Here in Cameron Woods Community – we have fantastic sunsets – this is the view from our driveway
And yet you turn 180 degrees and you have the same in fantastic sunrises!
We also can go out to the same spot and see STARLINK come across those same sunset sky’s!
We can google STARLINKS and see the time and direction that it will appear in a cloudless night sky!
What you see here is a straight line of dozens of space internet satellites known as STARLINKS
which are launched by Space X – and Elon Musk!
To date, there are some 4500 hundred of these circling the earth bringing internet service to remote areas and the vast amount of the population on this Earth!
It is an exciting sight to view them as they cross the sky in a straight line of dozens of White Satellites.
Our sky here is an experience almost every day with white and gray clouds!
We live in a great area for daytime and nighttime views of the sky!
Thanks for reading PAPA’S WORLD – my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
Our daughter – Debby and husband Mike – Sherry – papa – Ella – Maddy and Sarah – from NVA!
They came and spent nearly a week with us in Cameron Woods Community- N.C.
We had planned this for a couple months – and as always – tears when they left!
Mike – Steve – Sherry and Diane – both neighbors and friends – came along with us on the ICW!
Sherry had attended a fundraiser for the food pantry put on by our church.
She purchased $20.00 in tickets and her name was drawn twice –
once for breakfast at a dinner and the second time as the winner of a 9-hour day on the ICW
with a PONTOON BOAT!
Mike – Steve and myself piloted us down and back up the ICW stopping at the new place to eat on the ICW-
THE BLUE DRUM! We had a great lunch and fun time boating.
On the way back – we stopped on the back side of Bird Island – where boats pull up to the beach and you hang out on the beach!
Papa – Mike and Steve stand on the ICW beach and watch a very large boat that had just come up the channel from the ocean and passed where we had beached the pontoon boat!
Maddy looked out over the cove on the backside of OIB at OIB FISH COMPANY where stopped for drinks and appetizers.
We spent two days on the beach – one day on the boat and two days at the pool.
We took them on our Turtle Patrol walk at sunrise on the East end of OIB.
Papa and Sherry at our last beach day with family. Thanks for reading PAPA’S WORLD-
my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
PAPA’S WORLD – FROM LAKE HOLIDAY TO CAMERON WOODS COMMUNITY – FAMILY VACATION.
Our wedding day – June 25th. 1982 – starting out together after dating for 1 1/2 years!
It seems like only yesterday yet it is over 41 years ago and longer since we first started dating.
Both divorced – both had two children – her two daughters – my two sons –
We planned vacations on a budget – packing food to stop and have lunch on our way to a destination.
We had an old 12-passenger van – but fun trip.
We lived in the country – our driveway was 1/10 of a mile long – ice in winter –
It took me days to push and mow the lawn.
The early years – Sherry and her sisters. We were close to her family – often spending weekends with her parents!
Camping – tents and fifth-wheel and tag-along camper.
Our dream back then was warm weather – beach – surf and sand – vacations – wanting to stay!
We explored our states and country – sometimes by ourselves – mostly with kids –
providing what we could – money was tight.
But – we were happy – and we both worked for AOTC and DAL-TILE.
Along the way was National Gypsum, Private, Armstrong, and Mohawk.
The early years – Sherry and her sisters. In the mountains of the Kinzua Valley – Mount Jewett – Pa.
Our family was aging – the kids were gone to college and work.
We were thinking of transferring to within the company.
Several openings came up – but not what we wanted.
Then in 1999 – we applied for transfers and moved to NVA – still with Dal-Tile –
along the way we remained close to our friends for many years – one couple left for Wilmington, N.C. a few years before we went to NVA, and later the other couple transferred to Va.Beach.
We stayed in touch and in June of this year they all came to our new home to play golf –
FRIENDS FOREVER!
Our early years have now transformed into our senior years – now retired – and our dream came true!
We found our beach – sand – surf and warm weather – now our families come to visit.
Thanks for reading my site – PAPA’S WORLD – livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
PAPA’S WORLD – livinglifedoingitmyway.blog OUR EARLY YEARS 6-25-82!
LIVING OUR DREAM TO THE PLUS ONE DAY AT A TIME – 2023 – OUR SENIOR YEARS BEGIN!
Good day everyone from Cameron Woods Community in Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!
We all walked up to the new pickleball courts and the family played for about an hour. Above is Taylor and Bode on one side and Marcus on the other side.
Here Tammy is on one side and Sherry and Cassidy on the other. The courts are brand new and hoping soon the center will be finished and we can use it and the pool when it gets warm.
Bode and Taylor – we were here for almost one hour – a beautiful day in the low 60s! Love this area and the temperatures.
Thanks for reading PAPA’S WORLD – my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog contact: fitztdf@aol.com
PAPA’S WORLD – PICKLEBALL AT CAMERON WOODS PLAYING PICKLEBALL WITH FAMILY!
Golf carts – hot chocolate – cookies and sheet music – it’s that time to once again sing Christmas songs in the community!
This is the season to be festive – we all met in our driveway – Solo Stove ablaze – music from the garage – this actually is the second year gathering together – and it has grown to around 15 souls!
Hot chocolate and cookies – and it was not too chilly!
Sherry – Kathy our neighbor and Diane – our other neighbor.
People mingled about before starting out to sing – three golf carts to help carry people – the rest walked.
I volunteered to stay behind and tend to the fire in the SOLO STOVE! They wouldn’t want me to sing – like an old hound dog! They were gone about an hour before they came back – regrouped and went to another part of the neighborhood.
We hope to make this an annual event – meeting at the community center when it is opened and finished.
Even the golf cart was decorated! It was a nice way to talk to friends and neighbors
and there were so many happy neighbors who came outside and even joined in – taking pictures – CAMERON WOODS COMMUNITY – OCEAN ISLE BEACH – NORTH CAROLINA – traditions being started!
Papa’s World – livinglifedoingitmyway.blog fitztdf@aol.com
PAPA’S WORLD – It’s the most wonderful time of the year –
Family from WPA – far away but close to our hearts – MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
While they live far away – they are always near our hearts – love them and hope they come back down again!
Back in NVA – the little ones as I call them – MORMOR and PAPA we are to them – they always want us to come home! It was hard leaving them as they were with us constantly – but so far the three little ones have been down twice for a week to two weeks being with us – memories – fun times and “WHAT ARE WE DOING NEXT”?
Before there was Bode – now they are mostly grown up or about to be teenagers – memories – memories – not forgotten – loving
life.
Back just north of Winchester, Va. the oldest now – two in college – one in H.S. where has the time gone?
Two oldest played soccer in college – one her senior year this year – one a sophomore – the youngest a sophomore in H.S.
PAPA and SHERRY – family means a lot to us – memories of times gone past and memories of times to come!
CHRISTMAS DAY at our home – our first we have been here to celebrate – soon the young ones will come – MEMORIES!
CHRISTMAS – FAMILY – MEMORIES!
PAPA’S WORLD – livinglifedoingitmyway.blog – fitztdf@aol.com
We have now lived here for 17 months – where did that go? Our home is most likely ( hoping) our last major move.
We decided on moving here – near the borders of N.C and S.C. because it was still within 61/2 hours and 8 hours of our families in NVA.
We have close friends who live about 33 miles away and more close friends who are building in that same area.
We enjoy our location for the close access to the beaches and major shopping and golf while still having that country feel.
While we do have the threat of Hurricanes – we are not in a flood zone. Having gone through category one – we have decided on anything past an category two – we most likely will leave.
We enjoy the 30- minute drives to shopping at the outlet mall and the many offerings of shows and entertainment of Alabama Theater and Carolin Opera!
Sunrise on OIB with boats racing for a fishing tournament – warm weather – ocean breezes in summer-time
lead to what locals call down here “THE SALT LIFE”!
Thanks for reading Papa’s World – my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
Tough choice – made easier by the drop back in 2020 for our 401K –
but also the increase in the value of the housing market!
We decided to sell – our daughter and family had moved – not far away – about thirty minutes on a good day of traffic!
But – before they were a mile away – we would pick up the little ones from school and have the youngest sometimes also.
It was an easy walk to their home and we spent a lot of time with them.
But it was the 401K – losing 30 plus % – yet the house gained more than that!
Another door had opened – an adventure awaited – we disclosed our plans – and we said we would be within an easy days drive
6 to 8 hours – but someplace warm and near a beach!
We also wanted to golf – for far less expensive than it was in NVA!
After a couple months of searching – we found our beaches – Ocean Isle Beach and Sunset Beach – one four miles and the other six miles away – we wanted to stay on the mainland – and not in a flood zone – we found Cameron Woods Community.
We built our home – six to eight hours from our NVA families – they have come to visit numerous times and we have been back the same.
We live right across the street from four 18-hole golf courses and are within 30 minutes of another twenty-five!
We have new friends and neighbors – and are close to dear friends we have had for 35 years.
Our life had changed – we went through that door – it was not easy –
now we are in the twilight of our years – but every day brings new adventures and experiences.
A new day begins – another day to explore and live the Carolina life – thanks for reading PAPA’S WORLD – OUR LIFE!
PAPA’S WORLD my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog fitztdf@aol.com OUR CAROLINA LIFE!
Stepping out the front door of our house in Cameron Woods to the morning sunrise!
We choose this lot because of the sunrise and sunset from our driveway!
You look right to the East and left to the West!
Looking out the front door to the West!
We have been here going on fifteen months – and have had numerous sunrise and sunset skies
that is absolutely beautiful!
This is us! No snow or ice!
View of the front and looking SW toward the ocean some 2 to 4 miles away!
We are in OIB but on the mainland side – six miles to Sunset Beach and four miles to OIB.
The sunrise from the backyard – all the tree line to the right is protected!
Our backyard borders a protected area – it can not be developed or cut down – the second reason we chose this lot to build our new home!
Looking out at the backyard and treeline.
As we progress into the future – we have carefully had the landscape done – replacing pine straw with stones and mulch – eventually going to all stones and borders.
We also wanted an open patio and a firepit – along with a place to grow our own organic veggies – which we have done now year round!
This is now our third harvest since early spring – and are going on our second harvest of cucumbers!
She finally talked me into purchasing a grill and we often grill out here – we have no gas and the house is all electric – and electric stove tops we have found are hard to keep clean – thus I grill! LOL
Our little flower garden next to the treeline – now if we can keep the deer from munching the leaves! LOL
Thanks for reading PAPA’S WORLD and SUNRISE FROM THE FRONT DRIVEWAY!
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I wanted color back here – the builder planted white Crepe Myrtles out front – these are WATERMELLON!
We also replaced all the Pine Straw and moved it to the tree line where we had three Oleanders put in!
They are young plants and hoping they will take hold – watering them everyday – but next year they should bloom
a bright RED againest the back drop of the protected tree line.
The second Crepe Myrtle – all trees in the yard now have stone and brick or edging depending where they are. The ones next to the house are mulched in black and serve as a contrast to the light gray siding.
A quiet neighborhood – but already a man rang the doorbell trying to sell home securtiy!
We are slowly putting in flowers that will come back year to year – hoping to make this area wild but colorful!
This will be a on going work in progress – adding a little bit here and there!
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Mary has made her life mission to feed hungry children!
Just one of the many rooms that Mary built to hold her Folkart!
The walls – ceilings and floors are all painted with Folkart and anything she can paint on!
But her interest is in glass – window frames – painted from the back mirror image to the front side – what you see here is painted on the back of the glass.
All are bright colors in the Folkart tradition.
Painted like stained glass to be hung so the light shines through them if you want!
Most are titled and signed and dated by Mary Paulsen.
She cuts out the glass – she has no training and says she was inspired by a vision from God.
Thank you for reading – next Chapter Three of Mary Gone Wild
Known for her Folkart – Mary has her art in every state of the union and worldwide.
She has donated money from her art to feed tens of thousands of children.
Papa’s World – Mary’s gone wild – Chapter two – next chapter three.
Bode – Cassidy – Taylor and their MorMor – on the waterfront at Oyster Rock.
TWELVE DAYS of non-stop activity – crossing off all that was on the list plus whatever we added!
Ferry rides – Fort Fisher – aquarium – scavenger hunt – arts and crafts at the park – Wonder Works in Boardwalk on the Beach – Lulu’s and playground at Barefoot Landing – Plus Bullys for lunch –
Then there were go-carts – mini golf – beach time – tidal pool – fireworks – golf cart parade – walking and riding bikes – crafts at home – IPAD time –
There was more – twelve days worth – and yes we were exhausted – but even now we miss them.
Marcus – Taylor – Cassidy – Tammy and Bode – were happy to see them.
The parents came for overnight and then headed to Topsail Beach for vacation with Marcus’s family.
The kids were excited as they would see their cousins and grandparents.
Taylor and her MorMor( Sherry) yes – she is tall – eleven years old – and we have two more who are taller than Sherry – her cousins Ella and Sarah!
It was a full twelve days of non-stop going – playing – creating – laughing – and they were so good!
Taylor – Bode – Cassidy – so long – until next summer – but we will see them often in the next 12 months!
Thanks for reading Papa’s World – MY SITE: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog fitztdf@aol.com
East end of Ocean Isle Beach – as low tide forms – giant tidal pool – one to two feet deep!
The water in June is really warm , and here Taylor- Bode – Cassidy and I wade around the pool. It was huge and a sand bar formed as the tide went lower.
The Ocean Isle Beach tidal pool is on the east end of the island is near the new groin break wall.
The grandkids played in her for a couple hours and a group of teens just laid on their stomachs in the warm water.
The area does not have many people come to it as you have to walk from your car to get to it!
But – the beach here is so peaceful and quiet.
The tidal pool makes it easy to not have to watch the little ones all the time!
You can see the new groin break wall in the background!
Taylor decided it was time to fly a kite while the other two continued to run and play in the tidal pool.
What was nice was she did not have to worry about other people on the beach as we were in a spot with no one within fifty yards of where we sat.
East end of Ocean Isle Beach, N.C.
She spent a good one-half hour with the kite in the air!
You can see in the pictures just how many people were around – a great spot to spend some quiet time!
Our three youngest grandkids – Taylor – Cassidy and Bode.
Thanks for reading Papa’s World! MY SITE: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog my contact: fitztdf@aol.com
The moon shining over OIB before the start of fireworks.
It was a warm evening – and the kids were excited – we made our way onto the island and found a spot to park right across the street from the pier – we carried our chairs to a grassy area next to the roadway – we were about to have front row seats!
To our left is the traffic circle and it seemed like hundreds of cars and golf carts were still streaming in and around the circle – most going past in front of us.
Papa and the crew – this was in the other direction from the circle – and there was a constant stream of cars – I have no idea where they went because that end is the end of the island some three miles away.
The opening of the fireworks continued for a one-half hour!
The view – palm trees – and parking lot of the pier – and then the ocean.
Thanks, for reading Papa’s World – my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
Sherry – Cassidy – Taylor and Bode trying to solve the MAZE on the beach on the 12th. street beach access!
Almost every day weather permitting – for the last 8 to 10 years – a man ( I do not know his name)
appears on the beach with just a shovel and draws these amazing MAZES!
There have been numerous newspaper articles – Facebook and other social pages and stories
of his unique style of PUZZLES on the beach at low tide.
Sherry is about to enter the MAZE and right below to the left is a diagram on how to SOLVE the MAZE!
The diagram also has instructions on how to TURN at each intersection –
you can not just walk straight through – you must turn in any direction.
The instructions are written in the sand – all done by freehand – and with just a shovel!
The articles I have read – he does this as a hobby and for years for his wife until she passed away.
He decided to continue in her memory each day – she would accompany him and test out the MAZE!
I would like to meet him and talk to him!
While we were there for 45 minutes – at least a hundred people stopped and tried to solve the MAZE!
If you are ever on SUNSET BEACH – go to the 12th. street beach access – either drive or walk the beach- and you most likely will come across a lot of people walking THE MAZE – and it is different each day. He says he starts in the middle and just works his way to the outside and they come in straight lines – curves and other forms of drawings!
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PAPA’S WORLD ” THE AMAZING MAZE ON SUNSET BEACH, N.C.”
