Preserving the Sea Turtles

Sea turtles-they were pirate Jack Sparrow’s (Captain?) escape method after being marooned on an island from a mutiny aboard his ship. “He roped him a couple of sea turtles, lashed them together, and made a raft.”…

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Tis the Season for Family Reunions

Tis the season for family reunions! Summer time encourages a lot of things, like road trips and beach vacations, but it also seems to be a time for families to come together. Every year, usually sometime in July, my father’s side of the family picks a weekend for a reunion.

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Beat the Heat: Tips to Stay Cool

Line-drying clothes will help keep you and your house cool.

Beat the Heat: Tips to Stay Cool Baby, it’s hot outside. Not just mid-July summer heat, but mid-July heat wave heat. With temperatures already near their max for this time of year, this wave is going to make it feel like we are seven inches from the sun. In other words, it is going to…

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Cold Foods for Hot Days

It is HOT out today and about the last thing I want to do is fire up the grill for supper. No, it is definitely time to make something to eat straight from the refrigerator. In fact, I may just take my time deciding what to take out of the crisper and enjoy the cool air flowing delightfully into my face as I look for it.

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Battleships of the South

Battleships of the South Imagine having to build a ship, one that could withstand the tricks of the sea and accommodate passengers. Imagine having to build a ship that could do that, and protect against enemy attack. A real life game of Battleship, where there is no such thing as red and white pegs to…

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Celebrating the 4th of July

Celebrating the 4th of July I lived in the little town of Harrisburg, North Carolina, for about 16 years. For as long as I can remember, every summer I looked forward to the annual 4th of July parade that took over one side of the street through town. I would get up early on a…

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Live Outdoors: Bald Head Island

There’s a place called Bald Head Island just two miles across the Cape Fear River, where mainland life is left behind for a while. Transportation goes from cars and buses to golf carts, bicycles, and your own two feet. Fourteen miles of pristine beach wait to greet you, and you can play golf by the sea. It’s the site of Old Baldy, the oldest standing lighthouse in North Carolina. Bald Head Island is a place where there’s an abundance of outdoor activities, a place where you want to live your life outside.

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Invasion of the Nectar Snatchers

Invasion of the Nectar Snatchers Last week the text message I had been waiting for finally came in.  “Gregorio is back!”  It was from my wife, who was telling me that the hummingbirds had made their first appearance.  Gregorio the Green is her pet name for the beautiful Ruby Throated Hummingbirds (A. colubris) that grace…

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Treasure Hunting on the Southern Coasts

Adventure Awaits! The paper is thick, and brown with age. It has been rolled and hidden for safekeeping for so long that when uncurled, it needs the weight of something heavy to keep it flat. The edges are torn and jagged. The only markings on the paper are long lines, all leading to a particular…

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