Pretty Flowers and Deer Deterrent Spray!

Yes, I'm alive and well, even if I haven't updated this lately! Spring is finally here, almost. It's cool and rainy. But at least everything is nice and green again!

I've still got three amaryllis bulbs that I planted in various years that my grandmother gave me at Christmas...(she gave one to each of her grandkids for several years).  I buried them deeply and they have lived thru the winter outside.  Here is one of the bulbs that has just sprung thru the ground.  I'll keep you updated on the progress and hopefully I won't miss the day it blooms!!

Some ivy that I "stole" from my buddies Bill and Kay's coastal cottage. 

My hostas are very happy this year....see the last photo for why the deer haven't nibbled them to nubs this year!!

This is a "deer victim"... it's the Sky Pencil shrub that we got as decoration at Miranda and Richard's wedding.  The bottom 3 feet of the plant are NOT supposed to be bare.  When I first saw this phenomena this spring, I thought the plant was dying or was diseased.  Closer inspection told me that something had just nibbled every single leaf  from the bottom 3 feet of the plant!!  So, I got really busy with my homemade "deer deterrent".....and now the leaves are growing back in nicely.  The deer have decided the McCraw property has "nasty tasting" leaves!!!  See below for more info....

Homemade deer deterrent - it really works!!  Drawback is that you have to reapply after each rainfall....

Just mix about 2 tablespoons "dollar store" cayenne pepper in a jug of water.  I strained it thru a very fine mesh filter to take out all the actual spice particles.  They will clog the sprayer.  Just put a few drops of dish soap in an empty spray bottle and fill with the spicy water.  Spray on plants - the dish soap makes it stick to the leaves a bit better.  It doesn't hurt the plants at all. 

Oriental Boat Show Weekend

This weekend was the 5th Annual Oriental Rotary Club Boat Show - and we were again the "Official Aerial Photographers"....

Busy day - beautiful weather Saturday after a blustery start on Friday.   Borrowed Robert's nice camera - better photos than my little one but I need practice!!







Had fun touring some of the boats for sale....we stayed overnight and then flew back home for a yardwork-
Sunday!                                                                                                                                             
 

Boating weekend

We went to the boat over the weekend. Tried a new restaurant in Oriental - the Sea Shanty. Very good and reasonable! Plus they had $2 Blue Moon as the special. Perfect! Nice, lazy sail...

Less than 24 hour trip to Asheville

My mom had told me a week or so ago that she was having a "get-together" for everyone that was going to be in town on Thursday night.  Of course, she invited us, but obviously it was a weeknight and not exactly something we would normally be available for.....

The get-together was because both Rafe and Little Eddie would be able to attend.  Rafe had traveled from West Virginia for the week and Little Eddie and his family are on leave from Italy.  Eaven and his girlfriend are on spring break and he is finishing a Orlando trip with her family by meeting up with his dad for the return to W.Va.....so complex alignment of everyone was set for Thursday.

I had not told Mom or anyone except Keith and Teresa that I was going to come up.  I don't know why, but surprising people seems fun!

Duane, of course, was too busy with work to join me....so I set out mid-day Thursday for what I thought would be a quick 2.5 - 3  hour drive from Asheboro.    But it ended up 34 degrees and raining/snowing!  A very slow slog.  This was my view for about 4 hours of stop/go I-40 traffic...

Keith did good and didn't spill the beans - so I got to surprise everyone at Mom's house!

Rafe and I headed over to the Asheville Airport to pick up Eaven and Allison from their flight from Orlando.  Such a cute couple!

Enjoyed visiting a little with the newest addition to the family - Connor who is about 18 months old is visiting with his folks on leave from Italy.

He's a real ham - here with Grandpa Eddie - 

Much chatting and eating was accomplished, of course!

Really good to see everyone especially the ones we don't get to see too often.

Early the next morning I headed out with Mom and Frank for their normal Friday visit with Grandma Hall.  She has recently moved out of her house to Fletcher's in Fairview.  It is a very nice facility - not a nursing home but a assisted living center.  A gorgeous view and a really neat  place.

I got to surprise Grandma too!  I knocked on her apartment door and stuck my head in - she looked up and asked "well, my goodness!  How did you know where to find me??"  I'm so happy to have a 97 year old Grandma that still knows who I am!

Mom helping Grandma with some paperwork.  Her room is very comfy and she has a beautiful mountain view.  She has her own restroom and a enormous closet/storage room.  She is still getting around really well, but obviously gets a little confused about simple things.  She's good-spirited about it though - laughs a little at herself when she realizes that she "should have known that".  She seems very happy there and I hope that continues!

And since this was a bit of a "spur of the moment" trip, I needed to head back right away -  look at the beautiful view I had for the return trip!

 

Forgot to mention that we went to the health food store in Naples before we went to see Grandma. I got a bunch of soy products that I can't get anywhere else local....but I spied these muffins at the entrance. $1.25 for this oh-so-yummy pistachio muffin. I'm sure it's not really health food - but it was fantastic!!                             

Busy at the Siler City Airport!

We have been very busy at the Siler City Airport lately.  A local plastics molding plant has been shipping parts to Mississippi and Michigan on chartered planes.  It's not really been the best flying weather, but those charter pilots seem to brave lots of weather!

Just thought I'd share a little of my day yesterday.

This is an Embraer  Bandeirante which the pilots affectionately call a "Bandit".  They are putting on fuel waiting on the cargo.

And this is a Lear Jet being loaded with the boxes of cargo.

Here's a short clip of a different plane, a Mitsubishi MU2 Solitaire, departing with it's cargo heading southwest to Mississippi.

And here is the loud Learjet departing with it's cargo heading north to Michigan! Fun days at the airport!

Ocracoke for Easter

We had planned to sail over to Ocracoke for Easter this year....but it was a bit chilly.  And leaving Oriental early in the morning for the 8 hour sail in 35 degree temps just sounded uncomfortable.

And because we have alternatives, we decided to fly instead! Sharon and Buddy sailed over on the ferry and picked us up at the airport.

On the ramp at the Ocracoke Airport.  Beautiful sky!

Ummm, nobody said I had to pack light!!

Just a fun long weekend....all the usual haunts were visited (the ones that were open, that is).  Our new favorite pub is Gaffers....they had a really nice table just for us.

Our friendly Daijio's bar was strangely empty.  Just a little early for "on-season" I guess.

Rode bikes out to the beach on a grey Easter Sunday.  Nice temps though..

I was trying to be "artsy-fartsy" with my camera.  Think I need a better camera for that!

And that's it, folks! 

I was so relaxed that I hardly pulled my camera out, so no silly "people shots".  Good time though!