tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15857270982686451682024-02-19T01:32:56.495-08:00Crystal Coast LifeOcracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.comBlogger215125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-5629706800530769502020-08-06T15:07:00.001-07:002020-08-06T15:08:27.598-07:00The COVID19 Summer on the Crystal Coast<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tJaWRNuqkQE/Xyxy47eurxI/AAAAAAACFrQ/f7aHriXe4mE1QUU1hbkDzBIiqNS2U3KjACLcBGAsYHQ/s1777/seaoats.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="Sea Oats July 23 at Third Street Beach" border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1777" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tJaWRNuqkQE/Xyxy47eurxI/AAAAAAACFrQ/f7aHriXe4mE1QUU1hbkDzBIiqNS2U3KjACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h225/seaoats.jpg" title="Sea Oats July 23 at Third Street Beach" width="400" /><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This has been an unusual summer in most places. It is even stranger for those of us who live in vacation spots like the <a href="https://crystalcoastlife.com/" target="_blank">Crystal Coast</a>. We live in a place that others love to visit but this summer many of us are holding back from visiting places that we normally frequent because it might be dangerous. On top of that I sold our skiff. <a href="https://ocracokewaves.me/2020/07/01/not-missing-my-boat-yet/" target="_blank">I have no regrets</a> because of all the work a boat brings but being out on the water is also one of the few things that you can do with minimal risk.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">While being on <a href="https://crystalcoastlife.com/blog/images/thirdstreetnocrowdsbeachjuly2020.jpg">an uncrowded beach like this one at Third Street</a> a few days ago is also one of the safer places to be, in summer we often make trips to Beaufort, the Maritime Museum, Fort Macon, and Hammocks Beach. Now when we think twice going to a place, we usually end up not going. Since we live here, the thought is that we can visit later when most tourists have gone home and the danger to our health is less.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Our beaches are still the same beautiful places that they have always been, but the Coronavirus has made for <a href="https://crystalcoastlife.com/blog/fourthofjuly2020.html" target="_blank">an unusual Fourth of July</a>. We have had <a href="https://crystalcoastlife.com/blog/ourhotanddrysummerwithmasks.html" target="_blank">a hot dry summer with masks</a> and on top of that <a href="https://mailchi.mp/4b7874954f15/isaias-update-from-the-crystal-coast" target="_blank">Hurricane Isaias kept us on our toes</a> for a while in early August. My wife and I were not impressed that Isaias chose our anniversary to visit North Carolina's coast. We were saddened by all the damage especially on Oak Island.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Unlike most Hurricanes, Isaias was stingy with the moisture. We only got 1.5 inches of rain which is the same amount that we got the whole month of July. This summer's lack moisture in July is the opposite of <a href="https://crystalcoastlife.com/august2018/" target="_blank">the summer of 2018</a> when we got twenty inches of rain from July 12 to August 4. Our July dry streak shows no signs of disappearing this first week of August 2020. August has brought plenty of storms but none have delivered the needed rain. It is too late for much of the county's <a href="https://crystalcoastlife.com/images/sufferringcorncrop2020.jpg" target="_blank">suffering corn crop</a>.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Still this has been a bountiful summer when it comes to gardens that could be watered. Our spring garden gave us lettuce from the middle of March well into the last part of May. We had homegrown tomatoes to go with with our beans from May 15 well into August. I attribute much of the success to my wife's careful attention to the garden and the rest <a href="https://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/roanoke_with_some_sea_sal/2019/07/a-gardening-update.html" target="_blank">to the compost that we make behind our home.</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Ever summer brings it own set of delights and challenges. One of the delights of our summer has been four marsh kittens that we trapped back in the spring. They have taken over our home as you can see from <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/wvJGSsk7r9Yfmsrs9" target="_blank">these pictures</a>. While my job has hot been impacted, I have taken some of my extra time and devoted it to cooking. I think I have <a href="https://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/david_sobotta_weblog/2020/07/breakfast-my-way.html" target="_blank">breakfast almost perfected</a>.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">If you need more information visit <a href="https://crystalcoastlife.com/">my Crystal Coast Life webpage</a>.<br /></div>Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-16036060849539426822019-10-30T13:44:00.000-07:002019-10-30T14:34:48.054-07:00Crystal Coast's Real Fall and A New Adventure<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IuznfwwOlFQ/XbnqQqI6VyI/AAAAAAABZRc/nJgEFyEE_WYhX4rnuX4BbPe3na0zg_5CACEwYBhgL/s1600/crystalcoastwave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="1200" height="247" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IuznfwwOlFQ/XbnqQqI6VyI/AAAAAAABZRc/nJgEFyEE_WYhX4rnuX4BbPe3na0zg_5CACEwYBhgL/s400/crystalcoastwave.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emerald Isle's Third Street Beach, Fall 2019</td></tr>
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To a certain extent, 2019 has been a year of recovery for Carteret County, the Crystal Coast and the adjoining counties still have scars from Hurricane Florence. Even some of my favorite beaches like Third Street got <a href="https://crystalcoastlife.com/blog/newbeachesforthefourth.html">some new sand pumped</a> in to reinforce the dune line.<br />
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However, we are over a year away from Florence and many of the places have healed physically but it will be hard to forget <a href="http://crystalcoast.me/florencestayedtoolong.html">Florence</a>. We are in our fourteenth year on the Crystal Coast, and Florence was the first time we got a mandatory evacuation notice. We did leave but returned before the floodwaters closed the roads in Kinston. We returned to a loose piece of vinyl and evidence that water made it onto our driveway for the first time ever but we found that the butter in our fridge did not even melt. My skiff, which I always secure on its lift during storms, was also undamaged. All things considered, Carteret County faired much better than other areas. Our schools were only out a couple of weeks compared to over six weeks in adjoining Onslow County. Swansboro, as many people saw in the national news, got over 34 inches of rain and Front Street was completely flooded. There was plenty of destruction to remind us of the power of a major hurricane.<br />
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When you live in <a href="https://crystalcoastlife.com/images/crystalcoastmapwithcedarisland.jpg">a coastal area like ours</a>, you expect some risk and the closer to the ocean or the more ocean that surrounds you, the greater the risk as even our good neighbors in Ocracoke will tell you after Dorian devasted them this summer.<br />
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However, here in <a href="http://coastalnc.org/">our piece of paradise</a>, we are pleased to come through the summer of 2019 with lots of sunshine. It was a very dry summer and we were in something of a drought until late summer, but that just made it <a href="https://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/roanoke_with_some_sea_sal/2019/07/a-gardening-update.html">tough on us gardeners</a> and <a href="https://mailchi.mp/18f49e035932/summerheatandmoisture">great for beachgoers</a>.<br />
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Now, the first taste of real fall is on the horizon. Today, October 30, we once again got up to 80F but this weekend our highs are forecast to be more seasonable and in the sixties. Our lows in the forties will be a temporary shock to the system. It is too early for temperatures like that to take root on the Crystal Coast. Still, we are looking forward to somewhat cooler temperatures since the cooler air will keep our lettuce in the garden from getting bitter as we begin to eat it. <br />
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If you hang around here long enough, you will end up agreeing with me that <a href="https://crystalcoastlife.com/blog/naturespeacewilflowintoyou.html">nature's peace will flow into you</a>. Even beyond the beaches, <a href="https://crystalcoastlife.com/images/whiteoakfromdronewm.jpg">the beauty of the area</a> can take your breath away. That scenic beauty and the peace that permeates the area are two of the many reasons that we have enjoyed living here since 2006. Unfortunately, life is never simple. We are now working towards our next adventure which will hopefully be grounded a lot closer to our grandchildren. The people and places that have shaped us as we lived in two Canadian provinces and three states have made us better and <a href="https://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/david_sobotta_weblog/2019/05/tolerance-leads-to-acceptance.html">more tolerant people</a> so we go forward hopefully but we truly do hate to leave <a href="https://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/roanoke_with_some_sea_sal/2019/10/an-adventure-lived-well.html">our spot on the Crystal Coast</a>.<br />
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My wife laughs at me because I often choose to drive across the bridge to the Publix in Emerald Isle for groceries. While I can truthfully say that with the new roundabout on Emerald Isle it is just as quick to Publix as it is to the closer Lowe's Grocery which has a few stoplights, the real reason is that I enjoy driving across the bridge and getting <a href="https://crystalcoastlife.com/images/boguesoundfrombridge2019.jpg">a glimpse of Bogue Sound's beauty</a>. It is even more beautiful as the light starts to fade but it is much harder to capture. That is the seductive part of the Crystal Coast, the area's scenic beauty is addictive and hard to leave.Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-30866858414164431352018-08-20T14:41:00.003-07:002018-08-20T14:42:56.069-07:00Summer of 2018 Dancing Between Clouds <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f2iDqRy4w1U/W3stTLMplPI/AAAAAAAA6Gg/1-T0C2Y2f3IQpkJ_cCJ3hmS4nYJPfGzKgCEwYBhgL/s1600/sandsofsummerwm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="1024" height="212" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f2iDqRy4w1U/W3stTLMplPI/AAAAAAAA6Gg/1-T0C2Y2f3IQpkJ_cCJ3hmS4nYJPfGzKgCEwYBhgL/s400/sandsofsummerwm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The summer of 2018 has been a study of contrasts. For most of the early summer until July 12, there was very little rain. From July 13 onwards, it was easy to get caught in a shower or have multiple soakings but it was also quite possible to have an almost perfect week at the beach. It just depended on where you happened to be. We went to visit friends on the South Carolina coast for a couple of days and stayed very wet.</div>
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Along the coast in the summertime, it is not unusual for showers to form along the boundary between the coastal Seabreeze and the inland air mass. Often that means areas right on the beach are drier than areas inland. Who gets wet does depend on where the moisture is coming from and how it moves around. In general, it has been a wet year in North Carolina and coastal South Carolina with lots of Gulf moisture impacting even the mountains and the Piedmont region of North Carolina.</div>
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However, during the first two weeks of August, we had two friends staying in Emerald Isle and while they saw a couple of showers, our location just three miles inland had showers almost ever day during their two weeks here. For some historical perspective on this summer's weather, read my August post, <a href="http://crystalcoast.me/goodweatherrunsout.html">Elusive Good Weather</a>, about the summer and fall of 2015 when things were really wet here on the coast.</div>
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For a few weeks in mid-summer, the beaches were plagued with dangerous rip currents but that situation cleared by late July and with our weather pattern changing, it looks like we might be setting up for a nice fall season at the beach.</div>
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My WordPress blog has some possibly insurmountable technical difficulties so my new content can be found <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/">at this location</a>. My <a href="http://www.crystalcoast.me/">website homepage has more links</a> and has been updated to improve its speed by using Amazon technology.</div>
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Our guide for Emerald Isle, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beach-Emerald-Travel-Guide-2018-19/dp/1720531617">A Week at the Beach - The Emerald Isle Travel Guide</a>, was updated and released in June 2018. There is also a less expensive <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Week-Beach-Emerald-Travel-Guide-ebook/dp/B00CHTYH4M">black and white paperback</a> and a very inexpensive Kindle version which will work on almost any electronic platform.</div>
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A good place to look at all our books is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/David-Sobotta/e/B009Q83900">my Amazon author page</a>. If you need to contact me, you may use <a href="http://crystalcoast.me/contactform.html">this form</a>. There is <a href="https://about.me/dsobotta">a link on this page</a> to sign up for the Crystal Coast newsletter which we send out a few times a year.</div>
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Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-76017373267673499762017-10-10T14:47:00.002-07:002017-10-10T18:26:19.410-07:00Summer 2017 Hangs On<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are well into October 2017 and the warm, summer-like weather continues to keep our heat pumps humming. We had a blissful week of fall-like weather before Hurricane Nate dragged a tropical air mass up the east coast.<br />
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It has been a wonderful summer here on <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/" target="_blank">the Crystal Coast</a>. If you would like to a more detailed update, trying visiting my <a href="http://coastalnc.org/" target="_blank">Southern Outer Banks site</a>. You will even find some details about how the fishing season is progressing.<br />
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Fortunately fall is <a href="http://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/david_sobotta_weblog/2014/09/fall-belongs-to-the-southern-coast.html" target="_blank">our best season of the year</a> so if you have not had time to visit yet, there is still plenty of warm water to sample and lots of uncrowded beach to wander.<br />
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For complete vacation info try our guide book for the Emerald Isle area. The 2017-18 Kindle version of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CHTYH4M" rel="external" target="_blank">A Week at the Beach - The Emerald Isle Travel Guide</a> is available for $3.99 and Amazon has <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Week-Beach-Emerald-Travel-Guide/dp/1974616630/" rel="external" target="_blank">the new full color print version</a>
at $19.99 and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Week-Beach-Emerald-Travel-Guide/dp/1974616835" target="_blank">the B&W version for $7.95</a>. Both are prime eligible. Locally, Emerald Isle Town Office is
carrying the 2017-18 color print books and has them available for $20.
The Emerald Isle Book and Toys at Emerald Plantation is carrying the B&W
version for $8.<br />
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If you cannot find a copy use <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/contact-me/" rel="external" target="_blank">this contact form</a> and we will help you get a copy of the book. Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-32114810628302037762016-11-09T18:24:00.005-08:002020-10-20T17:23:15.301-07:00Fall Is Slipping Through Our Fingers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It has been <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/nov2016/" target="_blank">another exceptional fall</a> here on North Carolina's Crystal Coast. The weather is has been <a href="https://crystalcoastlife.com/crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/Weather%20That%20Should%20Be%20Bottled.html" target="_blank">nearly perfect</a> and the fishing exceptional. Even <a href="http://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/roanoke_with_some_sea_sal/2016/09/another-fall-more-gardening.html" target="_blank">the gardens are still growing</a> and the winds and water from Mathew's brush with the coast are just memories here while others are still dealing with the impacts of serve flooding. It will not be long before the annual seasonal reversal when the beach areas go from being the cooler part of the area to being the warmer part.<br />
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Soon a special kind of <a href="https://crystalcoastlife.com/blog/naturespeacewilflowintoyou.html" target="_blank">peace will descend on the salt marshes</a> and we will be ready for the quiet that comes with the holidays on the coast.Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-41568643870379675262016-06-13T09:10:00.002-07:002016-06-13T09:11:25.413-07:00Summer has embraced the Crystal Coast<br />
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After a cool spring, summer's warmth has found the Crystal Coast. Visitors have been quick to find our beautiful beaches. We had some great crowds on Memorial Day weekend and my beach walk have shown me that people are having fun here on Emerald Isle's beaches. I just did a couple of walks up at one of Emerald Isle's lesser know beaches. Read about it in the 2016 version of our book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Week-Beach-Emerald-Travel-Guide/dp/1500122688/ref=tmm_pap_title_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">The Emerald Isle Travel Guide - A Week at the Beach</a>, or get a taste of it and the Atlantic Ocean in my blog post, <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2016/06/12/last-parking-place-at-third-street/" target="_blank">Last Parking Place at Third Street</a>. You can also enjoy these shots of the waves and beach at <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/thirdstreetalbumjune2016/" target="_blank">this online album</a>.Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0Emerald Isle, NC 28594, USA34.681745101108291 -76.91389746190191134.68011310110829 -76.916418961901911 34.683377101108292 -76.911375961901911tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-15209666764853406592015-12-31T13:39:00.000-08:002016-02-02T17:48:17.038-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The calendar says that it is winter, but Mother Nature seems a little confused.<br />
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It is New Year's Eve and for a couple of weeks, our <i>low </i>temperatures have been around 64F. Our high temperatures have mostly been in the mid-seventies but we have reached 80F a couple of times.<br />
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You can read about this year's <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/welcometothebeach/" target="_blank">Crystal Coast</a> fall at this post, <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/oct2015/" target="_blank">A Wet Early Fall 2015</a>.<br />
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Fall brings some <a href="http://ocracokewaves.blogspot.com/2014_11_01_archive.html" target="_blank">great memories</a>, but because of the warm weather it has been a challenge to get in a fall mode, much less bundled up for winter. One thing is for sure this past November's weather was <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2015/12/02/a-november-to-remember/" target="_blank">memorable</a>.<br />
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The water temperature in the river is close to 70F and that has prompted <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2015/12/28/holiday-white-oak-river-rides/" target="_blank">some holiday boat rides</a>.<br />
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We will be on the lookout for winter, but from the forecasts that I am seeing the cherry tomatoes that I am picking beside our house are going to be safe into early January 2016.<br />
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It is unlikely we will see Raymond's Gut frozen over in January <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2014/01/25/a-frozen-coastal-gut/" target="_blank">like it did last year</a> but it is hard to predict weather.Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0147 White Heron Ln, Swansboro, NC 28584, USA34.728107 -77.1050880000000238.5328325000000014 -118.41368200000002 60.923381500000005 -35.796494000000024tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-8069854906105306322015-06-17T20:09:00.001-07:002015-06-17T20:10:22.024-07:00It is Summer at the Beach!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If there was any doubt that summer is here, it has been erased the weather during the third week of June 2015. Afternoon temperatures have been in the nineties even along the beaches.<br />
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The first afternoon thunderstorms showed up on Wednesday afternoon so it has been nearly perfect beach weather if you can handle the heat. It has been so hot that I started mowing my yard at 7:30 AM this morning and quit after less than half an hour of mowing. I will start again tomorrow but I will be out there even earlier.<br />
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Of course if you are standing in water like I was a couple weekends ago, the air temperature is not nearly as important. If you would like to read more about summer at the beach, try a visit to my <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/summer2015/" target="_blank">Coastal Paradise website</a> or if you would like to cut to the chase and learn about my favorite beach, read this article, <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2015/06/12/a-beach-that-touches-everyone/" target="_blank">A Beach That Touches Everyone</a>.<br />
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We also publish both <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CHTYH4M" target="_blank">a Kindle travel guid</a>e for $3.99 and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Week-Beach-Emerald-Travel-Guide/dp/1500122688/ref=tmm_pap_title_0" target="_blank">a paperback travel guide</a> for a little over $20 for Emerald Isle and the Crystal Coast. We also have <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/emeraldislenctravelguide.html" target="_blank">a free online travel guide to Emerald Isle</a>.<br />
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Head on down as soon as you can this unbelievable weather likely will not last. We will soon be back to <a href="http://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/roanoke_with_some_sea_sal/2015/06/the-guilty-pleasure-of-a-summer-thunderstorm.html" target="_blank">afternoon thunderstorms</a>. This is a great area to visit and an even better place to live.<br />
<br />Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-65653945804321389672015-03-10T09:20:00.000-07:002015-03-10T09:20:26.474-07:00The Spring Tonic of Blue Waters and Blue Skies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiioP4lL7tUUoQwhyphenhyphentLWqMiGv6aVvXQPhgHLFnZ-SyZ714u4BT2-fF-5g9AnAl-nEv3wlnLoarKHqD_GexLJgOS_EqdmyciF925LywlqF7JDCXZv4VX7ETAIOepZOW8mkRMaMXA-eRzzcE/s1600/bluewaterblueskyrememdywm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiioP4lL7tUUoQwhyphenhyphentLWqMiGv6aVvXQPhgHLFnZ-SyZ714u4BT2-fF-5g9AnAl-nEv3wlnLoarKHqD_GexLJgOS_EqdmyciF925LywlqF7JDCXZv4VX7ETAIOepZOW8mkRMaMXA-eRzzcE/s1600/bluewaterblueskyrememdywm.jpg" height="253" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Crystal Coast is warming quickly. It is March 10, 2015, 72F before noon and the odds are that we will see <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/coastalproduceseasonstartswithstrawberries.html" target="_blank">fresh local strawberries</a> within the next four to five weeks.<br />
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While I never stop boating here on the Crystal Coast, I always look forward to those days when it is easy to spend time on the water. I took my skiff for a quick ride down <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/images/whiteoakoysterrocks.jpg" target="_blank">the White Oak River</a> this past early March weekend. <br />
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The water temperature was around 50F out in the river and almost 55F back in the marshes but that is still <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/justhowearlycanyougetonthewater.html" target="_blank">a little chilly for serious boating</a> and certainly too cool for <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/firstkayakingofspring.html" target="_blank">the first kayaking trip of the season</a>.<br />
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However, it will not be very long before I am regularly enjoying <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/The%20Zig%20and%20Zag%20of%20the%20White%20Oak.html" target="_blank">the zig and zag</a> of the ride down the White Oak.<br />
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We have a lot of <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/An%20Abundance%20of%20Special%20Places.html" target="_blank">special places</a> that you can easily visit here on t<a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/welcometothebeach/" target="_blank">he Crystal Coast</a>. If the winter blahs have you down, we have <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2015/03/09/the-cure-blue-skies-and-blue-waters/" target="_blank">some special medicine</a> to make you feel better as you are riding that <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2015/02/11/coastal-roller-coaster-to-spring/" target="_blank">roller coaster of spring weather</a>.Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-72578825455330827562014-12-01T13:33:00.002-08:002014-12-01T13:35:19.653-08:00The blues, greens, and golds are still here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01z3_ck-Hbjrx_vpkm2fwncZWryD2e0d9BOtmOe9cr_WT1BlVmUCIBFoS8lFdNMkqCtN_mYuDrGJJq5uex0VahUXR9_rKSEtjBRVEk55s22D0k_XrdlaO9gylgTXJCNJo3250vJC6Smk/s1600/fallwatereatthebridgewm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01z3_ck-Hbjrx_vpkm2fwncZWryD2e0d9BOtmOe9cr_WT1BlVmUCIBFoS8lFdNMkqCtN_mYuDrGJJq5uex0VahUXR9_rKSEtjBRVEk55s22D0k_XrdlaO9gylgTXJCNJo3250vJC6Smk/s1600/fallwatereatthebridgewm.jpg" height="196" width="400" /></a></div>
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It is late fall enhanced with a taste of warm December weather in Carteret County. The greens, blues, and golds are what we are accustomed to this time of year.<br />
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Fall has been <a href="http://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/david_sobotta_weblog/2014/09/fall-belongs-to-the-southern-coast.html" target="_blank">great as usual</a> with the only caveat being that <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2014/11/20/not-our-usual-november-day-in-the-marsh/" target="_blank">the middle of November was not so great</a>. Now that the weather is improving, <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2014/11/30/on-the-beach-after-thanksgiving/" target="_blank">being back on the beach</a> is a reality.<br />
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The good news is that while <a href="http://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/david_sobotta_weblog/2014/11/that-fall-is-ending-feeling.html" target="_blank">it feels like fall is coming to an end</a>, this is the Crystal Coast and we can still have <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2011/12/07/shorts-weather-in-december/" target="_blank">some shorts weather in December</a> and <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2012/01/29/magic-january-beach-days/" target="_blank">some beach days in January</a>.<br />
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Come visit before we get to <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2014/01/25/a-frozen-coastal-gut/" target="_blank">our frozen months</a> and have to spend our time <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2013/02/17/dreaming-of-summer-on-the-water/" target="_blank">dreaming of warm waters</a>.Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-18335239900293181592014-10-02T19:04:00.000-07:002014-10-03T07:27:25.175-07:00Yet Another Amazing Crystal Coast Fall<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyQLEgrx3Qv1pn7vX7qLynnR-Uvq-Eas1QHntJkkbGAbO7ySB1plnJwemAzlU1VjRsc38DaV3aPl7qM-3dLEY0NNRZ1htHRFM_18DZxPRolNkoYcefT1uJYzAxaaVbzRNYibwUkt1Kyg/s1600/soundbehindbearislandwm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyQLEgrx3Qv1pn7vX7qLynnR-Uvq-Eas1QHntJkkbGAbO7ySB1plnJwemAzlU1VjRsc38DaV3aPl7qM-3dLEY0NNRZ1htHRFM_18DZxPRolNkoYcefT1uJYzAxaaVbzRNYibwUkt1Kyg/s1600/soundbehindbearislandwm.jpg" height="255" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking Across Sound to Bogue Inlet & Bear Island</td></tr>
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Fall is an amazing season here on the Crystal Coast. If you ask residents, you would fine them in near unanimous agreement that fall is the best time of year.<br />
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My post, <a href="http://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/david_sobotta_weblog/2014/09/fall-belongs-to-the-southern-coast.html" target="_blank">Fall Belongs to the Southern Coast</a>, shows that I am in complete agreement. The picture at the top of the post was taken October 1, 2014 from the dock at Hammocks Beach State Park. The area from the dock to Bear Island on the right on the horizon is one of the most beautiful areas in the world. It is one of my favorite places in the fall.<br />
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I have been writing about nice fall weather on the North Carolina coast is for a long time. One of my earliest posts, <a href="http://ocracokewaves.blogspot.com/2008/11/that-fall-feeling.html" target="_blank">That Fall Feeling</a>, was written in 2008. The next year I wrote, <a href="http://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/david_sobotta_weblog/2009/09/savoring-a-southern-fall.html" target="_blank">Savoring a Southern Fall</a>. A year later came <a href="http://ocracokewaves.blogspot.com/2010/10/fall-pleasures-on-carolina-coast.html" target="_blank">Fall Pleasures on the Carolina Coast</a> which was published on Saturday, October 09, 2010. The next year on Saturday, November 12, 2011, I wrote <a href="http://ocracokewaves.blogspot.com/2011/11/fall-on-crystal-coast.html" target="_blank">Fall on the Crystal Coast</a>. We were gone to Canada in early fall of 2012, but I did manage to write, <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2012/11/15/quiet-waters/" target="_blank">Quiet Waters</a> in November of that year. Sometimes it is hard to write about fall when <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2013/10/06/summer-in-october/" target="_blank">summer is still hanging around </a>like it did 2013. Eventually I did manage a post entitled <a href="http://ocracokewaves.blogspot.com/2013/11/fall-on-coast-hits-its-stride.html" target="_blank">Fall On The Coast Hits Its Stride</a>.<br />
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Fall is a great time of year at the coast, do not miss it. <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/october2014/" target="_blank">A visit to the Crystal Coast in the fall</a> can make the winter seem a lot shorter and show you that fall does not end when the leaves are gone from the trees.Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-11730833754275195552014-07-16T19:52:00.001-07:002014-07-17T04:44:38.808-07:00Summer Is Already Slipping Away<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjR2Wea1epkBXBilPo2-d3ECHWB7zS5nst_IrzFqxmreMyYaGF0OgbU-W_1FWtIlePz5wTEAy0PO0-vfBkzIa-VFxpV7iBGV4gs1SHVRuLzK7U6GtLFKyNOqYJVxFAztKg8pGySDPGqWk/s1600/summerishereintsfywm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjR2Wea1epkBXBilPo2-d3ECHWB7zS5nst_IrzFqxmreMyYaGF0OgbU-W_1FWtIlePz5wTEAy0PO0-vfBkzIa-VFxpV7iBGV4gs1SHVRuLzK7U6GtLFKyNOqYJVxFAztKg8pGySDPGqWk/s1600/summerishereintsfywm.jpg" height="226" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Oak River, July 2014</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Just as we are getting used to summer, another <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2013/07/06/the-week-of-the-fourth-at-the-beach/" target="_blank">July Fourth slipped by us</a>, and I noticed that we are already past the middle of July. Summer is already half over and we are on the down slope to fall. It will only be another three or four weeks before the majority of our summer visitors start to disappear.<br />
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Schools and jobs will call everyone back to home, but as many know, <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2011/10/28/a-warm-late-oct-afternoon-excursion-to-the-beach/" target="_blank">the beach gets even better</a> as the season slips into the fall.<br />
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It has already been <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/june2014/" target="_blank">a great early start to summer</a>. We had almost as much perfect clear and dry weather as our yards and gardens could stand. Now we seem to be getting <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/Rain%20At%20The%20Beach.html" target="_blank">more than our fair share of rain</a>. Still there will be lots more <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/Perfect%20Day%20At%20The%20Beach.html" target="_blank">perfect beach days</a> for everyone to enjoy our great beaches. Some people who visit will find <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/greatvacations/aspecialbeachtolove.html" target="_blank">a special beach to love</a> and end up having <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/greatvacations/greatbeachvacations.html" target="_blank">a great beach vacation</a> that they will remember for years. <br />
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The Crystal Coast got <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2014/07/07/hurricane-arthur-visits-the-crystal-coast/" target="_blank">off easy with Hurricane Arthur</a> and probably had a record weekend just a couple of days afterwards. For me it has been a summer with <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2014/06/23/waves-on-the-beach/" target="_blank">beautiful waves on the beach</a> and some unbelievably <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2014/07/13/saturday-kayaking-on-the-white-oak/" target="_blank">scenic times kayaking out on the river</a>. There are always plenty of other fun <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/Things%20To%20Do%20At%20the%20Beach.html" target="_blank">things to do while at the beac</a>h.<br />
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The summer weather has brought us plenty of humidity and heat, but we have also had <a href="http://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/roanoke_with_some_sea_sal/" target="_blank">the surf to cure both</a>. Those warm humid evenings have made for some wonderful <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2014/06/13/a-beach-evening/" target="_blank">beach evenings</a>. Whether I have been <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2014/05/28/at-home-on-the-oyster-rocks/" target="_blank">on the oyster rocks catching drum</a> or standing on <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2014/05/06/standing-in-the-surf/" target="_blank">the beach flinging metal into the surf</a>, I have had a great time. I have also enjoyed <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/115116553665761577168/BoatTripFromHugginsIslandMarshesToBluewaterCove?authuser=0&feat=directlink" target="_blank">some great cruises into the Swansboro marshes</a> in our skiff.<br />
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I hope summer does not disappear too quickly. Like many folks I am just getting warmed up. Today looks like a wonderful day for a hike along the beach in <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2012/06/08/life-without-walls/" target="_blank">our world without walls</a>.Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-80328307404817531262014-04-30T17:14:00.000-07:002014-04-30T17:18:07.598-07:00Spring Is Sliding Fast, Beach Season Next<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhke2wmAnr9S8Wv4ovNtYIjOuN81kl6L0ISUSDgrtYJGJf6L3mXR8Ud-O7DrfZSHVmHnI_bOgCa6mqcnQVpDcFH8E0FReKLSoNZHKLstBUi0kNTcBAJSjNyYrS3bmwZnSuOX0Gn-pO881Y/s1600/finalirresistiblebeach3wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhke2wmAnr9S8Wv4ovNtYIjOuN81kl6L0ISUSDgrtYJGJf6L3mXR8Ud-O7DrfZSHVmHnI_bOgCa6mqcnQVpDcFH8E0FReKLSoNZHKLstBUi0kNTcBAJSjNyYrS3bmwZnSuOX0Gn-pO881Y/s1600/finalirresistiblebeach3wm.jpg" height="226" width="400" /></a></div>
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We had <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/march2014/" target="_blank">a cold spring</a> and <a href="http://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/roanoke_with_some_sea_sal/2014/04/our-almost-private-storm.html" target="_blank">one stormy late April weekend</a>, but <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/april2014/" target="_blank">the great weather</a> has finally found us.<br />
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<a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2014/04/23/rescued-by-the-blue-skies-waters/" target="_blank">Blue skies and beautiful blue waters</a> to match rescued us from the grip of some northern weather that had lost its way. <br />
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Finally, a week late, the first local strawberries arrived on April 24 and I am not far from picking my first ripe cherry tomato of the season. The gardens are moving along faster than the fishing.<br />
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My two April kayak trips have resulted in nary a nibble, but conditions were windy so I did not stay out on the river long. I have heard of some fish being caught from the surf recently.<br />
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Our last weekend in April was a wonderful one with <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2014/04/28/late-spring-crystal-coast-magic/" target="_blank">plenty of possibilities</a>. Our choice for the last April Sunday afternoon was a quick visit to Beaufort, <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/Beaufort%2C%20A%20Favorite%20Spot%20To%20Visit.html" target="_blank">one of our favorite places to visit</a>.<br />
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We had a great time but walking by the water just made me want that much more to answer <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2014/04/09/the-call-of-the-river/" target="_blank">the call of the river</a> or get back to <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2014/03/27/an-irresistible-beach/" target="_blank">one of our irresistible beaches</a>.<br />
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I am hoping for a long beach hike on Friday, May 2. I expect to get my feet wet since the water has warmed so much since by mid-April beach hike. <br />
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If you what an overview of the information that I provide about the Crystal Coast, visit my <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/Life%20Along%20The%20Crystal%20Coast.html" target="_blank">Life Along The Crystal Coast Page</a>.<br />
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Many locals will tell you that there is no better way to see the area than through my eyes and their extensions, the lenses of my cameras. If you would like to see some of those pictures of the spectacular scenery in our area, check out our recently published $2.99 Kindle book,<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I0B1TSS" target="_blank"> 100 Pictures, 1000 Words, A Crystal Coast Year</a>. It is worth clicking on the link just to see the free sample of seven pictures. I picked the best 100 pictures from the over 40,000 that I took last year. Kindle reader software works on just about every platform including iPads and iPhones.<br />
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If you would like to subscribe to my monthly Crystal Coast newsletter, just scroll to the bottom of any 2014 post on my<a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/" target="_blank"> Crystal Coast Life blog</a> and register.<br />
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We will be releasing a new printed version of our Emerald Isle Travel Guide before the middle of May. Watch this space for more details. Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-46379598434626524932014-02-05T09:42:00.000-08:002014-02-05T09:46:31.701-08:00Winter Found the Crystal Coast<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vZ4wLQtv2Fc/UvJ30oXFh_I/AAAAAAAAl00/Bmrbtd7Ey-A/s1600/icedinjanuary2014wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vZ4wLQtv2Fc/UvJ30oXFh_I/AAAAAAAAl00/Bmrbtd7Ey-A/s1600/icedinjanuary2014wm.jpg" height="201" width="400" /></a></div>
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I guess a wandering polar vortex could not be counted on to stay far enough to the north to leave us alone.<br />
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We did get <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2014/01/25/a-frozen-coastal-gut/" target="_blank">iced over</a> in late January here along <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/sobotta/thepointmap.jpg" target="_blank">the North Carolina coast</a>. Some people complained about everything shutting down in <a href="http://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/david_sobotta_weblog/2014/01/have-a-little-faith-people.html" target="_blank">anticipation of our icing event</a> but the reality is that we ended up in a lot less pain than folks farther south who ignored the snow and ice warnings.<br />
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We have <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2014/01/31/finally-thawing-out/" target="_blank">thawed out</a> from our icy adventure. Fortunately we only have to endure significant snow or ice about once every three or four years. A taste of winter will not do us in but we are eagerly anticipating the better weather of spring and the activities that come with it.<br />
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It is normal to still be on a roller coaster as far as weather goes since this is February. However, we know things will get better and it will soon be time to think about enjoying the beach.<br />
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To get in the mood for better times on the coast, try our new $2.99 Kindle picture book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I0B1TSS" target="_blank">100 Pictures, 1000 Words, A Crystal Coast Year</a>. It is the best of the 40,000 images that I took last year. The book includes a link to a website where you can buy higher resolution versions of the images for only 99 cents.<br />
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You can get experiment with some similar <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/photodownloads/" target="_blank">images that I am letting people download for free</a> as long as they do not use them commercially. One of the images is the icy one of Raymond's Gut used in this post.<br />
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<br />Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-25370492020461983782013-12-17T13:45:00.001-08:002013-12-17T13:50:14.921-08:00Almost Winter On The Coast<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGEpC8Udyj1G3WZszsQkNcI7EJLJEdCo13A7VLiHRhfxlk7_1O5TNAOAcvtqIm19yZ3kecmRNkQUMpFabXlZeGLrz2CIb7D_hOgmIFlSZtKY0L9IyirqBU73-KcthApfxkxXaTHnIuEM/s1600/winterinthemarshwm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGEpC8Udyj1G3WZszsQkNcI7EJLJEdCo13A7VLiHRhfxlk7_1O5TNAOAcvtqIm19yZ3kecmRNkQUMpFabXlZeGLrz2CIb7D_hOgmIFlSZtKY0L9IyirqBU73-KcthApfxkxXaTHnIuEM/s400/winterinthemarshwm.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter Marsh in Raymond's Gut near Swansboro, NC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As much as I want to complain about our almost winter weather, I just cannot do it. My friends in Tay Creek, New Brunswick got <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/images/winterintaycreekbarn.jpg" target="_blank">a big shot of snow</a> this past weekend which is normal for them in the middle of December.<br />
<br />
However, we got rain. For much of the weekend our temperature stayed around 64F. They are also scheduled for more snow. During the same time we are looking forward to temperatures in the sixties with a few days in the seventies.<br />
<br />
It was nice enough on this past Saturday morning that I took my skiff out on the river for a few minutes. It was not cold enough for gloves when I took the boat out. It is hard to call it winter if you can zoom down the river at 30 MPH and still not need gloves.<br />
<br />
We are also <a href="http://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/roanoke_with_some_sea_sal/2013/12/gardening-in-december-on-the-crystal-coast.html" target="_blank">still enjoying our gardens</a> along <a href="http://coastalnc.org/" target="_blank">the Southern Outer Banks</a>. We are getting some of our <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2013/12/11/winter-visitors-in-the-marsh/" target="_blank">winter marsh visitors</a> but they are not hanging around all day like they often do in our coldest months January and February.<br />
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Winter will come when it comes and until then we will enjoy the weather that we have. If you want to compare the colors of the winter marsh to a fall marsh, click on <a href="http://ocracokewaves.blogspot.com/2013/11/thanksgiving-arrives-with-wind-rain.html" target="_blank">this link</a> and you will get to see <a href="http://ocracokewaves.blogspot.com/2013/11/thanksgiving-arrives-with-wind-rain.html" target="_blank">a picture of the same area taken in the fall</a>.<br />
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<br />Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-14598866199618699852013-10-08T15:06:00.003-07:002013-10-08T15:07:31.882-07:00Fall Is Finally Here<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjciTClCOKrTTVk6e09w_NKj6mirn_tEEj1qWFIHuFo1oPKIIE_cu_-ALO3kxcUvkPu-G4WiyQ_UIC-3PHReqLgkPLeFe2pPYUKsHP39aXhkEiQE0BZWqR0RCUUTcElEqGIRMfDhmA-uW8/s1600/fallegretwm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjciTClCOKrTTVk6e09w_NKj6mirn_tEEj1qWFIHuFo1oPKIIE_cu_-ALO3kxcUvkPu-G4WiyQ_UIC-3PHReqLgkPLeFe2pPYUKsHP39aXhkEiQE0BZWqR0RCUUTcElEqGIRMfDhmA-uW8/s320/fallegretwm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Egret Along Raymond's Gut</td></tr>
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After <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2013/10/06/summer-in-october/" target="_blank">an extended return visit</a>, summer has appears to be in hiding. Our favorite season, fall, seems to be here to stay.<br />
<br />
The crowds, heat, and humidity are gone. The water is still warm and inviting. Fall and winter vegetables have been planted, and the fish are starting to visit the beaches, inlets, sounds, and rivers.<br />
<br />
It is a great time to visit some of <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/images/davidsfavoritespots.jpg" target="_blank">my favorite spots along the Crystal Coast </a>portion of the <a href="http://coastalnc.org/" target="_blank">Southern Outer Banks</a>.<br />
<br />
Check out any of my other blogs featured here for more information even details about <a href="http://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/david_sobotta_weblog/2013/07/dining-along-side-roads-captain-vps-swansboro-nc.html" target="_blank">a nice new restaurant</a> that recently opened in the area.<br />
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If you are ready to start planning your next vacation, you can now buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Week-Beach-Emerald-Travel-Guide/dp/149103792X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0" target="_blank">our Emerald Isle travel guide in paperback</a> as well as Kindle version.<br />
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Come visit, you might start a new tradition of fall vacations.Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-10145382388846761452013-06-24T07:39:00.000-07:002013-09-05T04:20:53.238-07:00Summer Is Here On The Crystal Coast<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/31947478579601397/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvaQ58kIg2m3qTx5wzbn2Vuc5qJlkny-YS46K1wBVAX5_eKn2iBr-N4Cc3njOUXRLVFCvHU8qAstQ8bC563bKVZVq6fVqVjChCuOzfEpIxaWO_9K7fXF9pFVl73Bwtu4yMh60f8kvhRY/s400/hammocksbeachwavelarge.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/31947478579601397/" target="_blank">Beautiful Surf at Hammocks Beach State Park</a></td></tr>
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The tomatoes are ripe, the humidity is here, the heat pumps are running, and we are all headed for the water.<br />
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That pretty well defines summer here on <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/welcometothebeach/" target="_blank">the Crystal Coast</a> and June has already been a great time to enjoy the beaches here along the <a href="http://coastalnc.org/" target="_blank">Southern Outer Banks</a>.<br />
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The over seven inches of rain that we have received in June has managed to wash away any thoughts of a dry early summer.<br />
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Fortunately the rain has not been of the day long variety so it has still been possible to enjoy the area's beaches. <br />
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We even took the ferry from Cedar Island over to Ocracoke Island and then worked our way up to <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2013/06/04/1170/" target="_blank">Nags Head</a>.<br />
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I managed to stay in the same hotel that I checked into to watch the first step on the moon. As a college student, I spent a fair amount of time camping on Ocracoke in the summer of 1969.<br />
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Visiting beaches which seem like old friends is a great way to start the summer.<br />
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If you haven't planned your beach vacation yet, there is still plenty of time and you can get the absolute best information in our $3.99 Kindle book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CHTYH4M" target="_blank">A Week at the Beach, The 2013 Emerald Isle Travel Guide</a>. The book is also <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Week-Beach-Emerald-Travel-Guide/dp/149103792X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0" target="_blank">available in paperback</a>. <br />
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<br />Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-34156815847243044952013-04-30T12:51:00.002-07:002013-04-30T12:55:16.629-07:00We are ready for summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SXkd_gyrYw8/UYAgsXYYcuI/AAAAAAAAiQI/fPHDJOuueH4/s1600/summerjustaroundthecorner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SXkd_gyrYw8/UYAgsXYYcuI/AAAAAAAAiQI/fPHDJOuueH4/s400/summerjustaroundthecorner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I am ready for summer but I cannot say that it is because of our winter. Considering that we did not see any snow this year like <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/fourseasonsoffun/" target="_blank">our last real winter in 2011</a>, it is hard to complain very much about our weather.<br />
<br />
However, we have had our share of cold days and our spring has been somewhat cooler than <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/archive/march2012/" target="_blank">last year</a>. Still when you live in an area where warmth is the expected norm, you can get a little impatient when the last two weeks of April only have five days above 70F instead of nine days like April 2012.<br />
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Whatever the reason, spring is well underway and summer appears to be lurking just over the horizon. Those of us who are avid fisherman are ready for the new season.<br />
<br />
I finished two books this spring so I am ready for a little play time. <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2013/04/29/the-north-carolina-miracle/" target="_blank">Living in North Carolina</a> is always a treat and that is especially the case when you live along the <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/" target="_blank">Crystal Coast</a>.<br />
<br />
Once a quarter or so I will do a simple post here, but I keep this
site alive mainly because it makes a nice landing spot for people who want to
see what I have been writing recently.<br />
<br />
Most of my posts show up here in a day or so, and there is a large
archive of older posts here that still have useful information. If you are curious about me, you can find a little information on <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/aboutme/" target="_blank">the about me section</a> of my Crystal Coast Life blog where I normally post at least three times a month.<br />
<br />
During most of the year I do a summary post at <a href="http://coastalnc.org/" target="_blank">my Coastal Paradise site</a>
at least once a quarter and during the warmer months, once a month. Posts on that site generally have links to my other articles spread back through them.<br />
<br />
There is a simple explanation of most of my sites at <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/" target="_blank">this page</a>. If you need to get in touch with me, visit <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/contact-me/" target="_blank">my contact me page</a>.<br />
<br />
If you are looking for information about vacationing on the North Carolina coast, please give our <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/freebookdays/" target="_blank">2013 Emerald Isle Travel Guide - A Week at the Beach</a> a try.Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-91811729422144305852012-11-22T20:20:00.002-08:002013-02-19T04:09:14.353-08:00Greetings from the Crystal Coast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefydsvC0VY7IocffmESbRLKvkRzxpRD5TKGa0vU-T_MauHdSEEhjgsi1XGuo_ENia6G8xzsLGZbeTrJUrQpKCJBgBm28_SfBqELBZi3bJNpAqo4cBhjBYvbPiGHjZy7m80o26igG7__8/s1600/Happy2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefydsvC0VY7IocffmESbRLKvkRzxpRD5TKGa0vU-T_MauHdSEEhjgsi1XGuo_ENia6G8xzsLGZbeTrJUrQpKCJBgBm28_SfBqELBZi3bJNpAqo4cBhjBYvbPiGHjZy7m80o26igG7__8/s400/Happy2013.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Most of my blogging is done at <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/" target="_blank">my CrystalCoastLife.com blog</a> and my <a href="http://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/" target="_blank">Typepad blog, View from the Mountain</a>. Once a quarter or so I will do a post here, but I have kept the blog alive mainly because it makes a nice landing spot for people who want to see what I have been writing recently.<br />
<br />
We're now past the middle of February 2013 on <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/davidsreadwritearticles/" target="_blank">the Crystal Coast</a>. This month brought <a href="http://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/roanoke_with_some_sea_sal/2013/02/a-brush-with-winter.html" target="_blank">a little brush with winter</a> which set me to <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2013/02/17/dreaming-of-summer-on-the-water/" target="_blank">dreaming about warm summer waters.</a> We live close to nature here on the <a href="http://coastalnc.org/" target="_blank">Southern Outer Banks</a> as the larger area is often called. Changes in the weather are a big part of life on the coast and this year like most years we have had plenty of changeable weather.<br />
<br />
Most of my posts show up here in a day or so, and there is a large archive of older posts here that still have useful information. I am now also writing for ReadWrite web. You can find a list of those articles at <a href="http://readwrite.com/author/david-sobotta" target="_blank">this link</a>.<br />
<br />
During most of the year I do a summary post at <a href="http://coastalnc.org/" target="_blank">my Coastal Paradise site</a> at least once a quarter and during the warmer months, once a month. That post generally has links to my other sites spread back through it.<br />
<br />
There is a simple explanation of most of my sites at <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/" target="_blank">this page</a>. You can find quick travel information for the Emerald Isle area at my <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/welcometothebeach/" target="_blank">Welcome to the Beach site</a>. If you want more information about the beach, the best solution is to buy our $4.99 Kindle Book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008DO6MN4" target="_blank">A Week at the Beach, An Emerald Isle Travel Guide</a>.<br />
<br />
If you want to find out more about me, visit <a href="http://sobotta.us/" target="_blank">my homepage</a> or <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/sobotta" target="_blank">my LinkedIn public profile</a>. If you want some detailed history on me, buy our book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009PPGEJ2" target="_blank">The Pomme Company</a>. I've recently written an article, <a href="http://thefeatheredflounder.com/2012/09/a-piedmont-awakening/" target="_blank">A Piedmont Awakening</a>, on the Feathered Flounder. There is some information in the article about my early life.<br />
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If you want to send me a message, <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/contact-me/" target="_blank">visit my contact page</a>. If you have comments or need more information on the area, send me a note, I try to be responsive and a good ambassador for the area.Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-27743320370415526822012-07-10T06:50:00.001-07:002018-07-11T14:36:04.190-07:00Summer in the Cove<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DWeg0m26IJM/T_wy4fpf0uI/AAAAAAAAh9U/H1yhuOTuqRs/s1600/DSCN9901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DWeg0m26IJM/T_wy4fpf0uI/AAAAAAAAh9U/H1yhuOTuqRs/s400/DSCN9901.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bluewater Cove</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the seventies I lived in Canada along the shores of the Bay of Fundy. Some of our neighbors were people who would come for the cool summer weather along the Nova Scotia shore. Their summer in the cove was often punctuated with mornings of fog and days of cool rain.<br />
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Forty years later my wife and I live along North Carolina's Southern Outer Banks which stretch south of Ocracoke Island. Our little piece of that world often called <a href="http://crystalcoast.me/">the Crystal Coast</a> is one of the more unique areas of beach that remain within a six-hour or so drive of our nation's capital.<br />
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While many beach areas along the east coast have waterfront areas that have wall to wall high rise condominiums, the beaches of Emerald Isle have maintained their low density housing with mostly beach homes as the predominant rental choice in the area. The town of Emerald Isle, which is a large part of the island of Bogue Banks only has one small waterfront hotel which is two stories high. There are a few condominium developments that reach up four or five stories high, but there is no very tall building in the town.<br />
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What the town does have is miles of uncrowded beaches. The summer populations swell the year round population of just over 4,000 people. Since we are just a few miles from Emerald Isle's beaches, it is no surprise that summer visitors have something of an impact on those of us living just upriver from the beaches.<br />
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Mostly the impacts that we see from our visitors are minor such as more crowding in the grocery stores when people check in for their beach weeks and more people on the beaches.<br />
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Life here is dictated far more by the weather than by the number of people who come to visit the area. Like many areas of the east coast we have been under a dome of very hot weather since late June 2012. Fortunately we've have strong breezes that help to keep us from the worst of the heat. Our July weather, while usually warm, can cool quickly to the point n that we can have a few nights when we sleep with open windows like we did last July.<br />
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When we have hot weather here, people do their outside work early and then take to the water. Our ocean waters do warm to the mid-eighties, but a breeze off those waters is a cooling one when the air temperature has been pushed to the lower nineties.<br />
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We are lucky that most of summer weather can be classified as beach weather. Most of us moved here to live a life without walls. When the heat is on, some respond by heading out beyond the beaches into the ocean. Others head to the uncrowded beach out beyond the vehicle ramp at the Point on Emerald Isle.<br />
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In a county where water is more than half the area, water is what summer is all about in our cove. Whether it is the community swimming pool, the White Oak River, Bogue Sound, or the Atlantic Ocean, people spend much of their summer time either on or in the water. Usually the rest of their time is spent planning how to get to the water.<br />
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Life moves to a rhythm of tides, sunshine, clouds and wind. The tides are much smaller than those along the Bay of Fundy but they still govern boating. The sunshine is more frequent than in Nova Scotia and the clouds and wind are more conducive to beach lovers.<br />
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Life here in our cove just off the White Oak River is one that comes close to defining a perfect summer experience. While we have heat and humidity, they are the two elements that make our waters so inviting. The warm temperatures are a small price to pay for water that can be enjoyed most of the year except for a couple of months.<br />
<br />Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-24671646810422062812012-01-19T12:49:00.000-08:002012-01-19T13:11:13.149-08:00Winter in the Cove<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vCgm2x2WnR4/TxiBOgVTOlI/AAAAAAAAdnI/z-_pR5jQCc0/s1600/winterinthecovewm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vCgm2x2WnR4/TxiBOgVTOlI/AAAAAAAAdnI/z-_pR5jQCc0/s400/winterinthecovewm.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bluewater Cove near Swansboro, NC</td></tr>
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The phrase "winter in the cove" has a lot of meaning for me.<br />
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First it brings back memories of the winter of 1971 which was my first one after college. I spent that first winter in <a href="http://g.co/maps/t255a" target="_blank">St. Croix Cove, Nova Scotia</a>. I moved to Canada because I desperately wanted to own some land and be someplace sides the city. It was a magical time of learning to live beyond the confines of Cambridge and in fact in another country.<br />
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Living in the St. Croix Cove was almost like living in another time. Listening to the radio was our big entertainment. It is hard to imagine, but there were no supermarkets, Lowe's Home Improvement Centers, or Walmarts. There was a small grocery store in Bridgetown, Nova Scotia. It was <a href="http://g.co/maps/jzssv" target="_blank">a nine mile drive</a> to town. <br />
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Nine miles does not sound like much, but the first three miles was over a dirt road. I grew up on a dirt road in the south, but a Nova Scotia dirt road in the winter time is something beyond what most people have experienced. That first winter it was not unusual to get several inches of snow, followed by enough rain to completely melt the snow, and finished off with an amazingly abrupt freeze with more snow.<br />
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When you translate that into the reality of a dirt road, that means snow, mud, and frozen ruts. The freezing and thawing of northern dirt roads is something to behold.<br />
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I spent three winters in the cove before we moved to just north of Fredericton, New Brunswick. We lived there until 1984 when we moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, but even with being able to see water from our bedroom, it wasn't like winter in the cove.<br />
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There would be a number of stops along the way, but it would be thirty-four years before we once again got to have another winter in a cove. Our cove now is a quiet spot just off <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/beaufort/page1/page1.html" target="_blank">the White Oak River</a>.<br />
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We are a lot closer to the water, and all the roads are paved. We can be at the Lowe's Supermarket in less than ten minutes. Next door is a Lowe's Home Improvement Center. There is a Walmart less than twenty minutes away. Compared to that first winter in the cove along the Bay of Fundy, we have all the modern conveniences.<br />
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We even have restaurants. There were none on our Nova Scotia shore except for Alice's Clam Shack which was open during the summer. Bridgetown didn't have a restaurant, but they did have a great hardware store. There was no Internet, and our phone line was a party line. I often did my shopping at <a href="http://www.phonepages.ca/NS/Lawrencetown/Beaver-Fruit-Co-Op-Ltd-b8504549" target="_blank">Beaverfruit Cooperative in Lawrencetown</a>. You could get a bag of feed for the cattle or pigs while picking up your groceries.<br />
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In spite of the many differences and forty years between the winters in the coves, there are some similarities. Life along the coast of North Carolina brings with it some isolation, but it is more self inflicted rather than absolute. Still the feeling of being out of the mainstream is similar to what I felt in St. Croix Cove in the early seventies.<br />
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The differences end being the sum total of how life in the country has changed over the last forty years.<br />
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Going to a restaurant from our home on the Nova Scotia cove required planning and at least forty-five minutes of driving in the winter. We can be at any of several restaurants in under ten minutes from our cove off the White Oak River.<br />
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It is not unusual for us to go to the grocery store several times a week. The Internet keeps us in touch with the people we chose instead of the those who want to listen in on the party line.<br />
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It was a mile hike to the shore in Nova Scotia, and it seemed the wind never stopped blowing. There never seemed to be a real warm spell in the winter. <br />
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Yet at the same time, the number of people we see on a winter day is not too far different from the number that we saw in Nova Scotia.<br />
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We are a lot closer to the water here in North Carolina. Still we live in an area where there is more wildlife than might be expected. Having the Croatan National Forest might have something to do with that.<br />
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We do get warm weather on the North Carolina coast even in January. This weekend which will mark the end of the third week of January, we should see temperatures approaching seventy degrees. Seventy degrees happens to be a nice summer day on the shore of Nova Scotia.<br />
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We just finished off some lettuce from our winter garden. You had to look for lettuce in those early Nova Scotia grocery stores, and you certainly couldn't get any from your garden in January.<br />
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I am pleased to have survived those first winters in the Nova Scotia cove. They make our winters here on our cove in North Carolina that much more enjoyable. So far this has been <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/coastalparadise/" target="_blank">a remarkably nice winter</a> along North Carolina's coast. Even during the fall we enjoyed <a href="http://www.crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/content/dont-pinch-weather-might-change" target="_blank">weather that was hard to believe</a>.<br />
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Of course winter lasts a long time in Nova Scotia and <a href="http://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/roanoke_with_some_sea_sal/2012/01/winter-never-stays-long.html" target="_blank">rarely stays very long</a> in North Carolina, but it is not surprising that both places have their benefits and people who loving living in their unique climates. <br />
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You can find pictures of our Nova Scotia home and the cove at <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/ocracokewaves/NovaScotiaPictures?authuser=0&feat=directlink" target="_blank">this Picasa Web Album</a>. This winter picture is one that brings back a lot of memories from that first winter in the cove.<br />
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<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/3ER44HiX0VATVp-6gC8E6NMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="284" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2eQXIG02hls/TPPjRm_L5II/AAAAAAAACTw/f0FnUrJ5cE8/s400/NSBarnandSnow.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/ocracokewaves/Memories?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Memories</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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While we have seen snow in <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/bluewatercove/" target="_blank">Bluewater Cove</a> here along the White Oak, it is nothing like what we experienced in Nova Scotia.<br />
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<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/OIX14UDm__xF1K-9-jj8eNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfso8BuhG8q8-4kxP9l8DLRTMC_ZUgBx4zTwFGcgbDVVVOp2oPWBw00WHMd6uzSfezBQGpn2GTKmec5huSGrr2Fe-zpjT1WflSFt7TVdRthGM_4VurWewAaXiYaogR3vaSEn9ZA6MGRQg/s400/P1250478.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/dsobotta/SnowShotsJan232011?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Snow Shots Jan. 23, 2011</a></td></tr>
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<br />Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0White Heron Ln, Croatan National Forest, Swansboro, NC 28584, USA34.7297241 -77.102808634.7264616 -77.1077441 34.7329866 -77.0978731tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-35258731437237541862011-08-10T04:13:00.000-07:002011-08-10T04:22:39.619-07:00Summer Heat Games<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnP9fkV5-S8ByxLmNf44ez77o2KsRhOAQG0RdWbjsgIvIzQ2h8_Ywcrjce_cz6l1X8Ey0uoFPTGvKCV_yQ3k46L77UFnS2ifx_PEUPvuE7kFZu4mCO2bbjZyHgFuzwWUwJSbO612h9ThU/s1600/summerheatgameswm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnP9fkV5-S8ByxLmNf44ez77o2KsRhOAQG0RdWbjsgIvIzQ2h8_Ywcrjce_cz6l1X8Ey0uoFPTGvKCV_yQ3k46L77UFnS2ifx_PEUPvuE7kFZu4mCO2bbjZyHgFuzwWUwJSbO612h9ThU/s400/summerheatgameswm.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>With a summer as warm as the one 2011 has given us, enjoying the out of doors means playing a few games with the heat.<br />
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If you try to take the heat head on, you need to be near some water where you can jump in quickly to cool off, and sometimes in this heat, a swimming pool does not provide a lot of cooling power.<br />
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The ocean waters by the beach are the last refuge of cool water here on the coast. When the swimming pools get too warm, <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2011/07/13/the-one-place-to-go-when-the-heat-is-here/">the beach is the place to go</a>. However, even there you have to plan your journey.<br />
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There is nothing worse than a long hike in the middle of day across hot beach sand if you dragging equipment for a group of people. We are lucky in the Emerald Isle area because our beach areas are rarely crowded during the week. It is rare that you have to walk very far to get your own space.<br />
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One of my favorite beach areas, Third Street Beach, requires a little driving, but it offers a short trip to the beach, and generally smaller numbers of people and sometimes even better fishing.<br />
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Another heat game that I play is getting out on the water before it turns hot. Sometimes if we are fishing, we will leave the dock by 6:00 AM and be back before 9 AM when it starts getting hot. Even if I am just going for a quick boat ride, I try to leave early and come back early. <a href="http://www.crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/content/morning-river"> My favorite morning ride</a> from the river to the sound usually starts by 7:30 AM and is over by 8:00 AM.<br />
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If the heat is especially bad, we sometimes don't even head over to the beach until 5:00 PM. Evening at the beach is one of my favorite times. It is hard to beat<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ntOdpAHe5fpfouuDwc_fFA?feat=directlink"> the light for photography</a>, and there is almost always a breeze though even that can disappear on some very muggy nights.<br />
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As residents of the area, we are actually used to the heat. One of the tricks that we use is learning to live with air conditioning set at 78F so your body doesn't go into shock coming and going from the out of doors. <br />
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Another way to deal with the heat is learning to not rush. You can get a lot done outside in the heat if you learn to pace yourself, take breaks, drink lots of fluid, and find some shade when you need it.<br />
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While the heat might seem like an enemy, a few games will make it a less formidable opponent.<br />
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If you want more information about the beach and the Crystal Coast, check out my "<a href="http://crystalcoastlife.com/welcometothebeach/">Welcome to the Beach</a>" page for links to other articles. <br />
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Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0Swansboro, NC, USA34.6693291 -77.11244950000002534.5838331 -77.202666500000021 34.7548251 -77.02223250000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-46527772976634733212011-06-19T05:55:00.000-07:002011-06-20T07:52:58.337-07:00Summertime at the Beach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3B_4ZB0rThahxcaY8rPDQglZLYuKnNAVmK-K2_1sPeHf1CxCFyAkuox0CK6OWFz6Jm8iqIBRypS5RQExa2JdHYJdGZ7DyDJNzWNTCJ0XMT7o_Tk4bxKBy3a_mwa0mo637FUzUIeSnns/s1600/crystalcoastbeach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3B_4ZB0rThahxcaY8rPDQglZLYuKnNAVmK-K2_1sPeHf1CxCFyAkuox0CK6OWFz6Jm8iqIBRypS5RQExa2JdHYJdGZ7DyDJNzWNTCJ0XMT7o_Tk4bxKBy3a_mwa0mo637FUzUIeSnns/s400/crystalcoastbeach.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Growing up in North Carolina meant that a summer trip to the beach was just part of life. While some summers we took a trip to the mountains and searched for a motel with a pool, the beach was most often our vacation destination.<br />
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My mother was fond of telling me that I was still wearing diapers on my first visit to the beach. I can remember the long trips across the two-lane roads to the coast from Lewisville, NC. We rode in my mother's blue 1952 Ford. Often it was packed with a couple of her nieces who are ten years older than me.<br />
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The cottages we stayed in were most often not even air conditioned and certainly not waterfront. It didn't matter to us that the beach was a block or two away. We just enjoyed being at the beach. It was not uncommon to bring our own water in jugs, and we always brought a good supply of homegrown tomatoes for sandwiches.<br />
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One of the treats of the whole trip would the "picnic" that would take place on the trip down to the beach. We would pull off the road at picnic table along the road and drag out the cooler and baskets. The fare was varied but always contained at least fried chicken and country ham biscuits. There were no McDonald's on the way to the beaches in the fifties, and I know they were not missed.<br />
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Not only has today's trip to the beach changed, but what you find in services once you get there is not very different from what you might at home.<br />
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Five years ago we moved to the <a href="http://crystalcoastlife.com/">Crystal Coast</a> portion of the <a href="http://coastalnc.org/">Southern Outer Banks</a>. While we don't live on the beach, we live <a href="http://goo.gl/maps/VRWF">within just a few miles of the beaches</a> of Emerald Isle. We can usually be parked and walking on the beaches in ten to fifteen minutes depending of course on which beach we choose.<br />
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During the busier times of the year, I will often opt for one of the more remote beaches such as <a href="http://goo.gl/maps/T94M">Third Street</a> or even <a href="http://goo.gl/maps/LBHb">my favorite beaches down Coast Guard Road</a> by the Point. It requires a little hike to get to the Coast Guard Road beaches so you loose the impatient crowd pretty quickly. It is not unusual for me to go for <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2011/05/24/lunch-hour-at-the-point/">a noontime walk on the beach</a> at the Point.<br />
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On the way back from the beach, I can easily run some daily errands, including stopping by <a href="http://www.crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/content/joy-local-produce">Winberry's Produce Stand</a>, Lowe's Home Improvement, Ace Hardware, or even the grocery store.<br />
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It is hard to believe that we used to haul most of our food to the beach. We have four very nice supermarkets within a ten minute radius of our coastal home. If we want a little more variety, we can drive twenty minutes to Morehead City and visit the local Harris Teeter.<br />
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Grocery stores aren't the only thing that have come to the beach. <br />
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Every store that I could possibly want with the exception of a Penzey's Spice Store is within thirty minutes of our home. My wife is particularly happy about having a TJ Maxx, Bed, Bath, & Beyond and a Belk's within our normal circuit. We also take the time to make it to the newly remodeled SAMs Club in Jacksonville a couple of times a month. We have figured out that if we shop there around 6 PM on a weekday evening, we almost have the store to ourselves. Of course we have no shortage of Walmarts. There are two in Jacksonville, and one in Morehead City.<br />
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Accommodations at the beach have also changed. Today there are plenty of options from a cozy waterfront motel like the Islander in Emerald Isle to hundreds of ocean front or near ocean front homes. You might find an old beach cottage, but you would have to look for it. I was impressed with the survival of some old style beach cottages on <a href="http://www.crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/content/day-trip-nags-head">a recent day trip to Nag's Head</a> <br />
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We are lucky to be in the Emerald Isle area since there is almost no high density housing. There are also no high rise condos to blight the landscape. The picture included in the post was taken just a few blocks from the heart of downtown Emerald Isle. While the middle of June is not quite peak beach season, it is not far off of it, and there is still plenty of room on the beach for everyone. One of the reasons we live in the area is that <a href="http://www.crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/content/quiet-cove-morning">quiet days</a> are what we normally expect.<br />
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With the area not under the same pressure as the Northern Outer Banks, it isn't too much trouble to find some space for yourself on the beach or find even more elbow room by getting <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2011/06/16/out-on-the-water/">out on the water</a>.<br />
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If you are interesting in visiting the Emerald Isle area, check out <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/emeraldislenctravelguide.html">the 2011 version of my Emerald Isle Travel Guide</a>. For more information about the area, you can visit <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/">the welcome page</a> of Crystal Coast Life Blog or read <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/swansboroareatravelguide/">my Swansboro area guide</a>. You will also find <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/MemorialDayBrochure2011.pdf">a PDF Map</a> of the area listing some things to do at the beach and a list of restaurant where you will find some very good food.<br />
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If you do visit us, don't be surprised to see an old guy wearing worn orange Crocs walking the beaches with a camera around his neck. I often go out searching for that perfect wave or beach bird picture. Sometimes I even carry a fishing rod for balance. Since March I have hiked all the beaches within the town limits of Emerald Isle at least twice.<br />
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Here is <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/dsobotta/PointApril182011NonGPS?feat=directlink">a link to some pictures</a> of the beaches near the Point at Emerald Isle. If after visiting, you decide you love the area and want a place here, I can help with that also. Just check <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/crystal-coast-real-estate/">my real estate site</a> and remember that having <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2357410/do-you-want-a-realtor-who-walks-the-beaches-">a REALTORĀ® who walks the beaches</a> is actually an advantage.Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-81744342258186138622011-04-26T20:04:00.000-07:002011-04-26T20:04:07.733-07:00Spring weather patterns changing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhY_A62DU9McfUp-HHjPvXXAKgeTzJ6vGkcp41dtA10ZPW00AjXXczG5CsxCY7vLyZdalzoQC9YwMzvnywMN-WOvMSHACmGF5RMfTpCsQYEKjf80te5qkDYMYkaJgL3oNZsn8csSKnWUM/s1600/billowingcloud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhY_A62DU9McfUp-HHjPvXXAKgeTzJ6vGkcp41dtA10ZPW00AjXXczG5CsxCY7vLyZdalzoQC9YwMzvnywMN-WOvMSHACmGF5RMfTpCsQYEKjf80te5qkDYMYkaJgL3oNZsn8csSKnWUM/s400/billowingcloud.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Tuesday April 26 was the first morning that I can remember this spring when I woke up to a morning temperature of 70F or better.<br />
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Seventy seems to be something of a magical number. When the nights are consistently in the seventies, a lot of plants get very serious about their spring growth. Those warmer temperatures also bring some life to small creeks and guts which lead to the river and sound. Last night I heard lots of jumping in the water outside my office window. I know there are plenty of small fish swimming around the gut behind our house.<br />
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Warmer night temperatures are also favored by the palm trees and our centipede lawns. The only thing slowing down growth of everything has been the lack of rain. Even the Saturday that brought lots of tornadoes to North Carolina did not bring the Crystal Coast much rain. While our friends in Roanoke, Virginia reported over four inches of rain, we got one quarter inch or less in the area. <br />
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We have enjoyed<a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2011/04/17/morning-on-the-coast-after-ncs-tornadoes/"> blue skies</a> since April 17, the day after the tornadoes. Fine weather has been with us since then. While we have had persistent wind, other than that it has been beautiful for most of April. Easter weekend was <a href="http://www.crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/content/great-easter-weekend-summer-around-corner">a great start to the beach season</a>. However, the net result of all the wind and no rain is that we have been rather dry.<br />
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The line of thunderstorms that rolled through the area on April 26 helped greatly. While we didn't get a tremendous amount of precipitation, it was certainly enough to keep us going, and there are more showers in the forecast for later in the week. Once again we had <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/M6dvf4-_G7iayBk3RJYJZA?feat=directlink">beautiful blue skies this morning</a>, but as the day moved along, it started to look more and more like rain was coming.<br />
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In the morning, after <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pZD6_zMSKdPCU_-4ed8clA?feat=directlink">a morning run-in with a mother killdeer</a>, I did my tomato plant maintenance, then mowed and trimmed the yard. When I went in for lunch, I turned on the sprinklers since the yard was so dry. I was well aware of the potential for rain on the evening of April 26, but I figured there was no danger of the yard getting too wet.<br />
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After lunch I cleaned our front deck, and then decided to tackle <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tSDhBiT9dlBxkPfy5i1x-A?feat=directlink">our skiff which is on a lift a few feet behind our home</a>. I knew that I didn't have time to completely clean the boat, but I hoped the get some of the worst dirt off it. I was just finishing up when one of my fishing buddies showed up to visit. Of course having a visitor put an end to any serious cleaning.<br />
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After my friend left I was just getting ready to carry everything the few feet to our garage when I noticed some dust on the side of the boat. Likely it came from the construction site next to our home in <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/bluewatercove/">Bluewater Cove</a>. Hopefully they will be finished in a month. As I was spraying off the side of the boat, the rains came, and it was pouring before I could get everything disconnected and into the garage.<br />
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I got a little soaked, but it was a warm rain and a nice finish to a very productive day. The rains stopped in time for me to grill some hamburgers to go along with the fresh Florida corn on the cob that my wife had purchased on the weekend. The corn and the burgers were delicious. We even had a pretty good hothouse tomato to go with our burgers which were dressed with lettuce from our garden.Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585727098268645168.post-17590120847830419572011-03-31T20:26:00.000-07:002011-04-01T05:11:44.712-07:00Spring Mornng on Raymond's Gut<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTML7G4DLhvbdHecBazD2wC6R2QAE6RFafj49dnn01tq-TecR2miU0GIY_36Cq6bEwe9T5njElr26K-YkGUyXdXaB0T_-RzBVRuISyGhChciIvmHFfeVUipM_SJpmSOJI8nYtmtG17qbM/s1600/springmorningonthegut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTML7G4DLhvbdHecBazD2wC6R2QAE6RFafj49dnn01tq-TecR2miU0GIY_36Cq6bEwe9T5njElr26K-YkGUyXdXaB0T_-RzBVRuISyGhChciIvmHFfeVUipM_SJpmSOJI8nYtmtG17qbM/s400/springmorningonthegut.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Spring is a funny season whether you are on the coast of the <a href="http://coastalnc.org/">Southern Outer Banks</a> or <a href="http://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/david_sobotta_weblog/2011/03/once-again-a-cool-appalachian-spring.html">the mountains of the South</a>. Spring often teases you with glimpses of summer, or the warmth of spring can completely disappear in a couple of hours. You can have wonderful weather one afternoon, and then you are back in winter.<br />
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The picture at the top of the post was taken just after we had <a href="http://crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/content/march-29-frost-river">a frost that went all the down to the water</a> in Raymond's Gut which runs behind our house all the way to the <a href="http://coastalnc.org/beaufort/page1/page1.html">White Oak river.</a> I took the picture on a morning walk around the boardwalk in our community, <a href="http://crystalcoastlife.com/bluewatercove/">Bluewater Cove</a>. The fog hanging over the water is normal when there is a big temperature difference between the water and air. We see the fog especially when the water is warmer than the air.<br />
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While walking I was serenaded by many of the spring birds. Fortunately the cold temperatures only lasted a few hours, but it was still enough that I had to <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/N6uu">cover my young tomato plants</a>. Because Carteret County doesn't have any rocks, I ended up buying a bag of rocks which is a hard thing to do for someone who farmed <a href="http://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/thecanadaimiss/2011/03/a-canadian-crop-you-can-count-on.html">a new crop of rocks every year</a> in Canada where we used to have a couple of farms.<br />
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While spring sometimes doesn't come in the Canadian Maritimes until May, you can count on it being here in the South by the first week of April. I think that the latest that we have seen <a href="http://coastalnc.org/dailyrecord/files/5f63e811244e849a113fdc268a4affe8-60.html">strawberries here on the coast</a> is about the middle of April.<br />
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Spring is a great time on the coast. Once we get through the pine pollen, it is possible to sleep with your windows open at night. We can go a week at a time without the heat pumps running. Sometimes it gets hot enough for the air conditioners to come on late in the afternoon, but we usually shut them off and let the evening breezes cool our homes.<br />
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As the waters warm they become alive with bait. We already had a week or two of that earlier in the spring. It is a great time to be around the water, but it is a challenging time because the winds are often blowing. That means getting out on the water is something that has to be done when the conditions are right, or you miss the opportunity and end up sitting at the dock for a long time.<br />
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Later in April, it is not unusual to see <a href="http://coastalnc.org/dailyrecord/files/def0cdbf2c4e765f3c83ae324d16ae7c-63.html">winter weary northerners actually in our ocean waters</a>. Most of us here on the coast wait until June to get anything but our toes wet. There are other milestones of spring.<br />
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I have already managed to <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2011/03/24/a-wonderful-early-start-to-the-water-season/">catch the first fish of the season</a> from our skiff, and I got in <a href="http://crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/content/first-white-oak-river-kayaking-2011">my first kayaking trip</a>. I can hardly wait until next week when the warm temperatures come back. I will be back to <a href="http://www.crystalcoastlife.com/blog/2011/03/06/a-rare-chance-to-explore-the-unknown/">exploring the beaches</a>. I hope to get in a five mile hike along the beaches before the end of the first week of April.<br />
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And I definitely want to get back to my uniform of shorts, tee-shirt, and crocs or Birkenstocks. Spring is definitely in the air in the South.Ocracokewaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789166713269622530noreply@blogger.com0