Wrightsville beach was a nice interlude last season and a good place to ride out 35 kt. winds as we found our way down the ditch. This year’s visit came about the same point on the calendar as last year’s, but the weather was considerably different, since this visit found us lounging on the beach yesterday afternoon, temps in the 70’s, and light breezes. We counted 50 surfers in the water, seas were calm with a nice even period, and a cloudless sky. Lots of folks on the beach, even a couple brave souls in the water with just a swimming suit! Surfers were all in wet suits, water temps were in the low 60’s. Celebrate was a couple of hours ahead of us, and we joined them for dinner Sunday at 22 North, a local restaurant with a great chef. We enjoyed some fresh fish, shrimp and unusual appetizers. Very good meal!
Monday evening Joyce treated us to some more fine cooking, serving up some fresh mahi & tuna. Barb is developing her appreciation of seafood, and is learning that fresh is everything. The fresh fish here really is fresh, the local seafood market, Mott’s is reknowned for it’s fresh, never-frozen offerings, and it makes a tremendous difference. It goes without saying chef Joyce’s meal was wonderful, as usual!
The weather today, Tuesday is partly cloudy and cool, winds picking up a notch or two, no snoozing on the beach today! But we enjoyed a nice long walk up the beach with the dogs. Molly’s been enjoying swimming from the boat, and with the watermaker in service, it’s great being able to rinse the salt water off before she makes it into the cockpit and shakes seawater all over everything! We’re really happy with the addition of the watermaker. The ability to keep the boat cleaner makes a huge difference, as well as being able to keep up with laundry. We typically run the generator about 2-1/2 hrs per day to keep up with our electrical needs, recharge batteries, the freezer holding plate, and now we can make water and run a load of wash concurrently, and still gain on the amount of water we have tanked without any additional generator run time. It’s better for the generator too, since it is running with more of a load.
Tomorrow we’ll head out towards Myrtle Beach, more cloudy weather is predicted for the next few days, still, nothing like a year ago when we were contending with ICE on the decks in the mornings!!
Aunt & Mother on 18 Nov 2009 at 7:30 AM #
Aunt Peggy says she and a gang from Duke used to go to Wrightsvile Beach when she was in school. She said it is a beautiful place. At least this year it is a little warmer.. Enjoy. Love you both, Mother
Susan on 18 Nov 2009 at 8:46 AM #
Hey Steve and Barb! Looks like you are having a great trip – despite Ida’s whipping around. We were threatened here last week with a possible 5 – 8 foot surge so spent a day preparing. Thankfully it never reached us, but it provided an opportunity to get things cleaned up! I think the closest it got to us was in Ocean City, Md. where they did get a lot of water. Good news for us – we have confirmed a condo in Cocoa Beach for the winter months – Dec. 15 – April 15! Jim and I are going for 5 days, Dec. 16 – 21, then back here for Christmas, then take mom and hopefully sister Jo down between Christmas and New Years. I am hoping that you may be in the area, possibly even that 5 day time frame prior to Christmas. Let me know! We’re having great weather here – in the 70’s some days – a nice mild November. Sherry and Frank were here last weekend and Sherry is doing well with her surgery. My daughter and her family were here with their 2 small dogs (a pug and a mini dashound), and I think Louie thought the pug was lunch – Jim rescued him and ended up on top of the picnic table holding the pug away from Louie – it was quite entertaining for the rest of us! Time for me to go open SYB. Have great travels and let us know where you are!
Susan
Karen on 18 Nov 2009 at 11:58 PM #
I’m so glad you finally got out of PA and out of the cold! Looking forward to seeing you in a few weeks! Sorry I hung up on you today Mom, I love you both so much. Be safe and enjoy!
Always, Karen