Looks like another great day on the Outer Banks, could not ask for better weather. I worked this weekend, nights, so today is a piddle around the house day, between light duty chores I’ve been sitting on my deck listening to a new CD by Springsteen called “We Shall Overcome the Seeger Sessions” folks if you like blue grass and jazz you will like this CD. It’s a bunch of old songs; I mean OLD songs put to music featuring horns, strings and percussion instruments. The music by it self is worth buying the CD. I’ve always liked Springsteen but this is not his typical work if you get a chance to listen to it do so it's fun music.

The next few days promise to be good weather wisw but with the Memorial Day weekend coming up and with it the beginning of the summer tourist season on the Banks things will be hopping. I have to work a lot this next week so between my stints in the ED and on the MS floor I’m going to be seeing a lot of folks who really don’t want to see me. Take care out there an ounce of prevention is worth 6 weeks in a cast.

I shot these photos yesterday evening while my youngest was at TaeKwonDo. The pier in the distance is the Avalon pier in Kill Devil Hills. As you can see it was a very nice end to a nice day. That evening we had some heavy rain with a stiff wind and lightning. There were no getting shots of lightning last night

Oh by the way the water was “cool” but there is no stopping the kids on this beach when it comes to water sports. That is a skim board the young man is holding. You slide it along the surfs edge and then jump on it and "skim" across the water. I don’t advise older well endowed folks try it; that little baby is the reason for a lot of broken wrists and ankles.

stars

to see the stars click on the image and enlarge

When we buy something it often comes with a book or pamphlet, now many of us take a look at this book or pamphlet, a very brief look, and put it aside. Well I’m here to tell any who read this that if you read the book or pamphlet you will find that it is instructions on how to operate the thing you bought!

Tonight I was called off of work so here I am wide awake, I slept today in preparation for tonight, so I walked out side to enjoy the night air and looked up, there were a few stars showing through the clouds and I thought to myself it would be nice to take a picture of the stars but I don’t think my camera can do it. Then I thought about it a little longer and said to self “you know the camera came with a book you could read about shutter speed maybe you can take a picture of the stars” Well you know what I can and I did. Boy I’m glad I read a little of that instruction book.

Future talk

In the next few years I hope to build a home in the Virginia Mountains. This is one of those things that I have been thinking about for a long time. I say to people “I’m moving to the mountains when my son graduates in 4 years, 3 years, 2 years”. Two years isn’t that long from now. I have the land and I have been looking at house plans for a while; I know I want a passive solar home that is why a southern exposure was so important for me. I know all entry ways to every room must be at least 3 foot. I plan on living in the home until I die and I want to be able to wheel my self a round. I know I want a wood stove and I know I want a small home, a 1000sf or less and there goes my problem. I can’t find many good plans for a small home with an efficient floor plan so I’m going to have to make one up. Making up your own floor plan is not that easy. I’m not an architect so I feel any plans I make should be reviewed by one but I have to find one in the area I want to live in who is familiar with earth walls, radiant floor’s and solar power. I need to plan the site layout. I know the area where the house is going to be will need to be terraced. I have to decide what type of septic system I want the hill is very steep, do I try and buy another acre of flatter land or do I put in the more expensive system. This is why people hire contractors but I know I can do this. It is going to take every bit of the 2 years left to adequately plan this thing out. I’m open to any input.

Well I have been pondering the house questions long enough for today there are petunias to plant, weeds to pull and dogs to play with before I take my nap in preparation for work. It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Ramblings

*I think on of the most difficult things I have done as of late is try and find other Outer Banks bloggers. I'm sure they are out there. The Outer Banks has an eclectic culture that just calls out to be blogged. Trying to find other bloggers from Dare County is for me like trying to find a needle in a hay stack but I’m no quitter some day I will find that needle.

*Few things in life seem to bring joy to the lives of my dogs like a tennis ball does. I can give them new bones, the good ones, the ones you buy in the meat department, nothing but natural flavor, and I don’t get the reaction that I get from the tennis ball, ears up, eyes bright and focused, muscles twitching in anticipation. They will chase a ball until I get tired and say “all done” then they take their ball lay down and proceed to saturate it with slobber. Ah the simple things in life.

lightning

Yesterday we had some impressive storms come through so last night I tried to shoot lightning from my deck. By the time I figured out how to take pictures of lightning the light show was about over and the rains came. I think that for a first time these are not too bad.

the girl relaxing on the deck

It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood. The weather was perfect with mild temperatures and low humidity. I spent much of the afternoon relaxing on the deck listening to music. Tomorrow looks like it will be just as good so when I get back from Manteo I plan on spending my mothers day doing what I enjoy (at least this time of year) working in the garden.

I'm back

I planted this years ago I think it is a blue iris?

Well things have calmed down a bit so I’m going to try writing again. Needless to say mom has kept me very busy with her broken arm and all but she had surgery almost 2 weeks ago and is doing fine, enough said.

Things are building up here on the outer banks, tourist and quiet a few property owners are down some hoping to beat the summer rush. Gas prices don’t seem to be keeping folks away. We have seen quiet a few dummies, as in stupid ass people in the ED. Why do the young behave so? I have tried to go back 25 years and ask myself questions like why do you drink and party until all hours of the night? How do you get up in the morning and function at work? What are you thinking racing that dam car down the center of town don’t you know someone might get hurt and while we are talking about it why are you on the water drinking I don’t care if it’s a motor boat or sail boat its dangerous! Another summer on the Outer Banks nothing’s changed in 25 years except that there are a lot more people.

On another note the garden is coming along quite well. I planted tomatoes from seed and they are standing 18 inches tall and have main stems as big around as my thumb. I hope they do well. I did cheat a little by putting some miracle grow potting soil in the holes with the tomatoes. Last week I was feeling sorry for my self, you know wa wa wa woe is me, so I fed my addiction and bought 3 rose bushes and way too many inpatients, but they are the most beautiful flowers. The Perfume Delight rose is a purple pink very fragrant rose that is so pleasant to both the nose and the eye. I also picked up an Orange Rose it has a very unique color but not much fragrance and then just a simple Peace Rose I just like them. I have already had several cutting’s my other roses are doing very well this year. They seemed to have liked the mild winter.

Well after writing about the garden I want to get back into it. I have included a link to the Nags Head Pier’s video cam so that any one who visits this sight can take a look at the beach. Other piers have them also Avalon Pier which is in Kill Devil Hills has one. My son’s use them to check out the waves and its kind of neat to watch people fish.