OBX with Jeff, Maggie and assorted DePaolo's

We had a wonderful week at our house in Nags Head on the Outer Banks of NC ( OBX).
Though the weather wasn't perfect, the company was and we swam nevertheless in the warm waves of the Atlantic.  Every night we cooke terrific meals and every day we went to the beach even in sprinkles and clouds. A few afternoons were delightful with sun and wind and waves to roll with. Jeff and Maggie enjoyed the moisture after the long hot, smoky summer out west.  They kayaked and swam and enjoyed the dolphins.  Jeff dug the requisite hole for the trampoline and we were professional beach people once again.  Margaritas ruled the beach and we all fell into bed exhausted after each day of sand in the toes. The pictures tell more of a story than I can ever write. OBX is my sanctuary, the place where I heal with my family members and friends.

Anna trying to not fall over.

Jim and Lynne

Jeff, Maggie and Jackson digging the trampoline hole

Go Jackson.

Break time.

Colton, the perfect beach baby.

Cute.

And he is up!

Maggie with her hat!!!!

Saturday in Raleigh-Durham,NC

Ok it is Saturday, a day of rest after a long week of work .
 So this is how we rest....

1.8:00am  do Day 5 of Insanity the crazy cardio workout created for 20 year olds, we survive but just barely
2. 9:00 Make a protein shake with fresh fruits and lean protein in order to replenish these 60 year old bodies
3. 9:30 Shower and dress
4. 10:30 Drive to Raleigh to attend the Dixie Gun and Knife show .
5. 11:00 Walk around the venue for 2 hours checking out the guns, ammo and the requisite people!
6. 1:00 pm Stop at Whole Foods to eat healthy salads and to buy stuff for Sunday dinner with parents.
7. 2:00 Drive home.
8. 2:30 Pay the bills, water, spray and cut roses, clean Bird Bath, water bougainvillae, hibiscus and plumeria
9. 4:30 pm Drive to Cary to attend the Barbecue get together for the Ladies Pistol league, of which Anna is a member.
9. 5:15 Eat great barbecue and win 2 door prizes and also view image on slide show of Anna doing the dance after hitting the bullseye twice at 100 yards with a rifle and scope.
10. 7:15 Drive to Cinema to see "Total Recall" ... awesome futuristic craziness.
11. 10:00 Drive home
12. 10:30 pm Decide we can't possibly Tango tonight and collapse into bed.

This is what I won for door prizes. A Women on Target T-shirt ( front and back view) and an NRA briefcase and portfolio...nicely tooled too!

This is me doing the dance after hitting the bullseye 2 times at 100 yards with a rifle and scope.. Senior Seal Team Sniper!!! Woo hoo....

Dive Adventure!: "The Sherman " Wreck

   Here are pictures of our boat and the shell I took from the site!  Didn't have an underwater camera! Too bad as you will read.

We had a real adventure this past weekend diving the Civil War Blockade Runner " Sherman" off the coast of the  Carolinas near North Myrtle Beach!

We went 6 miles out into the Atlantic Ocean with 19 hardy souls on the Safari IV Dive boat for a two tank dive. The seas were rough and a few got seasick but we are troopers and felt fine!

Once at the site, we suited up, put our tanks on and giant stepped off the stern of the boat into the ocean to descent to a rope which we followed down to the anchor attached to the center of the wreck at 43 feet depth. Once we got down, the visibility was not great.  We could see 10-15 feet only but we traversed the hull, the ribs of the ship, from stern to bow. There were plenty of barnacles and schools of fish.  After going around for awhile it was time to ascend. Myron runs out of air much fast than I do. I guess his lung capacity is such but anyway as we ascended I lost sight of him and couldn't find him at all. I kept looking for him and got quite worried about him. I had plenty of air but always want to dive with my buddy for our mutual safety. Anyway I returned to the boat after my 3 minute safety stop and then struggled in the waves to get my fins off and climb the ladder. There he was sitting on the bench. He was fine!

    After a 30 minute decompression, we did it again. This time we stuck closer to one another. All in all our bouyancy and new mouthpieces made for a very comfortable dive experience. We were properly weighted and the fitted mouthpieces made breathing from the regulator like normal!  We saw many fish again but the murky water kept good visibility to a minimum. I enjoyed exploring the ribs of the boat.  I found a nice shell even though I was looking for Civil War artifiacts. I guess it was pretty picked over since 1865! It is a popular wreck diving site. Anyway, when we got to our 15 foot safety stop for 3 minutes of hanging out, 3 barracuda decided to hang out with us!  They hung right in front of us, only about 3 feet away, eyeing us and those sharp teeth heightened our anxiety a bit! I had my knife on my calf ready to grab. They looked at us and I felt if all 3 decided to attack, we would have been mincemeat in short order. Those were the longest 3 minutes of waiting and watching I have ever had. We got to the surface and got back on the boat and now we have a good story to tell. Thank goodness we didn't see the 14 foot Tiger Shark that was patrolling the area! Yikes!  Can't wait to dive again! But I think I like the Caribbean much better!

Weekend in NYC & Giavanna's B-day

Last weekend we hopped a plane to NYC to visit some friends then head out to Long Island to join Myron's family in Grand Niece Giavanna's 4th birthday party. In NYC, we had lunch with my friend Erdem, his wife Hale and daughter Melis, dinner with Charlie Cante and general strolling around Manhattan. The birthday was quite the shindig and the pictures can tell the story because there are simply no words to describe the extent of the  festivities.

Anna in Rockefeller Center on a very hot day!

 

Tiles in 76th street Subway station

Hale and Erdem

Melis

Melis

Cheese board at Purple Fig French Restaurant

Bouncy House on the front lawn at Giavanna's party.

Princess Giavanna: 4 years old.

Cousins

The Backyard catered!

Anna went in the Bouncy House !

The Princess  and popcorn vendor with all the girls.

The ice cream truck for everyone to enjoy!

Giavanna handing out the ice cream.

The gift table

A fantastic hand crafted doll house made for Giavanna!

Birthday cake!

Farmer's Market, Pig Fest and War of 1812 all in one Day!

Today was a full day for us. First we went to the Carrboro Farmer's Market. It was a warm and beautiful day and we puchased: some preserves, kale, tomatoes and cukes! We then drove off to Apex where they were holding the annual Pig Fest, a competitive barbecue cook off! We tried some great barbecue, tasted a variety of "mop" sauces and laughed at the names of the barbecue contestants. The smokers wafted the scent of smoked pork throughout the area! It got pretty hot, in the 90's, so we headed to the War of 1812 reenactment in Raleigh at Mordecai Historical Park. They provided a nice show of musket loaders and cannon. They wore authentic clothing and it must have been hot for them! Next stop : ice cream....dark chocolate ! Yum. We ended the day with Tuscan soup and salad at home and then an hour at the pool. I love the weekends!

Carolina Young Guns Smoker

Muskets

A pig fest happening.

A reenactment of the War of 1812.

And a restaurant has my name in Apex, NC!

Oh what  tattoo and hair color! Pig fests bring out everyone!

Father's Day at a Winery

We had a Father's Day Picnic at a local winery! Had 7 tastings and bought a bottle for our picnic lunch of shrimp, crabcakes, quiche, fruit and cheese! It was delicious and the venue was perfect along with perfect weather of course. Opa got a new leather belt and Myron got a 2 tank SCUBA dive at a Civil War wreck along the South Carolina Coast!  Wow!

Sharpshooter Extraordinaire!

My sharpshooter skills are improving!  I finally passed my Sharpshooter qualifications for Pistol.
I am now working on Expert and then I will have "timed  and witnessed" Distinguished Expert to pass. Distinguished Expert is very hard but perhaps by the end of the summer.
Myron is still working on Sharpshooter but is almost there. I hope to complete Expert by end of next month.

It is hard with shooting 5 shots each from one handed weak and strong arm in 10 seconds.  My left ( weak ) arm isn't as accurate! Perhaps after Pistol qualifications I should consider rifle !!!!

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there. Today we are taking Opa on a wine tasting to a vineyard with a picnic. Myron's present will be revealed later! It will be an historical adventure!

Love Anna and Myron