In Sea Isle, a Great Beach Day in November

By DONALD WITTKOWSKI As their mother looked on in amusement, Taylor Mulford, 7, and her 4-year-old sister, Bailey, plopped down on the beach and began flapping their arms to make sand angels. “It’s so soft,” Bailey said, giggling about her romp in the sand. “This is fun.” Ali Mulford, who lives in Stow Creek Township, Cumberland County, brought her daughters to Sea Isle City on Saturday for a weekend getaway at the shore. Mulford had been keeping her eye on the weather forecast since last week and grew more and more excited when it appeared that a bout of spectacular spring-like weather would brighten up the weekend. “In the middle of the week, I saw the weather forecast and said, ‘We’re going on Saturday,’’’ she said. She heard no arguments from her daughters. The three of them were basking in the sun and 70-plus-degree temperatures for what turned out to be a great beach day in Sea Isle. “They were so excited. They were looking forward to it,” Mulford said. Beachgoers lounge close to the water while enjoying the mild November weather. The Mulford girls were creating sand angels at a time when some people may already be thinking of winter’s arrival and the possibility of making snow angels. The calendar may say November, but Mother Nature has generously provided a week’s worth of glorious weather reminiscent of April or May. Another sunny day at the shore with temperatures in the low 70s is expected on Sunday before the weather turns slightly cooler next week. With winter arriving next month, people are rushing to the shore this weekend to savor what may be the last stretch of beach weather until next May. Sitting close to the water’s edge Saturday, Lisa Mardyniak and her friend, Tom Billman, joined Lisa’s mother, Eileen Mardyniak, for some tranquil beach time. Not long before they began relaxing on the sandy beach, Lisa Mardyniak and Billman had been dealing with another type of white stuff – snow. They made a three-hour drive from their home in Zion Grove, Pa., near the Pocono Mountains, to visit with Eileen Mardyniak, who lives in Woodbine. “It’s been cold. We’ve had snow already. We didn’t have much, but we did have some flurries,” Lisa said of the weather in the Poconos. From left, Eileen Mardyniak, her daughter, Lisa, and Tom Billman gaze out on the ocean. Eileen Mardyniak shook her head as though she could hardly believe what her daughter was saying about the snow. It seemed incomprehensible on a sunny, 70-degree day at the shore. “This is great. You can’t beat it,” Eileen said. Off the beach, people were enjoying the great weather in other ways. Joe Downey III, of Lafayette Hill, Pa., was launching his small boat at Sea Isle’s municipal marina for a day of fishing out on the bay. “This is a dream come true,” Downey said. “Hopefully, I can get out and catch some fish.” Downey, who works as a marine mechanic, had his boat out for the first time in about three weeks. His father, Joe Downey Jr., has a vacation home in Sea Isle on 43rd Street. Joe Downey III gives a thumbs-up sign as he gets ready to take his boat out for a day of fishing. The younger Downey, 19, has been spending his summers in Sea Isle all his life. He’s used to being out in a boat at the shore, but he couldn’t recall any other time when he was able to get out on the water in November. “I’ve come to Sea Isle every summer and spent a lot of time here. But I never remember anything like this,” he said. Luis and Claudia Duran and their 10-year-old son, Marco, were taking advantage of the nice weather for a bike ride around Sea Isle. They were also planning to take a walk on the beach and grab something to eat. “We’ll probably get some ice cream,” Claudia said. The Durans, who live in Princeton, are spending the weekend in Cape May County for a camping trip at Belleplain State Forest. The spring-like weather has allowed them to camp in November for the first time ever. “It’s gorgeous,” Luis said. Claudia and Luis Duran and their son, Marco, take a bike ride around Sea Isle.