There were only three days of cold weather just after the New Year arrived.
Even in the cold weather, late that first week in January, we managed to get some time on the beach near the Point and enjoy the sound of the waves.
It does not take me long when I am walking the beach to forget almost everything else.
Sunday, the temperatures were in the upper sixties. We went for another, much warmer walk near the Point, which is where I took this sunset picture that day.
Monday, January 7, temperatures were even warmer, seventy degrees or better. It is supposed to be even nicer Tuesday.
Last week before the cold weather, we saw temperatures in the sixties so we took advantage of that and hiked the Croatan Marshland Trail.
I can take a few days of cold weather. I try not to forget what winter feels like. A few cold memories make you appreciate the warmth of the sun on your back.
I just cannot take a winter that does not give up until May or one where the sun never shines. Some neighbors near our old farm in Canada tell us they have six feet of snow on the ground.
It is hard to even remember those days in all this warm sunshine.
We have had lots of sunshine which is normal for the area this time of year.
I just put up a slideshow of some pictures I took at Cannonsgate on Bogue Sound on January 7.
You can check out my slide shows of our New Year's Day walks on the Croatan Tideland Trail and the beach near the Point.
In the honor of the holidays I finally finished a real holiday post. The picture in that post will make anyone nostalgic for snow.
If you are interested in more news and info about the Crystal Coast, please check out my newest blog about Carteret County.
I think there will still be some warm sunshine to enjoy down here.
With our great winter sunshine as long as the wind is not blowing, the beach is nice even during the coldest days.
There are no crowds, and most of the permanent residents are ready for visitors once again.
The North Carolina coast has been one of my favorite spots for well over fifty years.
It is especially nice during the fall and winter when the temperatures cool and the only crowds are the schools of fish.
Our area, the Southern Outer Banks, is a wonderous place to live and one of the best kept secrets on the east coast.
It is one of the least crowded beach areas in North Carolina that has year around inhabitants and a full range of services.
The content above the waves picture changes on a regular basis. Additional posts are available at my new Carteret County site.
I have an Emerald Isle Travel Guide which details our area. I hope people planning their vacations find it useful.
If your fear of hurricanes is keeping you from considering Carteret County as a spot for a second home or retirement, you might want to read my post on hurricanes. I find the risk here acceptable and something I am willing to take in order to live in one of the great spots of North America.
Pictures are a great way to view our area, and I have created a web page dedicated to slides shows and images from the Southern Outer Banks.
If you want a quick tour of what it is like to live on the coast, check out this link to a brief tour of my first year on the coast.
I also have another web page with some of my favorite posts and recipes. I even have a special Carteret County blog done using a Macintosh which offers more pictures and thoughts using Apple's .Mac service.
I have some web galleries on Mac.com for those of the Macintosh persuasion. You'll even see a duplicate one that I haven't figured out how to remove.
I try to post favorite photos regularly. Here is one called Evening light taken October 12 which some might remember at the day Robert E. Lee died.
Recently Swansboro had its Flotilla and the next day the Emerald Isle Christmas Parade took place.
In the fall we enjoyed the Swansboro Pig Cook Off and Craft Festival.
As summer wound down, we had a great feast the Lobster Fest at Saint Francis by the Sea in Salter Path.
Earlier in the fall, we got to see one of Blackbeard's cannons which had been raised from the depths of Beaufort Inlet.
When the coastal waters cooled we went looking for some Spots for dinner. We were lucky and caught enough within just a few minutes.
If you haven't caught my history of the White Oak River piece in the October Dropping Anchor, I have posted a copy online. I also have a piece about Beaufort in the November Dropping Anchor.
It has been a busy six months.