Sunday 4/29

I haven't written a blog post in a long time.  Too busy with other things I guess.  I am enjoying my time with my Life Group ladies, still volunteering with USO, though not as much lately, and trying to keep my Etsy shop up and running. But I thought I would write today.

The last two days have been spent in Beaufort.  Elaina bought a ticket to the Beaufort Wine and Cheese event for yesterday, and a ticket to the Vin de Mere Epicurean Village for today.  Eastern North Carolinians love their food and wine events. This weekend's events are a fundraiser for various charities each year. Townspeople attend these events, but so do the people that come by yacht from all over.

Last year I attended the Food Truck Rodeo with Elaina. It was okay, but maybe not as well done as we had hoped.

I rode along to spend the day in Beaufort, one of my favorite places to be.  (Elaina can eat oysters and cucumber saki, if she wants, just let me have the sea breeze and the view).

I've written about Beaufort before of course, but I'll say a little more again and add some photos.

Beaufort was started in 1709 and is famous for the pirate ship The Queen Ann's Revenge among other things.  I visited the Maritime Museum while I was there and saw so many  items found on the wreckage of the Queen Ann's Revenge.  The museum has a lot of information on Blackbeard and his three ships along with all kinds of maritime information. I was fascinated by the displays of the original Coast Guard service and their methods of saving people from shipwrecks. They used a pulley-like system using something called a "Breeches Buoy."  People could put their legs through the buoy and be pulled to shore from a ship.  That was as far back as the 1800's.  I found a picture of a breeches buoy: 

Maritime museum

I walked around town and watched boats zipping around in Taylor's Creek.  It was a busy day for boaters and shoppers today.

sorry, Blogger doesn't let me move photos around easily.

The land across from these pictures is Carrot Island, where the wild ponies are.  I caught a picture of one yesterday.  Look closely, he's there.

Because the town is so old, there are many, many houses with historical designations, like this one I passed walking to the antique stores. I think the oldest house is from 1700.

I did a brave thing for me today; I walked into a restaurant, "Finz Grill" to have lunch by myself.  I didn't want to give up my parking space to go find "fast food" so I sat by myself and ate lunch there.

They have a waterfront patio, but I ate inside.  While I was there a Coast Guard boat docked at the patio and they sat out on the patio to have lunch. (I've heard them called "Coasties" but I don't think they like that. Not sure what they are referred to)

Much of the time I sat on a bench at the boardwalk and just enjoyed the sun, the sea breeze and people watching.  Got my daily dose of vitamin D3 today.

Before it was time to pick up Elaina from the event, I decided to get an ice cream cone from one of the shops.  (I got peanut butter cup flavor!) The girl behind the counter scooped my ice cream and set it on the counter and I handed her my debit card.  She said, we only take a debit card with a $6 purchase.  Oh my.  My cone was $3.18.  I only had two dollar bills on me.  I wasn't sure what to do.  Buy a second cone and let it drip all over the place?  But a young couple with 3-4 kids came in and the woman handed the cashier a 5 dollar bill.  I didn't realize at first what was happening until the cashier gave the woman change.  I said, "Did you just pay for that?"  The woman said "yes."  I thanked her and tried to give her my 2 dollar bills, but she wouldn't take them.

She said they had had someone pay for their $40 meal once at a restaurant that only took cash, which they hadn't come prepared for. She was just paying it forward and I was the happy recipient.  Such a nice surprise.  I will have to remember to do that for someone else soon.

The next photos are from the far end of Front Street in Beaufort. There are some beautiful homes, big and small and some with private docks. It's a narrow little street and when bike riders are out in force, you have to squeeze by. I think these trees are southern live oak trees.

It was a gorgeous day really and always does me good, to get outside and enjoy what ENC has to offer.  I am grateful to get to live in a place with so much nature!  (minus the mosquitoes)

Here's a link to the town website.  Do yourself a favor and go look at nice photos of  Beaufort!  http://www.beaufortnc.org/

Also:
https://www.google.com/search?q=beaufort,+nc&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj-n_HByM3TAhWB2SYKHY4EDiYQ_AUICygC&biw=1366&bih=638#imgrc=ajiu3qc-3ge83M: