Ralph, the Ocean Grove Fisherman. Photos by Ted Aanensen
The Ocean Grove Fishing Club’s house and much of the pier it stood on may be gone, devoured by Hurricane Sandy, but the Club’s beloved mascot, Ralph, has reappeared, happily perched above the waves.
He looks more isolated than he used to, but still…
Blogfinger staff photographer Ted Aanensen noticed Ralph’s return on Sunday and filed these pictures. He is one of several people we know who were taking photos of Ralph, cheerfully emailing them to friends and posting them on Facebook for all the world to see.
Says Ted, “The first time Bob Border and Carol Boniello put Ralph up on the pier, it was in the middle of the night and there he stayed.
“He is their creation and he has adorned the fishing pier for many years, stolen, retrieved, stolen, remade, always a symbol of hope and a smile. I just saw him today and smiled. We are all back to ‘normal,’ whatever that is.”
To read Paul Goldfinger’s story, from last March, on the history of Ralph, how he cheered our town following another destructive storm two decades ago and then became the subject of a children’s book, go here.
— Charles Layton