Made a quick stop over by the Avalon pier in KDH. Looks like a nice day at the beach

Hazy, Hot and Humid summer on the Outer Banks

Summer has hit the Outer Banks. The past week has been Hazy Hot & Humid the three H’s. Traffic is intense and people are everywhere. The “mass” of people is not that noticeable on the beaches since there are no private beaches and people are able to spread out but when it storms the tourist hit the stores and therefore the streets. Dare county has no public transportation so the only way around is by car. A lot of bike paths have been built but they are of little use when it rains. Now we need a good storm every once and awhile its like a mini Christmas for the retailer but this last week has been a bit much, the Outer Banks has been hit by the same storms that have been flooding the North East, but it looks like sun is on the menu for today so all those folks who have spent their vacation week inside will be able to say they made it to the beach when they went to the beach.

I on the other hand will make one foray out into the world of vacationers to my favorite vegetable stand (Tar-Heel II located at the Seagate North shopping plaza) pick up some fresh fruit and vegetables return home and veg in the AC until late afternoon when I will venture to my little 12’ by 3’ inflatable pool, light a citracel candle and enjoy the last few hours of my day off.

Not much in the garden this year. I kept the plants to the more heat tolereant ones and cut down on the total number so I could better keep up. Does look like its going to be a good year for tomatos, thoes bushes are plum full.

Today my intention was to get up early and go to the beach and get few beach shots but to be honest I don’t like the beach this time of year and I HATE the crowds and traffic so I worked in the yard instead. If you want to see a beach sunrise check out this blog OBX Connection - Weblog he goes out every morning and shoots the sunrise. For live action beach shots try this site for the Nags Head Fishing Pier. Any way I hope your day is a good as mine seems to be.

Mountains June 2006

this photo was taken on one of my morning walks to a friends house for morning coffee.

this is a composit of three photos using Cannon PhotoStich. its a view of one of my "side" yard

another PhotoStich. 2 photos rotated 90 degrees joined and rotated back 90 degrees. gives a feel for the hight of the trees

I just returned from a week in the VA Mountains. I went short on cash this time due to some unexpected expenditures last month but it was just good to get off the beach and go to where I hope to call home some day.

My 16 year old son came with me and it was nice spending time with him. I know that soon he will not have the time nor the inclination to go on trips with his mother. I had encouraged him to bring some video games and movies both of which he declined to do. “You’re not going to have anything to do.” Said I “Exactly” said he.

We did not “do” much but we did visit the Mabry Mill on the Blue Ridge park way. We went to The Jacksonville Center in Floyd VA to get some information on Solar and Wind power for the house I plan on building. On Sunday while my son hooked up with a friend I went to a Bookstore/Coffee shop in Floyd to hear Fred First read from his new book “Slow Road Home”. (the bookstore is called Notebooks I cant remember what the coffee shop is called but they are right above the book store and serve excellent coffee at a very reasonable price). Monday we took a friends daughter for her swimming lessons in Blacksburg and swung over to Christiansburg to hit Barns & Noble and check out the mall (we don’t have a mall here). I guess when I read this we were “active” but we spent a lot of time on my little 4 acre piece of heaven.

I did a lot of walking and exploring the land like I do every time I’m there, my son spent his time sleeping. I’m not kidding he slept all the time. When I asked him about it he smiled and informed me that at home he was always busy so he decided to spend his vacation sleeping! Today my son looks fresh, he is out and about doing all the things he does and I look and am exhausted dreading all the laundry and other things that have to be done before I return to work tomorrow.

I envy my son’s ability to just relax, to sleep away a vacation, but I would not give up one of my walks. I enjoy looking at the trees and plants, animals and birds, listening to the sounds that explode in the “quiet” of the country, smelling the air both sweet and foul. I love the feel of the mountain sun and wind. I like finding out about new things and then looking for them. The new life I will be starting in a few years is so exciting to me that I take every opportunity to sneak a peek. I can’t just sleep away my time there. I want to savor every minute I spend on that little piece land I call my own.

It is good being home. I love sleeping in my own bed and taking a real shower. I love hearing from my friends and family. And the Outer Banks will always be home, this is where my children were born and raised and where many good friendships have been formed but I feel more “at home” in those mountains. I know I will miss the beach but I love thoes mountains and one has to follow the heart from time to time.

This is a view from the street of the kites on the ridge

thoes little specks on top of the of the ridge are people
the kites are behind that ridge

view from the deck last night

I saw some odd kites on Jockey’s Ridge Sunday afternoon. I don’t have the slightest ideal what was going on and I did not feel like walking the ½ mile or so up a sand hill to find out. But it turned into a nice day. We have rain again this morning; maybe the rain is going to be a morning event for a while. With the storm down in the gulf we might get some weather latter on in the week.

Well it’s another rainy day on the Outer Banks. For me that’s a good thing. Rain keeps the temperature down and helps the plants but for those folks whose kids just got out of school and who just started their vacation its not such a good thing unless they look on the bright side, this is a day to relax and vacation. Don’t go shopping; read a book, play a game with the kid’s heck if nothing else watch TV. I would like to see some people do nothing on their vacation but that’s not going to happen. It seems to be in our nature to pack every thing we can into that week or two we take off each year. Our lives are so busy that it’s difficult to just sit back and watch the world go by.

Next week I start my first week of vacation in the mountains. I plan on taking a little time each month and going to my little piece of solitude. This year I will be forced to take it easy because I have little money left in the "vacation" till. I don’t have to pay for a place to stay I have my camper. I can buy food at the local store and cook on the grill. I have several books to read, one I bought last summer to read while I was up there. It will be interesting to see if I can make it on vacation with nothing planed to do. Can I sit idly on my deck and just watch the cows and wild life. Will hiking the property line be enough to keep me busy. Will I finally finish that book, heck start that book I bought last year. Tune in in two weeks and find out.

It was a good hockey game last night looked like overtime for a little while there. I was rooting for Edmonton I hate to see a 4-0 win in any tournament but now Hurricanes just get it over with and win!

Yesterday was June 6, 2006 or as some like to call it 666. It was the day that expectant mothers feared to the point that they asked their doctors to induce labor if there was any chance at all their child would be born on that day. It was the day that many rational folks looked at with apprehension I must say that I consider myself rational but I knew that the dark cloud that has been following me this year was not going to let an opportunity like 666 pass me by and I was right.

I spent all yesterday morning working in the yard admiring my tomatoes and flowers just enjoying being home. When I was finished I walked into the basement and noticed that there was a wet spot near the chest freezer," self" I said "that’s not good". I moved the freezer and noticed that the water was not coming from the freezer it was coming from the wall. "Self" I said "this is really not good". I knew there were no pipes in that wall so I went up stairs and looked in the closet that holds the hot water heater and sure enough the hot water heater was shot. "Self" I said "this sucks".

I started shopping around for a plumber to replace the hot water heater and got a case of sticker shock. $600 seemed a bit much for 30 minutes to an hour of work. I had seen a hot water heater replace but I had never actually done it before, "self" I said "you can do this".

Folks I have now officially installed a hot water heater and it only cost me $320 and 3 hours time!!!

It’s a beautiful day on the outer banks!!

By the way 06-06-06 comes by every 100 years just something for you superstitious folks to think about.

traffic stopper

How to stop traffic on a busy Saturday afternoon coming out of Manteo NC
I love the way the parents walk with their offspring. One at the front and one towards the rear.

My brother’s neighborhood has become a FEMA trailer park
Believe me when I say my brother lives in one of the nicer parts of town

I took my camera with me when I went to the gulf coast but in all honesty I just wasn’t in a picture taking mood Biloxi is an absolute mess and New Orleans while trying to put on good face is still a mess. Both my sister and my brother live in FEMA trailers. There is a lot wrong with FEMA BUT they provided both my brother and sister with a roof over there head. Each of the trailers was equipped with everything needed to live, pots and pans blankets and towels. My sister was provided with a cell phone. The conditions are not ideal but like my brother says “you have a place to sleep and take a shower”.

Another long two weeks has gone by but this has been a less than enjoyable one for my family. My sister’s 21 year old son died on the 22^nd of May in Mobile AL. As could be expected my sister took it very hard and I was asked to make the arrangements. Needless to say it was a bit of a logistical nightmare I live in North Carolina, the boys father lives in Atlanta GA and my sister lives in Biloxi MS. I have found out why there are funeral directors. If not for Rick of the Ascension Funeral home in Mobile I don’t know what I would have done. He helped me coordinate this whole mess and now my sister can have some closure. In her mind her son is at peace.

Jason Couch
August 29, 1994 - May 22, 2006.