Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

Tuesday was Dad’s and Linda’s last full day with us here. We started the morning with a visit to the beach and ended the day with a visit to the aquarium. The penguins are still cute and thankfully, still behind glass. The otters were off-the-hook cute, though. Apparently feeding time is around 4 pm and they were very excited. They jumped off the ledges, chased each other through the pools, and ran all over the enclosure in that cute way that only otters run. I also learned the names of several of the bigger fish in the large shark tank. Apparently, I’ve reached a new milestone in my life where I can stop to read the museum signs. I like it.

Sand Castle Consultation

Hie-Ya! (Do not even tell me you did not fight the waves when you were this age.)

Sassy

"Aaaauugh! Get it off! Get it off!"

Playing Otters

Diving Otter

Shark Tank Pose

Touch Tank Pose

Wednesday was Karl’s favorite day of the vacation so far. I signed him up for a day-long eco-excursion to Jones Island through the NC State Parks division. It’s a short boat ride under the double bridges in Swansboro to the island from Hammocks Beach State Park.

Me: My younger two are in the ocean there. My oldest is doing day camp with the state park, exploring a barrier island.

New friend on the beach: Where did you learn about that?

Me: My mom reads the paper.

While Karl was wading through the sound, CC and the rest of us took the ferry to Bear Island for a little beach time and a picnic. I cannot express how much I was impressed by HABE, as the State Park Folk call it. While waiting for the ferry, we stumbled across a talk given by an intern on the local bivalve and gastropod population (aka shells). I had no idea those holes in small clams were made by whelk. Big ones eat 12-15 a day! For my whole life I just thought it was a weak spot made into a hole by the beating surf. Thank you, whelk! Those shells make great necklaces.

This is a white heron. Egrets have yellow feet, herons do not. 

A whelk did that!

A blue crab fishing in the reeds

The walk to the beach was long, but paved. Paved! On an island with no bridge. But I digress. The beach was lovely and not crowded. The surf was calm and shallow. They have a lifeguard. Lifeguard! She came over to tell us when she was going for a lunch break. But I digress. The shells were plentiful and we picked up more than our fair share. Lindsay and I walked fairly far to collect a bucketful of sand dollar pieces. They were shooting guns at Camp Lejeune (the next island south) all morning.

Gun: Ba-BOOM

Lindsay: Is that thunder?

Me: No, they are practicing war at the base and are shooting guns.

Lindsay: Why do they practice war? Won’t they kill each other?

Bear Island

I knew the name of this bird yesterday

When I met Karl at the end of the day, he was all smiles. He did not look like he had spent the last several hours catching creatures and identifying plants and sea grasses in the hot sun. He was full of new info.

Karl: You’ll never guess what makes those holes in the small clam shells on the beach.

Me: Whelk?

Karl: Oh, man! How did you know?!

He did tell me how they did it, which I didn’t know already. As he disembarked the skiff, he announced with pride that he had been bitten ‘pretty hard’ by several blue crabs. To some this would be a deterrent.

Lindsay and Katie

Instead, Karl spent most of the day today catching crab in the sound with his bare hands at Camp Phyllis. We all spent the entire day over there kayaking, paddle-boarding, tubing, and generally playing in her backyard, Bogue Sound. Billy melted down twice because I was having so much fun that I forgot to feed him. Katie and Lindsay got a taste of real tubing this year as Phyllis tried to fling them off around the turns. They both had perma-grins and couldn’t get enough. Billy and Bradley both loved the tube as well.  I had a great time paddling Billy around in the kayak and Bradley is now a pro at the paddle board. Many thanks to Phyllis for her generosity and for making us laugh so much.

Serious kayaking

Katie in the kayak, Bradley on the paddle board

Billy and Karl, relaxing.

Catching air!

The view from home.

During the past few days the clouds have moved in, making the outdoors not quite so hot. Unfortunately the AC has gone on intermittent strike, rendering us sticky and sweaty at random times during the day and night. I assume this is what menopause is like.

In other news, my 25^th High School Reunion starts tomorrow. (!)