Onward

...In the rain!

We set sail from New Bern on a rainy Monday morning...
and motored through the drizzle all day.


Docked for $10 behind the Sanitary Fish Market Monday night. Just had to have fried seafood for dinner. Ted says no more fried fish, please!

And set sail for Camp LeJune on a rainy Tuesday morning.

The sun's out now (at 2 pm)... but we're watching the weather, and realize more rain will be coming later this week. Oh Boy! Nicole?
(We're starting to plan for a spot to wait out the winds.... probably Southport, NC.)

My New Favorite Place

Oh, I've got lots of favorite places now... but let's add a few more to the list.


When we left Kitty Hawk, we sailed to Manteo. Probably the nicest city dock we've stayed at. Free for 24 hours, right in the middle of a small downtown area, with a playground, no less!

A very boat-oriented town. Lots of boats and boat people. And friendly dogs.


A couple of highlights here... the best was a young lady named Snow who makes hammocks. We bought some new boat furniture from her... we now have hammock seats that hang and swing and are oh! so comfortable. And not only did she sell us some seats, she also snuck us into her mom's consignment shop after hours, and Lisa and I had great fun going through some pretty cool art work and jewelry stuff. Ideas! Inspiration! Trinkets!

We only stayed one day, because the wind was right to keep moving...



So on to Ocracoke.

Now, I LOVE Ocracoke. It's an island- only accessible by ferry (or boat). This is where Blackbeard, the pirate used to hang out. Really! People do live there year-round, but it's really a summer time destination for most people. Lots of rental beach houses, and a few hotels. Tiny. Remote. Artsy. Friendly. Yes, a little touristy, but not so much. Wild horses used to freely roam the streets (I would've loved to see this!)- but now they're corralled in a corner of the island. Old homes are turned into little shops- like coffee shops and surf shops and craft shops (and a thrift shop!). Homemade signs abound. More bikes than cars. Kind of reminiscent of Coconut Grove, back in the day. But less commercial.

"Season" is really pretty much over, so the beach was deserted



(until a fishing club arrived and got serious about their rods and reels).


We had great fun riding our bikes all over the place with our friends...

The ladies hit the thrift shop (twice!)


The guys found a hammock and some lawn chairs outside the Hemp Clothing Store (almost every business had an yard with chairs in it) and were content for a little while.

We spent two wonderful days in Ocracoke.
But again, (alas!), the wind was right and we had to keep moving...



Now we've followed AJ and Lisa all the way to New Bern (Birthplace of Pepsi), where they will be spending a few weeks visiting family and "taking care of business". They're tied up to a dock; putting down roots. Guess they think they'll finally get rid of us!


Not willing to leave them alone quite yet, though, we tagged along on their Sunday afternoon.
We got to meet AJ's dad and sister, and enjoyed a chamber music concert at the library (their nephew was one of the violinists).

We had a nice walk around town before saying our "See you later"s.

And, as the wind will be right to keep moving, we'll press on in the a.m.

Next stop (probably) Beaufort, NC.


See you later, Tinker! (And her people.) We'll miss you!

Heading South...

Well, as much as we hated to go, we had to leave Annapolis. It's time to start retracing our steps (sort of), and head for home. We've got baby Sophia coming in November, and want to be in Tallahassee for her arrival. Besides, it's getting a little cool up here for us FL people.

So.... from Maryland to Virginia, through Norfolk,

then to North Carolina via the Dismal Swamp Canal. (Again) Last time through it was early August, and unbelievably hot. This time it was cool and wonderful. The leaves are just starting to turn, and the wild grapevines are loaded with fat purple grapes. I wonder if they're edible.


We caught up with our friends AJ and Lisa in Elizabeth City, NC. Lisa loves sifting through thrift shops, and I can get into that. Ted and AJ love to complain about their wives spending hours in thrift shops, so that works out well for them, too. Everyone's happy. (I must get a picture of the next fine establishment we're able to explore.)
I got me a light-up pumpkin for 98 cents, so I'm satisfied. Gotta have fall decorations for the boat, right?

We're both heading the same direction for now, so Morning Glory and Susan M. Jackson are sailing together. What fun! Right now we're anchored in the bay behind Kitty Hawk, NC.


It's not really an anchorage, but since we have such shallow-draft boats, we were able to sneak in here. Yesterday we rode out to see the beach, and one more thrift store.


Ted and I enjoyed worshiping with the Kitty Hawk Baptist folks this a.m., then we went and visited the (very cool) Wright Brother's monument with AJ and Lisa.



It's in the 70's; clear and windy- a beautiful day to ride our bikes (6 miles). Well, more beautiful when we were going south. Riding the folding bikes against a stiff breeze and up a hill is another story. But we laugh a lot. So it's all worth it.


Tomorrow we'll press onward, exploring the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Not quite sure where we'll end up... guess I'll have to keep ya'll posted!

p.s. This is a pic of the Captain and all of his favorite things... maps, technology, and candy. He buys all the candy. All the time. And makes sure it's well organized, too. Gotta love it!

Reese and Myla Came To See Us! (oh, yeah, their parents came, too.)

We just love when our kids visit us...


And I think T & T thoroughly enjoyed Annapolis.

The weather was gorgeous- crisp fall days and cool nights.


We took a bunch of dinghy rides,


had homemade blueberry muffins for breakfast,


explored Annapolis,


found a fun playground, (with a bin full of balls and sidewalk chalk!)




caught (and cooked) some Maryland crabs,




and traded lots of hugs and kisses with our grandbabies.


Four days sure flew by.
Today it's gray and drizzly. And 64 degrees outside. We're considering moving South soon.

Here's what life is like...
This morning we got up early, so I could take the bus to the mall to exchange a blanket at Sears.
Our neighbor, Stanley (local curmudgeon) was pulling up to the dinghy dock right as we were. He offered me a ride- guess he's not as grumpy as we thought! We had a nice breakfast at McDonald's while we waited for Sears to open. I did my return, and he brought me back to the dock- so he could give some other boater a ride to the Stainless Steel Fabricator.
And Teddy and Teresa just called- they're here, and waiting to be picked up at the dock. They're here to visit for a few days- we get to show them all around Annapolis... what fun!
I love this life!

My Name is Earl

Ted really loves that t.v. show...
But otherwise- Earl Schmearl. We were really loving the Eastern Shore, but felt we'd better get back over to Annapolis to be safe. Thanks, Earl! And now today it looks like ol" Earl is going to stay well offshore. So we could've stayed in beautiful Oxford. Or Easton. Or Cambridge.
Really, though- we're very thankful that He did stay away. We were planning on worrying pretty soon. As it is, I made muffins in the grill this a.m., and we're watching one little rain shower pass through. It's cloudy- but no wind at all.



While I'm remembering the Eastern Shore... last Sunday's church was great. We worshiped in a little tiny, old, old church in Cambridge, Maryland... Redeemer PCA. A fantastic message and friendly congregation. Definitely a highlight. I just had to take a picture- what a pretty building!


As per usual, we made new friends while we were anchored between Oxford and Easton. We randomly (?) anchored in a creek that was home to yet another Seawind Cat. (like ours). Good to meet Ken and Sarah- more cruisers- they came over to check out our recent motor repairs, and we ended up enjoying dinner with them in their home. They plan on heading South in October, and we're looking forward to feeding them as they pass through Ft. Lauderdale. More fun! More friends!


As we headed back West, our friends from Beaufort came up behind us. Good to see Sandy and Nancy (on Lily Pad) again.


They're anchored just down the creek from us right now. We enjoyed catching up with them, and are looking forward to doing some fun stuff this weekend. (free concerts in the park.. a crafts show... fun stuff!)

And now we're hopping on a bus- heading for the mall! (hey, it's cloudy- might as well shop!)

Last but not least... a present for our youngest youngin. We do miss Bonnie!