Several beaches in NY have stone piers, sometimes called breakwaters, but my parents called them breakers,(there is an other term for them, and yes, they are used to catch sand, and to help keep a beach from washing away.)

breakers are also the kids/machines (old/new) that break the clumps of coal as it comes out of the mine..


Oh sure if the news is true,
a silk shirt is the first thing i'll buy,
The calico shirt i'll throw in in the dirt
If the breakers go back to full time
(a coal miners song)





my other obsession