Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Tuesday, June 10, 2014 -- Mattie died 248 weeks ago today.

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2003. It was the sequel to last night's photo! Peter and Mattie made it to the top of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse! Somehow Peter was smiling and yet Mattie was NOT a happy camper. Despite the fact that Peter was the one who climbed 200 steps in humidity with Mattie on his back! I think what Mattie did not like was the wiping wind on top of the lighthouse and he was using his hands to try to block it from his face! 

Quote of the day: We are healed to help others. We are blessed to be a blessing. We are saved to serve, not to sit around and wait for heaven. ~ Rick Warren

It was another cloudy day by the beach! Yet that doesn't prevent people from venturing out onto the sand. Which really surprised me. Since this is not where I would prefer to spend my day in and among the clouds and the fog. I should consider ourselves lucky however since a huge rain storm occurred overnight and we were able to get out and about today!

While having breakfast on our balcony, we had a different type of scene today. Instead of watching for birds and dolphins, we watched clouds and fog rolling in. It was fascinating. You can see the fog in the next several photos. 

Can you see the fog taking over the beach? The fog is where the ocean once was!!! 

Get the picture?!!! We were simply in fog. Yet people were walking and sitting in this! I love the life guard in his chair doing his life guard duties! Who knows what he is watching here, clearly nothing in the water!!!

Later in the day I came up with the brilliant plan to walk in Nags Head Woods Preserve. This is something I always wanted to do. In fact, about a decade ago, Peter, his parents, and I took Mattie to this preserve. When we went on this adventure years ago, we did not get very far. Perhaps maybe 10 to 15 minutes into the trail and turned around. We were unsuccessful back then because it was July and it was ghastly hot out and truly unsafe to be walking these trails. We thought today, being June and overcast, we would have a better shot at completing such an adventure. Well, I would have to say we did it, but this Preserve is NOT for the meek. I can safely say this given that Peter and I walk trails often. 

This is the beginning of the trail. There is a lovely boardwalk overlooking a swamp. It is truly a picturesque setting. There are 1400 acres to this maritime forest and the trails that comprise this Preserve are quite diverse. We walked four miles today and though that may not sound like a long distance, it was actually an aggressive walk given the terrain!

The trails we walked along covered great diversity, from wonderful trees and landscapes such as this! However, despite this beauty, this beauty came at a price. The price which I did not care for.... flies. These flies were aggressive! We came prepared with Deep Woods Off Bug Spray, which was already all over us and we continued to spray ourselves throughout the journey. But at times it was impossible to keep the flies at bay. That made me very edgy and uncomfortable and if Mattie were with me, this walk would have been over before it started. 

There were many water elements to the walk as well. With views of swamps for as far as the eye could see. Given this environment, it is no surprise that the Preserve is a great home to snakes, toads, lizards, and salamanders. 

However, just the opposite terrain also exists at the Preserve. A very desert/sand like existence. Walking though this is a pip! Walking in inches of sand is VERY taxing on a flat surface, but when we got to an inclined plane, well all I can say is thank goodness I go to zumba class. If I did not do aerobic type exercise there would be no way I could have managed in this sand in 80 degree humidity today!

At first glance you may not see it, but look closely! Peter spotted a Green Heron flying away from the wooden perch in the center of the swamp. He was absolutely beautiful and a first for us. We never saw a Green Heron before!

A lovely turtle resting on a log! As soon as he heard us, he jumped into the water. Fortunately Peter snapped a photo of him before he went under. 

Here is another example of the diversity of the trails. This to me should be labeled "heart break hill." It is a hill, with at least two inches of sand that forms the path. You put your foot down and you literally sink into it! It was quite the workout in the heat and humidity! This is of course after doing battle with flies. 

Along this sandy trail, we saw this unique vision...... Wooly Beach Heather!!! You couldn't miss it, the color was aglow. 

After the long walk, we returned to our condo and regrouped and cooled back down. We then went to the The Black Pelican Restaurant. The Black Pelican was constructed in 1874 and used as a United States Lifesaving Station. The restaurant is full of character and rustic charm. We took Mattie there years ago, and I remember when he was there, they served him a pizza in a Frisbee. Mattie thought that whole notion was hysterical. As we progress through our time away, in a place we once visited with Mattie, we of course always reflect on who is missing alongside us. His absence has and will continue to leave a gaping hole in our lives. This doesn't change for us whether we are in DC, NC, or on another Continent. Some things are just a given.