So yesterday was an odd day on the beach, at least in Ventnor. Ocean was a balmy 60 degrees or so, everything's relative, and all was fine as high tide approached. Jersey beach goers know the drill. You move back a few feet every half hour or so, no worries, until high tide has everyone squished together up by the dunes, and then, you reverse the human accordian and spread out slowly as the tide recedes. Well, yesterday, the ocean was in no mood for subtlety. Out of nowhere, or maybe because of that little eroded ridge, or climate change (though not ocean warming), it was like whoosh, up and over and roarding calf-height through a mass of beach chairs and people like it was Brian Westbrook tearing through the defense for the first down. More than a few people could be heard muttering "global warming" or "like a tsunami" as they frantically gathered up their drenched towels, looked for their flip flops and tried to salvage their Arts and Leisure sections (forget it). And moved back, only so the SAME thing could happen again. Fool us once, and we shall be fooled every time. Guy the Ice Cream Man pointed out that it was a full moon, not necessarily the end of days (above, the ocean receding later on). UPDATE: It's the new moon this week, as an alert reader pointed out, not the full moon. Rut ro! But truthfully, it was frightening. People looked shaken up. This was no annoying tide coming in scramble. This was a GET OUT OF MY WAY kind of thing. You could easily imagine, a few more feet in height, and the thing would be up and over the boardwalk, if not the whole island. Was disconcerting to say the least. We don't stand a chance, in the long run.

PREVIOUSLY ON DOWNASHORE: It depends on the meaning of "sold out" I guess: Adventures at the Steely Dan show at the Borgata.