It seems like the signs should have been a clue. There was sand piled 3-feet high against most of the houses on the street. Miniature sand dunes were flagged with cardboard that read “FREE SAND” and all we did was laugh and wonder who in the world would come by with a truck and haul it all away?
It never occurred to us to think about how the sand had gotten there. We parked our car in the empty lot and hiked up the stairs to the top of the barrier sand dune, then raced down the other side toward the sparkling water of Lake Michigan. Only then did we put it all together. The wind ripped the sand from the beach and pelted it into our eyes, arms, and mouths. We ran screaming down the beach, shielding our faces as best we could with our hands as the lake stream winds pummeled our body with hurling bits of sharp sand. The climb up the dune took forever. We were beaten and battered by beach.
We raced to our car and took shelter, crunching our way out of the parking lot and down the street where we continued to see sign after sign offering FREE SAND. But the signs weren’t so funny anymore.
Please tell me you would have been as obtuse as we were. 🙂
Browsing The Atlas 
There would be a queue for free anything here in Jersey, we love a bargain. It looks like nature is slowly reclaiming that settlement.
I like free stuff, too. If I had a use for a truckload of sand, I would have been all over it. 😉
We seldom read the signs, the foreshadowing signposts in life. It is only in hindsight we recognize that we should have known. I wonder if this is a regular occurance for this neighbourhood? It sure would be hard to plant a nice garden with so much sand.
I have a feeling they are covered in sand a lot. Never having lived by the Great Lakes, I would have never thought about this. It would be hard to grow a garden here, I’m sure.
Not sure I would have read these foreshadowing signs right either 😀
Whew! Thought we might be the only ones. 🙂
I’m not proud of it, but I think my first thought would’ve been, “Free sand? What next, free dirt?”
Never knew winds around a LAKE could be so intense! If I find myself there, I’ll definitely keep that in mind.
See You’re like me. I wondered who in the world would want sand. Ironically, we are about to buy a truckload of dirt to even out our yard. !
Nothing stings more than sand… and nothing gets in more bizarre places either!
Yep. We’ve learned that the hard way.
Whoa, that’s crazy! And, sand in the eyes is the worst. A kid (OK, I’m being too nice…bully) threw a bunch of sand in my face at the playground when I was six or seven. It was godawful!
Rotten kid. Do something back to him in one of your books. 😉
Haha! Great idea!
I would have had the same reaction as you! Free sand, such a funny sign… until it gets in your eyes, ouch!!
Hi Juliann,
You are invited to the Ghostly World 1 year anniversary on August 7th, 2013 at http://ghostlyworld.wordpress.com. Sadly, the only cookies we’ll be having are Internet cookies…and I think the bakery burnt them.
I’ll be there. I don’t need cookies anyway. 🙂