keillor would say.
You know winter approaches when you see all the snow fence on the beach at Ocean City, Maryland. It’s not that we get so much snow here. We get a lot less snow on the Eastern Shore than in, say, Garrett County, or even on the Western Shore. I’ve had the experience of driving eastbound on Route 50, with snow falling as I drive onto the Bay Bridge, and rain falling as I drive off the bridge. The Chesapeake Bay seems to be a significant natural barrier.
The Ocean City snow fence, of course, is to encourage blowing sand to collect in drifts on the beach. Otherwise, the sand goes onto the boardwalk and down the side streets, where ever the wind may blow. Sand is a precious commodity in Ocean City, as you may know.
One spring, many springs ago, we found a nice little drift of sand on the wide concrete apron in front of the Boardwalk 5 & 10. Took me all day to push that sand, with a shovel, across the boardwalk and onto the beach, where it belonged.
The snow fence also provides a watch tower for the sentry seagulls who stand watch on the perimeter, while the rest of the gull community hunkers down in the wind on the beach.
Lights
The Winter Solstice is some weeks off, but Winterfest is under way in Ocean City. You can find Winterfest at the Northside Park, 125th St. and the bay. Santa is available for picture-taking at the Winterfest Village. You can ride the Winterfest Express Sunday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. You’ll behold a wonderful festival of lights.
Lighted decorations can also be seen at the Inlet Parking Lot, and the town encourages visitors to cruise the “Avenue of Trees,” which is Baltimore Avenue from 15th St. to 32nd St. Many of the Ocean City restaurants and hotels are also extravagantly decorated for the holiday season. Winterfest continues every night through Jan. 1, 2009. – Bernie Hayden
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