The Dusty Dog

Talkin' Bout Sand

Sand is a precious commodity on a barrier island. Without sand under your house, you have no house. Which brings me to the quote from the bible:

... a foolish man that built his house upon the sand, And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall thereof. Matthew 7:24-27

It seems so foolish to build a house on a barrier island, a mere ribbon of sand that moves and comes and goes and flows with the tides and at the discretion of the ocean. But, with such economic incentives to build, and with assistance by the federal government via flood insurance and, at times, sand renourishment foolish is not the issue. If the house falls down, it gets rebuilt. And, it gets built bigger and better and more ostentatious than what previously existed. The need to keep these houses standing because of their size and monetary investments is so great, and owners hang onto them so tenaciously, always demanding sand from the government to keep them standing.

Barrier islands are no longer places of modest beach cottages, expendably constructed, and bearing that distinctive beach character. Houses are huge things now. Multiple stories with multiple bedrooms and baths, many complete with swimming pools between them and the ocean. The beachy character of living on a barrier island is becoming a thing of the past. Way too much money to be made by large development and guaranteed sand projects.

But, the ocean is a beautiful thing. Being out on the island is indeed exhilarating. No question, it is a special place. No wonder the demand is so high. I wish I could afford to live here. 

posted by Dusty Dog at 11/19/2005