On the way to Wrightsville Beach, NC

On leaving Beaufort, NC you pass Morehead City and as we left, the wind was soft, the skies were blue and the temperature was warming. 

This is a photo of seagull number five.  All the seagulls are numbered in North Carolina according to the post they man - or bird, I guess.

This is in or near Morehead City,  I don't really know.  It looks like a hospital to me.  But it may be a roller skate factory with gallant pretensions.  If you're ever there, take a look and let me know and I'll update this post if I ever get around to it.  (Note:  Okay,  I've been corrected, Yardpro from Sailnet informed me that it's a community college.  I hope they at least have a course involving the manufacture of roller skates.  Otherwise, this whole thing is just too humiliating.)

Suzi, womanning the helm.

I have no idea, either.

When we arrived at Camp LeJeuene's Mile Hammock Bay we were greeted by Skip and Harriet and their wonderdog, Bailey.  He's a Sheltie.  I suggested that if he's going to be a boat dog, they should change his name to Bailer.  He didn't like the idea much and hasn't spoken to me since.  He's growled a couple of times though, but I don't think he means it.

Camp LeJeuene (I really have no idea how to spell it - but that looks kind of right) is a Marine training base.  We've anchored here many times before.  This is the first time we've seen this "ship."  But we have seen mock attacks on the shore, fighter helicopter acrobatics (scary when the get too close to our masts), prop driven VTOL's parachutes stuck in trees, and about a dozen guys suspended on a rope ladder out of a helicopter.  Not being a marine is one of my favorite things.

 

All we were treated to this night was practice take off and landings.   It was fun but made Bailey crazy on Skip and Harriet's boat.

Along the water in Bogue sound you will see many beautiful homes, some run down homes, some storm damaged homes and some unusual homes.  This is one of the latter, but, as you will see, not one of the most unusual.

 

This - THIS is our favorite house on the whole ICW.  It has everything you could want in a waterfront home including a rumored reputation. 

It has a Tiki style playhouse and a pink boat named Pink Snapper.

It has a thatched roof gazebo at the end of the pier - and a lighthouse.

It has dolphins carved on the walls.

And it's own parrot.  It is the very definition of ostentatious. (Thank you, Tara)

We saw cute little sailboats, doing what sailboats do.

We saw guys in little boats going fast.

And guys in fast boats going little. (It doesn't say anywhere in the blog rules that I have to make sense.)

We saw pretty houses that you can't afford.

And crab pot floats that we must avoid hitting cause the tether will tangle in our prop.  We did it once and that was enough.

We saw deer running through the swamps.

And we saw a mermaid washed up on shore.   (See, I told you I'd have my camera ready!)

We saw guys fishing who apparently were very used to seeing mermaids, cause they paid no attention.  Are you even looking at this or are you still staring at the previous picture.  Cut it out - it isn't even the same species.

This guy's laying out crabpots.

And here's another house you can't afford.

You could afford to do this though.  And these guys are probably just as happy.   Yeah, but wait 'til that mermaid drifts into view.

Of course, there are other things to see.  And, no, this isn't photoshopped.  This is along the waterway.

And it's for sale.  (Hear that, John Striffler?  The house with the life sized giraffe statue is for sale!)

Call Lee Crouch 1-800-533-1840 and ask how much and is the giraffe included.  Seriously.  Do it now - I'll wait.

Here's a boat with a boat stuck to the side.  We see some strange ones.

Another odd one - must be something in the water.  We thought at first it was a Buddha.  Then on closer look, thought it was a Buddette.  Then we realized it was supposed to be a mermaid.  I liked our real one better.

And we finally dropped anchor in Wrightsville Beach.  We had dinner with Skip and Harriet and Bailey on Moondance and they came to our boat this morning for blueberry pancakes.  We went and dipped our toes in the ocean.  It's cold.  But we survived.  Don't know what we'll be doing tomorrow.  Either stay here and get some photos - which we forgot to do when we went ashoreor pull up anchor and head down the Cape Fear River to Southport.  You'll just have to wait and find out.