Sounds like a great beach, Dan!

Most mornings, Ruth and I go for a 3 & 1/2 mile river walk here in Derby, Connecticut. It's a wonderful way to start the day. Even though the riverwalk is "downtown", that doesn't convey the reality of the walk. Derby is only 11,000 people, and the "downtown" is only four blocks long. We've seen everything from deer and fox to otter on our walk, and there are beaver too (we haven't seen them yet, but a friend of ours took some photos of them with a telephoto lense. Turkey Buzzards are an every day occurrence, along with hawks and a whole variety of birds. I guess the riverwalk is Derby's "beach."

Yesterday I picked up a used copy of Bird (speaking of birds,) the CLint Eastwood directed movie about Charlie Parker. It's been a long time since I watched it, and I'm looking forward to seeing it again.

Which brings up another subject. Other than Art Thieme (who loves what used to be called "Modern" jazz, Leadfingers (who loves New orleans traditional jazz,) and Elmer Fudd, I don't know any other mudcatters who like jazz. Most don't even tolerate it. I'd guess that the majority of Catters don't like rock and roll they claim that it killed folk music.) Not many are likely to enjoy reggae, either.
Here's my observation: Folk music is structured, not generally complex harmonically, and values tradition. In folk music, other than dance music, the story is more important than the rhythm or the beat. Jazz is improvisational, generally far more complex harmonically and other than New Orleans revivalist stuff, rejects tradition. Rhythm is very important in jazz, and can be very complex. In rock and roll, the backbeating rhythm drives the music
and "tradition" is left to Oldies acts. Not many people can enjoy such basically different forms of music. I happen to love it all, as well as reggae for its beat and message. Nobody ever told me that I shouldn't of.

Howz everybody else feel about this. (pass them bagels, will you?)

Jerry