We cannot complain about our spring weather. We had just enough rain to survive and plenty of sunshine and blue skies.
We were getting dry, but in the space of a little over twenty-four hours on Saturday, June 20, we got 3.35 inches of rain.
Now everything is beautifully green and we are headed into the warmest part of summer with some moisture in the ground.
Our vegetables are doing particularly well and Winberry’s produce stand looks spectacular. Most winter wheat has been cut and the field corn seems to be doing nicely.
That is just about the right temperature to help you cool off on a hot, steamy, North Carolina day.
We have had some great beach days during the first three weeks in June for those who like the early season.
As always this time of year the beaches are still relatively empty like this picture I took at Third St. Even with empty beaches you can get some great waves.
I have enjoyed a couple of trips over to the Point including one very relaxing evening on the beach. You don’t have to be on the beach to have a beach evening but it helps if you are close enough to smell the salt water.
I also had a great hike over at the Point on June 2, and posted this online album of pictures. There is always plenty to do at the beach but here is a list if you need some help. Standing in the surf is usually enough for me especially if I have a fishing rod in my hand.
My biggest challenge is deciding whether to go out in my kayak or our skiff.
Both are great ways to see the area. However, there is nothing like coming down our real main street, the ICW from Cedar Point to Swansboro.
However since it is on my doorstep and as peaceful as it gets, I often default to my kayak. I am comfortable out on the oyster rocks in the White Oak River and it is something that I can do without burning gas.
It is never crowded out there and you cannot say that about the Intracoastal Waterway when we have holiday boat traffic like in this picture. I find that an early morning trip to the marshes is the best way to handle the extra boat traffic.
I took these pictures on a June 8 trip to the marshes around Huggins’ Island on the south side of the ICW. I was back home before my wife had her first cup of coffee, but I only caught a lizardfish.
It was one of the three trips trips in the last month during which I caught a red drum.
This picture of a 22” drum in a cooler gives you a good idea of how nice my catches have been.
We get two or three meals out of a drum once it gets a little over twenty inches. So far I have had no luck on trout or flounder.
I have also seen an osprey a few times. The birds except for the ospreys do not seem to mind you as much if you are in a kayak.
Instead of fishing most of my spare time has been going to writing in June. I have just finished the 2014 update of our $3.99 Kindle book, “A Week At the Beach - The Emerald Isle Travel Guide.”
With those perfect beach days coming one after another the next few week, it is time for some vacation planning if you want to hit the beach in the summer of 2014. You can read more about our books on the books tab, and I am willing to bet that you have never seen a travel guide like ours.
If you need an overview of other information that I provide about the Crystal Coast, visit my Life Along The Crystal Coast Page.
Many locals will tell you that there is no better way to see the area than through my eyes and their extensions, the lenses of my cameras. If you would like to see some of those pictures of the spectacular scenery in our area, check out our recently published $2.99 Kindle book, 100 Pictures, 1000 Words, A Crystal Coast Year. It is worth clicking on the link just to see the free sample of seven pictures. I picked the best 100 pictures from the over 40,000 that I took last year. Kindle reader software works on just about every platform including iPads and iPhones.
If you would like to subscribe to my monthly Crystal Coast newsletter, just scroll to the bottom of any 2014 post on my Crystal Coast Life blog and register.
If you are interested in more information about me, check out the about me section of my main website.
There are links to many other places where my writing is posted. You can also visit this site to see what I have recently published, or if you are interested in the technology side of my world, visit this list of articles that I have written for ReadWrite Web or if you care to see my thoughts on the latest issue that compels me to get on my soapbox, visit my View from the Mountain site where I have been writing since 2004.
More general information about the mainland where I live is available at this link to my Swansboro to Cape Carteret area page.
You will find some helpful area details that might make folks think you are a local, but for the real local experience and information head for our travel guide.
Why we love it here?
It is hard to say that any place is perfect. However, for those who think a walk on the beach is better than a trip to the mall, the Crystal Coast is hard to beat.
While living by the water is not for everyone, it has worked out well for us. If you are considering living on the water, you might want to read my post, Life By Coastal Waters.
For thoughts on where we have chosen to live, I would steer you to my articles, In the Wildness of our surroundings there is peace, Community, America the not so overfull, and Why I love living in Carteret County
My Crystal Coast, Salt Water on Your Feet site also has a number of articles for people considering a move to the Crystal Coast.
To make life even better here on the coast, I would recommend a visit to our wonderful church home at Cape Carteret Presbyterian Church.
Our quiet spot sheltered by Bogue Banks, Croatan National Forest, and the Cape Lookout National Seashore is a friendly area with a great future. Right now it is the spot for us.
This is a link to a simple map of the area. There are more detailed ones in our Emerald Isle Travel Guide.
