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Local Life

Focus: Riding with the River Tide

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Sometimes it’s just time to ride into the spring sun with the tide — down by the river, of course.

Now’s the time. When isn’t the time right, though? The bright light shows the way to the clarity of it all, though. The sun comes out, the water glistens and calls. The ride has begun. The ride into a tsunami of the simplest best of time-honored times at the Fair Haven Dock.

The dock may have changed over the years since Fair Haven’s existence, but the Navesink River it juts out to still plays the same part, ebbing and flowing with each ride down by its shores. Holding each ride with the times close. A piece of the dock etched indelibly.

The anchor is never lifted on the ride to river times. The moments stay. They will never leave. The sun is always there somewhere, casting its light on them. Always.

Take a look (click one photo to enlarge and scroll) and remember your time that stayed.

— Photos/Elaine Van Develde

There are some rainy days ahead, but the sun will return. Here’s the weather forecast from the National Weather Service …

Local Life

Focus: Branching Out with River Time Buds

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There’s nothing quite like branching out to a budding riverfront perspective — down by the Navesink at the Fair Haven Dock, of course.

Yes, spring has sprung. The buds are budding. And when it comes to seeing the river for the trees, the view is always the most flattering panoramic close-up of sunshine on an old friend.

It always smiles back and reaches out to hold with a tight hug. The buds on the trees branch out pulling you in to a new season, new day down by the river.

Happy budding river time 2023! (CLICK on one of the photos in the above gallery to enlarge and scroll. Enjoy!)

— Photos/Elaine Van Develde for R-FH Retro exclusively

Here’s what’s in store for the end-of-the-week into weekend weather forecast …

Local Life

Focus: Hoppin’ Egg Hunt Classics

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In light of this past weekend’s onslaught of egg hunts, we’re taking you back again to the most classic moments in Rumson-Fair Haven area egg hunting …

Ahhhhh, the egg hunt! It’s known as the quickest event in any town all around the world — or at least the Rumson–Fair Haven area neck o’ the bunny hop turf.

The kids gather, baskets in tow. They smash themselves up against the “Egg Hunt Scene” tape. The tape drops. They scramble … for all of about three minutes of mayhem.

It’s a difficult event to photograph. You have to just hippity hop to it, keep clicking and hope you get a good few freeze-framed moments. Well, over the years, we have — gotten some priceless snapshots amid the mystical misadventure.

In Rumson, there has been a lot of flying, stumbling and seizing of the coveted eggs. In Sea Bright, where the event has been held on the beach, things have always been a little more calm, but anywhere from bizarre to classic adorable in photo captures, nonetheless.

Take a look back, laugh and remember the misery, mayhem and just plain cuteness of it all. Oh, and by the way, Fair Haven wins for the quickest of all egg hunts. We could barely get out of the car, camera in hand, before it was over.

But, we got Rumson and Sea Bright classics. These are our classic most popular pics from over the years … (Be sure to CLICK on one photo to enlarge for the full view and scroll. Enjoy and smile — or laugh a little!)

— Photos/Elaine Van Develde exclusively for R-FH Retro

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Local Life

Focus: Sunset River Walk Reflection

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As the sun sets over the Navesink River, a walk on the Fair Haven Dock sheds light on river time that saw its season, its sunshine — river time that stays within and keeps us warm with a vivid picture of where we were, where we are.

And when you’re lucky enough to go back in river time with a first childhood friend, the winter walk gets warmer with each step. Each step forward brings you back to the same place, together, half a century later, where the sun shines bright, searing the power of one place into your forever inner child’s mind. The sear is an intricate lightning caress. A tidy, stinging storm of light.

It hits hard, bloated with love, and courses through all that you are, all that you were. It knows the two are the same deep inside. The searing light pens the picture pristine, the detail intricate, embeds it in each smile line on your face. It etches, never turning the picture to ash, only refining it.

You can see it all … in that river walk back with that childhood friend. It’s clear — so clear that you can hear it. You can hear the splash as you turn to the girl who dared to jump with the cool kids all those years ago. She smiles at the girl who stood and watched, still anchored, never wanting loose her footing on that piece of home. She’s docked there, forever reminding her friend that she is, too.

They pluck oyster shells from the shore to mark the splash made, the picture emblazoned. The sun sinks into the horizon. Its light stays within. The shells once held a pearl. The river remembers it all. It holds on tight as the friends walk away … clasping their pearly shells.

— Elaine Van Develde

Any time is river walk time. The sun is another story for the rest of this week and through the weekend. Here’s the forecast from the National Weather Service …

Local Life

Focus: Docked & Shadow Chasing

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Punxsutawney Phil and Groundhog Day be damned! There’s more than a foreboding forecast lurking behind shadows.

Yes, that buck-toothed rodent popped out of his hole in the ground to see his shadow this morning, giving that signature six-week extension of winter to weary warmth seekers. Cold, dismal shadow be damned.

Even if you’re not a brighter side seeker, you know that shadows can also be a reminder that where they are cast there is light. If you follow the shadow, you’re bound to find light dancing all around it — respite rays.

Like the kid who superstitiously side-stepped the cracks in the sidewalk, the shadow chaser won’t disturb the beauty in the reflective shadow until he becomes a part of it.

And, one way or another, when you step into the light in that cozy hometown niche, there’s always a picturesque shadow to see, cast and become.

So, sometimes chasing the shadow is reaching for the dream in a day. That’s how it always seems for a Fair Haven kid at heart down at the Fair Haven Dock. Always casting …

Take a look at the above gallery and dream on (and don’t forget to CLICK on one photo to enlarge and scroll.) Enjoy!

— Photos/Elaine Van Develde

There will be plenty of shadows to see in the next several sunny, crisp cold snap giving way to a little warmth. Here’s the weather forecast through the weekend and into next week from the National Weather Service …

Local Life

Focus: New Year River Daze Imprint

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Shrewsbury River in Rumson
Photo/Doug Borden

Sometimes it seems as if a river view is a window to heaven … on Earth.

And as the sunny late December view ushers in a new year, it offers clarity. The clarity of the beauty of home — where you can feel infinite peace emanating from a living Rumson landscape. A landscape that breathes a sigh of contentment. A landscape that beckons you at low tide into its rising tide of tranquility. The comfort of quiet solitude in its good company.

It’s always good company — the river, its inlets and marshland. It’s where all the gentlest elements meet for a nurturing hug and reflection. This time it’s the sun, the blue sky, traveled clouds mirroring in a small looking glass pool of water. The way it all looks back, casting the most golden of glows on wet sand that holds each mark of where many walks of life have been, gone and settled.

It’s a new year. Time to set out to leave more footprints, make your marks — marks of walking toward the satiety of that clear, peaceful view in your own back yard. Marks that stay. Marks emblazoned, emboldened by the sun. Marks in that sand that go out with the tide to wash up on another’s shore, leaving the grains of goodness that were once imprints.

Happy New Year.

River inlet view in Rumson
Photo/Doug Borden

Warmer days are ahead for the first week of 2023, albeit with a bit of dampness …

**Thanks to RFH alum Doug Borden for these spectacular river views!**

Local Life, News

Focus: Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge Close-Up & Travel Advisory

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The Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge replacement is well underway. Here’s a photo gallery from a bit earlier in the fall and the latest update on construction directly from Monmouth County officials, including a travel advisory for Rumson-Fair Haven and Sea Bright area residents …

(Click on one of the photos in the above gallery to enlarge and scroll for an interesting close-up view of the activity and the original bridge.)

The following is bridge replacement activity, by area, for the week of Dec. 19. All work is scheduled for Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., weather permitting.

In Rumson and Sea Bright …

  • Two bridge pile deliveries are scheduled per day, Monday through Thursday.
  • Uniformed police will assist with traffic control during the deliveries.
  • Deliveries may now be scheduled between 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. and will continue to avoid school drop off and pick up times. If the schedule changes based on field conditions, delivery may occur after 3:30 p.m..
  • For safe passage of all, the traffic delivery pattern involves temporary disruption of vehicle and pedestrian movement over the bridge and may affect traffic flow on Ocean Avenue (Route 36) in Sea Bright and Rumson Road (CR 520) in Rumson.
    • During staging of the pile deliveries, vehicle traffic across the bridge will be alternated in the westbound lane and the eastbound sidewalk will be closed.
    • During lifting and moving of the bridge pile to the trestle in the river, both travel lanes and sidewalks will be closed for approximately 10 minutes.
  • Additional bridge pile deliveries are anticipated every week, weather permitting.  With each delivery, vehicles and pedestrians may expect temporary lane and sidewalk closures as noted above.
  • Bridge openings for marine traffic will not be affected by the pile deliveries.

In Rumson …

  • Rumson Road will continue with one lane in each direction until further notice.
  • Flaggers or police officers may assist with traffic control during movement of construction equipment.

On the Shrewsbury River …

  • Work activity will continue in the water south of the bridge on both sides of the river.
  • The navigational channel width has been reduced from 75 to 65 feet. The reduction is expected to remain in effect until the fall of 2023.
Local Life

Scene Around: Where’s the Fire, Santa?

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Where’s the fire, Santa? Or were you just out for a joy ride on the big white truck? Prospective answers are questionable in the face of the Santa sighting on Friday in Fair Haven.

The answers? Well, they say that once a year, Santa parks his reindeer-drawn sleigh at the Fair Haven Firehouse and hitches a ride on the flashing, blaring firetruck to greet all the good boys and girls in town and kick off holiday festivities and a tree lighting.

Everyone accepts it as fact. And considering the joyous holiday mayhem overriding usual inquiring little minds that won’t quit, no kid ever really wondered why he couldn’t just ride that sleigh a few blocks down the street. I mean, he had already made it all the way from that North Pole. What’s a few blocks more? Something’s elfin-like mysterious about this firehouse/fire truck affinity of ol’ Saint Nick’s.

Then there’s his obvious friendship with the firefighters (ahem, as witnessed in the featured photo). Hmmmmm …

Yeah, yeah, he sees and knows all. But, what’s the Santa deal with being sleighed by all things fire company?

OK. Suspicions of decades’ long Santa and his magic firefighter connection pretty much point to one thing: In his spare time, Santa’s a fireman. Well, he’s at least a firemen groupie.

My mother always told me that the firehouse and firetruck Santa we saw around town before Christmas was an elf subbing for the real deal. Na. Sorry, Mom. I think the other deduction is more on target. Ho, no? Ho, yes!

And, hey, kids, should the suspicion be true, it’s a double the Santa pleasure for you. Let’s face it, between the trucks, the firehouse, the reindeer, the suits (fire and red) and the lights, sirens and action, there’s nothing more magical.

Oh, right. There’s the volunteer spirit and smile. Wait. Does Santa stay at the firehouse until it’s time for more of those traditional photos there? Molly Pitcher? Hmmmm …

Cheers to the Santa spirit! And thanks to the fire company elves for capturing the moments.

— Photos/FHFD media

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