It was hauntingly comforting — the icy, howling wind and the stark hues of black and blue along the Navesink River in Fair Haven Wednesday at dusk.
The wind whistled, beckoned, and the air cut like jagged-edged glass. It was a solitary, striking scene. Black branches jutting across a blue sky and seascape.
It was all so cold and clear-cut, yet still warm like a cup of cocoa. It’s home.
Take a look …
— Elaine Van Develde
Then came the thaw …
After a warmer winter’s day, as nightfall hit along the Navesink riverbanks in Rumson, the sand slurped up the snow, the icy river waters dissolved, and the ducks glided across their glassy path.
Reflections in shades of grey gripped the low tide. Serenity seeped into the shoreline.
See for yourself …
— Elaine Van Develde
Monday was a dank day on the banks of the Navesink River.
Yet, there were plenty of sea gulls setting up camp at Victory Park in Rumson.
They hung around, emitting a near-Hitchockesque aura. After soaking up some social interaction on the picket fence, they took flight, no doubt to return before long.
Take a look at snippets of the gulls’ scene.
— Elaine Van Develde
The fall air was crisp, the clouds clinging to it and the colors vivid. It was another dusk at the Fair Haven Dock.
The scene just doesn’t get old for most. The serenity. The stillness. The Navesink River resting at the end of the day.
You can almost hear the exhale.
Give a listen. Take a look …
— Elaine Van Develde
You could call it falling for the Navesink River.
Wednesday night was one of those still, quiet fall nights down by the river at the Fair Haven Dock. It was in the air. It was on the water. Reflection. A lot of reflection. It’s easy to see and instinctively know why when it is also a place called home.
Take a moment to reflect … Good night, home.
— Elaine Van Develde
Summer days down by the river at the Fair Haven Dock don’t change much with the passing of time.
It’s a scene that never gets old and needs no explaining.
Here’s another focus on what it’s all about — sun, sand between the toes, solitude, solace.
— Elaine Van Develde
It’s summertime in the Rumson-Fair Haven area and the livin’ can be, well, melodic. That’s because it’s the season for Fair Haven’s Concerts on the Dock series.
With the rise in rampant fear looming over the dime-sized clinging jellyfish’s sting to people recreating in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers that border the Rumson-Fair Haven peninsula, Fair Haven officials have issued a fact sheet advising people of the jellyfish’s characteristics and where they thrive.
Here it is …
The Clinging Jellyfish (Gonionemus vertens) is a small hydrozoan jellyfish about the size of a dime that can be found in bay and estuarine waters.
WHERE ARE THEY FOUND?
Clinging jelly sh are native to the Paci c Ocean. They were introduced to the eastern Atlantic Coast as early as 1894 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, but can be found from Maine to North Carolina. Clinging jelly sh thrive in temperate regions, and can be found in sheltered shallow bay and estuarine waters where tides are not strong enough to dislodge them.
They prefer to cling to vegetation and other substrates (e.g. shells) during the day. They typically feed at night in the water column on small marine animals (zooplankton), but have been observed during the day. They are not typically found in coastal ocean waters.
HOW BIG DO THEY GET?
This is a small jelly sh that only grows to about 25 mm (1 inch) in diameter, but it can expand to about three inches in diameter. They have 60-90 tentacles that contain the nematocysts or stinging cells.
WHY ARE THEY IN NEW JERSEY WATERS THIS YEAR?
Although they have not been previously reported in New Jersey waters, their presence here may be a recent introduction, or they may have gone unnoticed in the past. They do not produce large populations as do some other jellyfish, but can be found in local areas in small to moderate numbers.
Skies have been clear and bright blue lately. And the scene just before sunset in Rumson recently was no exception.
It’s that familiar, popular spot on the Navesink River at Victory Park where kids play, kayakers row on the river and other boaters dot the horizon.
The clear weather is supposed to hold out through the weekend. Enjoy the view in the photos below.
— Elaine Van Develde
Skies were cobalt blue today, peppered with wisps of clouds.
And the horizon of the Navesink River off the Fair Haven Dock was dotted with boats. The National Weather Service has predicted similar ideal days of sun, clear skies and dry weather tomorrow.
Take in some of the sights right here.
— Elaine Van Develde
The sun set. The water was still. It was a serene nightfall on the river in Fair Haven.
A lone kayaker rowed his way from the shore across the Navesink from the Middletown shores to the River Rats boat launch. The clouds seemed to follow him. The new moon a sliver above.
And, in the distance, in the hushed evening, were only soft echoes of the water lapping gently to each paddle, bringing him home.
Home here. Good night, Fair Haven.
— Elaine Van Develde
It may be an unofficial start of summer that’s taken hold, but the sun was scorching like it was pretty official down by the Navesink River on Monday in the Rumson-Fair Haven area.
The National Weather Service says “patchy fog” is going to hit tonight until early tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. After that, it’s supposed to be sunny and 70 degrees.
Take a look at the above photos for a glimpse into the sunny day in both Rumson and Fair Haven.
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