One Day, Three Beaches

 It really sounds like we had a big day of beach hopping.  Not so.  We went to Topsail Island and for some reason it is divided into 3 municipalities, North Topsail, Surf City and Topsail Beach.  If they didn't have big welcome signs at each place you would think you are at the same beach.  We enjoyed Topsail Beach the most.  More laid back, few to none walking the beach and dogs are free, no leash from October 1 until May 1.  We kept their leashes with us because you never know what kind of dog might be off leash.  We have encountered a couple big mean ones that have their owner straight armed trying to hold them back.  Dang, why?  That would be far from an enjoying walk with a dog.  Plus, the worry of the damage the dog could do on human or another dog.  Since we walk the beach twice a day at Holden Beach we have learned from afar if it is a dog we need to stay away from.  Usually the beach is wide enough to walk on the opposite side of where Mr. or Mrs. Mean and Nasty is.  Back to the beaches, Holden is our all time NC beach.  We have been to the three I mentioned plus, Ocean Isle and Sunset Beach.  Both of those are beautiful but quite a bit more action and population.  Within a few years I am sure Holden will be right up there as busy and crowded as the others.  Since last winter we have seen the earth moving and businesses going up.  A new RV park is ready to open soon and is huge!  Also a big tall building going up that we heard is going to be a candy store like the one in North Myrtle Beach, 40 minutes south of us.  Build it and they will come!

There is a little bagel shop that also has homemade ice cream.  Yes!  We stopped and the bagels are the best New York style.  They also sell their special flavored cream cheese from different fruits, veggie, bacon cheddar and Jalapeno!  We did get an ice cream cone, also very good.  That is just to close for comfort, 2 miles!  In Clara we have at least a 15 minute drive to town and neither of us will take the bait to go get something we might be craving.  

Yesterday the waves were crashing and so loud we could not hear anything else.  Each day on our way to walk we say, well how will the waves be today.  Just a guess and so far we have not guessed correctly.  For some reason the days that we think the water will be calm and gentle it turns out to loud, crashing with foam and spray going into the air and on the beach.  Living in the hills of Potter County, PA is easy to know what the weather is going to be.  On the NC Coast, absolutely no clue of predicting the weather.  Red sky in the morning here is usually a beautiful day, Red sky at night is the same, another nice day tomorrow.  The one thing I do know if morning or night does not have a red sunset........rain is usually happening or soon will. 

Don't think we are down here for the winter just relaxing and walking on the beach.  Since our son and wife are so kind to let us stay at their beach place we try to do a few things to help them.  This year is was plastering, priming and painting the master bedroom.  Painted the living room, kitchen and hall way. I got to pick all the colors!  How trusting is that?  Friday they will be here to see the make-over. 😜 I am a little fearing!  Kinda like Love it or List it... 

I have to keep busy because.........after a week away I get homesick for Clara, family and friends.  Once we get home I will miss our beach walks, the convenience of Hobby Lobby 10 minutes away plus some other favorite stores.  At Holden Beach every place we like to go is no more than 20 miles away.  A Food Lion is 2 miles from us which makes it nice since it is on our way to the beach.  Even with all this stores it still feels like we are in the country.  Lots of woods, even deer and turkey sightings.  The biggest surprise was seeing 3 sets of deer tracks on Holden Beach last week.  They went right down to the water!