When Hurricane Sandy hit on October 29th, 2012 the entire state of New Jersey was crippled for weeks by power outages, gas shortages, downed trees, and destroyed homes. Most of us are fortunate that our lives got back to normal after a few weeks. Unfortunately, my dad and stepmother were not as fortunate.

They live down the shore year-round in a town called Ortley Beach. His house was always a work in progress and delighted adults and children alike when they would walk by on their way to and from the beach. Most would ask to take pictures, and my dad always jumped at the opportunity to show off his labor of love (and his life-sized pirates).

Even with all of the warnings, no one thought that Hurricane Sandy would do the amount of damage it did to Ortley Beach. It hit the beach blocks with so much force, it’s a miracle that their house is still standing. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for most of their neighbors, whose homes were either shifted off of their foundations, or completely destroyed when the storm surge hit.

While seeing it in person is really the only way to really absorb just how devastated Fielder Ave actually was, these pictures still break my heart every time I look at them.

This pattern is an infinity scarf worked in Dream In Color Classy, which is a deliciously soft, superwash yarn that gets even better with a bath in some Soak. Since it’s crocheted on an I hook, it works up pretty quickly, and wrapped around twice, it will keep you nice and warm through these last few weeks of winter.