davids@bluewatergmac.com webmaster@bluewatergmac.com http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-211-2010319233718.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/ Presented by Bluewater GMAC en-us Fri, 22 May 13:59:00 GMT Mon, 22 Mar 07:37:55 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/RSS/News.xml 1BC RSS Generator 5 http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-211-2010319233718.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/3/Spring-Is-In-The-Air/ While the water is still in the fifties, the air has made it to the seventies. I think we might just have made it through winter. With some nice days this week, and a really nice weekend on tap, winter is quickly becoming a distant memory. I believe spring is going to break out all over the Carolinas and Virginia this next week. I even got a report of some [url:http://tinyurl.com/meadowcreekdaffodils]daffodils[/url] along one of my favorite mountain trout streams. I find this a tough time of year. We are tantalizingly close to the time we can really start enjoying the beaches and waters of the Crystal Coast. Yet we are not there when it comes to the water, and a trip out in a kayak will quickly convince almost anyone that the water needs to warm up a little more before we can have some serious fun. Sat, 20 Mar 04:36:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/3/Spring-Is-In-The-Air/ http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-210-2010311173121.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/3/The-Season-Is-About-To-Open/ While things might be a little damp until Sunday, it is time to declare beach season open. With temperatures in the mid-sixties for most of next week, winter seems to have finally been driven away. It was the week of March 19 last year before things warmed up enough for [url:http://www.bluewatergmac.com/Bluewater/Blogs/CrystalCoastLiving/2009/3/The-Beach-Walks-Are-Back/]a beach walk[/url]. Measured by that yardstick, we are doing okay. Even going back to 2008 and comparing our weather to that year, it looks like [url:http://tinyurl.com/eifestivaltents]the spring weather is on track[/url]. I heard a report today that the sound was now fifty-nine degrees Fahrenheit. With the warmer weather and water comes festival season, and it is one of the reasons that living on the Crystal Coast is so much fun. Thu, 11 Mar 22:30:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/3/The-Season-Is-About-To-Open/ http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-209-201035171522.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/3/Emerald-Woods-A-Favorite-Island-Hike/ The sun was shining and the skies were a brilliant blue when we headed over to Emerald Isle for breakfast at Ballyhoo's. I decided a couple of days ago that getting spring here requires [url:http://www.crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/content/mind-over-weather-time-spring]an effort of mind over weather [/url]. Having breakfast out is not one of our regular winter activities, but spring usually finds us venturing out earlier. Today I hoping that wandering out for breakfast and a quick hike might help usher in some warmer weather. It might be a futile effort on my part, but getting out and enjoying the out of doors is something that I enjoy anyway. If nothing else, I will just be a little ahead of the curve with my vitamin D once the nice weather arrives. Fri, 05 Mar 22:13:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/3/Emerald-Woods-A-Favorite-Island-Hike/ http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-208-2010228233746.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/2/Beach-To-The-Horizon/ About the only good thing about cold weather is that I get very little sand in my shoes. I will admit to being a warm weather beach walker. I admire those folks who get out on the beach when the temperatures are in the forties, and there is a stiff breeze. However, admiring them is one thing and joining them is a whole other kettle of fish. I will walk the beaches in the upper fifties and low sixties as long as the wind has not come directly from Canada. I snapped the picture in today's post over at the Point on Emerald Isle. It is one of my favorite places to walk, but it takes a few minutes to get to the beach from the parking area, and today was not the day for that kind of walk. I did see a couple of beach walkers, but they were likely fooled like I was when I first got out of the car. As I was walking through the cut in the dune, I thought that maybe a walk on the beach might be in the realm of possibility. As soon as I got out in the open, I felt my body heat heading for South Florida which actually is not a lot warmer than us these days. There will be better days ahead. Mon, 01 Mar 04:38:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/2/Beach-To-The-Horizon/ http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-207-2010225161330.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/2/Spring-Beach-Dreams/ It is amazing what a little stretch of warm weather can do for your spirits after a cold winter. This week has been just warm enough to get my imagination going. Even today when the temperature is struggling to stay above forty degrees Fahrenheit, my hopes have not been crushed. I still have the memory of visiting the beach on Tuesday night burned into my mind's eye. That is when I snapped today's picture. Even though the light was fading and the breeze had developed a cool edge to it, the colors on the beach triggered some much warmer thoughts. It was easy for that to happen since the temperature had soared to sixty eight degrees Fahrenheit on Monday morning as we stood on our dock dreaming of warmer days. Thu, 25 Feb 21:13:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/2/Spring-Beach-Dreams/ http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-206-2010222231053.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/2/Our-First-Taste-Of-Spring-Weather/ I am pleased that we have been treated to great weather this weekend. I suspect that with this dose of warmth, we have old man winter on the run. While we are likely to suffer through some cooling later in the week due to blizzard conditions up north, I think we are done with most of the really cold stuff. It has been getting warmer and warmer for the last several days. Saturday was a very nice day, but I was busy working all day. Fortunately Sunday was even better. We managed to have a [url:http://www.crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/content/warm-day-hike-croatan-trails]great day[/url]. We worked in the yard, went for a hike on the Croatan Trails, and even took a drive over to the beach. This morning was even better. Tue, 23 Feb 04:10:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/2/Our-First-Taste-Of-Spring-Weather/ http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-205-20102160262.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/2/Snow-On-The-Crystal-Coast/ I am in the minority, but I consider snow to be a four letter word when it visits southern beaches. That being said, I have to report that the majority of our beach residents thought our brief interlude with snow was fun and a nice diversion. We were certainly in good company since all forty nine of the mainland states had some snow at the same time. I heard various figures in seventy-five percent range for the amount of the continental United States covered with snow. With such impressive snow coverage, I was pleased that the snow on my personal driveway started melting almost as quickly as it fell. While it was good to see a driveway with no snow, In truth there is nothing more beautiful than [url:http://tinyurl.com/jacksfield]a snow covered landscape[/url] as long as you can watch from the inside while drinking hot chocolate. Tue, 16 Feb 05:25:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/2/Snow-On-The-Crystal-Coast/ http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-204-20102121049.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/2/Beaufort-By-The-Sea/ With some sunny days gracing the Crystal Coast this past week, we decided to take a trip to one our favorite places, Beaufort. It is a short thirty-five minute drive from where we live near Emerald Isle.. In a normal month, we usually find excuses to visit Beaufort at least a couple of times a month. When we have company, we always take them to visit Beaufort by the Sea. In the summertime the streets are filled with visitors and the docks are a great place to view a cross section of America. My wife has a couple of favorite stores that she likes to visit, and I often stop by Scuttlebutt, my favorite nautical bookstore. We never fail to walk the docks and take a grand tour down Front Street to see what is happening. Fri, 12 Feb 15:04:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/2/Beaufort-By-The-Sea/ http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-203-2010260412.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/2/A-Winter-To-Remember/ It is hard to believe that it was only Wednesday of this week when I snapped this peaceful picture of Bogue Sound and Emerald Isle. Tonight the east coast from North Carolina to New Jersey is under assault from Mother Nature. Here on the Crystal Coast, we have managed to get our temperatures up to 63F at 11PM on Friday night. Just three hours inland from us, the temperatures have stayed in the thirties all day. Many areas of western North Carolina and Virginia saw [url:http://crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/content/snowmageddon]snow, sleet, and freezing rain this morning[/url], We got by with just [url:http://coastalnc.org/gloomyfebruaryday/]a gloomy day[/url] until the rain started this afternoon. I figured we were in for some nasty weather since our pelican and big blue heron were hanging out in the water in Bluewater Cove this morning. Tonight it has rained as hard as I have ever heard it. We truly do not need any more rain for a while. Sat, 06 Feb 05:04:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/2/A-Winter-To-Remember/ http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-202-2010131232732.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/1/More-Than-Just-Beautiful-Beaches/ We have been through some really nippy weather recently, but Saturday when almost all of North Carolina and Virginia were suffering through [url:http://viewfromthemountain.typepad.com/david_sobotta_weblog/2010/01/another-blast-from-old-man-winter.html]snow, sleet, and freezing rain[/url], we only had to endure a very cold rain. There must have been a few snow flurries late in the night because there was [url:http://crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/content/just-roof-dusting]a dusting on the roof our house[/url] this morning. The walkway to our dock was also icy. However, by the time we got back from church all the ice had melted away, and even the winter pansies were starting to recover from the cold. While most of the state was cleaning up after the Saturday storm, we were all looking for something to do on a cold and windy Sunday afternoon. It did not take much time outside to figure out that a walk on the beach might be a chilling experience, but a walk sheltered by the woods could be a very nice experience. Mon, 01 Feb 04:27:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/1/More-Than-Just-Beautiful-Beaches/ http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-201-2010126182958.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/1/Times-That-I-Really-Miss-The-Beach/ Before we moved to the beach, I used to be convinced that once we got settled at the beach that we would get as much beach time as we desired. It turns out that just like anything else important in your life, you have to make time for the beach. I have run into people here at the beach who claim that they have not been on the beach for four or five years. Once in while I will get a note from someone thanking me for all the beach pictures that I have posted because the pictures are the only way they can get to the beach. I certainly did not move down here to tour the beaches virtually. I will admit that on cold winter days that I sometimes take a trip down a warm memory lane and enjoy some photos of a summer beach event. Tue, 26 Jan 23:29:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/1/Times-That-I-Really-Miss-The-Beach/ http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-200-2010123235352.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/1/Cruising-The-Beaches/ The east coast has seen some cold and nasty weather this winter. While the Crystal Coast has been spared the worst of it, we have seen more rain and cold than we normally have. It is only recently that you can tell that we have gained a little day light, but those extra minutes are just enough to make a late afternoon beach trip feasible. That is especially the case when we have enjoyed blue skies for the whole day. That in itself has been a treat, and certainly was a factor in convincing us to go for a drive up the beach. I am always curious as to how the winter waves have changed my favorite spots so this afternoon was a great opportunity to go exploring. Sun, 24 Jan 04:53:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/1/Cruising-The-Beaches/ http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-199-2010115234514.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/1/Almost-Perfect/ There has been no secret as to what has been missing here on the Crystal Coast the first two weeks of January. Almost anyone can tell you that the warmth that we often see in January has been missing in action. It does not help any that even Florida has had to endure some cold. We live in a wonderful spot which I often describe as "almost perfect." My northern friends have taken great pleasure calling and asking about how the boating is during our cold snap. My only thought is that they are searching for something to take their minds off of all the snow piled around their houses. I have just about got used to our "cold." Today when it hit 50F, I dropped my boat in the water to run the engine for a few minutes. It actually seemed quite comfortable outside this afternoon. As we were coming home from dinner over on the Island tonight, my wife made the comment that we cannot possibly call this weather cold and keep a straight face. Sat, 16 Jan 04:45:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/1/Almost-Perfect/ http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-198-2010111223345.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/1/Only-One-Sure-Escape-From-The-Cold/ I have a college roommate who moved to North Carolina from Nova Scotia a couple of years ago. He was tired of cold winters and fighting snow and ice. He still abandons us in the summer for the cool breezes of the Canadian Maritimes. After this recent historic outbreak of cold, he told me that he was going to Florida to find some real warmth. That was last week. When I checked with him this weekend, it was 39F and raining in Florida. He went through a lot of driving to be only two degrees warmer than us. This winter's cold had penetrated 900 miles south to his location not far from Fort Meyers, Florida. Even this morning they were down to 33F. A cold trip to Florida is a lesson in how challenging it has been to escape winter this last week. We did find one place where no cold seemed to penetrate. That was our Bluewater Cove living room with the gas fireplace turned on high. It ended up being a great place to survive the 2009-10 "Winter to Remember" and watch a little football. Tue, 12 Jan 03:27:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/1/Only-One-Sure-Escape-From-The-Cold/ http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-197-20101401829.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/1/Winter-Takes-The-Stage/ We are an area that sees cold temperatures only a few days a year so Sunday, January 3, was certainly a day to remember. We only managed to reach the middle thirties today. With much of the center of the country struggling with single digit temperatures, it is hard to complain. However, when you live at the beach, you get used to warmth, and when the warmth disappears, it feels very cold to us. Temperatures in the thirties and a stiff breeze made the Crystal Coast a wintery spot today even for those of us accustomed to much worse. I wonder if it was the cold or wind that caused the sea gulls to congregate in the White Oak River? I know I was a lot warmer taking the river picture today than I was when were over at the Point yesterday, and the wind was so strong that it was [url:http://coastalnc.org/winterwaveatthepoint/]cutting the tops off of the waves[/url]. While the Crystal Coast is a very temperate spot, we do get to taste all four seasons. Mon, 04 Jan 05:17:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2010/1/Winter-Takes-The-Stage/ http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-196-20091228231729.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2009/12/The-Holidays-Are-A-Little-Different/ I spend a lot of time writing about how special the Crystal Coast is. From the early North Carolina spring to the lingering warmth of the late fall, there is no doubt that the Crystal Coast is a great place to spend time with your family and to make some great memories. My wife and I moved to the area just so our extended family would have lots of great reasons to visit us. It has worked out really well for us. We have had some amazing visits which will live on as special memories. All I have to do is close my eyes and think about Bogue Inlet in late June. In my mind's eye, I can get the water just the right shade. I can feel the heat and smell the ocean. We had a couple of wonderful days out in the Inlet in June that I will never forget. It is a pleasure to be able to flip your mind back to one of those memorable days when your current temperature is well below freezing. However, even I will admit that when it comes to the end of year holidays, who is with you is more important than where you are. Tue, 29 Dec 04:16:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2009/12/The-Holidays-Are-A-Little-Different/ http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-195-20091222231353.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2009/12/Our-Main-Street/ I often tell people visiting the Crystal Coast to ignore the big roads if they are looking for our main street. I actually believe that the Intracoastal Waterway deserves that title. You certain get that impression if you take a boat ride on the Intracoastal. This time of year most of us are not on the water very much, but even during the cold season the Intracoastal Waterway means a lot to our area. There are very few days when I cross the bridge over to Emerald Isle when I do not see a sailboat or boat of some type making its way throught the water. In a large city a beltway often lets you get from one location to another quickly. The Intracoastal plays the same role for us. Many times you could pick your way carefully through some back channels and bypass the Intracoastal, but often it is easier and faster to just take the ICW where the channel is well marked. Wed, 23 Dec 04:10:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2009/12/Our-Main-Street/ http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-194-20091217205249.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2009/12/Beaches-Waiting-For-Some-Visitors/ I am finally willing to say that winter is here. This morning we had our first serious frost. I decided to let my tomato plant go so I did not cover it. There is a little life left in it, but I suspect it is time to pull it. On top of that, the western part of the state and the mountains of Virginia are on target to get a serious snow storm this weekend. Some places could get well over a foot of snow. Apparently there is another storm coming mid-week, so there is a good chance that a substantial portion of North Carolina and Virginia just might see a white Christmas. While all this is happening, our beaches are standing with open arms waiting for some visitors. If I had a choice in the matter I would be headed directly away from the predicted twenty inches of snow. There are plenty of things to do here on the beach which sound a lot better than pushing around snow. Curling up in front of a fireplace with a hot drink after a brisk walk on a winter beach is pretty hard to beat. Fri, 18 Dec 01:52:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2009/12/Beaches-Waiting-For-Some-Visitors/ http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-193-20091211231942.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2009/12/A-Taste-Of-Winter/ We have been dodging the winter bullet all fall. Today it caught up with us. We awoke to a temperature of 34. Fortunately there was no frost this morning, but it does not look like we will be so lucky on Saturday morning when the temperature could fall into the twenties. We got cold weather much earlier last year, so we really should not complain. It is December, and much of the country is still shoveling out from a huge snow storm. Still delaying winter is one of the things that we do best. However, when we were over in Beaufort this afternoon and I noticed the temperature was stuck in the mid-thirties, I had to admit that winter has found the Crystal Coast. Sat, 12 Dec 04:19:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2009/12/A-Taste-Of-Winter/ http://www.bluewatergmac.com/FileUp/Images/blog-192-2009127233416.jpg http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2009/12/The-In-Between-Season/ Winter has arrived on the Crystal Coast. It is not like winter in most places. While I have had [url:http://crystalcoastnorthcarolina.us/content/frost-truck-window]some frost on the windshield[/url] of my pickup truck. The frost has yet to get my tomato plants which are growing about ten feet from the truck. Our centipede yards have turned reddish brown, and Christmas decorations are starting to show up. Crab Pot Christmas trees are not very hard to find. A drive down the local highways in the evening will highlight some decorated trees on docks and boats. The first thing you see when you go into our real estate office is box for Toys for Tots. Everyone's schedule is beginning to fill up with all the holiday parties. Instead of more traffic, we have less traffic as many of our visitors have gone home for the holidays. Tue, 08 Dec 04:33:00 GMT http://www.bluewatergmac.com/BluewaterGMAC/Blogs/News/2009/12/The-In-Between-Season/