TS Irene

By the time Hurricane Irene reached Maine last week, she'd been downgraded to a tropical storm. Here on the coast, she did very little damage; further inland, the damage was far worse.

Although I considered riding to the coast for some photos, the smart side of me (named Kathy) decided to stay home.

On Monday, I rode out to Higgins Beach to watch the surfers who always gather there following - and often  during - big storms. I found only a few of these brave souls. One told me that because of the location of the retreating storm, "the waves are too close together."

Looking at the surf, I saw that indeed, this surf was different from the typical rolling waves. Another surfer said that the best waves happened at high tide - 2 AM Monday!

Only a handful of sunbathers were left when I visited.

This little band of beach combers packed up and headed home as one of the last surfers rode a final wave.

With the sun setting, the sweatshirts and hoodies guarded against the quickly chilling air.