We are very lucky to live in such a beautiful state. I have never lived any where else. Jim lived in
Virginia and Florida while his Dad was in the Navy. We live in the Beaufort,
Morehead City, Atlantic Beach area of the
coast, just about where the little picture of a house is
above. We are within half hour of the beaches and the
Cape Lookout Lighthouse. It is known as the Crystal Coast. The
winters are mild, with hardly no snow. The summers are
warm and humid though. The months of July and August are
the hottest. I just about forgot to mention that every now and
then we get a hurricane.
There are all sorts of things to do in our area.
Most of them do involve the ocean. Cape Lookout Lighthouse can
be reached by boat only. It is still working even today. The pirate Blackbeard
is buried in our area.
There are lots of wrecks and reefs off the Morehead City,
Beaufort area. Fishing is excellent. Seafood is plentiful. Be
sure to visit the Beaufort waterfront. There are some very big
boats here from all over the world. The
fishing party boats arrive around 4 or 5 pm with their daily
catch on the Morehead City waterfront. There are also some
good restaurants on both waterfronts.
The middle of the state is where Carolina, Duke, Wake
Forest, NC State are located. Most of the larger cities
are in the center of the state also. Southern Pines, Pinehurst
area are well known for their golf courses.
The western part of the state is the mountains. That's the
Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Below
picture was made in the Blue Ridge Mountains by Webshots.
From the coast to the mountains it is about a 7 or 8 hour
drive across the state. (east to west). North to
South is about a 2 or 3 hour drive
The largest house in America is Biltmore House in
Asheville. It is very beautiful and old. It has 250 rooms, 65
fireplaces, indoor pool, bowling alley, and 4 acres are under
the roof. Lots and lots of antiques are in there too. Don't
miss it if you are in that area. It was built by the
Vanderbilts.
Mt. Mitchell is the highest mountain in eastern USA at
6,684 feet.
Quite a few motion pictures have been made
here too.
There is a studio in Wilmington which is on the coast below
where we live. Some you will recognize that were filmed
in the mountains are: Hannibal, Patch Adams, Forest Gump,
Dirty Dancing and Fugitive.
Some famous people from here are: Andy Griffith, Aunt B,
Billy Graham, Michael Jordan, Richard Petty and me.
~~~~~~~
The Creation of the Outer Banks
Once upon a time in the Kingdom of Heaven, God was missing for
six days.
Eventually, Michael, the Archangel, found Him resting on the
seventh day.
He inquired of God, "Where have you been?"
God sighed a deep sigh of satisfaction and proudly pointed
downward
through the clouds. "Look, Michael, look what I've made."
Archangel Michael looked puzzled and said, "What is it?"
"It's a planet," replied God, "and I've put life on it. I'm
going to call
it Earth and it's going to be a great place of balance."
"Balance?" inquired Michael, still confused.
God explained, pointing to different parts of the earth, "For
example,
Europe will be a place of great opportunity and wealth, while
Africa is
going to be poor. The Middle East over there will be a hot
spot."
God continued, pointing to different countries, "This one will
be
extremely hot and while this one will be very cold and covered
with ice."
The Archangel, impressed by God's work, then pointed to a long
thin land
mass with an ocean as one border and a large sound as the
other, and said,
"What's that one?"
"Ah," said God, "that's the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the
most
glorious place on earth. There are beautiful beaches, woods,
ponds, and
climate. The people from the Outer Banks are going to be
modest,
intelligent, and humorous and they are going to be found
traveling the
world. They will be extremely sociable, hardworking, and high
achieving
people, and they will be known throughout the world as
diplomats and
carriers of peace."
Michael gasped in wonder and admiration, but then exclaimed,
"What about balance, God? You said there would be balance!
Everyone and everything seems so totally perfect in this place
you call the
Outer Banks of North Carolina."
God replied wisely, "Wait until you see the butt holes I'm
sending down
every summer ."
~~~~~~
Nothin' Could Be Finer
Blue skies amid treed peaks,
Soft sand where the waves speak,
'Tis the best o' two worlds,
Mountain 'n' sea unfurls.
I've lived amidst the trees,
Dwelled alongside the sea,
Watched firemen work in vain,
Weathered the hurricanes.
In the Pisgah forest,
Courage put to the test,
Boulders the only dock,
The place called Sliding Rock.
Within a half day's reach,
A short drive for the beach,
Off to the Crystal Coast,
To tan our bods to toast.
From mountains to the sea
Painted abundantly,
Flora 'n' fauna thrive,
Mankind's feelin' alive.
Nothin' could be finer,
Than North Carolina,
'Tis the best o' two worlds,
Mountain 'n' sea unfurled.
ŠJune 11, 2008 Ruth Cox
~~~~~~~~~~~
You know you're from North Carolina when:
Down South to you means South Carolina
Your folks have taken trips to the mountains to look at
leaves.
You would elect Richard Petty for governor if he ever ran.
You know a bunch of people who have hit a deer.
Fifty degrees Fahrenheit is "a little chilly".
Your school classes were cancelled because of a hurricane.
You know more about ACC basketball than professional
basketball.
Priming was your first job...and you know what it means.
You know Krispy Kreme makes the best doughnut.
You know the best BBQ is found in Lexington.
You carry jumper cables in your car.
You put security lights on your house &
garage and leave them
both unlocked.
You can tell if another North Carolinian is from Eastern or
Western Carolina as soon as he opens his mouth.
Fire ants consider you as a picnic.
People actually grow and eat okra.
Going to Wal-Mart is a favorite past time known as
"goin wal-martin"
or "wally world".
You actually like grits.
Grits is another word for: Girls
Raised in the South
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