It is often a challenge for some folks to separate reality from perception. So many have lives that are completely insulated from the environment and hardly step foot in the real world. The most some spend outside is going from their home to their car and from the car to a store.
One of the reasons that we moved to the Crystal Coast is that the weather here offers you the opportunity to spend more of your time outside. Other than a short time in August and September when we go through some hot, humid weather, it is pretty easy to love the outside world here in Carteret County.
We had a little over seven inches of rain in early October. Since then we have not seen even a single drop of rain. Seven inches of rain over three or four days is not a huge amount for a coastal region but it did come after a great but very damp summer and early fall.
Since those first days of October, the Crystal Coast has enjoyed great drying weather and three weeks of rain-free weather. Even the very wet spots in the yard of our home adjacent to the marsh have dried out as much as they ever do. It has been a stellar October up until October 27 when some light showers moved into the area. We were almost happy to see a little rain since we started watering our fall garden a few days ago.
In spite of the three weeks of nearly uninterrupted sunshine, someone mentioned to me the other day that they had not mowed their yard because of all the rain. It made me wonder if they had been outside at all in the last three weeks. Other than a few cool mornings the weather has been close to perfect.
The only problem that I have seen with all the great weather is that I have mostly been too busy to properly enjoy it. I have managed a couple of kayak trips on the river and one boat ride but I have not gotten in a really long beach walk since September. It is my own fault. My priorities have gotten misaligned. This working every day obviously gets in the way of fishing and beach walks.
I have been out on the area's sand enough to know that the water is still up around 70F. I have heard there have been some fish including a few trout showing up here and there. The grocery stores are now uncrowded. I actually ventured over to the Emerald Island Food Lion and got a parking spot almost beside the door. It is back to being the laid back grocery store for locals.
While we might get a couple of days of showers sandwiched between all the great weather, fall is traditionally a wonderful time here on the coast. While we only get a little color in our leaves, we make up for it with still warm waters, blue skies, and breathtaking sunsets along the water.
If you need a break before the holidays, the Crystal Coast is a great place to visit. If you need a place where the holidays are not so tightly wound, the Crystal Coast can also fill the bill.
