Fun Birthdays

My and my son-in-law's birthdays are one day apart, so for convenience we usually have a joint celebration.  With four kids age 7 and under, these events can devolve pretty quickly but everyone had a great time, and the cake was delicious, although no longer pretty even before we blew the candles out :)

OBX from the Air

While I was in this beautiful but remote part of North Carolina, I decided to do some aerial photography of the sweeping coastline, sandbars, and rolling tides.  It was a beautiful day, and we flew in a Cessna from Manteo all the way down to Cape Lookout. These show areas around Rodanthe, Cape Hatteras, Cape Lookout, and Bodie  Island Lighthouses.   For more aerial images from the trip, please see my website here.

Waterfront town of Manteo, North Carolina

I spent a night in this quaint waterfront town.  Very nice vibe, relaxed and friendly and not overly touristy!  It is one of those places that I visit and come away thinking that I could live there, kinda like Beaufort, SC and a couple others.  Anyway, here are some images of the marina and Manteo Lighthouse.

Hatteras Lighthouse and the Milky Way ... with Mars

I am not one for late nights unless there is a very good reason to be awake, and this provided such a reason.  The skies finally started to clear yesterday late afternoon, allowing intermittent glimpses of the Milky Way and Mars.  What a wonderful world!

Threatening Skies over OBX ..

... but perfect weather for this shot of the fabled Inn at Rodanthe; mysterious, creepy, and for sale!  Not sure we will get clear skies for our Milky Way workshop anytime soon, but I know we'll find something to photograph.

Coastal North Carolina

I'm on the move again, and this time the destination is the Outer Banks.  Tonight I made a stop at Kure Beach near Wilmington on the way.  I had heard about an outcrop of coquina rocks (very similar to the ones near St. Augustine in Florida) and I wanted to photograph them.  The weather has not been cooperative and the light this evening was flat and boring.  Nevertheless, it was great to be on the road and wonderful to explore a new location this evening.  This is Kure Beach.  Hopefully there may be a pretty sunrise tomorrow morning ...