Ocean Grove lifestyles series. Re-posted from  August 2, 2015. 7 pm. Asbury Avenue. Paul Goldfinger photo © Blogfinger.net   Click to enlarge

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.

The Ocean Grove porch culture often includes dinner on the porch.  It is very common, and some people set up candles or have a chandelier.  They entertain company this way. It is most charming and very historic. Before air-conditioning people would eat outdoors to catch the ocean breezes and they would even sleep on their porches.  This practice also allows for conversations with passers-by. It’s a good way to make new friends.

These al fresco diners are from Germany although they are actually Dutch. The  lady in blue is a neighbor.  The young man is with the international contingent among these porch denizens; he is their son, but he also is an American citizen. The house belongs to these Europeans who used to live here, but now they come back in the summer for a dose of Americana and Victorian charm.

I didn’t ask them what they were eating, but, of course, there was a bottle of wine to make the meal complete.  Come to think of it, I don’t know what they eat in the Netherlands.   I asked their permission to do the photo.  They heard of Blogfinger, so I didn’t have to explain why I wanted their picture. I didn’t ask their names because Blogfinger is a place where people comment without names and where the photographs usually speak for themselves.

I showed them the Netherlands gold coin that I wear from 1604.  It brings me luck.  That was the year that the Hundred Year war ended.  Let’s all make a toast to the end of wars.

These porch people didn’t have any dinner music  but they seemed perfectly happy without it, although I, on the contrary, have to have a soundtrack,  so we will add some music  for this photo.  Let’s see…hmmmm. After dinner we can watch the stars over Wesley Lake:

JIMMY BUFFETT