IS THAT A SIREN BLARING??

OH MY GOD! WHY WAS THAT SIREN BLARING? WITH AN INSTANT FLASHBACK OF OUR IRAQ DAYS, WE INSTINCTIVELY RAN OUT OF THE CAMPER LOOKING FOR THE NEAREST BOMB SHELTER. THANKFULLY, WE WERE FULLY CLOTHED AT THE TIME. THE ONLY THING WE FOUND WERE SEA LIONS SUNNING AND OUR NEIGHBORS LOOKING AT US LIKE WE WERE MAD! WE FRANTICALLY ASKED OUR CAMPING NEIGHBORS WHAT WAS GOING ON AS THEY SEEMED TO BE AWARE OF SOMETHING THAT WE WERE NOT. TO OUR RELIEF, IT WAS JUST A TSUNAMI DRILL; OUR FIRST AND HOPEFULLY, OUR LAST. WHAT A RUSH! NICE WAY TO START THE DAY.

SEA LIONS SUNNING ON THE DOCK

AS FOR OUR CURRENT SITUATION, WE JUST WANT TO THANK OUR FRIENDS (TERRI & CAT) AND OUR SISTER (PATTIE) FOR SENDING GOOD ENERGY OUR WAY. THE MONSOON HAS SUBSIDED, OUR PETALS ARE DRY, THE SUN IS SHINING, AND THE TANK IS CLEAN (THAT’S FOR YOU FELLOW “FINDING NEMO FANS”)!!!

SUNRISE ON THE BEACH

AN EXAMPLE OF THE SIZE OF DRIFTWOOD THAT WASHES UP ON THE BEACH.

(HEY KEITH, ARE YA JEALOUS??)

ANOTHER BIT OF NEWS, THE WHALE CARCASS IS BEGINNING IT’S FINAL BURIAL DESTINATION WITH THE USE OF A FORK LIFT, CHAINSAWS AND WHALE BAGGIES (GLADD TRASH BAGS). WE JUST WANT TO THANK THE FINE FOLKS OF CRESCENT CITY HARBOR FOR A SMELLY JOB WELL DONE. JUST IN TIME FOR THIS NICE, SUNNY WEATHER AND THE KIDS (BAILEY & MAGGIE) BEGGING FOR SOME QUALITY BEACH TIME.

ROTTING WHALE CARCASS BEFORE BEING REMOVED. TOO BAD WE DON'T HAVE SCRATCH-AND-SNIFF PICTURES FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT.

THE KIDS RUNNING ON THE BEACH

AIR MAGGIE, SUPER DOG ON THE BEACH!

BAILEY CHASING SEA GULLS

AS PROMISED, WE ARE ALSO GOING TO INCLUDE IN THIS BLOG, A LITTLE OF OUR HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA WHEN WE FIRST MET. THIS MAY GET A LITTLE MUSHY. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

IT ALL STARTED ON A DARK, DARK NIGHT… SOUNDS DARK AND MENACING, DOESN’T IT? IT WAS ALMOST 5 YEARS AGO WHEN WE FIRST MET WHILE WORKING IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT IN GREENSBORO, NC. A PARAMEDIC UNIT (MO) BROUGHT IN A TRAUMA PATIENT AND LJ RAN OVER TO HELP. ADMIST ALL THE CHAOS, BLOOD, AND MANGLED BODY PARTS OUR EYES FOUND EACH OTHER AND WHAM!!! THAT WAS IT. OUR LIVES HAD CHANGED FOREVER WITH THAT ONE EXCHANGE. LITTLE DID WE KNOW AT THE TIME THAT WE WOULD BE TRAVELING THE WORLD TOGETHER, DODGING BOMBS & BULLETS IN IRAQ, SWIMMING WITH SHARKS & STINGRAYS IN BELIZE, KAYAKING WITH ALLIGATORS & WEATHERING HURRICAINES IN FLORIDA AND EATING DEEP FRIED GRASSHOPPERS IN THAILAND.

WITH SOME ADDED ENCOURAGEMENT FROM A CO-WORKER, MO WORKED UP THE COURAGE AND ASKED LJ OUT FOR LUNCH AND A MOVIE. PRETTY INNOCENT, RIGHT? SO, THESE TWO EDUCATED, PROFESSIONAL WOMEN WENT TO LUNCH AT MACARONI GRILL AND THEN THE MOVIE THEATER TO SEE THE HIGHLY ACCLAIMED MOVIE, “FINDING NEMO”. I KNOW, PRETTY WEIRD BUT CUTE. THAT ONE MOVIE WAS A SPRINGBOARD FOR SOME PRETTY DEEP CONVERSATIONS ABOUT LIFE AND SHARING DREAMS. AS DIFFERENT AS WE BOTH WERE, WE KNEW WE WERE KINDRED SPIRITS & TRAVELERS AT HEART.

AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF DATING AND GETTING TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER, WE MADE THAT NEXT BIG STEP. MO BECAME THE PROUD MOTHER OF A MINIATURE SCHNAUZER NAMED “BAILEY”. THINGS WERE WONDERFUL AND WE THREE BECAME A FAMILY.

MO AND BABY BAILEY

MO, BABY BAILEY AND LESLIE

LIFE QUICKLY BECAME ROUTINE AND SETTLED. WE WORKED, WE SOCIALIZED AND WE WORKED. LJ TOOK MO FRESHWATER FISHING FOR THE FIRST TIME. WE THINK A WORLD RECORD MIGHT HAVE BEEN SET WITH HER FIRST BLUGILL CATCH. OF COURSE, SHE CAUGHT A SAIL BOAT AS WELL. IT WAS THAT VERY DAY, AFTER HEARING MO SCREAM LIKE A LITTLE BITCH, THAT LJ WONDERED IF SHE MADE AN ERROR IN BEGINING THIS RELATIONSHIP. IT WAS NOT ONLY THE HIGH PITCH SCREAM BUT THE REASON FOR IT. THE FISH POOPED ON HER HAND WHEN SHE SQUEEZED IT. POOR FISH!

MO LEARNING TO FISH ON THE LAKE

WITH OUR CRAZY WORK SCHEDULES LEAVING LITTLE TIME FOR MUCH ELSE, WE WERE BEGINNING TO WONDER WHETHER NORTH CAROLINA HAD LOST IT’S APPEAL. THEN, TRAJEDY STRUCK. LJ LOST HER BEST FRIEND, CURTIS, TO A HORRIFIC CAR ACCIDENT. AFTER WORKING A DOUBLE SHIFT, SLEEPY AND EXHAUSTED, HE THOUGHT HE COULD MAKE IT HOME. HE LINGERED FOR A COUPLE DAYS AND THEN WE LOST HIM. CURTIS WAS ALSO AN ER TRAVEL NURSE AND SPENT HIS TIME BETWEEN ASSIGNMENTS WORKING AS A FIRST MATE ON FISHING BOATS OFF THE EAST COAST. HE WAS THE KINDEST SOUL YOU COULD EVER MEET AND WE STILL MISS HIM TO THIS DAY.

THE MESSAGE HIT HOME. IT’S GOOD TO BE PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUR WORK BUT DON’T LET IT CONSUME YOUR LIFE. LIFE’S TOO SHORT, SO GET BUSY LIVING IT AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT WE DID. LJ SOLD HER MOTORCYCLE AND MO CLOSED DOWN HER OTHER BUSINESS VENTURES.

BAD ASS "B" ON HER BIKE

WITH THE HELP OF SOME GREAT FRIENDS, A CASE OF BEER AND 5 PIZZAS LATER, WE MANAGED TO FIT 2 APARTMENTS INTO A MOVING TRUCK. SO, WITH A 25 FT TRUCK AND THE DOODIBUG IN TOW (1971 VW BEETLE) WE WERE OFF. FLORIDA OR BUST!!!

GOOD TO HAVE LOTS OF FRIENDS ON MOVING DAY

STAY TUNED... OUR ADVENTURES CONTINUE IN THE SUNSHINE STATE.