We got another 1.5 inches of rain last night.  That brings our total since mid-week to 2.25 inches.  If we reach the nineties as is predicted, it is going to be steamy around the Southern Outer Banks this afternoon.

After a parched June and early July, the rains have really hit us.  In the last four to five weeks, we have gotten close to ten inches of rain according to my calculations which happen to match what the government has observed if you know how to find our spot on the White Oak on their map.
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As evening has arrived so have the showers which are moving north off of the ocean

It was a nice cool morning today, but it warmed quickly.  I did not to get to start mowing until about 9:45 PM.   It was what a lot of folks would consider hot, but the temperature was not bad if you are used to mowing here on the coast.

I did end up in something of a mad dash.  By the time I finished mowing and got my shower, I had to rush to get to the Bluewater office to photocopy an offer to purchase that I was sending to a client.

Even though I hit every stoplight and was not out of the Bluewater office until 11:50, I still managed to make it to the Swansboro post office before the theoretical noon closing.

Fortunately there was a line so they kept the post office open until everyone had a chance to get their mail processed.

We headed home but made a stop at Clyde Phillip's Seafood so I could claim the Foursquare Mayorship for Clyde's.
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We are on the down slope of summer, and this morning for the first time, the air feels a little different.

We have been so used to waking up with morning temperatures close to eighty degrees that I was surprised when I opened the doors this morning.

The temperature was in the lower seventies as I walked to the mail box to collect the morning newspaper.  There was a mist hanging in the air over the river.  It was probably due to the river being so much warmer than the air.

I hesitate to say "there was a chill" in the air, but if it has been a long time since you have felt seventy degrees, it can feel like a chill.

Earlier in the week when I took a before breakfast boat ride down the river to Swansboro, there was nothing but warmth in the air. My last kayaking trip on the river, there was enough heat coming off the river to make me sweat even in the falling light of evening.
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Sometimes you get lucky, and you are in the right place at the right time for a great photo.  Other times you have to work at it to be there when you know the light will be right.

Wednesday morning I knew would be my only chance to get out on the water for a few days.  My wife was scheduled for some surgery on Thursday.  With the jobs of chief nurse, cook, bottle washer, and house keeper, my water time would be limited for a few days.

With that in mind Wednesday morning I managed to roll out of bed at just after 6 AM.  I was actually dropping my boat in the water at 6:20 AM for the quick trip out to the White Oak to catch the first of several sunrises.

The first sunrise I captured was looking east from the White Oak to Silver Creek Plantation.

Next I got a spectacular shot of the sun rising into a tree a little farther down the river.

The picture at the top of the post was taken just this side of the big island in the White Oak.
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No one who lives here along the Southern Outer Banks will argue about the declaration that we are in a summer weather pattern.  We have had plenty of heat to go with our afternoon thunderstorms.

Friday morning we got up to clear skies, but it did not take long for clouds to form.  Usually by mid-morning we can see some puffy white clouds.  Today was no exception.

By Friday evening, the view off our patio was the picture with threatening clouds at the top of the blog post.  The clouds eventually looked even worse.

As I was a grilling a steak for dinner, there were some light sprinkles of rain, but there was no clue of what was in store for us.  By 9:30 PM the skies had opened, and it was pouring buckets of rain.   read more »

Early this morning there were no clouds in the sky.  I took our boat out on the river to take a few pictures and enjoy the quiet of the White Oak.

I watched one boat come down the river, and then headed back in myself.  It was still nice by the time I got back to the dock.

As I walked to the mailbox, I could see some clouds building and feel the heat starting to show up.

I managed to get inside and have my breakfast before our two year old granddaughter woke up for her second birthday celebration.

I got a nice four minute video of her playing with her new dollhouse.  She then had blueberry pancakes for breakfast before having a meltdown.

She has had a busy holiday, and it is hard being a two year.  We had an absolutely wonderful time with her last night at the beach.  Earlier in the day, we had some fun with her at the pool.
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A little before noon today I headed out from the house to run a few errands.  I stopped by the Buck's Corner produce stand to augment our tomato supply since we are having guests this weekend.

After having a discussion about good ways to cook tomatoes, I headed off to Emerald Isle to get some gas for my car.

I am often accused of thinking of excuses to drive over to the island just so I can ride across the bridge and check out the traffic on the Intracoastal Waterway.  I will actually accept a guilty plea on that charge.

Sometimes riding across the bridge is just what I need to perk up my day.  Today I was more curious about how many boats would be out on the ICW since the forecast was calling for storms today.

As you can see from the picture looking towards Cedar Point, traffic on the ICW had already started building by noon.  We may or may not venture down towards Swansboro this weekend since it looks like there is going to be lots of boat traffic this weekend.
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