It has been way too long since I posted here.
A few weeks ago, I witnessed an intense rescue off the 56st jetty in Newport. It was a combination rescue effort of NB lifeguards, NB medics and a few local surfers. The slow rescue happened in large surf washing over the jetty. A body surfer had washed up on the jetty and suffered a neck injury. Everyone did a great job to clear the injured guy off the jetty!
Thursday morning offered up the launch of the Falcon rocket which was not visable from HQ but about 20 minutes later this beautiful sunrise rainbow appeared. It was a full rainbow and it ended just out in front of HQ…..no pot of gold found.
Balboa Peninsula, Pier and Island 1950
Early Balboa Bay Club/Resort
Here is my latest shell art piece. This is a unique piece for me because all these shells were collected this past summer at the Parker River sand bar. I did several epoxy pours on this piece and during one of the pours several black flies flew into it and got stuck. I ended up leaving them in the piece for extra character 🙂
Here are a few postcards I have collected over the last few months. Sorry for the lack of post here….it seems like life and work are running a mile a minute…..
Mariner’s Mile
Lido Island
Happening this weekend…
A lightning storm raged over Catalina Island on Sunday night. No rain in Newport, but what a light show, that lasted a few hours starting just after sunset.
With the Labor Day holiday in our rear view mirror we now start looking forward to the fall and winter seasons. I heard someone ask for colder weather this weekend…including snowflakes and Hot Toddys. Check out this picture I acquired of Mount Waterman from the early 1950’s. Lots of snow this season….hopefully we see the same this upcoming season. Fingers crossed.
After nearly 70 years at the “Fun Zone” Bay Arcade will close it’s doors this Sunday the 20th for the last time. Bay Arcade has been a fixture in the area treating many to fun times playing video games and ski ball. I went there last night to turn in my tickets….nearly 4k worth and play a few last games of ski ball. Most of the games have sold signs on them but there is a hand written note at the front counter that says the Bay Arcade signs are not for sale. I have heard that the signs were sold with the building and the new owner may convert them to display their business name. I sure hope that this does not happen. These signs (one on both sides of the building) are relics of the past and deserve to be preserved, housed in a museum or maintained in their original condition. I took a post card from my collection to the arcade last night to snap the below picture. If you look closely at the postcard, you can see the same exact sign, in the same exact spot, in the early 1950’s. Sad to see you go Bay Arcade…the “Fun Zone” just got a little less fun.
@ArcadeFire – Don’t mess with Veruca Salt, she wants Everything Now.
This appears to be the fun zone area just north of the Pavilion on Newport Bay. This vintage postcard is from 1939. Take a look at the high and low diving boards made of large pieces of lumber.
The below article was published in 1980 by Surfer Magazine. The article describes the beach between 54st and 56st lifeguard towers in Newport Beach as The Hottest 100 Yards in the surfing. It holds true to that name today. Enjoy
Two antique postcards of the Balboa area. One depicts the bridge to get onto Balboa Island circa 1930’s and the other shows a gondola and dates back to the the early 1900’s. The Gondola was a popular way to travel the back bay in the early years of Newport due to the shallow and marshy conditions. Also, interesting to note that the card only shows 7 homes that are on bay front lots compared to the 1000’s that line the bay’s edge today.
New postcard to my collection, postmarked on the back from 1908. It shows a gathering at the Balboa Pavilion under flags that are raised at half staff. This could be a funeral procession or other day of morning.
I’m enjoying this new song by Arcade Fire and anticipating their new album! The music video has a very Newberry Springs look to it.