We had just made our first slow loop around the cove on the tube – Cindy and I.
The sky turned gray – and we could see the rain coming – so we got back on the boat – pulled the tube up on the rear walkway – and headed into the covered dock area.
I had tried tubing – even if it were a slow trip around – and I was ready to go back out again and speed things up!
It was a quick rain shower and we drove onto the boat lift which is covered.
There was no lightening – just a steady rain.
We talked and decided to once again go tubing – this time a little bit faster – as the first time was sort of boring!
The rain continued for about a half hour – and we could watch it from under the canopy. We had some munchies and drinks – and were dry – the boat has a really good radio so we listened to music and talked.
Cindy and I – life jackets on – the rain almost stopped – for the time being – we were dry!
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Next – after the rain – riding the tube and the waves – cross it off my bucket list.
The small building to the right is golf cart storage and a trash compactor building – the one to the left is for golf carts only. You are on a list here for golf cart spaces – that is the only way to get a spot to park it.
Sherry walking by one of Six Pools just like this one – the two on the main road through Ocean Keyes – have a community building – with TV – pool table – ping pong table and chairs and tables. This one has the work out room with all types of equipment. Each pool has a hot tub and a small wading pool. There are propane grills and picnic tables outside and each pool has men and women bathrooms.
The complex has over 780 individual condo units and town houses – this at one time a golf course called The Old Gator Hole! I think in the mid 2000’s it was sold and made into Ocean Keyes plus two other developments including a plaza with Walmart and Home depot.
Her on the left is one of two trash compactors we use – this one also has recycle bins while the other does not.
On our walk we pass the tennis courts and pickle ball court where we have played pickle ball with friends.
To be continued in my next blog – part three of walking back from the beach in Ocean Keyes!
Thank you for reading Papa’s World
WHERE FRIENDS MEET THE FAMILY – FAMILY MEETS FRIENDS!
We are in the Autumn of life – but a life we choose – living life to the plus – one day at a time!
We have had many adventures throughout the 40 years plus we have been together.
Soon – on 6-25-21 it will be year number 39 of marriage – plus 1 1/2 years before that!
We have lived in five different houses that we owned –
Plus a condo we have leased for nine months –
and soon to be house number six in Cameron Woods – Ocean Isle Beach – N.C.
We have lived in Pa. NYS. Va. S.C. and in the new home in N.C.
All in all – every day is a new way to celebrate life – positive thoughts – challenges and moving on together!
Soon it will be here – the new home we are having built – we started out just wanting to see where we would end up – and soon it was seen that buying would not work – too much to change so we decided to build and let our lives adapt to the new future.
First – in our lives are friends – family and new people we have met and a new home church.
Each morning while sipping coffee – I marvel just how far in these 39 years we have come.
The road was not easy those early years – we had nothing but each other and kids – from two separate marriages.
Combining to sets of children – with hardly any money.
But – we made it work and pushed on.
Today we are here in our happy place – together on a new adventure – holding onto our dreams.
Thank you for reading Papa’s World – ON THE AUTUMN OF OUR LIVES – SUNRISES PART ONE!
My next blog will be part two – family!
MY SITE: PAPA’S WORLD
MY BLOG: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog MY CONTACT EMAIL: fitztdf@aol.com
They have been missing for about five weeks – I would catch a glimpse of them to the left of the lanai
Around the bend and through the shrubs and trees – once in a while
Sometimes I would mistake them for the lone swan –
But then I would see it futher down the lake.
Thought maybe they had a nest and were nesting little ones back in the marsh.
The two mated swans are in the top left of the picture while the lone swan is in the middle right of the picture – the first time I had seen all three in over a month!
But – there were no babies and the geese have tons of babies –
So – I do not know why they disappeared and seemed to glimpse them every once in a while through the trees.
That part of the lake is undeveloped and is marsh – swamp – trees and water – not the type of place you want to wade
through or even boat in there – at least I wouldn’t!
I was disappointed in no baby swans but happy in that the were back!
They still would have nothing to do with the lone swan.
This is as close as they would let it come!
Then – last week – a man showed up in a small skiff – he comes once in a while to fix the fountains –
the one we see that is close to us in the middle of the lake – gets clogged up and quits –
I have watched him a half dozen times come in and go to it and unclog it!
This time as he was coming down the lake – I watched the two swans take flight –
beating their wings against the water and become airborne –
they circled around and headed over the houses to the left –
There is another lake over there – I think they went there as they were frightened by the man and boat.
After that we went for a walk on the beach – and have not seen the two swans since!
Thank you for reading Papa’s World – the one swan remains – mingling in with the ducks – mallards and geese.
I have seen turtles by the hundreds – a otter – some very large fish – a eagle several times -osprey – cranes – herons – egrets – storks –
And the three swans when all here.
A place that when you wake up with the sliding glass doors open – you hear the songs of the birds.
PAPA’S WORLD livinglifedoingitmyway.blog email fitztdf@aol.com
Today – I post some pictures – just random pictures – but ones I have close to my heart!
Taylor holding MorMor’s hand – in turn MorMor also holding Bode’s hand.
They adore Sherry – whom they call MorMor – Swede for Mothers Mother!
When we walk with all three – it usually is Taylor who loses out to the other two in holding her hands.
This time it was Cassidy – who with each passing day – is becoming more and more independent.
These two are coming closer and closer together as they grow up.
They are twins – but had to come early as Taylor was taking all the nutrients.
Taylor is going to be really tall – close to six foot while Cassidy will be like her mother 5’6″.
Taylor loves to ride horses – Cassidy has a variety of interests –
but will sit for hours drawing off her computer and is really good!
I thought this to be funny – it brought a smile to my face!
We moved south to find more time to golf – warmer weather and being close to our friends!
Sherry and Cindy – we have been friends with the McBrides for almost 35 years.
They moved about 25 or 26 years to the Wilmington N.C. area – and we would spend time with them once or twice a year.
Then we moved to NVA and they would do the same.
Now – we are building a new home about 40 miles away from them –
and if the weather is nice – we golf once a week with them –
always on a new course – could be on the weekend or a week day.
They can and do stay with us and we do the same with them.
If our new home is not done on time and we have to give up the condo – they have offered us a place to stay.
FRIENDS! GOOD TIMES! LAUGHS!
This is what we have wanted to do for a very long time – it was too expensive in NVA and down here so many courses to choose from.
We both have a love to golf – one of Sherry’s highlights in golfing came with the day she broke 50 –
and it was a day she was golfing with her father!
A memory she shall always carry with her on the course. Now – she beats me! LOL
The view we have almost every morning when we wake up – the master bedroom has a big glass sliding door on her side of the bed – where all she has to do each morning is open her eyes and see this.
I see it each morning also – but I always am up before the dawn – have been that way all my life.
My favorite time of the day – writing my blog – sipping my coffee and watching the sun rise –
listening to the sounds of nature and just enjoying morning time.
Now the sun shines – causing a rainbow in the mist of the water fountain!
A peaceful setting we shall miss when we leave – but we have had by the end – nine months.
A memory we shall carry forward into the new home.
You can hear the pounding surf a half mile away –
We walk there almost every day –
the water fowl – geese – ducks – mallards – swans – otter – turtles – snakes
and really huge fish we can see when we look down onto the water.
Storms blowing in and out – rain and wind – nature at its best.
It would of been nice to have lived to the left of the picture – single family homes!
But – they were way too expensive – and the condos here – not enough space and no garage.
We have a storage unit – not a lot – but enough so that it would not fit.
The town houses here besides the condo’s – were out of our price range –
plus the one we looked at – needed a lot of work.
This is a beautiful area – one I shall remember –
We were blessed to have spent time here – but it also was expensive!
Thank you for reading Papa’s World
WHERE FRIENDS MEET THE FAMILY
FAMILY MEETS FRIENDS!
PAPA and SHERRY MY SITE : PAPA’S WORLD
MY BLOG: livinglifedoingitmyway
EMAIL: fitztdf@aol.com
SHERRY CERTIFIED HEALTH COACH HOME BUSINESS The Juice Plus Company
On October 1st. 2020 – this became our new home for nine months!
We had no idea we would end up in North Myrtle Neach.
My friend would ask me WHY we choose there?
Well – the best answer I can give is I came across this condo –
on a site that listed houses and condos for sale!
I expanded the search area and this picture or one like it – came into view!
I showed it to Sherry and we decided right there and then we would rent it!
First – for three months – then we extended it to five months –
all because we looked and looked and decided it was just as good to build –
as it was to buy! We could have what we wanted and not upgrade someone’s home!
So – we made our choice in Cameron Woods – across the border into N.C.
It would be a brand new build and we set about making our selections –
and at that time we extended our lease until the end of June!
Which would be a total of nine months!
We tried very hard to stay in this area – but cost and being too close to the Ocean
played a big part in where we ended up!
We are with in four miles to a beach and six miles to another beach!
We can drive one half hour back here to North Myrtle Beach.
We are in a new development – and right in the middle of a dozen golf courses!
We are in the country but a mile and one half to a gas station and a couple miles to a Publix!
In November we signed our contract and made all our selections.
We are on schedule for a early June closing!
We will walk a beach everyday – which has been our dream – we have a community of neighbors we have already met.
Our new home – roof done – siding almost done – stacked stone done – doors and windows – done – plumbing done – electrical done – insulation done – dry wall to start and by the time this is published – will be done – as will most of the inside – outside trim – almost done – utilities – connected – we are almost there!
In this picture at the bottom of the lake – is a four story condo –
that is where we are renting until the end of June – 2021! TOP FLOOR !
We are in the middle with a full view of the lake!
There is a road way among the condo’s to the right – that is where we walk to the beach!
This would be the view only from the first floor condo – we are on the top floor.
Here you can see the map of Ocean Keyes – we are a short walk to the real estate office and once we exit on Ocean side Drive – it is two blocks to the sand and water!
We walk this area over to main street – Duffy main street seafood and many other stores.
The tennis courts and Pickle ball courts!
A short walk for us and right across the way from here is one of six pools!
There are six pools with bathrooms in this development and 780 condo units and town houses!
These are the town homes on the far side of the lake near the Hillside drive entrance.
We would of loved to buy one of these – but first there is a waiting list to buy
and second they were out of our price range!
We actually looked at one – it was well used as a second home and had to be completely redone on the inside
and did not have a view of anything other than some trees and bushes.
Walking – taking pictures – looking – where am I going? LOL
Some of the many condo buildings you walk past on the way to the Hillside Drive gated entrance!
Town homes and our condo in the far end of the lake! Top floor with the wide lanai to the left!
On my way back from the beach – just after you enter the gate from Hillside Drive –
I have named the three white ducks – for my own amusement –
HUEY DEWEY LOUIE!
They are together constantly – where one goes – so do the other two – all across the lake.
I have never seen them up on our end.
This day they were napping by the water
And within twenty feet – was the LONE SWAN!
I think this is a male as the other two will have nothing to do with it!
He too is napping!
The LONE SWAN!
I have decided to name him – for my own amusement – ” DARTH VADER”!
He cruises the lake by himself –
and when he comes near – they scatter away from him.
He is a lonely white swan.
The other two will have nothing to do with him and will chase him away!
Even he will take off and fly away from them!
Thank you for reading Papa’s World – my walk back from the beach – Huey Dewey Louie and DARTH VADER!
WHERE FRIENDS MEET THE FAMILY
FAMILY MEETS FRIENDS!
MY SITE: PAPA’S WORLD
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Ocean Keyes – North Myrtle Beach – S.C. just google them – there are rentals and places to buy! 601 Hillside Drive
NO IT DOES NOT GET OLD!TWO AND ONE HALF MONTHS – WAKING UP TO THIS!
Every morning – the sunrise from our condo –
it paints a different sky each day.
I watch this as it develops each morning –
Sherry has the same view from our bedroom!
She has almost never seen the sunrise – but now she wakes up to this
and has almost trained herself to wake up to it!
Some days – we walk when we should of just stayed inside! LOL
Those days are mostly when the high winds are around.
One is because of the giant trees here!
They are high above our fourth floor condo!
And branches – even though small – come down!
We do not want to get hit by them!
The wind causing the sand to blow across the beach!You can see that when it is windy – very few people venture forth! The sand is blown across all but wiping out the footprints!
Papa and MorMor – we tried as you can see –
but the wind was so strong –
and the sand was stinging our faces!
We decided not to for go a walk here
and instead walked the sidewalks where it was bearable!
We returned to the condo after getting in our three mile
beach less walk!
There are days such as this that we also do our errands!
Or go to a late lunch early dinner
when no one is around
keeping social distance!
Back at the condo – we await the late show
not on TV but outside
once again in the dark sky
the rising of not the sun
but the full moon!
Both sun rise and moon lit nights from our own private Lanai!
Thank you for reading Papa’s World
WHERE FRIENDS MEET THE FAMILY
FAMILY MEETS FRIENDS!
FULL MOON FROM THE LANAI!All our decorations are in storage – so Sherry put together our own CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS
We did a job that Sherry has been wanting to do – wash the walls of the Lanai down by hand!
The Lanai is screened in and has a vinyl siding – which with storms – gets dirty.
So – with soap and water and some cloths – we cleaned it all down
Took us about two hours –
and then we treated ourselves to BEACH TIME!
A few people were out – being this was the middle of the week. It was in the low to mid 70’s!Looking South on North Myrtle Beach – we decided to walk North – toward the pier two miles away!
This day – we did not spend all the time sitting – but walking for most of it!
We walked to the pier two miles away!
We try to walk three miles a day – and as much of that we can on the beach!
Sherry – while walking – will do her network marketing business with her phone!
This has always been a dream of mine – walking in the sand and surf every day!
Always a view in the sky – dark clouds contrasting with white – and then blue skies – and sunshine!
We had never walked all the way to Cherry Grove – point pier –
And – along the way we collected shells for a church group back home!
Beyond the tall buildings – just visible – is the pier – so you can see just how far we walked!Tidal pools forming behind me as I walked through the surf. The water felt warm – and some pools we had to walk around as they were above our knees!
This day – just to walk was relaxing – cleaning the Lanai –
I 