famous friends!

Our young friends, Callie and Emma, made the N&O this morning! Here's a link to a story about their bottle tree project, and click here for a link to their own blog, Hillsborough Bottletrees, which I will add to our blog.

go!

nervous but ready

We were prepared for tears, but he started to feel more comfortable as soon as he set foot in the classroom. 

then and now

on your mark . . . get set . . .

With Jed's first day of kindergarten just hours away (can you believe it?), we made the most of the last rays of summer before bed tonight. 

kitty hawk 2013, part 2

Before Grandma and Grandpa arrived, the boys and I spent some more quality time in the water. And even though I don't have any pictures of it, they did venture into the surf repeatedly! 

In the afternoon, we visited Nags Head Woods and disturbed more than one frog before heading out on a walk to the sound. 

Macon was not a trooper. He demanded to be carried for at least 1.4 of the 1.5 mile round trip hike to the shore and back, but we were rewarded with a view across a salt marsh, about which Jed said, "This looks like Africa," . . .

  . . . and a sandy, quiet beach full of driftwood. 

After a day back in civilization . . . 

. . . Jed and I set out to conquer Kitty Hawk Woods together. 

And on our last afternoon, we went down to Rodanthe to watch active-duty members of the Coast Guard demonstrate a breeches buoy drill at the Chicamacomico Life Saving Station. During the drill, a line is shot across a stranded ship and, essentially, a zip-line is created to let the stranded crew evacuate. It's a pretty impressive maneuver that the members of the life saving station most often executed in the throes of storms and hurricanes. I shot some video, but there's a much better version available online and I've embedded it below. And click here to learn more about the drill and here to learn about the life saving station.

By Friday evening, we were back home with shoes full of sand and new pirate outfits! 

Here are some videos for your enjoyment. Jed has really worked on his swimming this summer and taught himself how to flip! 

kitty hawk 2013, part 1

Last weekend, we made our annual trek to Kitty Hawk and arrived safely after nearly hitting a fawn, spotting an eagle, and slogging through some serious rain. Our first stop, given the rain, was the aquarium in Manteo. For the rest of Eric's portion of the trip, we stuck to the beach and the pool. 

a marriage proposal during question time with the divers

Turtles! 

By the next day, the rain had stopped, but the morning still looked a little rough. 

While we were on Bald Head, I told Jed to pay close attention to the ocean and beach so that he could compare it to the shore at Kitty Hawk. As soon as we crossed the dunes, the differences were obvious. 

But slowly, the morning cleared . . . 

. . . and by the time we visited Jennette's Pier in the afternoon, it was beautiful. 

We arrived just in time to see a stingray being hauled in. He got a rough drop back into the ocean only to take the bait (literally) again, less than five minutes later! 

His second big splash of the day. 

Monday, we headed back to the beach . . . 

but we were not alone.

(Sadly, I'm guessing this guy and his companions weren't in the best health. Click for a related news story.)  

Eventually, we ended up back at the pool. 

Then, after lunch at Fisherman's Wharf, we paid a rainy visit to Fort Raleigh where they boys took their first steps into Lost Colony indoctrination. Afterward, Eric returned to the real world while the boys and I stuck to the surf and pool and waited for Grandma and Grandpa.