The local strawberries are here. As far as I am concerned they are the first taste of summer. It is a delicious way to start the local produce season. This afternoon I dropped by Bucks Corner Farm, just off of Route 58 a little less than two miles before the intersection with Route 24 in Cape Carteret.

Bucks Corner Farm has signs out on 58 or you can call them at 252 241-2755, 241-2240, or 241-4854 for more information or to place orders. It is obviously a great family operation which works very hard to put quality fresh produce on our tables.

I managed to get to the farm just as they were about to sell out of today's berries, but the ladies assured me there would be lots more on Saturday. The buying experience does not get any better, fresh berries and friendly ladies.

We first discovered Bucks Corner Farm last summer when we were getting ready to close on our house in Bluewater Cove. We managed to sample lots of their produce including tomatoes and those famous watermelons. I really looking forward to enjoying all the vegetables as they come in this spring.

I believe I heard them say that there will some hot house tomatoes ready soon. They can't be soon enough for that first tomato sandwich of the year.

I certainly I enjoyed the strawberries this afternoon. It is not often you get produce right from the farm these days. Later this evening I made myself a strawberry-banana smoothie so I am down to half a box and will have try to get some more in the next few days.

We are really blessed to have strawberry fields this close to Cape Carteret. Folks who have lived here a while might take them for granted, but once you live in the city and are forced to accept strawberries shipped in from California, your really appreciate what our local farmers can produce. The California berries are not nearly as good as the local ones.

I am really happy that the folks over at Bucks Corner Farm were able to protect their strawberries from the big freeze and snow last week. The farmers up the central part of North Carolina or the mountain valleys near Roanoke, Va. where our other home is were not able to do anything to save their berries from what I've heard.

We need to enjoy wonderful berries. I have a feeling that fresh strawberries and other fruits are going to be valuable items this year thanks to that Canadian cold that hit us.

Now if I just had my old White Mountain ice cream freezer down here, I might be convinced to make some homemade ice cream. I am sure someone would prevent me from using all the cream that it needs so I would be content if we could just make some strawberry freezer jam like we did last year. When you open a jar of that in the winter time, it is like opening a jar of summer.

I snapped this picture on March 22 during some pretty good surf. I think almost all of us can stand and watch the surf for hours. If you give us a chair we will be there for days. I believe April 1 & 2 when I went for beach walks and actually got my feet wet for the frist time this year. The last weekend I visited Roanoke, Va. which is our other home besides Cape Carteret.

Our grass was in serious need of mowing. I spent most of Friday afternoon getting the yard in shape for the kids to join us for Easer.

After that I spent some time wondering about "What makes me happy." Then I started thinking about whether it is the mountains or coast where I want to plant my roots. That's a pretty hard to decision to make when you are surrounded by beauty in two different areas. This sunrise in Roanoke this weekend was impressive, but I don't like it any better than this coastal one. This time of year, there is lots of beauty to go around including some nice Dogwoods, Flowering Cherries, and Redbud trees.