Friday
30Jun
Taking the plunge photo
By 
Michael Longfellow on Fri, June 30
Michael Longfellow on Fri, June 30 
Taking the plunge (click) This photo appeared in the about me section of capemayX.com. I'm jumping off the pier in the back of Morrows Nut House in 1975. I received quite a few emails asking about it, so I thought I'd include it as a daily dose post.
People who weren't here in '75 can't believe there was a 25 foot drop to the water. At high tide we'd time the jump to hit the wave tops. Then swim out and body surf back under the pier, darting between pilons, and if you had the skills, could ride all the way to the boardwalk.
Now the beach goes out 50 yards before you reach water. Times do change. This pier is now a great spot to watch dolphins make their early morning feeding run up the coast. It happens quite frequently, so take your kids down to check it out. Get there early.
Update on Sun, July 2 by
Michael Longfellow
Michael Longfellow
Alix Longfellow & Nina McDowell take the plunge Followup — Taking the Plunge
This story really got the nostalgia flowing for a lot of people who remember Cape May back in the 70s, when the landscape of Cape May itself was so different. Here's the owner of Longfellow Window Cleaning (my sister Alix) succumbing to the pier pressure. I had never even seen this shot before. It shows clearly the drop from pier to wave top. It's amazing that it's all sand now. I think the town also removed part of the pier that extended out futher than it does today, to stop the jumpers. Any body else have a jumping off the backyard photo you'd like to add? If yes, send as a .jpg email attachment and include 2 -3 sentences describing the shot.
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