Spring is here, April 4, 2009
The weather here on the coast has improved steadily since the official arrival of spring.

While we have had rain, it was warm rain, and we needed it.

Bradford pear blooms have turned to leaves.

It has been nice enough that earlier this week I took a gamble and planted my tomato plants.

Spring also has plenty of yards slowly turning green.

While the weather has improved, we have had enough wind to keep the waves stirred up.

Even today there were times if you were not in a sheltered area, that the winds made a light jacket feel good. The water is still cool.

However, the day started perfectly for the Newport Pig Cook Off. We got there a little after 1 PM. After a short wait in line, we had a quick barbecue lunch.

Things were so efficient that I doubt we could have gotten in and out of a restaurant much quicker. All the food was very good, and the money goes to several good causes.. The total damage for two was $16 which included $2 for parking.

As the days have gotten longer, it is a lot more fun capturing sunsets. It is also a lot more pleasant. This one was taken in Bluewater Cove where I live.

I am happy to say that it has been a while since I have heard a heat pump.

The last few days, we have come home to a very warm solar heated house where we have to throw open several windows to cool things down for good sleeping.

It is actually my favorite time of year for great sleeping weather. I have a lot of fun regulating the temperature of the house by opening certain windows.

If the pollen would back off a little, I would just keep the windows open.

Tonight our upstairs was 79 degrees when I opened my office windows before dinner. When I came back up after dinner, the upstairs had cooled nicely to 73F.

I am beginning to look fondly at the pool waters here in Bluewater Cove. I would love to be swimming, but I know the water remains cold.

Until we get some nights in the seventies, it is hard to have comfortable swimming weather.

We have two more sure signs of spring, strawberries blooming and pollen over everything.

Our driveway was yellow river after the rains on Thursday and Friday.

It was lucky that we had those days of rain this week to wash the pollen out of the air.

After enjoying barbecue in Newport, we headed to Atlantic Beach to capture a bargain or two at OBX Outfitters. The stores are closing and all merchandise is being cleared out.

While the discounts are not huge yet, it is always nice to save a few dollars on something you need. We got a new cushion top for our cooler which serves as the seat in front of the console on our skiff.

After Atlantic Beach we headed up to Harker’s Island to visit the Core Sound Museum pictured below.

It is a wonderful museum, full of a tremendous amount of local history. We had a great time wandering around the museum.

There are beautifully carved duck decoys on display and some amazing quilts.

Entrance to the museum is free, and on top of that they have some trails with self-guided nature tours.

We hiked the shortest one since it was getting late in the day. It is a very easy hike but well worth the effort.

As we got to the backside of the pond we could see trees literally filled with dozens of White Ibises. There was one White Heron and perhaps one Green Heron, but the counting all the Ibises was impossible.

When we finally got around to the side of the pond close to the birds, there was a convenient bird watching blind. It was a very neat experience. Here is a slide show of the photos I took in the museum and on our hike around Willow Pond.

On our way back home we stopped by the Fish Town fish market in Beaufort for some shrimp. When we got home, my wife cooked up a pot of Southern Garlic Cheese Grits from Savor the Flavor of Sumter, SC.

I cleaned the shrimp, and then she sauteed some onions in Olive oil, added the shrimp and cooked them lightly. A ladle of grits, a spoonful of shrimp, and a sprinkling of crumbled bacon, and we had a wonderful homemade meal of shrimp and grits.

It was a great way to finish a wonderful day here on the Crystal Coast. I have a couple of new listings if you are interested in moving to the area, be sure to check them out at the Crystal Coast website.




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's 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, and the Swansboro Oyster Roast. We were also 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 content on multiple sites, but usually the content is fairly specific to the sites.

View from the Mountain

Ocracoke Waves

Crystal Coast Living Blog

Crystal Coast Blog 09

Crystal Coast Blog 08

Some archived articles

More Crystal Coast Info