Oak Island

We're flying to Myrtle Beach on Saturday morning and will be on Oak Island, North Carolina by 2, just in time to check into our beach front house almost at the end of Long Beach.

I wish I could tell you how many times I've been there. It started in the late 1970's because Ted and Beje, two of my classmates at Virginia Seminary in Alexandria, knew about it and asked Bern and I to go. We went back with the kids as babies for as long as they would. We even threw in 'taking a friend', but at some point being on an island where nothing much is happening won't make it with teens.

Then 7 or 8 years ago, Mimi called to ask where we 'used to go in North Carolina' and she and
Tim went and when they got back she called to say "We're going every year and you guys are coming with us."

And we have--Labor Day week, for those years. John and Sherry go with us so we need 4 bedroom houses. We put it off two weeks just in case Tim and Mimi would feel good traveling with Ellie. They aren't ready to do that--but next year Ellie and Jack (Sherry's husband who will retire before them) will go with John and Mimi and Tim and Sherry and Bern and me.

There's really 'nothing' there. A water slide and miniature golf course, Food Lion, a couple of places to eat, a killer BBQ place, but not much.

I love it.

A South facing beach which means you aren't looking toward Europe but the Dominican Republic. Which also means the sun comes up on your left and sets on your right, never shining right at you.

You can go into Southport and get seafood off the boat--which we do a time or two.

Oak Island is one of the centers of population of Brown Pelicans. They fly up and down the beach all day in great numbers. Dolphins too--they show up most days.

So, if you look up from your book, you might just see Pelicans and Dolphins.

It is a place that is dear to my heart.

And, since my only connection to this blog is through my desktop computer--which, I won't be taking--the Castor Oil Tree will be silent for a week. But there are 1700 posts, for goodness sake, go back a few years and check them out.

I'll be here tomorrow and Friday, then away to a place I've been too maybe 20 times and that is so important to me I've left instructions that some of my ashes be scattered on Oak Island if I ever die....