Oyster Bay Lookout - December 30

Today we decided to go to the Oyster Bay lookout.  We packed a lunch with the intent of enjoying a meal while watching the birds and then heading home for the afternoon.  On our way we discovered that the usual route was no longer available as the bridge was being replaced.  We took an alternate route that went past a few golf courses that we have played (The Pearl, Thistle, Sea Trail) and made our way to our destination.  We were so happy to see that "Rick" a gentleman that we had met last year was there and we renewed our acquaintance.  He is so nice and always willing to share information and locations to go to for better viewing of the eagles. Last year he took Ralph and I to see the baby eagles in their nest (it was a nice birthday present for me).   He takes amazing photos and shares them with us.

We were amazed at the number of ibis that we saw.  There was a huge quantity and Rick said he also had counted at least 7 juveniles (brown in colour) in their midst.  The eagles weren't in sight when we arrived, but we were patient and they eventually came.  Rick shared that the female was sitting on eggs and that the expected hatching date was January 1.  How exciting.  We hope to go back on a regular basis to keep track of their progress.

Below is a few shots of the ibis.  They would fly back and forth between the residential area and the golf course.  It was fun to watch.  Later Ralph and I left to look at the eagle nest and when we came back (maybe 20 minutes later) they were all gone.  Where did they go?

Sitting on the nest is the female (or is it male) Eagle.  The pair have been sitting on the eggs since late November and the expected hatching date is January 1.  We'll be back soon.

This is one of the juvenile eagles.  We watched this one flying around with one of the mature eagles.  They are usually very high in the sky - so the picture is cropped significantly for a better look at the bird and its colouring.

Another pleasant surprise was the fly-by of a stork.  We only saw one but it was a treat to see it.

An egret sitting quietly in the tree's.  It looks like it is starting to get his bleeding mask which is a beautiful green colour which surrounds the bottom part of the eye towards the beak.  

On our way home we stopped at the driving range so Ralph could hit a few balls to get ready for our game on Monday.  I opted to look around in one of the nearby stores.... It was almost 3:30 by the time we got home but we both made a point of getting out for a walk. I walked the beach and Ralph walked along the road.  It was pretty windy at the beach and a little chilly.  No sharks teeth or shells were evident. I guess I'll have to do some early morning walking to see what I can find.

All in all it was a fun day.

And the holiday starts - December 29, 2023

It feels nice to wake up to the sound of the ocean. It's just so calming.  This morning I was up early in anticipation of a nice sunrise. I wasn't disappointed. 

We did a bit of grocery shopping before heading to Huntington. We forgot that this week is a holiday and the park was very busy. We were really surprised at the amount of damage caused by the flooding this winter. It will take some time before all the repairs will be completed.  When we got to the causeway we immediately saw the Snow Goose swimming in the pond. It's a juvenile and not a local resident. Everyone is amazed that the goose has stayed so long. We were lucky and appreciative to see him. 

We didn't immediately see the Spoonbill but found him along the straight road near alligator ally. What a thrill to see these two beauties.  

We also saw an Eagle but he didn't land and simply flew overhead. 

There is a fair amount of birds at the park which is nice to see. We also saw a whole family of Ibis which was exciting. We only saw 2 juveniles (the brown ones) last year so seeing 3-4 was really nice to watch. There seems to be a few Osprey around as well. It is going to be a fun winter watching them. 

We have arrived in Myrtle Beach December 28

We left our hotel at 9:00 this morning. We made excellent time and arrived in Myrtle Beach just after 11:30. We were surprised at the number of dead deer on the side of the road. We counted over 20 between Asheboro and Myrtle Beach. We've never seen something like that before. It's pretty sad to see. I also saw a few hawks along the way and in our travels saw an Eagle and I think a Snowy Owl ( that one was on a fence post so hard to tell). 

Once we got to the Condo we were greeted by Haddie. It was nice to see her. Sadly the room wasn't ready so we had to kill some time. We went grocery shopping and checked out the Outlet Mall and used bookstore. We're pretty sure we're in the same room as last year. Once again the coffee table is missing but we have been assured that one will be found. A chair is also missing from the Master bedroom. Hopefully we don't have to wait long for a replacement. 

We had a beautiful sunset to end the day and the weather was quite nice. The forecast for tomorrow is sunshine. We're looking forward to that. 

 

Let's go exploring - December 27, 2023

I was up early and went out to the dining area to allow Ralph to catch up on his sleep.  I'm enjoying a book entitled "A man called OVE" which I brought along with me to read.  We had watched the movie with Tom Hanks entitled "A Man called Otto".  It was a Christmas present from Laura and Jay.  It's humorous to read.  Ralph showed up around 7:30 and we enjoyed a nice breakfast together.

It was still raining although not as bad as yesterday.  We decided to go check out the Outlet Mall in Mebane.  They were having Boxing Day Sales and we picked up a few awesome deals.  Both of us were pretty happy.

We then headed to a small town called Seagrove.  They specialize in pottery.  At first Ralph wasn't too sure that he wanted to go because basic pottery doesn't do much to excite him.  We were really glad we went though as there are many Pottery Artisans there and their work is amazing and so beautiful.  We highly recommend that if you are in the area, you make a visit there to see for yourselves.  I have included a few photos to give you an idea of some of the work that we saw.

While we were at "Pottery by Frank Need", we had a close call.  As we were getting ready to leave, we had delayed driving out to rearrange some stuff in the back of our truck when we heard this loud "crack" and a large branch (circumference about 10-12 inches) fell down onto the driveway that we would have been driving on.  We walked over and pulled it out of the way being very thankful that it didn't hit us or anyone else for that matter.

We finished off our day with dinner at "Black Powder Smokehouse".  We enjoyed brisket and pulled chicken along with some savoury sides.  They sure pour a "large" glass of wine lol.  The food was delicious and pretty inexpensive.  Another casual but nice place to visit.

All in all it was a nice day.  

Asheboro, North Carolina - December 26, 2023

After driving most of the day we have arrived at the Hampton Hotel in Asheboro.  The drive went well through Ontario, New York and Pennsylvania. We had thick fog in Niagara which amazingly cleared as soon as we got to the border. There was only one gate open at the border and we stood in line for about 30 minutes. We were not expecting that. It was smooth sailing right through to West Virginia where it started to rain. It wasn't bad at first but the further south we got the heavier the rain became. There was a lot of flooding in the woods that you could see. Everything is still pretty green as we saw no snow anywhere. Once we hit Virginia, the rain was a steady downpour. There were at least 6 major slow downs all related to the rain and accidents. We just took our time but when we reached the hotel we were pretty tired. We had planned to go out for a nice dinner to celebrate Ralph's 65th birthday but opted to wait till we got to Myrtle Beach. We went next door to the Kickback Jack restaurant and enjoyed a light dinner and had an early night. 

On the road - December 26, 2023

Well we're off to a good start, leaving at 2:45 this early morning on Boxing Day.  Hopefully we didn't forget anything and if we did, we'll make do.  In the excitement I almost forgot to wish Ralph a happy 65th birthday.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, our goal is to drive to Asheboro, North Carolina which is approximately 11 hours and 32 minutes from Rexdale.  With gas stops and washroom breaks we expect the drive to take roughly 13 hours.  We hope that the weather isn't too bad and that the rain is minimal.  So far the temperature is 5c and clear sailing on the highway.

We're looking forward to a great time golfing, walking the beaches and nature viewing.  Myrtle Beach.....here we come!!

Almost time to go

 It's hard to believe, but another year has passed and it's time for us to get ready to go to Myrtle Beach. We always look forward to going and this year is no different.   Our bags are all packed and the truck is also partially loaded.  We plan to leave early in the morning on Boxing Day.  We've been monitoring the weather and decided to leave 1 day earlier than planned to avoid any freezing rain that might occur.  So far there is rain in the forecast but the overall temperature is looking to be milder.  We really didn't want a repeat of last year.  Our plan is to spend an extra day in Asheboro, North Carolina.  That will allow us to get a bit of rest between the driving and maybe even do a bit of exploring in the area.

Tomorrow we plan to spend the morning with Mom and watch the service on our computer and then have a small Christmas celebration afterwards. It's hard to say goodbye for three months as you never know what the Lord has planned for her or us for that matter.  We'll keep in touch with the telephone and maybe even do a video call with her.  We're thankful to Linda and those who are staying home for helping to keep the visits up during our absence.  

Many of us will be in Myrtle Beach this year.  Lawrence and Teresa, Harry and Marian, Jim and Deb, Ed, Janice, Kelli and Justine, Sandra, Sean, Rosie, Tyson, Owen, Chelsea, Jordan and Hailey will all be here for varying time periods.  It will be nice to see everyone.

December 23 - lunch with Mom

On Saturday we got together with all the girls and Mom to celebrate Christmas. Marian was gracious to offer their apartment which made it nice and cozy.  We ordered Swiss Chalet and supplemented the meal with Caesar salad, cheesecake and some wine for toasting. We had a great time all together and Mom thoroughly enjoyed herself.

What a wonderful way to celebrate the advent season surrounded by family and loved ones.