Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina Vacation ---January 2015--Part II

Two people in love at the Gazebo on 1/27/15
If you missed Monday's post (Part I of our trip),  click HERE.     Today I'll share more beautiful pictures from our days last week at the beach...

What we LOVE about going to the BEACH:
-Going during the off-seasons when there aren't many people around, and the prices are cheaper;
-Islander Inn --right on the beach where we can sit on our balcony and enjoy the ocean;
-Leaving our room door opened (even all night) so that we can hear the ocean;  SO Peaceful!!!
-The SEAFOOD --especially at Dockside Seafood Restaurant in Calabash;
-Walking on the Beach (getting exercise so that I could eat that fried seafood);
-Finding shells and watching the Birds;
-Watching the clouds (always different from one day to the next)
-Sunrises and Sunsets (can be viewed from our balcony in winter)
-SUNBEAMS ---which we saw this past week!!!!
-Just being able to totally relax, read, sleep/nap, work on the computer ---anything we want to do!!!!!
-For me this time especially,  we used the steps most all week rather than the elevator;  That gave my bum knee LOTS of good exercise!!!


George eating his favorite Seafood (those big, yummy fried Scallops)--Photo taken on 1/28/15
As I mentioned,  we love Dockside Seafood Restaurant in Calabash---so we managed to go there 3 out of four evenings...  We even got to know our waitress (who is from West VA)...  SUCH wonderful seafood!

The other night (when we weren't at Dockside), we went to another favorite restaurant in Calabash,  The Boundary House.  That is where we get the best PRIME RIB ever!!!!! 


We had never eaten beside the beautiful fireplace at Dockside until this year --but we loved it.  Photo taken on 1-25-15



NO---I'm NOT in the water!!!!!  Photo taken on 1/26/15
George was wandering around the dunes taking photos ---and he captured this picture of me playing Peek-A-Boo..... It looks like I am standing in the water --but I'm not... TOO COLD!!!! ha


SUNSET on 1/27/15
Except for Jan. 26,  the weather was wonderful the entire time we were there. (Even the 26th was not bad though.) We photographed  3 beautiful sunsets  (1/25, 1/27, and 1/28) while there.  This is when the sun was almost 'going going gone'..... Isn't this a beauty?


Lots and lots of BIRDS  (photo taken on 1/26/15)
We enjoyed watching the birds all week...  I guess they love it when 'they' can rest and not be bothered by lots of people on the beach... Most of these are GULLS  I think.


My Wonderful Man enjoying walking on the beach  on 1/27/15
Don't you love seeing the puffy clouds?  AND did you notice that there were no people out walking????  There are usually a few locals who live nearby who walk usually very early in the morning or late in the afternoon.  BUT--when we were out during the day,  we sometime were the ONLY people around!!!!  We loved it.


This Girl was so happy to be there --and be WALKING. Photo on 1/26/14;
Even though my knee is still painful,  it is gradually getting better.  I enjoyed walking on the beach ---and got some good exercise.


SUNRISE on 1/28/15
As much as I loved the sunsets,  the sunrises were even more beautiful (mainly since they were not at an angle like the sunsets were).  Thanks be to God for all of this beauty we enjoyed.


The morning we were leaving ---1/29/15
I was standing out in the parking lot as we were getting ready to leave Ocean Isle Beach..  The sun hadn't come up yet---but the sky was gorgeous....I loved seeing the Palm Trees and the Gazebo from this angle.


Oh how marvelous it is to be out in God's Beautiful World   (1/27/15)
I wanted to end these two sets of photos with this one because it expresses my deep feelings about our time at Ocean Isle Beach.  There are many beautiful places in our country --and this is just ONE of them.  BUT---if we all just take time to get out and look around and enjoy what God has provided for us,  we will be a better people for doing so.  Thank you God and thank you,  George,  for making this such an incredible vacation.

Hugs,