It must be obvious that we are getting stir crazy waiting for spring to arrive.  We are hitting all the great indoor spots before the spring weather pulls us outside.

Of all the indoor spots that I like to visit, the Maritime Museum in Beaufort is my favorite.  I have found it rarely crowded and always enjoyable.  It is also just the right size to spend an hour or so looking at exhibits. 
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Emerald Isle Parks & Recreation will sponsor a free digital scrapbooking workshop at 7pm on March 25 with David Sobotta. The workshop will provide a broad view of how to get photographs and slides from the shoebox to a CD-ROM, DVD or on the web. Also there will be a discussion of digital cameras, movie cameras and printers. Also covered will be information about Flickr, Picasa and other programs for preserving your photos digitally. Class size is limited to 12. To register contact Laura Lee Davis at 252-354-6350 or ldavis@emeraldisle-nc.org.  read more »

The Montessori Children's School 2nd Annual Jazz Benefit Concert entitled "Night Down in Dixie" will be held March 7 starting at 6pm at the Swansboro Rotary Club & Civic Center. Food will be provided by local restaurants such as Your Way Cafe, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Trattoria, Courthouse Caffe, Old Siam, Chowdaheads and many more. Wine will be from Biltmore Estates. Get your tickets in advance. $35 per person. Mon-Fri call 938-3826. After hours call 808-372-5095.

Thursday of this week we decided to drive down to Pine Knoll Shores for a visit to the NC Aquarium.  We have been at least three times before, but we enjoy every visit.  We always find something new.

This time we decided to buy a family membership so could come more often.  It was a great day to visit since the temperatures were in the mid-sixties when we got there.  We planned to do a little hiking.
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The NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores will host a fishing school March 14. Experts in a variety of fishing techniques will present workshops throughout the day. Five sessions of instruction plus prize drawings, giveaways and a catered lunch are included with registration. It is sponsored by the Aquarium and Sea Striker. $50 per person; advanced registration is required. Call 252-247-4003 or toll-free at 866-294-3477. You may also visit www.ncaquariums.com/pks for information.

Emerald Isle Emergency Medical Services offers emergency medical technician basic classes from 8am to 5pm Feb. 28 at the Emerald Isle EMS building. Call 252-354-2249 for details.

This is one of those February days that you would have to work very hard to not enjoy.  Last night we got a nice rain which was a lot better than snow or even dealing with snow envy.

I am happy to report that the window in my upstairs office is open and my view is close to that of the picture included in the post.  Actually most of the difference is that I have a cat sitting in the window.
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A great event for all of the country music lovers here in Crystal Coast, NC.  Tommy Cash, brother of the late, great Johnny Cash, will be performing a concert in tribute to his brother.  This should be lots of fun and will be taking place at the Crystal Coast Jamboree on February, 21 2009 at 7:30 PM.

If you are interested in attending the event, call 252-726-1501 for more information and to purchase tickets.  I hope to see all of you there having a great time!

Mike McCarthy
Real Estate License Direct

The Arts Council of Carteret County is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the development, promotion and expansion of the arts in the county. Visit their website or call 252-726-9156.

There will be a guided tour of Fort Macon State Park Feb. 13. Meet at the fort entrance at 11am.

The NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort will host "Meet the Modelers of the Carolina Maritime Model Society" from 5:30 to 7pm Feb. 28. Tickets are $15; friends, $10. Call 252-728-1638.

Emerald Isle Parks and Recreation Center will sponsor "Horton Hears a Who" as part of their Friday Free Flick series Feb.13 at 7pm. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

The St. Patrick's Day Festival will be held March 14 at Emerald Plantation Shopping Center on Emerald Isle from 9am to 5pm. There will be all kinds of arts and craft vendors as well as food. Also to be held are concerts and an 8k race. For info call 252-354-6350.

The last five days here on the coast have been a welcome way to erase the memories of the colder than normal weather which we endured for a couple of weeks.  I have complained enough about the cold weather, but I have to state that we only had a couple of days when we struggled to get out of the upper thirties so most people would laugh at our cold.

This spell of warm weather could not have come at a better time.  Most of us were wondering what had happened to the great weather of the last two winters.
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Southern Belles, a ladies four part harmony barbershop chorus, rehearses from 7-8:30pm on Mondays at Cape Carteret Presbyterian Church. New singers welcome. Call 252-354-2925 or email mhcasey@hotmail.com.

"Masked Marvels and Wondertales" will be sponsored by the Carteret Arts Forum at 2pm, Feb. 28, at Glad Tidings Church, Country Club Road, Morehead City. Adults, $10; under 12, $5. Tickets are available at Emerald Isle Toys and Books, Clawson's Restaurant, Handscapes Gallery, Beach Book Mart,  Dee Gee's Gifts and Books, J.R. Dunn Jewelers and Poor Richard's.

Art from the Heart sponsored by the Arts Council of Carteret County will run from Feb. 13 to Feb. 28 at the former News-Times building, 4034 Arendell Street in Morehead City. Admission is free. Nearly 350 pieces of original artwork by artists in Carteret, Craven, Pamlico and Onslow counties will be on display as well as art work from area schools. Call 252-726-9156 or visit www.artscouncilcarteret.org. for information.

Affordable and flexible meeting and event space for groups from 10-800. Receptions, weddings, reunions, retreats, seminars, workshops & fundraisers are just some of the ideas for use of this space. It is a perfect venue for your next gathering. Visit www.crystalcoastcivicctr.com for information.

There will be a Chili Cookoff Feb. 21 from noon until 2pm at the Chapel by the Sea located on Emerald Drive in Emerald Isle. It is fundraiser for missions directed by Emerald Isle Parks & Rec.

There will be a career fair at the Crystal Coast Civic Center on the campus of Carteret Community College March 12. Visit www.crystalcoastcivicctr.com for information.

The 21st Coastal Home & Garden Show will be held March 6-8, 2009, at the Crystal Coast Civic Center, 3505 Arendell Street, Morehead City, located on Carteret Community College Campus. The hours are Friday, March 6, 4-8pm; Saturday, March 7, 9am-4pm; Sunday, March 8, 11am-4pm. For information call 252-247-3883 or visit www.crystalcoastcivicctr.com. Come see the latest and greatest home and garden products and services.

Last night temperatures dropped into the teens along the sounds and rivers of Carteret County.  This morning as you can see from the blog picture ice managed to cover some of the quieter river waters like that which runs from our home to the White Oak River.
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Emerald Isle Parks and Recreation Department offers many activities including fitness classes and dancing lessons. Visit the web site, www.emeraldisle-nc.org,  or call 252-354-6350 for information.

Spice up your Valentine's Day with an evening of attraction at the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores from 7:30-9:00pm when "Dating, Mating and Romance in the Animal Kingdom" will be given. Learn about animal attraction and see how you and your sweetie match up to Mother Nature. Play the Mating Game and learn about catching and keeping a mate. Enjoy decadent desserts and coffee, while testing your romantic skills with humorous games and trivia. Find out who's wooing whom among the aquatic animals and who's laying eggs. The event is $25 per couple for adults only.  read more »