Hi Everyone!
We hope you are all well and enjoying what’s left of the summer of 2020.
2020… this is a year that will be in our history books for sure. As if the year wasn’t crazy enough, tropical storm Isaias swept over Long Beach Island leaving the Island, including Ocean View, without power for nearly 2 days. Luckily, the tenants on both floors stuck it out and remained in the house. We were happy they didn't end their vacation prematurely. They were rewarded with beautiful weather following the store though. Jim, our upstairs tenant was a real trouper – he even cleaned up the sand that covered the ocean front deck and furniture. We count ourselves so lucky to have such amazing guests.
This is going to be a long blog though because we just have to share this truly amazing story we heard about from our guests, Clay and Dawn. They just spent 2 weeks at Ocean View – it’s their third year and they are the nicest of people. I can’t write this any better than they did, so here is their story:
We have a great “small world” story that unfolded at your house this year. It’s kind of long winded, but the small details are what makes it so crazy. We have been renting ocean front on the island for about ten years or so. We rented at 4 other locations before finding your place. Your house is perfect for us. Let’s rewind back to the sixties when my wife was in school. Throughout all of the schools that she attended, she had a best friend whose name is Karen. She married her high school sweetheart Richie. We lost contact as we started to have families, but would run into them in the oddest places.
The last time was fifteen years or so ago in Provincetown, Cape Cod. It was a busy Saturday afternoon, and they were coming out of the same store that we were going in. We had a great few hour’s together, and lost touch again.
Fast forward to two weeks before we were going to the shore. I had been away from Facebook for quite a while, but happened to go back on it to keep in touch with my brother, long story.
Anyway, a week before going to the shore I ran across the "people you may know" page, and there was Richie, so I friended him. Then nothing until we checked in to your place. We went to the beach early Sunday morning, and the first family at the beach had set up three umbrellas and their chairs. Around their “camp”, they had the kids fill buckets with wet sand and set up a perimeter around their camp. I thought it was brilliant, and posted it on Facebook.
The next day my first comment was “where are you?” Normally I would just say LBI, but for some reason I posted Beach Haven Gardens. My first reply was from Richie “so are we.” To shorten the story some more, so I don’t bore you, turns out they have owned a house at East 31st Street for 8 years. Needless to say we had a great time, and now have friends right down the street from our “beach house”.
The way they found us was pretty funny. When Richie saw the post, they walked up to the beach to see if they could see the “Alamo,” so to speak. It was late in the afternoon, we were sitting on the deck enjoying a glass of wine. My truck was parked in the driveway. I’ve been a full time Pinstriper for 40 years with a very good reputation. When they got to my truck he said to Karen, “I bet this is Clay’s truck.” Just then Karen spotted Dawn and yelled from the street, “Hey Dawn, is that you????” Well, that’s how it went down.
We always wish that our guests make many happy memories in our house. This certainly will remain a happy memory and great story for summers to come for Clay and Dawn, and thank them for sharing this with us.
Happy rest of summer everyone!
Roger and Mary-Ellen