July 3-15

Slade, Candace, Evan, Anna and Candace's mother Beth Wilkins arrived on Saturday for a long holiday weekend celebrating the 4th and Evan's birthday. We took the sailboat out Monday evening to watch the Morehead City fireworks.



Slade and I enjoy the new chairs

Beaufort's July 4 parade

Our beautiful family

Watching the fireworks from "Eureka"

Anna and Evan stayed with us for the week of the 4th.  We spent as much time as possible on the water and having fun.

In the tree in the front yard

Riding the tube with masks

Feeding the gulls

 

Dressing like Mimi and Papa

We went with Anna to Camp Don Lee for her first week at summer camp.

Mother and daughter off to camp

Everybody helps get Anna ready for camp

Anna at her cabin

Evan, Mimi, Papa and the Lantz's had a great week in Beaufort.

Dylan brings in the big one

Fresh Wahoo for supper

Dylan and Evan on Eureka

Spruce Pine - June 20-30

Arrived Monday afternoon and noticed something different in the view and quickly realized that nature had topped a tree in the viewscape.  After checking the new weather station, noted that during Monday morning a severe thunderstorm had moved through and recorded 60 mph winds.  Obviously it had taken the tree out. 

But, it opened our view significantly.

During the 10 + day visit:

• We cleaned up the top of the tree - after I had the chainsaw repaired.  It turned into quite a chore with me having to crawl up in the tree about 20 feet to a big branch and cutting out the remainder of the top of the tree that was hanging to the tree.  Upon cutting it, it fell on the laddar and Clara had a hard time getting the laddar back up so I could get down.  She later stated she thought she would have to call the fire department and ask them for help getting a "cat" out of the tree.
• We found another tree that needed cutting down, so I called a tree company and they did a much quicker and better job than I.
• We went to the Altapass Foundation annual fundraiser at the Orchard at Altapass.  There was a silent auction and one of the items was a week stay in St. John, USVI.  We bid on it and won, so now we get to go the the Virgin Islands sometime in the next year.
• We had dinner at Kit Truby's.  Included were Bill and Judy Carson.  A fine evening.
• We were invited to Brian and Joey Gurls home to celebrate our mutual friends ( Bonnie and Will Smihdt) 19th wedding anniversary.  Brian entertained us for the evening with some of his incredible music.  He is an extremely talented pianist and singer.
• We attended great musical performances at the Orchard on Saturday and Sunday.
• We found that our new motorhome had been invaded by carpenter ants, so I spent a lot of time with pest control.  Had two pest control companies come out and treat the motorhome.  We found a water leak in the skylight above the shower.  I took the RV  to Tom Johnson Camping Center in Marion and had them repair the leak.

We were going to stay through July 4 and have the kids come up to celebrate Evans birthday (July 3), but Evan wanted his birthday at Beaufort, so Thursday, we headed back in the Motorhome.  I want to keep checking for ants and do some other work on it, getting ready for the planned trip later this year out West.