Harkers Island and Remembering Dad

I am happy to report that Kurt and the boys found a great source of clams when they camped out on Cape Lookout. I'm not sure it was exactly "clam city" but it provided all the clam needs for the week. The only black mark on the expedition was when no one remembered to put the left over clams on ice...we lost a few...and every time Kurt remembers this loss it still brings tears to his eyes! If you talk to Kurt, please don't mention the lost clams. Thank you!

We had a nice time on the Crystal Coast visiting with family, going sailing, water skiing, beaching, etc. It was all topped off with my favorite excursion of all....a visit to Shackleford Banks. This has to be heaven on earth! We landed on the sound side and trekked over to the ocean side. The horse paths through the underbrush offered a nice bit of shade. And the shelling was the best! The water is so beautiful....blue and green like the Caribbean seas.

Here's a photo of the Creamer cousins and Popeye (a.k.a. Marvin Creamer) on the last night of our vacation.

I couldn't help but think of dad while I was on Harkers Island this week. It was the kind of trip he would have loved. I found myself giving Maggie the same sanddollar hunting instructions that dad used to give me. I'm not sure why I felt Clyde with me so vividly this week...perhaps because we ended the week celebrating dads, or perhaps going to the Core Sound area reminds me of the days when mom and dad would take us up to Duck for vacations...back when Duck was unchartered ground, as the Core Sound area is today. Or perhaps just because dad is never very far from my conscious mind. And for that I am grateful. Thank you dad, for sharing the love of the beach ... and the garden ... with me. Happy Father's Day!

Old as she was, she still missed her daddy sometimes. ~Gloria Naylor