"Pearl" in Winter Garden, Florida
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Long shadows in Wyoming
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Barry has been taking photos of the lighted home decorations around Ocean Isle Beach as we take our nightly walks. Since this is the off season, and these are people's second homes for the most part, the decorating isn't as extensive as in some places, but we enjoyed what some folks have done. 
Here's hoping that all readers of this blog have a very Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy new year.
Stay tuned for more traveling adventures coming up in 2014!
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 It's pretty quiet here at Ocean Isle Beach, NC, and we've settled into a nice routine. Walking on the beach, riding bikes, reading, watching the sun set, eating simple, healthy meals in the condo (saving our eating out dollars -- and calories! -- for when my mother, step-dad, and brother arrive next week), and researching future travels online. It's not as exciting being here (where we've been several times before) as exploring a new place would be, but we certainly can't complain -- we're at the beach, after all! And after today, temperatures are supposed to warm up to 70+ for four days straight. We will really enjoy that! Here are a few photos from the past week -- has it really been over a week since I posted last?!   Someone built this cute sand "snowman" on the beach...awwwwww We've had variable weather from quite chilly to almost warm. Barry was excited to wear shorts and a t-shirt for one of his beach walks!
 Barry took this series of photos of Paisley and me on the beach that I really liked. She was resisting me the whole time, trying desperately to go wherever I wasn't to investigate all the interesting smells in the sand, but I think that made for better photos. Sometimes obstinance can be cute, right?    Finally I gave in to her whims and did a little running. I love that Barry caught me with both feet off the ground in this photo -- looks like I am walking on air!  And she hangs out on the condo's balcony whenever the sun is warm. She even asks to go out there when the temperature is in the 40s, so long as the sun is out.  Our little sun worshipper We had an especially beautiful sunset the other night. Hard to choose which photos to show, but here are a few.    Yesterday afternoon we took a walk when the tide was at its lowest. The beach here is so wide, and this time of year, so empty! There will be more folks here spending Christmas week, but for now, we're enjoying having this beautiful place almost to ourselves.  We'll happily share it with these guys, though....  This morning Barry returned from his walk and told me that there is a Little Free Library here on the island! There are a few of these in Prairie Village, and we ran into one in Hill City, South Dakota on our fall trip. I love these! So, when we took our bike ride today, we swung by there, and I exchanged a paperback I'd just finished for a new one.  So many choices -- it took me awhile to pick! I finally came up with what looks like a perfect beach read from one of my favorite authors.  So that's a little slice of our life here on the beach. It hardly feels like we're less than a week from Christmas!
A beautiful day at the shore
After several days of pea-soup fog, clouds, and drizzle, all of which made me feel like hibernating like a bear in winter, we finally got a beautiful, clear day today. It was even colder -- 35F this morning with a predicted high of only 52 -- but it was so good to see the sun, we didn't even mind. 
This had been our view for days now -- the ocean is out there somewhere!
Since the condo we're renting is rather small, sometimes it's important to split up for some private time -- plus it keeps us from tripping all over each other! So while Barry took his morning walk, I did my workout routine (a blend of light weights, yoga, and pilates). And when he returned to the condo, I headed out with my camera to walk on the beach so he could do his weight workout in peace. Here are some of the photos from my walk. 
Barry and Paisley seeing me off from our balcony
As I mentioned in my last post, it appeared that a lot of folks who were here for Thanksgiving must have tossed their fall decorations into the ocean as there were several pumpkins washed up here and there along the shore. Here was yet another one. Strange! 
I like the way the sea has seemingly added the pink color -- oddly pretty
Beach cottages sure are bigger than they used to be when we were coming to the beach in the old days! 
These are more like the cottages my family used to rent when I was growing up...I still think they have more authentic beach charm, rather than looking like something that belongs at The Hamptons. 
Hanging out by the dunes selfie
This poor fellow was about to be attacked by a seagull right after I took his photo. As I approached, I thought it was a belly-up horseshoe crab, but it turned out to be a stingray. 
As I was returning to the condo, I saw a large flock of seagulls, plus a few grackles, loudly fighting over something in this parking lot right by a dumpster. Turns out, an ice cream shop must have thrown out their stale cones -- the gulls were loving them! 
The shops are mostly closed now that it's the off season. A few are open on weekends only. I loved the colors of this one and the stand-up paddleboards. That's something I'm dying to try one of these days. 
It looks like we're going to have a few more cool, sunny days, followed by a warmer, wetter weekend. It could be worse since so many parts of the country are seriously frigid. Of course, last year on this date, we were a bit warmer yet -- in Campeche, Mexico! 
December 11, 2012 -- Campeche waterfront
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Emily & BarryWe're a long-married, early-retired couple who are currently traveling as nomads with no fixed home base. After years of living in North Carolina (Emily's home state), we spent 18 months living oceanfront on Ambergris Caye, Belize, a year road-tripping the US in a Honda CR-V, a year in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and are now roaming North America in our 32' motorhome, Pearl, following warm weather whenever possible. 
Paisley, May 2016
States visited (pre-RV)
Pearl, a 2007 Newmar Bay Star
States visited in "Pearl"
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