We didn’t have it in us to go fishing again yesterday. It was cooler and the wind was still pretty forceful so we decided to play tourist and see what we could get into. We decided to go up to Nag’s Head and have breakfast at Stack ‘em High Pancakes, but it turns out they’re closed on Wednesday. So we ate next door at Bob’s. It was good, but the best part was Helen, our waitperson. What an absolute sweetheart she was. Even though it was the first time we’d ever met, we got big hugs and “I love you…be careful going home!” Just a little beach diner with fun folks.

When we came out of the restaurant, we could see a lot of smoke down south of us. It turned out to be a controlled burn in Jockey’s Ridge State Park between Hwy. 12 and the sound. We thought it was a little crazy to have that kind of burn in such windy weather, but it was completely out by the time we crossed back over the bridge to Nag’s Head later in the afternoon. 

After breakfast, we had reservations for the Aquarium. It was wonderful! We haven’t been there in a few years. One of my favorite parts was walking around the grounds and looking at the pretty flowers. Folks are so nice here in North Carolina! They go out of their way to make you feel welcome.

When we left there, we headed south on Norfolk Island to Wanchese to see the big boats at the marina. Some of them are so big and beautiful. Like a small cottage floating on the water with every amenity you could need. There is a restaurant at the marina that serves fresh seafood. I went there last fall when I was waiting for the truck to be fixed and I didn’t realize Mr. FixIt had been there many times BG (before Ginny!) We each had a flounder sandwich with fries and were officially filled for the day.

We decided we needed to walk off some of the food we ate yesterday so we went back up the island to Manteo and walked around their quaint downtown area shops. We visited an antique shop, a darling General Store where I purchased a gift to take to Little, and an awesome Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar bar. The oils were from Greece and the Balsamic Vinegars were from Italy. OMGosh! There were so many wonderful flavors. The garlic was great, of course. Who doesn’t love garlic! I especially loved plain EVO. And there was a Pear Cinnamon White Balsamic that was to die for! There was also a Raspberry Balsamic that tasted exactly like my grandma’s raspberry jelly…it had such a bright flavor. I would have loved to buy four or five bottles to take home, but at $18.95 for an 8 ounce bottle, it was too rich for my blood!

By this time, all that slow walking was hurting Mr. FixIt’s back and hips so we decided to head back to the camper and stretch out for a bit. I have a pair of socks I’ve started that I wanted to work on. The sun has been shining every day we’ve been here…and it’s supposed to continue all the way through the weekend. Too bad the fishing hasn’t been very good, and the temp has been a bit chilly. But, really…there is no such thing as a crappy day at the beach!

We only have two more sleeps and we head back up the road. We think we’ll hit the North half of the island today. I want to see Jeanne at Knitting Addiction and we HAVE to buy a donut at Tullio’s Bakery in Duck. I know, everyone raves about Duck Donuts, but really the only thing that makes them stand out is they’re fried fresh when you order them. Because if that, they only serve cake donuts. To me, if it wasn’t for the flavored icing/toppings, they all taste the same. But Tullio’s??? Wowza! Yeasty, yummy, lots of varieties, always fresh…so, so, so good!

We want to fish again tomorrow before we leave Saturday morning. Maybe we’ll get lucky and catch something before we have to go!

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“O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small. See the ships sailing along, and Leviathan, which you made to play in the sea.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭104‬:‭24‬-‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

***Gratitude Journal***   
Today I am grateful for firefighters with the knowledge to burn just what is needed and save the rest. I am grateful for the opportunity to be at the beach with my sweetheart and watch the sunset every day.