This has definitely been a fall to remember. Any time you can fish in your shirt sleeves in November is a great time.
When you can do it after the middle of November, things are nearly perfect.
While I have not had as much time to fish as I would like, the weather has not been the problem.
I have seen a succession of real estate clients from far away in the last six weeks. That has managed to keep us busy showing homes.
We even already have a December closing scheduled on a beach house, and there is the chance that we might get another contract before the end of the year.
It is nice to see the Crystal Coast real estate market showing some signs of life.
With the water warmer than normal, it is only recently that the fall fishing has taken off.
I guess catching all the small trout that you want has not been a problem.
On our most recent fishing trip, I caught a nice flounder just to the west of the White Oak River channel near Jones Island.
We had a nice couple of hours fishing in that area on Monday, November 15.
What a pleasure to still be fishing with minimal clothing even this late in the year.
The ocean’s moods vary from day to day, and this is late fall which has greater weather variability than during summer and early fall.
With that background, we are never surprised with what we find. Sometimes you could boat in a bathtub, and other days, you might want a Coast Guard vessel.
As is often the case, sometimes it is quiet in the sound and over on the beach things are a little more exciting.
It is such a pleasure to be able to enjoy boating this time of year without really bundling up. Even yesterday, when I was busy almost to sunset, I managed to make it out for a few pictures.
Some of the after sunset colors were just amazing.
I will admit that it was getting cool on the water by that time, and the thought that gloves might feel good crossed my mind.
Still it was an enjoyable ride with unforgettable colors on the water.
We took advantage of the blue skies and warm temperatures by heading over to Fort Macon.
I always enjoy taking pictures from the covered viewing area on the dunes.
This picture takes in Beaufort Inlet and Shackleford Banks. I also took some interesting photos on a nice trip to the Point recently.
If you haven’t seen all the new sand that has made its way to the Point in the last year or so, those pictures will amaze you.
The Point is always changing, and I have written many posts about it.
While it was a little cool on the water, it was a great opportunity to see the area marshes and hear some local history.
My wife especially liked it since the pontoon boat had some protection from the wind and has a little more stability than our skiff.
I was not very surprised at the cool temperatures since we have seen our first frost and some good evenings.
Still there have been enough of those golden warm evenings to keep us thinking about things other than winter.
We have seen nice days on the beach and good times on the water.
I even managed to go kayaking on the White Oak last weekend.
It is hard to complain about the weather if in the second half of November, you have managed to walk the beaches, take rides in your skiff, fish, and go paddling in a kayak.
We are just lucky to be living in an area which has such amazing scenery, and weather which allows you to enjoy it.
I talked to friends in Tay Creek, New Brunswick where we farmed in the seventies and early eighties. As of November 20, their first snow is on the ground.
If you click on the Google Maps link, the farm just to the right of the map marker was one of our two farms.
I remember well getting ready for the first snow of the year. I do not miss it.
The weather looks like it is going to be fantastic here at the beach for the Thanksgiving week.
I expect fishing will also be good.
On Tuesday before Thanksgiving, the temperatures are supposed to reach into the mid seventies.
Every warm day this time of year, means that winter will be one day shorter. After last year, we could use a short, mild winter.
At least Accuweather is calling for a warmer and drier winter for us.
I am glad our pansies are in the ground, and it won’t be too long before we can start hoping for spring.
This has been a great fall on the water.
Why we love it here?
It is hard to say that any place is perfect. There always a balance between what you like and what you don't like. That also changes as you age. At one time I was close to homesteading in Newfoundland.
Today I would steer you to my articles, Ten ways Carteret County met our needs, Why I love living in Carteret County, and to the Crystal Coast Electronic Village Homepage as answers to why we have chosen this area.
From that reading it is easy to understand why we enjoy living in a small subdivision called Bluewater Cove near Cape Carteret. It is what we were looking for in a place to live. It is close to services and close to the beach but not on the beach. We have a dock behind the house and are close to some great trails. I can ride my bike in the neighborhood and not face a lot of traffic.
I also use my kayak on the White Oak River and have learned to love exploring the river and surrounding waters with our skiff.
This area also has some great festivals like the Newport Pig Cookoff, the Emerald Isle Saint Patrick's Day, the Swansboro Mullet Festival and the Swansboro Oyster Roast. We continue to be impressed with the Emerald Isle Christmas Parade.
It is a friendly area with a great future. So right now it is the spot for us. I often write about the area in my other websites. If you are a very avid reader, you might find some similar content on multiple sites, but usually the content is fairly specific to the sites.
These are additional sites might or might not be linked in the above post.
Ocracoke Waves
Crystal Coast Life Blog
Crystal Coast Blog 09
Crystal Coast Blog 08
Some archived articles