If you live at the beach, you spend a lot of time thinking about wind and weather.  It just comes with the territory for most people.

While I learned a lot in my first career of farming, I think paying attention to the weather has always been in my genes.

My teenage years were spent in Mt. Airy, NC in a home that is now the Sobotta Manor B&B.  I often enjoyed sitting on the side porch of the house during thunderstorms.  From one end I could see the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains while the other side overlooked my mother's azaleas. 
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I could have easily used a picture of Emerald Isle Bridge traffic from the afternoon of July 1 as the picture for this post, but anyone headed this direction is going to see plenty of traffic and doesn't need to be reminded of it with another picture.

It is best if people focus on what they are going to see once they make it to the coast.  That is why my picture is of the ocean water just west of Third Street Beach.  If everyone just remembers that the beach will be here no matter when they arrive, then just maybe, everyone can make it to their destinations safely.

My trip on Friday, July 1, over to Emerald Isle allowed me to gauge the afternoon beach traffic. It was also a look at the parking situation so I could guess what kind of holiday crowd will make it to Emerld Isle this 2011 Fourth of July week.   read more »

Friday March 4 my wife dropped me at the vehicle ramp by Inlet Drive and Bogue Ct. on Emerald Isle.  I often stop there for a quick walk out on the Point which is one of my favorite places.  If you have a look at the current Google map of the area or the picture that I took in November 2007, you might think that a quick walk is all that you could get.

Sometimes you need to remember that just because something is on the Internet does not mean that the information is correct.

The truth as of March 5, 2011 is that there is 1400 feet of sand stretching from the vehicle ramp at the Point to the water by Bogue Inlet.  That is a lot of sand not to show on a map.

It took me longer than expected to walk out to the water and back so I knew that if I took the time to explore, I might end up hitching a ride back to Bluewater Cove since my wife has a limited tolerance for aimlessly driving around subdivisions while I am wandering.
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Ida's water are being persistent here on the coast.  There are still plenty of flooded spots still around and drainage ditches remain full to the brim.

This afternoon we headed over to the Emerald Isle Post Office.  On the way back, I decided to explore Coast Guard Road where reports had indicated some flooding.

We were barely past the Pebble beach entrance when we ended up driving in axle deep water.

Just a little farther down the road, I snapped this picture of the wake of a school bus.

We turned around at the back Land's End gate.  I know there was more flooding closer to the Point, but my wife was not interested in driving around in flood waters on Friday the thirteenth.

The seventh annual Gordie McAdams Speckled Trout Surf Fishing Tournament, sponsored by Emerald Isle Parks & Recreation and The Reel Outdoors will run from Oct. 24 to Dec. 5. Registration is free. Pre-registration is required and the deadline is Wed., Oct. 21 at 5pm. All trout must be caught by fishing on foot (surf, pier, inlet, sound) from Fort Macon to EI. NO BOATS.  The official weigh-in station is The Reel Outdoors. For more info.  contact Brittany Wood at 252-354-6350 or bwood@emeraldeisle-nc.org.

The Emerald Isle Holiday Parade will be held Sat., Nov. 28, beginning at 4pm. The parade begins at CVS Pharmacy on Emerald Drive. Also after the parade there will be an official Christmas tree lighting at Merchants's Park. Enjoy free refreshments as well as a carol sing-a-long as Santa Claus visits with the children. Call 252-354-2916 for details or email dschools@ec.rr.com.

Emerald Isle will sponsor a Halloween party Oct. 30 from 6-8pm at the Emerald Isle Parks and Recreation Center. There will be games, a cake walk and more. Wear a costume. Admission is one bag of wrapped candy. For info., call 252-354-6350.