Back To The Lake

Last Photo From The Beach: Our Halle And The Pups

I am in  Northern Virginia at the moment, sitting in my daughter Jill's living room, as everyone else sleeps in.  It's raining out, at 5:45,  46º, a stark contrast with our week at the beach. I guess I should be happy with what we had, a glorious week of beach days, blue skies, and sun with the family. 

We took our time leaving Topsail Saturday although we were on our way by 9:30 and check out time was 10:00.  I got in my morning beach walk and by the time I returned, everyone was up except for Halle.  We did not have much to do for the condo, just strip the beds, gather the towels, and make sure the dishwasher was emptied.  We did not bring much so it was easy packing up the car although Drew had a roof carrier and much more to take back than us. 

We left the beach reluctantly but happy that we were able to have a week of great weather, food, and family time.  I tried to keep up with Drew but lost him, probably because of three stops, two for rest areas, and once at the slowest Mc Donald's in Virginia.  We asked why and were told that a few workers never came in.  It took us a good twenty-five minutes to get our meals in the drive-through. Our drive back was boring, much of it on a busy #95 and surprisingly warm, in the '80s for the first couple of hours and cooler when we finally got to Jill's, around 3:45, a six-hour drive as expected.

Because I had a damaged power cord for my Mac,  I drove to Best Buy, 15 minutes away, and was able to buy the last cord.  I was lucky; otherwise, I would have had to drive to Buffalo to the Apple Store on Monday. We were all tired and didn't do much except decide we did not want to fuss with dinner.  Drew and I drove off to Domino's, picked up three mediums, a deal, and we stuffed our faces with pizza and salad.  We watched the often hilarious, raunchy, gross, vulgar (you choose the most appropriate word) Borat movie on Amazon Prime, as he makes fun of conservatives in the United States, including a ridiculous interview with Trump lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani is set up, duped, punked, by an attractive female journalist from Kazakhstan. He seems to fawn over the shy journalist, constantly reassuring her by touch, and eventually walks into a bedroom, lies down on the bed, and puts his hand down his pants as the female interviewer sits next to him. Giuliani claims he was readjusting his shirt. How Sasha Baron Cohen manages to insert himself in these situations is the wonder of the film.

We ended the night falling asleep in front of the TV, watching some college football until we made ourselves go to bed, knowing we had a long drive tomorrow.

  

All Good Things Must End

It's our last morning here at the beach and as usual, I am the only one up.  We are supposed to be out of the condo by 10:00, so I will take a short walk on the beach at sunrise, return, finish up the blog, make sure everyone is up and we start cleaning and packing, sad making.  Low Tide: 8:47, High Tide: 3:00

Yesterday was a classic beach day, as we all left the beach with savage tans, just kidding although Jill is close.  I took my usual half-hour sunrise walk, came back and a few were up, a few still asleep. It took a while to finish the blog because of so many photos and we were having trouble with downloading them because of the wifi's fickleness. I managed to get down to the beach by 11:00, knowing the tide was coming in at 2:00.  Jill and Drew soon joined me, then Evie.  It was the warmest day of the week so I went boogie boarding to cool off, then on a walk with Evie.  I had enough after a half hour but Evie kept on for a good hour it was so pleasant.  

Around 1:00 I left Drew, Evie and Jill on the beach, made a couple of sandwiches, then took a good hour nap.  I read for a while, went to the beach, leaving Evie and Jan to play Bananagrams on the porch.  Jill, Drew, and I stayed on the beach until 5:00.  They headed up and I went for a final boogie boarding on the waves, getting tossed a couple of times by the last wave.  

4:53

6:15

Around 5:00 we pulled out some appetizers only to realize we were out of wine so Jill and I drove to the grocery to pick up a couple of bottles of Cupcake sauvignon blanc and were back in time to take our final beach walk at sunset, always the best time of the day.  We took a final selfie, let the dogs run loose before coming up for a dinner of leftovers, hamburgs, Greek chicken, scallops with risotto and spinach, as well as hot dogs and a salad.  

Yum, Hot Dogs

No one complained and it tasted surprisingly good, maybe because no one had to cook.  We ended the night with brownies and a game of Telefunky, with Evie and Jan trouncing the rest of us. We fininshed just about 10:00 and we all went to bed, tired from the sun and water.  

We have a six hour drive today to Jill's house in Bristow, will stay the night and then drive seven more hours on Sunday to the lake.  

Hazy, Crazy Beach Days At Topsail, NC

Family Week

7:23

It's just after 6:00, stars are out as well as a crescent moon, the waves crashing on the shore and I am listening to Morning Joe discuss the crashing of the Trump train.  Everyone is still sleeping, lucky dogs, as I sit here writing, waiting for the coffee to brew. It's 8:00 and I just walked for a half hour, watching the sunrise among the clouds.  I am beginning to recognize the same people out for an early walk like me. It's a perect morning for a walk, low, a vast beach, and little wind.  High tide at 1:58, Low Tide at 6:39.

Drew Walking The Beach

Yesterday, like today, our beach time will be dictated by the tides. Because it was not until 12:30 yesterday, we had little beach early afternoon, having to hunker down on the edge of the dunes, with water occasionally crashing under our chairs.  

Pelican Skimming The Water

Sandpipers

We had the usual morning, writing the blog for me, then going for a half-hour walk while the sun fought to rise above the clouds. Drew was up as well, working, talking on the phone for work, then around 9:00, he went for a long walk as everyone was finally getting up.  

When Jill got up and had her coffee, we decided we needed to go to Surf City to pick up dinner, fresh scallops, and tuna from the fish market and stop briefly at the local grocery store. The market is not very fancy, just as an outdoor table with eight or nine coolers holding the seafood. I did not go into the grocerystore, walked around the neighborhood, and continue to be surprised by the people who don't wear masks although it's required in businesses.

Fish Market

We were home by noon and even though it was close to high tide, Drew and I went down to the beach, walked some, and made sure we were back far enough to avoid the water.  I had enough by 1:00 and went up for lunch, the leftover chicken that I made into a gyro with tzatziki sauce.  I then read, napped, and was ready to get back out on the beach by 2:00.  Evie and Jan were playing scrabble, having had enough sun. I joined Jill and Drew on the beach and Evie soon followed and the four of us stayed down until 4:15, people watching, sunning, reading, occasionally taking a beach walk with a beer. Because the waves were choppy, I used Drew's boogie board and had a great time catching the waves.  It brought me back to my surfing days in the 1960s in Honolulu, as I would hit the beach before the sun rose just to catch a wave.

An Old Man Rides A Wave

The Bissell Gals

Around 5:00, we had the leftover shrimp with mayo and lemon juice as our firest appetizer while Jill put together our second appetizer, a poke bowl, tuna, soy, sesame oil, avocado, and green onions. We let it marinate and went down to the beach, walked the dogs, and watched the sky change as the sun moved towards the western sky.  

Late Afternoon

Dusk

Happy Days

Drew And The Gals

Around 6:30, we were busy in the kitchen, putting together our scallop dinner and enjoying our poke in bowls.  Evie browned the scallops, sauteed the spinach, while Jill made the risotto with my help as a temporary stirrer.  Evie served the risotto, topped with spinach and the scallops,  a dinner fit for a gourmet restaurant.  We loved it.  We did not finish up till 8:40 when we cleaned up then went our own ways.  

Plump Scallops And Spinach

I went out for a brief walk on the beach in the star-filled sky, Venus burning brightly in the East.  Jill and family, sensibly, wanted to have nothing to do with the Presidential Debate, fed up with politics, and watched a movie called Blended.  Evie and I watched the debate in our bedroom, two masochists, who seem to enjoy the pain of listening to a buffoon, a talk show performer, pretend to be Presidential. It was funny watching Trump bite his tongue, trying to control his mouth.  Overall, Trump was more disciplined than his previous debate, less manic; Biden was at his best which is average but he did enough to make him seem Presidential. I would give Biden the edge but I am prejudiced.  It kept me up until at least midnight, alas, pumped I suppose by the emotions of this very important election.

My prediction: our grandchildren are going to look back on the past four years, both presidential elections, and wonder how a large swath of the American electorate could  have voted for such a dangerous, ignorant,  and despicable authoritarian for President.

 

We Could Get Used To This

7:02

7:28

I slept in some, till 7:00, the sky mostly grey with slashes of cream.  It looks like another crappy day in paradise, warm, sunny, blue skies, another stellar beach day at Topsail.  I could get used to this although I miss the fall colors of Chautauqua. It's 8:00 and I just returned from a half-hour beach walk, Drew and I are sitting on the front porch and I am trying to listen to Morning Joe over the crashing sounds of the waves. High Tide: 12:57,  Low Tide: 6:11

8:01

7:41

Yesterday was another fine beach day although we really didn't get to the beach until the ebbing of high tide, just afternoon.  Our morning was filled with all of us on our devices although both Jill and Drew were working unlike the rest of us who just surfed the net, looking for something to read or do. Evie and I volunteered to go to Food Lion to pick up a few things we need for our dinners the next couple of nights, an easy four-mile drive. I was struck by the seeming refusal of at least half of the population to wear a mask although every worker in Food Lion was wearing a mask. It's becoming infuriating at least to me to see this blatant disregard of other people's health, whatever the reason.  Drew and Halle went the other way, south to Surf City, to pick up a few things as well.  

Body Surfing

Halle And Her Dad

A Perfect Pass

I beached it for an hour, from noon to 1:00, getting in some body surfing, our chairs hugging the wall of sand because it was high tide.  Evie, then, stayed down, joined for Jill and Drew and I went up and showered, made lunch, then read and napped until 2:00. I joined the gang and we stayed down on the beach, drinking an occasional beer, taking walks, sunbathing, playing volleyball, and body surfing.  I love the water, the waves, the smell of salt.  

The Coach

Jilly Bean

We left the beach and stayed up, recuperating from the sun until 6:00 when it was wine time as well as time to get back to the beach with the dogs and watch the sky change as the sunset off to the West, behind the oceanfront homes. It was a perfect temperature for the dogs and they loved being unleashed and allowed to race up and down the beach.  

Enjoying Sunset With The Pups

What A Cutie

Another Cutie

We stayed until dusk then went up and Drew and I got busy, lighting the charcoal, then grilled Greek marinated chicken thighs for dinner.  Jill had naan so we were able to make Greek chicken souvlaki sandwiches, with tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, and onions.  It was a good choice, a change from seafood, and with a salad and nutty buddy for dessert, we were all happy, ready to play a rousing game of Telefunky until 10:00, with Jill and Jan the winners, Drew and I the big losers, how appropriate.  

Yesterday's Amazing Sky As The Sun Begins To Set