View from the Mountain

Warmer than Bangor in summer

To understand the title of my post, I have to provide a little history.

After graduating college, I took off to the wilds of Canada.  Much to my mother's dismay, I started farming.  By 1980 our cattle herd numbered over 200 animals.

In addition to raising cattle, I was selling Vermeer Balers.  The balers would get shipped to Maine, and I would drive down and haul them back with my pickup truck.

Farming is not the kind of life which comes with a lot of vacations.  In fact we went so long without a vacation that we pretty well forgot how to have one.  However, sometime around 1980, we decided to combine a trip to pick up a baler with a quick family visit to Bangor, Maine. 

Only our two oldest children were around then, so we packed everyone up in our Ford F250 crew cab truck and headed off.  We decided to spend the night in a Howard Johnson's Motel.  The main reason was that they had a swimming pool.  It was an outside swimming pool, but we didn't consider that a problem since it was July.  Perhaps we had been on the farm a little too long.

Sometime during our stay we decided to go for a swim. I love swimming, and I suspect that the years on the farm had made me a little desperate for some time in the water.

As our children we getting into the shallow end of the pool, I decided to dive into the deep end of the pool.  I didn't bother to check the water.  Hitting the water was like nothing I have ever experienced.  I don't think my body has ever endured a temperature shock as great as I got that day in July when I dived into that unheated swimming pool in Bangor.

As soon as I could turn myself upward I clawed my way up through the nearly frozen water until I hit the air while still swimming.  Needless to say this as been a source of great amusement to our family for over thirty years. I didn't get back in the water that day.  On our next trip I found us an indoor heated pool.  I have probably never jumped into the water again without checking the water temperature.

So today, March 26, 2012, after I came back home from the Bluewater Cove swimming pool, my wife, Glenda, asked me how was my swim.  I responded, "Warmer than Bangor in July."  Glenda was kind enough not to break out in laughter, but I certainly didn't have to explain the reference.

This is the earliest that I have ever jumped in an unheated outdoor swimming pool. I did check the water before I got into it. While it was a little cool for floating around, it certainly wasn't too cold for swimming.  With the water over at the beach being warm enough for wading and our neighborhood pool nice enough for a cooling dip,  I would say we are ready for visitors here on the Crystal Coast.

 

The Nikon COOLPIX P500, my favorite beach camera

I am very lucky to live along North Carolina's Crystal Coast where it is entirely possible to walk the beaches twelve months out of the year.

Winter in our cove which is less than ten minutes from the beaches of Emerald Isle is rarely harsh enough to keep us from venturing over to the beach at least a few days even during the coldest part of the season.

With that thought in mind, I ordered a new Nikon COOLPIX P500 just before Christmas.  I chose that particular model of the COOLPIX line of cameras for a few reasons.  First it has CMOS imaging technology. Second it has an electronic viewfinder in addition to a large tiltable LCD viewing screen.  Third it has 36X optical zoom.  Finally it was reasonably priced at just a few dollars above what I had paid for my last pocket camera.

I have had three pocket cameras in the last eighteen months.  Two were Panasonic Lumix models and one was a Sony DSC-HX7V with GPS.  All three have developed spots on their image sensor.  I am hoping the Nikon will be more resistant to this problem.

One of the reasons that I wanted a new beach camera was to be able to leave my Nikon D3100 and expensive telephoto lens at home.  While there are days when you can guarantee no rain on the beach, there are some days when rain seems to pop up from nowhere. 

While I typically carry a plastic bag in my back pocket, I would rather keep my Nikon DSLR D3100 for close to home work.  Many of my walks on the beach last three or more hours like the really neat one that I did at the Point on January 24, 2012.  A beach walk in January when the weather requires only a long sleeved tee-shirt is always a magic time in my book.

The Nikon COOLPIX P500 isn't as good as the D3100 for catching waves in action, but it does a great job even with movies when shot from a tripod. It is also quite a bit lighter in weight than my D3100 with a telephoto lens.

I recently did a website with P500 movies of a pelican preening itself.  Apple iPad and iPhone users can see the same movie at this link.  If you have trouble viewing it, you can see it on YouTube.  If you have signed up for YouTube's HTML5 trial you can also see the movie in high definition. I am partial to the 720P version. I am exceptionally pleased with the movies that I am getting out of the P500.

I have a number of photos taken during my last beach walk with both the Nikon COOLPIX P500 and the Sony DSC-HX7V at this Picasa Web Album. If you are looking at an individual picture, you can tell which camera took the picture by going to the full details page.  Many of the Sony images had to be cropped or retouched to get rid of the image sensor problem.

Though I have only had the Nikon a little over a month. I have gotten some great shots with it, including this Kingfisher shot.

As the beach walking season moves into full gear, I will quickly find out if the COOLPIX can stand up to harsh beach conditions.

 

When Barbecue is fast food, you must be in Eastern North Carolina

Barbecue is something that I remember from my earliest years.  When I was a youngster growing up in Lewisville, NC in the fifties and sixties, I remember a family friend from Kernersville bringing us homemade barbecue each year.  I vaguely remember that it came from a contest at a local fair.

I can't remember the name of the barbecue place in Winston-Salem that we used to frequent when I was a teenager, but I do remember that the barbecue is similar to that served today by Stamey's of Greensboro.

It is easy to observe that growing up near Winston-Salem, NC is akin to growing up close to the cradle of barbecue, which many would argue is Lexington, NC.  Even today, there are fifteen barbecue restaurants listed in the Winston-Salem area.

There aren't many states that have a barbecue trail, but North Carolina does.  I will admit to eating at a number of the spots on the trail including Carolina Barbecue in Lexington and Allen & Sons near Chapel Hill.

However, I have my own favorites. Perhaps the barbecue that I enjoy the most comes from Moore's of New Bern.  However, like many great barbecues, they are stubbornly local.

A few years ago while traveling the Interstates of Eastern North Carolina, we discovered Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q®.  It has become one of the spots that we enjoy occasionally.

I say "occasionally" because we know that we cannot eat there often. I am reasonably certain that there isn't a healthy food item on their menu, but sometimes you just have to enjoy some barbecue. It is part of our culture in North Carolina.

While there are no salads on the menu, the Smithfields restaurants are amazingly fast, exceptionally clean, and friendly.  The food is consistently tasty.  The barbecue even varies just enough to keep you guessing just how spicy the first bite might be.  The fried chicken and Brunswick stew are also tasty. The Brunswick stew is so meaty that it is a meal in itself. I like that slaw comes standard on the barbecue sandwiches. It is near heresy to have a barbecue sandwich without slaw.

We hit the Smithfield's in Morehead City for lunch the other day just about noon, and it was packed.  We placed our order and hardly got seated at the table before someone was bringing us our meal.  They have a senior discount every day, and our hearty lunch for two of barbecue, fried chicken, Brunswick stew, and hushpuppies only cost us a few cents over $10.  We drink their tea mixed with two thirds unsweetened tea since the sweet tea is very sweet.  I am not surprised that I have yet to be in a Smithfield's where the service was anything but exceptional. 

Besides Morehead City, some of our favorite Smithfield's locations are in Jacksonville, Newton Grove, and Siler City which might be the westernmost of the chain. The barbecue at Smithfields is eastern NC style vinegar-based barbecue so that might explain the lack of penetration into the red-sauce territory of western North Carolina.

We lived for years in Roanoke, Virginia, but it seems harder for authenic barbecue to keep a foothold up in the mountains. I don't even want to talk about the poor excuse for barbecue that I once tasted near Rocky Mount, Virginia.  However, I am happy to hear that Bastian's Barbecue is opening back up in Roanoke.  It is a worthy mountain-bred barbecue with a taste of its own.

In fact it you want to read one of my first pieces of on-line writing, you can check out my eloquent argument for barbecue being the great American meal and consequently the perfect Fourth of July food.  I extol the virtues of Bastian's barbecue in the article and define exactly what needs to be served with a great Fourth of July meal.

Fortunately we don't have to wait until July 4 to celebrate great barbecue.  Emerald Isle's 21st Annual St. Patrick's Day Festival is only seven weeks away.  One of the few things that I will stand in line for is some of Bobby Petrea's barbecue, and his booth is always one of the most popular at the festival.  It is also one of the few places you can get his barbecue without hiring him to cater an event.  Bobby is a local barbecue legend.

Then it won't be long until the annual Newport pig cooking contest.  I have pictures on-line of the 2007 event.  As the weather warms, I might just have to have visit Tryon Palace this spring to check out the flowers (and Moore's Barbecue).

Barbecue makes me proud to be a North Carolinian.

 

The last person in paradise

Forty years ago, I might have liked the idea of being the last person to move to paradise.  Since that time, I have learned that closing the door after moving to our perceived paradises would likely be a bad idea.

First, I have come to understand that we are all social beings.  Life among other social beings even some we don't agree with is likely preferrable to life alone.

Next we live in a rapidly changing world.  The minute you move to a place, you change it.  It is nearly impossible to wall any spot off from outside influences. The Internet and mobile phones have likely put an end to that.

The better hope is trying to control change in a positive way. It is not unusual to run up against things which we cannot control.  However, often in the effort to be a force for positive change, we end up learning things or meeting people who help us deal with things that we cannot stop.

Since 2006, I could be considered something of an evangelist for North Carolina's Southern Outer Banks.  I enjoy writing about the area and especially taking pictures that capture the area's scenic beauty.

For a while I actually sold real estate in the area so it might have been possible to say that I was writing about the area in order to make money.  However, most of the people reading my articles seemed to see right through that and understand that I truly love the area.

I am no longer actively involved in real estate, but I have continued to write about the area.  I don't write about the Crystal Coast because I want a huge infusion of population.

However, I do want to get the word out about the Southern Outer Banks. Not many people have heard of the Crystal Coast portion of North Carolina's barrier islands.  Yet its best hope for survival is people learning about the area and appreciating how special a spot it is.

The strand of sand that makes up our beaches is truly a place that is very unique among beach communities.  It has not been over developed.  The area is not wall to wall golf courses.  It does still have some gorgeous, un-crowded beaches which are relatively easy to access.

On top of all that, many of the area waters are remarkably clean.

The area is also a safe, friendly place where just about anyone is welcome.  Carteret County, home of the Crystal Coast, is home to many festivals, trails, and places to enjoy the water.  It is a very good place to live year round.

I write about the area because I believe that it is important that people who care about the area, its beautiful beaches and clean water, continue to move to the area.   The average age of those currently living in the area is relatively high.  I would like to see a new generation which cares about preserving what is unique in Carteret County.

One thing that I learned long ago is that we have to transition what is important to the next generation.  The older you get, the more important that becomes.  If those who follow us are willing to fight for sensible development, this area might continue to be a great place to live.

We will never stop places from changing, but if people living in a place care about taking care of the area, then there is hope that future generations will get to enjoy what we have enjoyed.

The best hope for the survival of what we love is not building walls around it, but in educating others in how it is unique and why it is important that we not lose that uniqueness.

 

Wishes for 2012

First off let me get the one wish out of the way that I know is completely impossible.  I wish the weather would quit changing so fast that my plans are always out of date by the time I get ready to follow them.

This morning the sky was a beautiful clear blue, but by the time we had breakfast, got showers, and settled on the idea that driving up the mountain to Floyd might be fun, a cloud bank rolled in and completely obscured the sun.

Then when I decided to sit down and write for a few minutes.  The clouds disappeared.  Now I am sitting at the computer looking at blue skies once again.

Likely the weather will never slow down to my pace so I will have to continue to gamble with my activities.  However, I doubt that I will get to the point of gambling that the skies will be blue after an hour's car ride.  I would rather be on the beach than in a car.

I could wish that our politicians would try to get along, but I think that would be a wasted wish just as wishing that I could disappear until the presidential election is over.  At least the Republicans debates have slowed down a little.

What I would really like to see is some new faith in what we the people can do to make 2012 better than 2011.

I am obviously not talking about occupying anything especially not the parking lot for the Emerald Isle town office.  I am looking for something much more productive than harassing one of the nicest mayors around.

For 2012 to be different from 2011, we have to start doing things differently.

We all have a stake in the area where we live.  The only people who can make where we live fundamentally better is us.  While governments can and do help make things better or sometimes worse, to fundamentally change the attitude of an area for the better is a people's project.

Making things better can start really small.  If we could just make it socially unacceptable to litter our roads and waterways, then we would have a first step in the right direction.

I'm lucky that I get to have one foot in the mountains of Southwest Virginia and the other in the salt water of North Carolina's Southern Outer Banks.  Both places have scenic beauty so wonderful that your heart can skip a beat.

Not only do we have to preserve that scenic beauty, but we also have to work at making it better.  That can be as simple as stopping to pick up some trash that has blown out of the back of your pickup truck or someone else's.

Once we get beyond the surface beauty we need to work on things like water quality.  The one thing that will improve water the most is for people to clean up after their outdoor pets.  I watch neighbors on a daily basis taking their pets to a vacant lot.  I have yet to see them bend over to clean up anything.  The message has to get out that is unacceptable.

Just as important as protecting our waters is the stewardship of what swims in those waters.  I suspect that there is more netting of fish going on along the coast than is sustainable.  However, I see far too many pictures of recreational boats bringing home a ridiculous number of fish. Most guides know better but want to give their paying clients something for their money.  Pictures of the big ones that you threw back are more sustainable than a giant cooler of fish.

I've actually had a good year of fishing, but I only brought home what we could eat in a meal each time.  I don't ever want to have to throw away a fish that has been frozen too long.  If everyone would be a little more responsible with our precious marine resources, we might all get to enjoy them a little more.

Which brings me to my next point, most lakes, rivers, and beaches have lots of space. Crowding around people who might be catching fish is just plain rude.  Go find your own spot.  The effort expended in finding fish on your own just might make you appreciate what the guys catching fish have already done.

Next I would like to see people more willing to take a chance on new ideas.  There is absolutely no doubt that we live in an information economy.  Information travels incredibly quick in many places.  Yet we have a lot of businesses and people who think things haven't changed since the sixties.

The World-wide Web is pretty pervasive among more and more people. Yet I see businesses believing that a hand-lettered sheet at an intersection is the best form of advertising to supplement their Internet presence which happens to be Facebook.  That's actually a really bad combination from a lot of perspectives.

If the areas where we live are going to join this information economy that is becoming pervasive even faster in other parts of the world, we have to try things besides hand-lettered sheets at the intersection and Facebook.

I enjoy Facebook, but I don't consider it a business tool.  It is a great place to connect with friends and people of similar interests, but making Facebook posts your Internet strategy is going to get you just about as much money as you have invested in it.

Next as we move into 2012 we have to realize that the infrastructure of this decade is not roads and buildings but connectivity.  The areas where high speed Internet is difficult to get will never capture the businesses and workers of tomorrow. 

It is not just a road block, it is a kill any potential opportunity kind of problem.  If our area is one where 4G LTE is unavailable within the next twelve to eighteen months, it is not just a disadvantage for new businesses, most likely many younger visitors will start finding vacation areas where their fast phones will actually work.

My next wish is that cable companies and phone companies would get off their rears and figure out how to offer better, more reliable, faster home and business Internet connectivity.  The US is falling well behind most countries in delivering high quality broadband to their population.

My almost last wish is that people would understand that free is not necessarily good for them or the country.  If you take advantage of someone and use their knowledge or expertise without compensating them, the only person you are helping is yourself.  An example would be going into your local Best Buy and spending twenty minutes getting advice from the salesperson, and then going and buying the product from Amazon.

If Best Buy can't stay in business, we won't have a convenient place to go get what we need today instead of tomorrow.

I get asked all the time by people who want to put up a website.  I don't do websites for a living, but I know a lot about them.  I don't mind sharing some general advice, but at a certain point questions become mooching off my knowledge.  There is plenty of information on the web.  Go do a Google search and teach yourself like I have done.

My greatest wish is that we figure out how to start valuing knowledge and the ability to utilize it just one tenth as much as we value college sports.

If at every level of society, knowledge becomes important and valued, then convincing children to do well in school become something we don't have to do.  Better educated graduates translate into a more educated workforce which means we will eventually have a more educated set of consumers and voters.

That just might fix a few of our serious problems.  However, I don't think it will help with the shower of rain that showed up this afternoon just when I decided to go find a Sunday newspaper.