Hodge-Podge

Life's been a little busy the past several days -- thus, my absence. I'll share some of what's happening here. Sunday, I took a walk, and the daffodils are in brilliant bloom.

 If you look closely at the pine trees, you see they are putting on a show for spring. I think perhaps these are actually the pollen-bearing flowers? Somebody tell me, please :)

 The periwinkle in this planter looks bright and pretty. I'm ready for some color outside!

 I walked to the boatyard nearby and couldn't resist a photo of tall masts and blue sky. I chatted all the while with Anna on the phone. She's slogging her way through a tough academic semester with some bothersome medical issues, and a mommy on the phone is a good thing!

 March is  W  I  N  D  Y  , and when the wind is long and strong here, it blows the water right out of the creeks, marinas, and even out of the river. This is the lowest we've seen it since we moved here 10 months ago. Boats are sitting in mud, their lines taut, their masts tilted. This is Oriental Marina, a little Cape Dory Typhoon much like ours:

 Here's the town dinghy dock. I didn't go out in that wind; Adam took these photos. He said even the large shrimp trawlers over there (with the red hulls) are partially in mud! That's a friend's boat, hanging below the dock.

 Many hideaway places, one-lane quiet roads, are tucked away in Pamlico County. Adam and I went hunting down some roads we'd neglected and found a couple of lovely spots. A little string of tiny homes curves along the river's edge, like dim jewels on a necklace. The homeowners prefer the quiet and don't want the world to know their paradise is there. This view looks toward the Minnesott Ferry at sunset.

 Saturday was a pivotal day. At the farmers market, I noticed some new faces among the customers; a few "boat people" were strolling by. That means the twice-yearly migration of sailors has begun again, and folks will be drifting our was from the Caribbean's warm waters on their way north. They are crusty, sloppy-looking folk who list slightly as they walk. They look sleepy and dreamy-eyed, usually because they stepped off their boats about 30 seconds ago and wandered to the market a few feet away, smelling the breads for sale.
The photographers and painters are back too. Here, a young man paints a quick version of a sailboat docked in front of him. These things make Oriental a unique and fun place to live.

 Two boats tied to the town dock. The one on the far side is a red, steel-hull boat. It's been in and around the harbor all winter. Her sailor is a Frenchman. The boat on the near side is a new addition. The sailor's name is Burt, and he's from Jersey. He's a dark, glad-handed fellow with a dangly earring and ripped britches. But he was very fun at the market and purchased many items. I enjoy meeting new people like him. It looked like these two fellow were enjoying discussing sailors' adventures.

 Sea Angels? I bet the shrimp don't agree!

 So, we are still here. We spent almost 12 hours on Tuesday at the hospital with a parishioner who awaited a hip surgery. Julia continues art class, chess club, homeschooling. Busy. I finished my third knitted chicken. I need to show you pictures of my pale blue scarf. We cooked the church "snack" lunch on Sunday, and we have a church supper coming up this weekend. It's always something on the horizon, right?
Maybe that's why I love a peaceful horizon out on the river, since mine seems always to be changing and I struggle to adjust.

Blessings from the North Carolina coast!