Pelican 1, Katherine 0

Published on Saturday, July 3, 2010 by Katherine

We are back, for better or worse.

In the seven days we were at the beach house we could only swim TWO DAYS. After these two glorious days, the wind came offshore which dropped the ocean temperature TWENTY DEGREES. Try putting anything but your toes in 53 degree water and YOWSA!

The day the water warmed up we couldn’t swim due to thunder storms. THEN when THOSE passed, the wind was so strong we had rip currents for the remaining days. Sigh.

But as I tell the children, a crappy day in the Outer Banks is a hundred times better than being at home in school or at work!

The highlights?

The dolphins, of course!
Seeing my brother and his beautiful daughters after not having seen them for a few years. Happy Face!
Eating my brother’s amazing gourmet food every night. Happy Stomach!
Nothing but time to be MOM to my children with no interruptions whatsoever. Heaven.
Sitting on the deck the last night of our stay watching the night sky with my children. Quiet talk, shooting stars, wishes and whispers. Memories to last a lifetime.
Eating brownies every other night without caring about calories. Because I was on vacation, right?
Being pretty much unplugged. It can be a good thing.
Seeing my children catch fish.
Currently pristine ocean water. I pray it will stay that way.
Laughing at two of the most amazingly sophomoric jokes I’ve ever heard, knowing I have never heard any that were funnier. And then laughing when I remembered them. And then laughing when I retold them to my kids. And then laughing at how stupid and gross the jokes are. Which made me laugh more.
Being the first in my family to be pooped on by a pelican. This is truly an honor! Did you know that pelican poop flies at you like a stream of bullets, that it is warm and smells like fish?
Baby deer, fox, osprey, a whip-or-will and many species of beautiful birds.
Watching my daughter fly kites. When was the last time you flew a kite?
I swear I finally stood up on that surfboard. I SWEAR. My kids say, “Nooooot quittteeee.” OK, so not quite. But ALMOST.
Snuggling up to my daughter at night and smelling the ocean in her hair before drifting off to sleep.

Do you have any particular memories of vacations gone by? The good OR the bad? Extra points if you have been pooped on by a pelican. I think that is worth a few weeks of free ad space, no?