Vacation!

A view from the top deck overlooking the marsh and Pamlico Sound...so peaceful

Yes, I have been on a vacation. A real one to Ocracoke Island as well as a vacation from stitching. Though the stitching is always close by, sadly to say I just haven't felt the urge to stitch. I started to get the itch to knit but I suppressed it since I didn't feel like spending money on yarn. Here is a pic of my current WIP which by all rights should have been finished by now!

Simply Live in memory of Lisa Roswell

Our vacation on Ocracoke was wonderful! It's an island just south of Hatteras Island on the Outer Banks. Beautiful unspoiled beaches, a lovely old town without all the hoopla you find at some other vacation spots (no mini-golf or amusement parks). We loved the house we stayed in. It was very close to the beach (no homes are built on the beaches there) and just a bike ride or walk to town. The mosquitoes were a little pesky though and my daughter attracts them like ants are attracted to sugar. Poor girl. I'd have one bite and she would have 10. We went to the beach every day and managed not to get sunburned, not even tan for that matter!

The blooming Oleander in front of our house

One reason I chose this house...the wonderful artwork!

I love the pelicans perched on these pilings

Ocracoke Lighthouse...so charming

Unspoiled beaches

Crossing paths with a ferry, the only way to get to Ocracoke

Cape Hatteras Lighhuse

Claire atop the Hatteras Lighthouse being joyful!

Mark and I a little windblown

The Decorah eagles and a salute to mother eagle

I've gotten hooked on watching the eagle nest in Decorah, Iowa.  I check on the family in the morning if I have time and throughout the day if I'm home.  It's been so much fun being a part of the community watching the hatching and growth of the 3 babies.  Now they are gangly adolescents and I kind of miss the little fuzzballs that they once were.  The Facebook following is huge and it's a lot of fun to chat with fellow eagle watchers.

Here's a YouTube tribute to mama eagle.  It's very sweet.



And even more exciting for us stitchers is a chart designed by Brenda Gervais called the Soar Sampler.  A portion of the proceeds go to support the Raptor Resource Project, the organization that has been monitoring the eagle family.  You can find it on Brenda's blog.  I ordered it this week but don't know when I will get around to stitching it since I get little stitching done these days!  The Soar SAL has been going on for a few weeks now but I'm not participating in it given my stitching slow down. 

We are going on a beach vacation soon to Ocracoke, NC.  If anyone has ever visited there please let me know!  We have never even been to the Outer Banks and not quite sure what we are getting into.  Ocracoke is only accessible by ferry and the village is quite small.  I am looking forward to it so much!