November arrived with summer like temperatures this morning. I do not want to face winter temperatures at the other end. This morning was pretty amazing. As soon as I was outside, I made my mind up to go for a boat ride which I got done even before going to get the newspaper.
The full story is on the Crystal Coast website, but it got even better. By the time we left for church the temperature had risen to 81F which is a great temperature for November 1.
I did have a great ride out on the river. I felt like pinching myself since I have been on the river in the summer when it was not as warm as it was today. I posted a nice slide show of the trip on Picasa.
This evening we are back to reality. The temperature has dropped to 59F, but we will be back in the seventies by Tuesday, November 3.
Fortunately I was in the Virginia mountains at that time.
My late tomato crop continues to grow. I picked a couple of ripe tomatoes just last week. They are small, but I have hope for some bigger ones.
I think we can safely say that the fishing has been great in October. I hope it as good in November.
My friend, Dean, and I had a wonderful afternoon with the bluefish. We caught fish until we were tired of catching fish. I think we stopped counting at seventy fish.
We only brought eight home but we had a wonderful time. I posted a slide show of the trip on Picasa.
I would have to say this has been a most enjoyable fall. The weather while not perfect has for the most part cooperated unless you count Friday, October 23.
That would be the day we were getting ready to go fishing at 12:30 PM. All the weather forecasts were good.
A surprise storm swept in from the ocean and kept us at the dock.
I think a number of fishermen who trusted the weatherman that day ended up wetter than they had planned.
Sometimes the waters have been quiet and other times they have been a little rowdy.
However, each trip has been fun. Plenty of fishermen have found room on the beaches.
It has just been a great time of year. We also have a new Mexican restaurant in the area, Las fincas. We have enjoyed it a couple of times. I would just say go early and be hungry.
There was music out on the beach. The temperatures were pleasant, and everyone was having a good time.
It was one of those late fall moments that we treasure here on the Crystal Coast. I expect more of them this fall.
I will admit that it is fall, I have seen plenty of signs of the season. I hate to admit that summer is gone.
You know it is fall when we Presbyterians start having our after service pot luck lunches. When that happens I know that I will get plenty of collards to keep me healthy.
With temperatures in the eighties one day and the fifties the next, I need all the help that I can get. Still I am not complaining even with the air conditioner running on Halloween night.
Halloween was very successful, we had twenty-nine trick or treaters, and as far as I can tell, all the work I did cleaning the house last week survived the evening.
Come for a visit, we will still have lots of nice weather.
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