East Coast Visit (with Noe and the BRM Maliko 5.1)

I spent the past couple of weeks back on the East Coast.  Half for work and half for visiting my Dad.

I didn't bring ocean going stuff - I had looked at the forecast and it was not calling for much if anything (except for Cape Hatteras - but I didn't have the time to swing by this trip - plus it is the middle of the summer mad rush....)

This was the North End of Virginia Beach - tiny surf.

Mermaid's purse.

One thing that was new - there is a Wegman's in Virginia Beach now!!!  I wish I had a kitchen in my hotel... pan fried crab cakes...

This was South Gate on Dam Neck - one of my favorite VaBch surf spots!

And then I had a ground handling/adjusting session with the BRM Maliko 5.1 parawing.

I'd fly it, adjust the bridle positions, fly it, adjust, then start over.  The end spots are slightly different than the 4.0 bar mods, but the size differences alone warrant those.

Then Noe arrived!!!  She checked out Old Dominion University and once I was done with the work trip, we also checked out Duke University.

This was the Buc-ee's in Florence, South Carolina - "Fresh Brisket on the Floor!!!"

This was at the biggest tourist trap known to mankind - South of the Border in South Carolina!!!

This place used to be open 24/7/365.  Now they close at 8pm.

We eventually got down to Jacksonville, Florida.

Here I am flying the 5.1 at Mayport Beach.  This is near the spot where I learned to surf.

Ground handling the parawing is pretty fun in itself.  Definitely helps to develop muscle memory for flying it on the water.

At Lolo's house!

The rest of the trip was eating - this is Seafood Kitchen

This was at a place that my Mom liked going to - Cap'n D's

And this is another one of my parent's favorites - Sonny's Real Pit BBQ

This Marbled Beef Brisket was so decadent...

And my Dad really likes the St Louis Sweet and Savory ribs

Good trip back to the East Coast!

Expired Puffer

The kids found this guy on the beach. There was some contemplation about bringing it back as a specimen. That talk didn't last long - especially when the guts were flopping around the dry outer skin.

"It's Just Protein"

At least that's what I tell the kids when they see seafoam. It could also apply to boiled whelk. Don't ask...

Lots of Stuff Happening

We've been pretty busy with our transition. I accepted an offer from a small company in Honolulu and will start in early January - unfortunately, the family will not be coming for maybe a year. Despite that fact, we are all excited about the direction we now have and have been busy lining up all that needs to happen. I drove the minivan and ALL our boards up to Seattle - made the almost 4000 mile trip in just over 4 days. I think my real calling was to be a semi-truck driver... I finished up building a replacement 6 weight rod (for the one that got stolen). I think it came out perfect!!! The funny thing is I built it in the small confines of our travel trailer. We said our goodbyes to the beach at Mayport, Florida - it's been awesome collecting shells, surfing waves, catching fish and sharks, and just listening to the waves crash on the shore. Thanks for the memories! And just today, we were able to sell our beloved TrailManor Travel Trailer. We were fortunate to have spent a large part of our transition from Naval Service in our small house - THANK YOU Mayport RV Parks for accommodating us (we couldn't have done it without you). We had TONS of adventures and have learned so much from our time in the camper - lessons we will never forget. Driving and backing a trailer. How to truly live simply. Getting what food you need and not wasting. How to weather the storms. Loving your family. Appreciating life more and things less. Thank you TM 2720QB for being our shelter - we will miss you and we hope your new family has as much fun with you as we did!

Fishing Report 10/28/2014

We went to Browns Creek Fish Camp yesterday afternoon. Free fishing on their pier on Tuesdays. I took the kids over to check it out. Caught a couple of pigfish and Noe landed a menhaden - more practice of the "catching the smallest fish" philosophy.