Good day everyone – welcome to Papa’s World – no politics – only fun – family – friends and good thoughts!
“I ordered a new rug for the lanai,” said my wife!
You see – we just had it inclosed as you can see in my previous blogs.
And – true to our concept of BEACH THEME – she nailed it!
It is so bright and fun to be in and sit looking out at the green yard and palm tree and treeline!
Looking at the lawn – solo fire pit and the new palm tree – one of two and the protected forest behind us.
So now with the new rug, we decided to move the waterproof mat outside on the open patio!
For the time being, it will be out here – and will be centered – our thoughts are to buy some used wicker chairs – paint them a bright color and make a little sitting area along with the two high seats for the solo stove and have room for guests to visit!
View from the fire solo stove back to the lanai and rocks instead of mulch.
We are slowly getting it all in place – landscaping and such.
We are holding off on painting inside until after the one-year warranty.
Now we are experimenting with flowers and how they react to the warm summer weather.
The lawn is looking really good as I have fertilized it myself.
When we sold the last home – we sold all my outdoor lawn devices –
keeping a few to trim trees and bushes.
Shovel to dig with and a couple rakes.
Lawnmowing we have hired done every 14 or 15 days.
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Good day everyone – do you have secret memories of your grandma?
Her name was Nora and by the time I came along – she was a widow –
Grandpa David Aiken was a big man – I am told 6′ 3″ and a farmer through and through.
That is where I get my middle name and grandma was living with us at the time I was born.
She is what I remember the most from my early childhood and she was a dedicated, TEA DRINKER!
My grandma and my mother taught me this.
But she had “SECRET TREATS” for me – depression-era treats!
The first was a bowl of broken up saltine crackers –
and straight from the farm MILK,
sprinkle on a little sugar and you had “CRACKERS AND MILK”!
I thought that was the best thing!
Grandma and my mother were the reason I was raised Catholic.
The second “LITTLE SECRET” was what she called “COFFEE SOUP”!
Now keep in mind – these were family meals during the Great Depression
when she raised ELEVEN kids on the farm.
She would take a think slice of homemade white bread – warm!
Put it on a plate and poured black coffee over it
add a little farm milk and some sugar and a side of thick bacon or ham!
Today – every time I have my morning coffee I think back to those times of growing up and I see in my mind the picture and the smells of COFFEE SOUP! One of my favorite “SECRET MEMORIES”!
I have not ever had either one of these since childhood again.
But the memory remains with me to this day – it was a “SPECIAL TREAT”
from my grandma “NORA” a kind and gentle lady – who for the first four years of my life raised me.
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GRANDMA gave me the “LITTLE SECRET MEMORIES” OF GROWING UP WITH HER!
Sherry walking East and at the truck is where Diane lives.
After Diane joins us – we turn North and walk up the street.
The community center – pickleball courts and pool will be on our left at the top of the hill and our mailboxes will be on the right-hand side in a small cul-de-sac.
The unfinished Community Center building – slowly progressing – almost a year behind schedule!
What it is supposed to look like!
Inspections – material shortages – labor – One developer sold to another – numerous delays!
But when completed we can walk easily to it and it will be so nice –
the inside has been drywalled and painted in 80 % of the building –
the area to the right in the pictures has yet to be drywalled.
I have no idea why it was not done all the way through – but the drywall is sitting in there.
Inside are bathrooms – kitchen, meeting room, fireplace, workout area, lounging area, etc.
Behind us is the main road going north to the main gate.
Before the main gate in the upper right – we head to Waterway Woods – a cul-de-sac.
Here we will walk again West around a loop of this cul-de-sac.
The main entrance – gated – is to the right.
Walking a cul-de-sac – one of many that have no houses on them.
Now we have walked Waterway Woods cul-de-sac and are heading back toward the community center.
On the Waterway Cul-de-sac.
Once back on Waterway road – it is straight back to the house –
or you can choose to do five other cul-de-sacs – some with houses most are vacant.
Or walk the road to the pond – to the end of the cul-de-sac or go to the new construction area and walk.
If you choose to walk everything in Cameron Woods plus the garden homes –
it would be close to seven or eight miles!
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SHERRY Betsie Diane – heading the last one half mile South on Waterway road, Cameron Woods Community!
Sunset beach on the East end opens up to a wide expanse of beach before the channel that separates this beach from Ocean Isle Beach.
It is very wide here and at low tide – you feel you almost could walk across the cove to the other island.
There were only us and a few other people out there this day.
Here are Debby – Sherry, and Ella – a few others were walking – but the gusts of wind made it cold.
Our granddaughter Ella – loves her beach time.
The tidal pools were warm – the air cold and the wind gusting – but the sun was warm – which made it bearable to spend an hour or so exploring this part of the beach.
If ever on Sunset Beach – go to the East end and explore – this must be what it was like hundreds of years ago!
Wide-open and almost deserted beach – tide going out and exposing even more beach.
The book club has grown – from two book readers to now around 7 or 8 when all attend!
Each month a different book is suggested and read.
The meeting place is determined month to month – this time it was OIB Surf & Java –
right next to Lowes food market in OIB!
While some could not make the short hour-long discussion –
and it was not only the book discussed – but get to know your neighbors!
A comfy setting – great chairs and company.
This time I tagged along – I know this place has great coffee – and I just relaxed and read the paper.
I have belonged to another book club back in Va. – but my reading material differs from these.
I am more a Syfy or a good murder thriller reader.
But – I have collected some five books to help supply the future lending library!
This little library hopefully will be outside at the community center –
Where you can grab a book to read for free and if you have any – leave them there for others to read!
Inside Surf & Java coffee shop.
This coffee shop also has sort of upscale clothing –
sports (surf) equipment – shoes – men and women – and some are marked down.
Large screen TV and really comfy chairs.
View of the items for sale.
The book club is young – and growing – and the next meeting will be moved to another coffee shop to be announced on the Cameron Woods Community Facebook site!
Good company – good books and good coffee!
You can notify Diane or Sherry if you wish to come – to the site.
I will be going back again to just sit back – sip my coffee – read a paper –
When we walk – we can go in two directions – this walk is to the East – and the Pond.
E Lindley Lane, S.W.
Here we turn right and walk down the street – there are maybe six houses down here that are still in construction – and all are at the end of this road and then onto the cul-de-sac that winds around to the back of our house through the woods.
But before you get to that other street – the entrance to the trail that walks all the way around the pond – is on the left. Past the only two true story homes in the entire development.
Here you see my wife Sherry starting on the path and the pond is to her right – and in the middle, some 100 feet away is a somewhat raised portion – almost like an old farm road.
This is where WOODIE – THE GATOR – likes to sunbathe!
When the temps rise and the sun comes out – most times you can find WOODIE!
Although I have only ever seen one gator in here – neighbors have seen TWO – both this size!
I would estimate it is 6 plus feet long!
Maybe seven feet!
These neighbors who live on the pond have also seen Otters – lots of Turtles – and have caught a big mouth bass out of here!
The next blog will be “ENTERING THE WOODS” where I am on watch for snakes!
We have seen one rather large Black Snake laying on the path before you go into the woods –
East end of Ocean Isle Beach and the project “The Terminal Groin”
For the past twenty-plus years – the beach here has eroded away – taking with it the ends of first and second streets. Third street and fourth street were in danger as the waves came up and under some of the houses. They started building the break wall that extends some 900 feet straight out and into the ocean, and then a right turn and a short distance – the boulders are huge granite – three boulders to a forty-foot long trailer bed – hauled in by the truckloads.
All the beach you now see in this picture is being pumped in from the dredging of the channel behind the groin – which they do anyways to keep the channel clear for boats.
The water came up to the huge sandbags to under the pilings of these houses.
The “GROIN” will continue until late April when it will be completed. Here you see the pipes blowing out sand to form the new beach.
Large bulldozers spread the sand out and the next picture shows how deep the sand is.
The beach access after some sand addition – the last storm – water came under the steps to the sandbags and over them.
A look West along the new beach – graded – the sandbags were put in place to help keep the water back.
Sherry walking in OIB.
I will continue with the next blog on The TERMINAL GROIN PROJECT”
As the day begins at the condo – the build of our new home begins some six-teen miles away – in Cameron Woods at Ocean Isle Beach – N.C. We searched and searched – but all in vain as the cost to buy was equal or more than to build what we wanted!
Our view here I shall always remember – in all we will be here for nine months!
I captured this shot as a flock of geese were coming right at me before
rising up over the lanai and roof.
We decided to build – that way we would have everything we wanted
A single story – no stairs – covered front porch – screened in covered lanai.
Close to the beach ( four miles) in the country!
Close to golfing ( over 20 courses near by)
And with in 6 1/2 hours to travel back home
or family to travel here!
Materials for the new home – ground is ready – all utilities in and inspected – waiting for pour of concrete!Forms and moisture barrierSome view in one direction of neighborhood – I think in total maybe fifty homes will be here.When done – a two car garage with pull down stairs and finished storage overhead.
We will have around 1900 sf. of heated space –
in addition to a 140 sf covered and screened in lanai
and a open 10 x 14 concrete patio.
There will be a covered front porch
and views of the neighborhood.
The back will be woods with no one building there
as it will be a conservation area.
We will be four miles to Ocean Isle Beach and six miles to Sunset Beach
A thirty minute drive back to North Myrtle Beach
and a fifthteen minute drive to Calabash
and a fifthteen minute drive to Shallotte.
All this in the middle of some twenty golf courses we will be playing!
The concrete is poured – and rain is now slowing up everything!
But – all the inspections have been completed
and our contractor calls us every Monday to give updates
and answer any questions!
The forms are out – concrete is in – framing will be next!View of the garage and the woods behind the new build.
We drive over every Sunday – no one is working!
That way – if it is not raining – we can get out and look it over!
This will be our third house together building.
All three were unique and we have input on all of them.
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WHERE FRIENDS MEET THE FAMILY
FAMILY MEETS FRIENDS!
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Many times when her father was alive – we would go on vacation with them –
then when he passed away – we continued taking GIGI with us where ever we went.
The grandchildren all loved their GIGI – and today – the grandkids call Sherry – MORMOR – Swede for MOTHERS – MOTHER
You see GIGI ( Barb) was Swede through and through – her mother was born in Sweden.
In Mount Jewett where they lived – was an early Swedish settlement from immigrants.
The men in 1886 built a replicant of an eight-sided Swedish church – and the one in Sweden still stands as does the one called Mount Nebo in Mount Jewett – in NWPA!
Every year in that little town in NWPA – a Swedish festival is held.
Both Barb and Bill at one time were the king and queen of that festival.
GIGI – holding Taylor – Maddy holding Cassidy – Sarah and Ella
Memories of GIGI for the grandkids was she was always laughing – smiling – red cheeks –
Holding her hand as they walked or climbing up and sitting beside her.
Learning how to sing a song in Swedish and singing it to her.
Those are memories not lost – but retained in our minds.
GIGI is ever there watching over us.
Thanks for reading Papa’s World – where memories come alive and live on.
Living in Ocean Isle Beach – Cameron Woods – 7 miles to the S.C. border –
the weather is what I like – yes – we have had that rare ice and snow –
but then you get days such as this where it is tee shirt – shorts and sandals!
That is when our resident pond Aligator comes out to the sun itself!
We have a walking trail around this pond and sometimes we see it and other times we do not.
We have seen tons of turtles in here – all types of birds hunting for fish and some have seen otters.
I think there are two gators in here and some babies although I have never seen the little ones or two gators at the same time.
And then it is but a short ten-minute drive to the beach – where the sound of the surf and warm sand entice you to bring a chair and just sit in the warm sunshine!
Tee shirt – shorts and no shoes – toes in the sand – livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
