“USA 🇺🇸 North Carolina ~Monthly Blog Series of….It’s Never Dull!! ~APRIL 2024”

 

 

Here we are in April, already, and I can’t believe where the time goes!

The weather is just gorgeous on the east coast.

Spring has sprung, we got through the pollen stage with dirty vehicles, and we are enjoying the beautiful blooms around the area. I especially love the old-growth Wisteria, everywhere!! Just gorgeous!

 

 

Chels and Kenz bringing me a pretty Wisteria bouquet! ❤️

 

We are looking forward to local harvests this summer, to get some canning done, too. We love the area surrounding us, with farming. We have also found access to local farm eggs and a pig farm, nearby to buy meat, so far.

There will be many farmers markets around the area as well, and we look forward to that season.

 

 

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We continue enjoying lots of soccer games, between the two grandsons. Most of the time, up to three on the weekends!

Rylan got his very first soccer goal, ever! We are super proud of him!  Luke is quite the soccer player and very fun to watch, too.

On his latest game, one of his teammates flew into the sidle line of spectators, right next to us, and broke his arm in two places. Joey the Paramedic was right there, and we could see how crooked his arm was, but the parents were like “walk it off.” That’s a rufff deal. Poor kid, but he was tough about it for sure. I’m glad to get the report he did get proper care for his broken arm.

 

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On the first weekend of this month, we made a very important move! We got into a full-time Glamping spot, and this required us to change locations. So four months after our arrival in North Carolina, close to the date we had planned on leaving North Carolina, we became long-term residents, instead!

There is nothing we want more, than to stay. So, we packed up, put the slides in, jacks up, and moseyed on over to our new site. There is always an opportunity for some deep cleaning, when making a move. Rugs come up, and a lot of floor is expoosed; when the couch gets moved in, and countertops, too. There was sweeping, dusting, and general cleaning, done all around.
Felt good!

I did find this little cutie, when cleaning. It got lost under the couch. It has since, been returned to its rightful owner.

 

We love The Whale, and our new Glamping spot, and are quite comfortable, NOT moving all the time. The road systems continue to be damaged with no repairs in sight, fuel prices are actually going up even higher, and let’s not even talk about the crazy drivers out there!
Yeah, we good!

We did keep one, long-standing reservation, though, after deciding to stay in North Carolina. We cancelled all our other reservations, but before the end of this month, we will head for the beautiful Outer Banks area, to spend two weeks. This visit was always something I wanted to do, while still living in The Whale; right up there with going through Canada to Alaska, and staying in Key West, Florida.

We took a trip with the Richardsons two years ago to the Outer Banks, and I loved it so much, I wanted to return!

We will be staying near enough to the Currituck area, to get around to Nags Head, Rodanthe and Hattaras.

We will still be in North Carolina, but a half-day drive away. We look forward to the adventure with lots of beach time, wild horses, Seafood Boils, and other fun, in our future.

Not gonna lie, though, it feels weird leaving our family to go play, elsewhere! We will all miss each other so much!

 

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Softball

 

 


Chelsie had enjoyed playing on a co-ed softball team for several years. I looked forward to one day, watching her play, again. So last week was that day! What fun. The teams played a double header.

The last time I watched Chelsie play, was when she was in high school!  Of course Chelsie doesn’t like me to holler from the sidelines “Go Chelsie-Bug,” like I did at her high school games. Ha! She made me  promise I wouldn’t do it.



 

 

⬆️ And she still fits on my lap!!! 🤣

 

Funny fact: her team has four members with the last name; Richardson. She also has known some of her teammates, from back when they were active Marines, together.

They won both games (by a large margin). I’m proud she is doing this.

Chelsie remembered going to my games in the evening, when she was growing up, when I, too, played on a co-ed softball team; back in the day, in Oregon.

Like Mother-Like Daughter ❤️

I’m definitely going to go to another game to watch, before the season is over.

 

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My Talented and Thoughtful Daughter

So in case you do not know this, Chelsie is quite talented, working with wood. She restores furniture and has done work on the side; fixing said furniture that her friends thought they had to throw out.

I’ve traveled in the car with Chels on garbage day, where she collected old broken things next to the trash bins, brought them home, fixed them, painted them and sold them. Genius!

I saw this picture of an antique smelting dipper-thingy hung on barn wood with a candle. I loved it and wanted to recreate one. I showed the picture the Chels.

Daryl found me the ladle on eBay, and Chelsie not only found some old barn wood, she went back to the same abandoned place, twice, to get a better piece of wood for me. She set to work sanding and staining and sanding and staining, some more. She found the perfect hook, too.

My contribution was helping her hang it straight on the wall! 🤣 Here is finished product I just love it and I have it hanging in my kitchen, now!

I have the best daughter!!!!

 

 

I’ve already found another project to use up more of the barn wood pieces. This time I told Chelsie make two and you keep one. I will pay for more supplies. She said DEAL, because she loves the next project even more!

 

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More Shark Teeth Hunting

 

 

Chelsie and I were super excited to get back on Onslow Beach, after our time spent in N Topsail and Surf City Beaches, during spring Break; end of March. Onslow has more Shark Teeth to be found, for time spent, searching.

We’ve spent many days on the beach, already this month, in April, and after many months of serious hunting, I finally found my most favorite tooth, so far; that is, so far, in 14 years on Onslow beach!

Now, I have found MANY great Shark Teeth, but this one is just so perfect, in every way. I was so excited, I sent a screenshot to Chelsie, who was at the other end of the beach from me, to show her.

….So, while a gigantic Osprey Chopper was flying over me, I spotted what looked like a round rock, sticking out of the sand. (always check what look like rocks). A big wave was coming in, so I had to act fast. I reached out with my scooper and from the sand, popped up this beautiful shark tooth. I grabbed it, quickly, with my scooper, just as the wave crashed into me. I got it! It was a proud moment! (I’m wearing waders, so I’m usually in the water like this).

Low tide is a great time to find treasures for sure, but I say anytime is a great time to look!

 

This tooth falls in the category of a Megatooth. There are four kinds, including the largest; Megalodon. It is for sure in the Otodus family: “Otodus Angustidens,” “Otodus Auriculatus,” or “Otodus Obliquus” I’m going with the Angustidens. 

The rest of my finds were not too shabby, either! I tend to find Great White Shark teeth, pretty regular. I find the Hastalis, which are the extinct Great Whites, which have no serrated edges, as well as the current Great White’s; Carcharias Teeth; which have serrated edges. Of course there are always lots of fossil finds that are not just shark teeth, which Onslow is know for.

 

 

Another time Chelsie and I were at Onslow, a gentleman walking his dog, found a Whale vertebrae and gave it to Chelsie.

We could not wait to show the kiddos!

 

On this same day, I found my most perfect Steinkern. In my case it’s a clam, or originated as a clam.

What is a steinkern you ask?

 

 

A steinkern is an internal mold, or a type of fossil formed when a shell fills with mud that later hardens. The external molds of shells are also commonly fossilized. They can be approximately 65 to 85 million years old
 
These bivalve steinkerns and molds are from the late part of the Cretaceous Period, and approximately 65 to 85 million years old.

 

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Pretty Spring Day

 

My friend, Tamara picked me up in her golf cart and we went tootling around, before we ended up next to the water, swinging on a hanging bench swing, where we chatted it up; enjoyed the sunshine, and kept an eye out for Gators and Turtles. It was such a pretty day.

 

 

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KIDS N SHARK TEETH

Kiddos had early release, so Chelsie picked me up on the way to Onslow for a couple of hours.

Luke and Rylan are the most interested in shark teeth hunting. McKenzie had an opportunity to spend time with her daddy and she talked him into a Starbucks trip, so Shark teeth hunting for her, does not trump Starbucks, any day of the week.

On this day, Luke found his best ever tooth; a real beauty, and I found the largest snaggletooth I’ve ever seen! I also nabbed a Megalodon fragment, too; finds that almost got lost in the waves, but we prevailed!!!

Such fun!!

 

We celebrated with a trip to DQ, after our fun on the beach, for a job well done!

 

Finding shark teeth in shell beds takes lots of patience and time. Sometimes they are in the sand, where they are easier to spot, but that’s more rare.

 

 

Can you see the shark teeth?

 

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I am definitely space-challenged, living in a Motorhome, full-time. I have a window sill with bottles, filling up with shark teeth and other fossils, and small area behind a chair for some art supplies and my ever-growing fossil collections, there, too.

Chelsie is super generous and is sharing some closet space with me at her house. It’s working out just fine.

 

I recently put together a display jar of beach treasures, found on our family spring-break adventure, in Surf City and N Topsail.

 

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Onslow Beach is so great, not only for shark teeth/fossil hunting, but it being a Marine Corps Base, there is often times military action/physical training, and/or promotions happening, and I enjoy watching the goings on.

We all just step out of the way, when a group of Marines are running on the beach. I love to listen to their cadence as they go by.

On artillery days, the beach literally shakes, and I’m always hopeful the movement will cause more big shark teeth to shake loose I from the ocean floor, just off the beach.

When somebody in the Corps gets a promotion, small groups of friends, and friends gather together in the moment and all come on to the beach for the 10 minute celebration. Sometimes Marines dive into the surf afterwards….BRRRR.

On this day, the amphibious vehicle was going back and forth from the beach to the nearby ship (it’s a MEU unit). I do not know if it is returning, from deployment, or getting ready to deploy.

Yes, that’s Chelsie in the the picture, with the amphibious vehicle behind her.

 

 

My son-in-love; Joey deployed on a MEU unit on his last deployment he went on, before retirement. The Navy operates the ship, and it’s loaded with Marines, and they travel to various corners of the world; often times hanging out… just offshore, and sometimes, they get to dock; depending on the “temperature” of conflicts, in the case of “something going down,”where this vessel and personnel can respond VERY QUICKLY.

 

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This Weather is CRAZY!

Like other places, surprise pop-up storms happen; no warning at all. Thankfully this doesn’t happen a lot, but following a terrible storm, which was predicted, and another Tornado touching down, just west of us, we thought we were done, and could look around and assess any damage. We had pulled in our super slide to protect that long length of canvas/vinyl topper from tearing in the 70mph winds.

We were rocking and it was so noisy, but we were okay. 20 hours later.

 

So then, everybody relaxes and nobody saw the next one come, day after. WOW. Luckily, it did pass by quickly, within an hour, but it was very bad, with no warning to secure things again….Chelsie’s family lost their trampoline for good. It got tossed in the air got all bent and twisted, ending up down the road, straddling a fence, with what was left of it a fence. kiddos are so bummed… we all are. I wish so bad we could just get them another one, since they use it all the time, and school will be out for summer, soon. So sad.

 

 

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A Little Set-Back

So when we were going through Texas, on our way here, to the east coast, last year, we bought four new tires for Jonah. We would learn we needed an alignment, again, as the front tires were not wearing, evenly. We tow her far more miles than we drive her.…Anyway, Daryl took the Bug in, locally, to a tire store for the job.

It turned into a thing.

They could not get the mechanism apart to do the alignment. BIG BUMMER. This would be from front-end work we had spent money on to repair, when we were in Las Vegas, last year, which was from being done, improperly in Kingman, AZ, but the idiot there who ripped us off.

So, the tie-rod and ends had to be cut off… WHAT? New parts had to be ordered, so they can put it all back together and get the alignment done. Good Lawd!

We’ve been without a vehicle for a week. It’s such a drag! Thankfully for Chels again, since she swung by to pick us up, on the way to soccer, so we didn’t have to miss any games! Chelsie is the best!

 

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SOCCER!!!

While soccer practice got cancelled, with the big storms, the sun did come out in time for the weekend games. Yay!

 

 

On this game day, Luke and Rylan’s game were at the same time. Last weekend we missed Rylan’s game, due to our relocating Glamping spots, so we had to miss Luke’s game on this Saturday, to watch Rylan play.

Luke’s team had a tie-game. Rylan’s team won their game. 

 After the games, we hung out at the campground. I gave the kiddos some cash, so they could walk to the camp office/store and buy ice cream to go with my homemade peanut butter cake.

 


More Soccer Games 

While we are out of town, Chelsie sent pictures of today’s, weekend game with Rylan

 

 


THEN….
a little later in the day, Woooooaaaaa what a game that was! 5-4

 Congratulations to Luke and his team! Pirates-1st tournament game was a win 🤩

AND THEN

Pirates won the 2nd tournament game! 3-1

 

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Fort Macon State Park and Museum

 

Well this was fun!

Chelsie and the kiddos, a friend of ours, Rachael and I, spent the afternoon exploring this Fort, which is found in Atlantic Beach near the Beaufort area, north from us.

 

 

 

Daryl and I have seen so many forts, just the same, but the history is always so impressive and I appreciate the fact the preservation of the forts have been put in place.

This state park visit, was also free. BONUS! 

Cannons at the Old Civil War Fort Macom in North Carolina. This Fort was Designed by General Robert E. Lee

 

Fort Macon State Park, located outside the eastern borders of Atlantic Beach, is one of the most visited and highly acclaimed destinations along the Crystal Coast, and for good reason. The expansive 389 acre park, which features gorgeous inlet views, fantastic beaches, and plenty of history in plain view around every sand dune, always tops the list of the Crystal Coast attractions that can’t be missed.

While 389 acres certainly seems like a big parcel of land along on this skinny NC Barrier Island, Fort Macon State Park is actually one of the smallest state parks in North Carolina, and yet remains one of the most visited, with more than 1.3 million people every year making the eastern turn along Fort Macon Road to visit the site.

 

The incredible well-preserved fort has a fascinating history that matches the fascinating above-and-below ground structure, which was first constructed hundreds of years ago as a response to the North Carolina coastal region’s infamous pirate attacks.


 

 

By the 1750s, the early colonies had already been constantly threatened by foreign nations, like Spain and France, in addition to notorious pirates, like Blackbeard himself, who were able to freely cruise in and out of the neighboring Beaufort Inlet at will. Realizing that the situation was getting noticeably out of hand, NC leaders commissioned the construction of a fort, known at the time as “Fort Dobbs,” in 1756. This first attempt did not get very far, as progress was slow, and the American Revolution put a stop to the building process indefinitely.

It wasn’t until 1808 that construction began anew, and this new structure, “Fort Hampton,” was a small masonry structure that was horseshoe shaped, and comprised of an oyster shell material called “tabby.” While Fort Hampton was useful during the War of 1812, it was inevitably deserted and forgotten after the war, and thanks to encroaching erosion, was eventually lost to the waters of Beaufort Inlet.

 

 

The final fort to be constructed at this imperative locale was Fort Macon, which was named after the U.S. Senator from North Carolina, Nathaniel Macon, who procured the funds to construct a third defensive structure at the site. Construction began in 1824, and by 1834, the completed five-sided fort was a network of solid, above-ground walls, and almost hidden living quarters and storage areas. Improvements were made in the ensuing years, including a revolutionary new erosion control, designed by famed future Confederate general, Robert E. Lee.

This involvement of General Lee would prove to be prophetic, as when the Civil War began, the fort suddenly became a very important stronghold for the Confederate forces to protect the busy port towns of Beaufort, New Bern, and a number of other central coastal regions in North Carolina. In fact, two days after the war officially began, troops from the North Carolina militia stormed the base and took over the fort in the name of the Confederacy.

The south controlled the fort for just under a year, arming the structure with 54 cannons, until Union forces swept through the region in 1862, capturing Beaufort and Morehead City, and setting their sights on the coastal Fort Macon.

The 400 Confederate troops stationed at the fort refused to surrender, despite the bleak odds, and after a long battle that included 560 cannon shots to the exterior of the fort, Fort Macon was extensively damaged and the fort’s leader, Col. White, was forced to surrender the site.

Unlike many Coastal Carolina Civil War forts, which were burned to the ground or completely destroyed, shortly after their heyday, Fort Macon proved to be a useful site for the Union Troops, and the fort remained occupied well into the Reconstruction Era.

Finally abandoned by the US Army in 1903, just 30 years later in 1936, the relatively intact structure was open to the public as a North Carolina State Park, as the state was able to purchase the fort itself and the surrounding region for the whopping price of $1.00.

The fort is also home to a large series of special events, including frequent Civil War reenactments that happen every month of so during the spring, summer, and fall months. A unique way to watch history come to life, these reenactments showcase the courage that the local troops exhibited, even in the face of unsurmountable odds, and are worthy of attending for the booming blasts of the perimeter cannons alone.

Aside from the Fort, itself, the beach area is pristine. We ran out of time to do much there, so another trip is in the works, already.

 

 

The Crystal Coast is an 85-mile stretch of beaches, known as the Southern Outer Banks. The collection of beaches and towns offers a unique blend of history, family fun, water sports and natural areas.

85 miles encompasses a lot of places to visit; many sea towns. I’m enjoying getting to know the surrounding area way more, since my visiting grandchildren over the years, was limited to a small portion of this beautiful coast line.

Next week, Chelsie, Daryl and I are returning to the Crystal Coast to take a Ferry to Sand Dollar Island. I’ve wanted to go there, since we got here, in December, but waited for better weather.

It’s going to be so fun!

If interested, here is a link to look at for the many locations in the 85-mile coastline.

https://spinnakersreach.com/1837977/crystal-coast-towns-guide/

 

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After exploring the Fort, we headed back home, but not before stopping to buy fresh shrimp, crab, and scallops, along the way. Chels dropped me off at home, then ran home to get the dog, but they all returned for a seafood dinner.

We had such a big day….Soccer, Fort, Food, well into the evening. The kiddos hung out at the playground area and ran into friends from school.

This is a campground full of grandparents here, just like us. I apologize for lack of pictures. I was just so busy cooking, feeding and cleaning…. It was such a great day!

 

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Well This is a Super Cool Fossil Find!

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Fish Scale for visual, before fossilization 


My research shows this little treasure might be a Ganoid scale, which are usually rhomboid in shape and have articulating peg and socket joints between them. They are modified cosmoid scales which consist of a bony basal layer, a layer of dentine, and an outer layer of ganoine (an inorganic bone salt). Ganoid scales are also known from some fossil paleoniscoid fishes.

Fish scale…. Fossilized….. hard to imagine something so small, making its way to the beach. It looks like, and is the size of a Chicklet.

 

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Random Story

The ONE time I use the campground address for an important delivery (we use Chelsie’s address, mostly) ….. the order never showed up, though it said “delivered.”

NOW DONT LAUGH when you see the proof of delivery picture…..⬇️

 

 

Really? Wow, how things have gone to the dogs in this world! 

So I put in a claim with FedEx and explained there is a doormat in the picture/no package 📦 🙄 ….Chelsie had a great idea; to check under the mat, because it was a letter envelope. Nope. Not under the mat.

So seriously, how is that picture, proof of anything?

Then, FedEx instructed me to contact the shipper, which was LifeWave; for them to submit a claim…. Blah Blah Blah, but the very nice lady at LifeWave said not to worry, and she will send out a replacement order by Monday.

That was a huge relief, since my order was for a lot of stem cell patches… hundreds of dollars!

I love this company!

I did put a notice out on the campground FB page as well,  just in case somebody accidentally picked my delivery up from the mail shelf. No responses.

 

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Sunday Soccer ⚽️

 

Chels picked us up again, and we all drove to Luke’s away game, that had some distance. Joey was returning from a bike trip, in time for Luke’s game, too.

It was a beautiful summer-like day. We have umbrellas to protect from sun. 

This was so cute I had to document it.

 

“…..And the best sister of the year award🥇goes to McKenzie!!!!!”

DingDingDingDing

On the way to Luke’s soccer game, in the car, he fell asleep, and Kenz didn’t want him to get a stiff neck, so she held his head for the last 20 minutes of the drive.

#siblinglove
#bestsister

 


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On Week two of Jonah the Bug, still in the shop, this happened….

 

It’s been a long time coming. Daryl has wanted a truck again, for quite awhile.

Ford F150 4×4 ST-X S-Crew
color: “Area 51”

Now that we are not moving campgrounds every few weeks, and are laying down some roots, it’s nice to have the extra wheels.

I still have my Jonah Bug. Nothing changed there, but in the not too distant future, she will go through another restoration, to continue repairing things the idiot in Kingman Arizona (Rods VW) couldn’t and wouldn’t get right for us, (though we paid him) which will include getting the A/C working, plus it will be time for her new paint job.

While Jonah will be out of commission for awhile, it won’t be a burden, now, since we don’t have to be car-less again, which was not a very fun part of our, too recent past. 

 

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Sand Dollar Island

 

Wow, what a fun thing to do! It was just Daryl, Chelsie and I, during the week.

We drove to Beaufort, about an hour away, and took a 10-minute boat ride to a sand bar, which for a few hours in the day, at low tide, is exposed.

We spent two hours, walking through thigh-high water, looking for sand dollars. No need for chest waders. It was a beautiful summer-like day.

 

 

Chelsie scored the most; including the biggest and the littlest sand dollars, we have ever seen!

 

We had the most amazing weather, especially considering one must buy tickets in advance, not knowing what the weather would do, so that was perfect.

I’m sure the grandkids would enjoy this adventure, too, but the sand dollars are so delicate when dead, and sitting on the ocean floor, soaking up water, for a very long time.

Once they sit and dry in the sun, they get a little hardier, but not by much. 

The trick is to keep the sand dollars from breaking, once collected. This is not easy. Daryl ended up with two and I only got about 10, all the way home.

Chelsie made an amazing haul, and got all but a few, home.

It’s also important to note that only dead sand dollars should be removed. There were many live sand dollars, too. They are darker in color and have what looks like hair on them; which act as feet for burying themselves under the sand.

It was also very fun to find many live sea snails, living in beautiful shells. I took their picture and returned them to the sea. 

 

⬆️ This a live sand dollar 

Facts About Sand Dollars

1. Sand dollars are sea urchins
It’s true – sand dollars are a type of sea urchin. Rather than having long pointy spines, sand dollars have short, fuzzy spines on the outside of their shells.

2. Living sand dollars are covered in hairs that are covered in hairs.
The sand dollars’ hairs are also covered in smaller hairs called cilia. These all help the sand dollar move and eat.

3. Sand dollars burrow
Sand dollars often burrow to hide (from predators or strong currents) or eat. Otherwise, sand dollars often stand on edge.

4. The sand dollars you find on the shore are skeletons
The sand dollars found on shore are smooth, hard and usually bleached white by the sun. In life, the outside of a sand dollar would be soft and could be a variety of colors.

5. Sand dollars have silly common names 
The name “sand dollar” is a common name for the sea urchins of the order Clypeasteroida. However, that isn’t the only name they are called. Other names include sand cake, cake urchin, pansy shell and sea biscuit.

6. Sand dollars breathe through their spines
This comes from being buried most of the time.The spines on sand dollars’ back double as the animal’s gills.

7. In rougher waters, young sand dollars swallow sand.
Rough waters are bad for sand dollars, who have no strong way to stop themselves from being washed around through the water. Adults are heavy enough that they simply lie flat and cling to the floor, but young animals are forced to swallow sand to give themselves added weight.

8. Sand dollars crowd together
Like many other ocean creatures, sand dollars crowd together on the ocean floor. Sand dollars congregate in groups of up to 625 in areas with very fine or muddy bottoms (this is the sand dollar’s best living environment).

9. You can tell the age of a sand dollar like a tree
Scientists age a sand dollar specimen by simply counting the rings in the sand dollars’ exoskeleton (they don’t have to count high – sand dollars usually live between six and 10 years).

10. Sand dollars are slow eaters:
Sand dollars only have five teeth (sort of – they are only tooth-like, not real teeth), and chew their food for a long time – sometimes up to 15 minutes, before swallowing. It can take the sand dollar up to two days to digest its food.

11. Sand dollars reproduce free-form
When sand dollars reproduce, their rigid exoskeleton restricts their mating and baby-creation methods. So, sand dollars figured, why not cut out the middleman and just let the babies make themselves? Sand dollars reproduce by spraying both sperm and egg into the open water and letting the larvae come together on their own!

 

 

We felt like we had plenty of time on the sand bar for what we wanted to do.

The boat returned for us and we loaded up and rode back to the marina. Then, we got back in our fancy new truck and headed home, with only one stop at Phillips Seafood in Swansboro, to buy fresh shrimp and scallops.

This place is our local go-to place for fresh Seafood for sure. Been in business, since 1954

 

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Rylan’s School Function

 

We enjoyed another visit to the boys elementary school. This time for Ry. The theme was hero’s night. They did a great job.

All branches of the Military were honored, including the Secret (not such a secret anymore) Space Force, and kids got to present on who there heroes are or were, and why. Many students have both a mom and dad, either active military or retired, plus long lines of veterans, in their grandparents and great grandparents.

The kids read some stories a sang songs. At the end, each Military Branch’s song was sung, whereas those in the audience stood, to represent which branch they associated the night with.

Obviously, we are a Marine Corps family and super proud! 

 

⬆️ Ry: left side front row 


 

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Soccer, Spray-on Bed Liners and Dinner Out

We watched our first soccer game in the muggy heat with bugs, which came out in full-force to eat on the spectators.
Ha!

We survived.

Rylan really hustled out there in the heat for his team, and made us proud.

 

⬆️ Ry guy. We sure love him!

Something very important we needed to do, was get the bed of our new truck protected/preserved with a spray-on liner. You would think this would be included in the purchase price of a new truck, but no…

Kinda spendy, but not something we would consider NOT doing. It looks fabulous and will hold up to use, without getting scratched and dinged up. 

 

Now that we are very close to the end of cold snaps in NC, I’ve been setting my sights on getting our Glamp spot ready for some decorative lighting, flowers, bird feeders, and seed.

With our pending trip, it made zero sense to set everything up, before we return in May, so I’m chomping at the bit for sure! 

I did put up the hummingbird feeder and was thinking about getting one plant for now, for the hummingbirds. Then, Daryl and I returned home one afternoon to find a beautiful flowering plant, sitting on our picnic table!

We had no idea where it came from. How nice!

I would eventually learn my friend, Tamara got this for us. That was so sweet and thoughtful!

Thank you Tamara!!! ❤️

As a bonus, Tamara (who lives in the same campground) will be babysitting my new plant, whilst we are away.

Speaking of our going away, we really thought we would have Jonah the Bug, back from the shop, before we left, but no. I have collected driftwood from the beach, old windows from abandoned houses, and of course all our outside decor I have ready to set up, upon our return …. BUT no car to put everything in, while gone. Yikes!

……CHELSIE to the rescue. We loaded up items in her car and she is storing them at her house for us, while we are away.

In the future, we will be getting a shed added to our Glamping lot, which will make storing items, for future escapes, easier. I also want to get a portable hot tub, by next fall, after we return from another fun trip on the east coast, during “leaf peeking” season!

 

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Jacksonville has a Texas Roadhouse Restaurant and feeling very celebratory over our life here, with our family and the new truck, we went for prime rib.

We don’t go out to eat, often, so we were happy it was good and worth it.

 

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SO NOT FUN

My credit card got hacked; FIVE times, since November!

This time, two charges from a Lowe’s in NC for $4700; EACH and the bank didn’t question this?

Scammers knew my email, too, because I got an email from Lowe’s, confirming my order.

This is getting very old, and I need my replacement card, like yesterday, since we are leaving on a getaway next week, which makes shipping new cards to a proper address, challenging… such a drag!

 

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Fish Fry and Family


 

Since we leave in a few days, for a little getaway, we had the family over for dinner.

We are gonna miss them!

Normally, Chels would have had softball games, but we got a weekend storm that flooded fields, so aside from time needed for homework and bath times on the weeknights,  for the littles, it was a nice few hours.

My Fish n Chips and homemade Tartar Sauce were a hit. We used the last of our Alaska Cod which Daryl caught, when we were up there. Daryl peeled and cut the potatoes for fries and I got to use my new Westbend Fryer. I loved it and while we don’t eat much fried foods, Fish n Chips are the exception!  

Typical for when I’m cooking and feeding and cleaning, I forget to take pictures, but I’m working on that.

I learned something, tonight. Our grandchildren do not like coconut. 🥥 🤪 I make this killer dessert, called Mounds Poke Cake. It tastes like a Mounds Bar.   The grown-ups liked it. Ha!

 

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X39 And Stem Cell Therapy

Daryl and I are about to start of fourth month of patching. By this time, We know many others who are also patching and getting amazing results! I’m so happy the news is spreading! This therapy is the real deal and quite a wonderful journey to be on and experience! 

Please contact me if interested in learning more about this break-out technology that is not new, but finally available to the masses.

No drugs. No Supplements. No mixing powder in a drink, No doctor visits or prescriptions, etc. It’s simply a sticky patch you apply to your skin and go about your business. The patches activate your very own stem cells, through heat.

BRILLIANT!!


Do you want your health back? 


My Referral Link:

https://www.lifewave.com/colleenhalley/register?


My Customer #
2217909

I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.
My email is:

beachcitystudio@gmail.com

 

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Archive Blog Posts of Our Country Visits

About Us

About Us

Hello and Welcome to our Travel Blog Website, We enjoy writing about our experiences and taking photos of our adventuring along the way. Our names are: Daryl and Pen, but Daryl calls me “Bunny.” We met, quite randomly, whilst both… Read More