Living in the South – near beaches – SUNSET BEACH and OCEAN ISLE BEACH – warm – sun and sand!
We are living our dream – and all the family has been here to visit.
SUNSET BEACH and in the distance – the tall building – OCEAN ISLE BEACH – within 20 minutes both beaches!
I had always wanted to live in the warm – sun and sand of the South.
Even in the Fall – we still have vibrant flowers and bushes – almost no ice – snow – it does get cold but within a couple days – it is back to the 50 and 60’s!
And of course when a grade-school friend comes to visit – you sit and talk – creating more memories.
Papa – sitting beneath Papa’s General Store in my blog PAPA’S WORLD – livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
FRIENDS COME TO VISIT YEARLY – MEMORIES – CELEBRATION OF OUR LIVES!
LIFE – HAPPINESS – LOVING FRIENDS OF YEARS AND YEARS – ONE OF OUR WHYS – GOLFING!
CAROLINA NIGHTS – SUNSETS – LIVING LIFE TO THE PLUS – ONE DAY AT A TIME!
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PAPA’S WORLD – REFLECTIONS OF OUR LIFE – WISHES DO COME TRUE – YES – FAMILY – THERE IS A SANTA CLAUSE!!!!
It all started for Sherry and me on June 25th. 1982 when we were married – the second time for the both of us – combining my two sons with her two daughters!
Today – both daughters are married with families of their own – living in NVA where we moved from.
My two sons still live back in NWPA and have come down to visit last summer.
The rest of the family has also visited and we look forward to everyone returning!
We still explore and do different things – dressing up for Halloween – driving new roads and seeing as much as possible!
Our friends visit – Bob and I went to grade school and then graduated from the same H.S.
Lifelong friends and now with Pam – his second wife – fun times!
Our only grandson from Sherry’s side – Bode – going to follow in the footsteps of his cousins whom both play and played soccer in college – Bode is going to be another soccer player!
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PICTURES TELL MEMORIES OF FAMILY – and now we are living our dream near the beaches!
Oftentimes we will come to Sunset Beach just to see the Sunset – but – you also can come at dawn to see the Sunrise – above is the Sunset – next to the Sunrise!
At low tide, the expanse of the beach is flat and wide in the early dawn of the day.
Quiet – almost deserted as the Labor Day weekend has passed.
The water is still very warm – and we saw a lot of fish jumping in the surf and a little farther out two Dolphins!
The Sun just peeking above the horizon and a jet plane leaves a white trail across the sky!
Just enjoy the quiet walk – the sounds of the surf and the wide wet sand of SUNSET BEACH AT DAWN!
PAPA’S WORLD – my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
WALKING SUNSET BEACH TO SEE THE SUNRISE in N.C. HAVE A GREAT DAY!
After dinner, I said to Sherry – “Want to go to Sunset Beach – get ice cream and stand on the deck”?
That is Southern Beach Living!
Living the Salt Life!
Our view of the Gazebo on Sunset Beach where we stood with our cups of small ice cream!
This is where the bathrooms – showers and free parking are!
If you turn around – you are looking at the beach – pier and ocean – we stood here and a bonus – there was live music on the pier we could listen to – that is why all the people faced the pier!
Looking West from this spot – the dunes – the pay-for parking lot – and the first row of houses – oceanfront means long walkways over the protected dunes to the beach and ocean!
Because the coastline here is on a curve – the beach faces almost South and a little bit East!
From Charleston, S.C. to Wilmington, N.C. the coast looks like a quarter-moon crescent!
Sort of like a huge coastline bay!
Most storms come up from Charleston and then make a beeline to Wilmington – Cape Fear River area and then onto the Outer Banks!
I believe the last Hurricane to cause disaster damage was in the 50s!
Sea oats on the dune – we can be here in 15 minutes – but we have the island – the ICW and the main coastline between us and the ocean.
So far we have experienced a tropical storm and a grade 1 Hurricane, a number 2 is pushing it for me – but could remain – it is the wind and the trees I fear the most!
Living the Salt life – choosing to be here – living life one day at a time!
Thanks for reading and as always HGD!
PAPA’S WORLD – EVENING TRIP TO SUNSET BEACH -ICE CREAM! My site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
We are living our dream – living on the N.C -S.C. border – close to so many really fine golf courses!
Our close friends live 35 minutes away and we get together often – golf and dinner.
We are so close to a couple beaches – 15 minutes and we are on the sand at either one.
We get to watch the change over every weekend – much as we did in our younger years when we vacationed at the beach – now we live it every day.
The footprints disappear only to be made over and over again each day.
No more snow and ice – yes it does get cold – but by midday, it is bearable to be out and about.
Living life one day at a time!
We have now watched our oldest granddaughter graduate from college – sad that soccer has ended with her – but happy that it continues with her sister in her junior year at college.
We have volunteered at the memory care unit and now the SEA TURTLE PROTECTION program for N.C.
Ocean Isle Beach – walking the beach and sitting at nesting sites.
WE ARE LOVING LIFE IN OUR NEAR TO BE MID SEVENTY!
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The sun sets for this day – one of many – many we have enjoyed in our new life in retirement!
Good day – we are close to this beach – a short 12-minute drive and then the walkway over the dunes to the beach.
The walkway is long and goes over the sand and dunes – shrubs – small trees and a habitat for all kinds of native species.
Along the way – you can see the sun beginning to dip below the horizon – many bushes line the walkway.
Looking back along the walkway to the beach houses – this is the far end of Sunset Beach – from here on it is BIRD ISLAND –
no beach houses – just sand and dunes and ocean surf!
You may find it hard to park here as it is limited and no blocked driveways and no parking allowed signs.
When you can find parking – tires are not allowed on bike paths or sidewalks.
But – when you do find one it is worth it to be able to walk this out to the beach.
Sherry and Papa at the end of the walkway and the ramp down to the beach – the sunset is fantastic, behind us is BIRD ISLAND – nothing but sand – dunes, and surf – a mile plus from here is the KINDRED SPIRIT MAILBOX which has existed for more than forty years. Google it and read the history of this historic place.
Sherry walking down the ramp to the beach in the sunset – they sky always change here depending on the clouds!
After walking on the beach – time to head back and the final rays of sun through the foliage on the walk back.
Thanks for reading PAPA’S WORLD – livinglifedoingitmyway.blog SUNSET AT SUNSET BEACH – NATURES WONDER!
My dream growing up was endless vacations near the beach – today we have that – watching others packing up to go back home – while we can come back the next day and the next day whenever we want!
Our dream now – living life to the plus one day at a time!
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PAPA and SHERRY – on the ICW – OUR LIFE IN PICTURES!
Cousins – Sherry sisters daughter and her family – the JONES – and Debby and two of her daughters – the Myers!
We journeyed to Sunset beach – to catch the sunset – it so happened that the JONES was visiting and the Myers were also here at the same time.
Through the years we have tried to be all together – but families spread out and lives are different – so many things going on in each family.
Grandmothers and granddaughters. On the beach in Myrtle beach – after some shopping at the outlet mall and some dinner all together at Barefoot Landing.
The little ones are growing up so fast – years seem to go by before we meet up.
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PAPA’S WORLD – COUSINS COMING TOGETHER – MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
Sherry – Troy – Papa – it is hard to believe that the years have gone by so fast – here he is another year older – the man who builds houses from the ground up – everything – he is like my father – who as a young little boy – called him “FRITZ”!
Proud Papa – today he has hung up the house building and runs the insulation and energy side of Shawn’s business. Working on becoming able to also do the audits and be certified by the state.
Kindness – patience – loving – he got all of this from my mother – who, when he was young would go and stay with her as she was alone.
Today he and Andrea live together and do everything as one – hoping they both will come back and visit us!
In this picture, the eyes and smile so remind me of my older brother!
Before he went into the business of my younger son – a fireplace he built in a house he built!
My son – happy birthday and many more to come – love dad.
Troy – Papa – Shawn – oldest and youngest – love dad.
Papa’s World – livinglifedoingitmyway.blog To my oldest son Troy – HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Our happy place awaits you to come back to – love Dad!
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!
We play scrambles with other couples – friends – guys vs. gals!
You take the total of your 18-hole score – then you get deducted one stroke for every par the other team made – and two strokes for a birdie and so forth.
Surprising – most scores then come down to one or two strokes – or even.
Buck Dottie Cindy Jim Papa Sherry – all these years friends.
We have tried other ways – giving and taking strokes – handicaps, etc.
And it all is in fun – but I will tell you – we tied the first nine and the guys won the second nine by one stroke while carding a 35!
THEY ARE THAT GOOD!
OH YEAH – I KNOW THE LAST ONE SO WELL!
DOTTIE
CINDY
SHERRY
Friends are priceless – all these years – song on 40-plus years.
We later went on the ICW on a pontoon boat – cruising up and down – a few drinks –
a lot of laughs and some singing.
Papa and Cindy – on the ICW – OIB to Holden Beach back to Sunset Beach and then OIB!
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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
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Eating dinner after our four-hour boat ride on the ICW at OIB Fish Company – OIB
The four couples have been friends going on 35 years and some over 40 years.
We try to get together at least once or twice a year –
made more difficult because some still live in WNY and another couple in Va. Beach.
While Sherry and myself live 32 miles from the McBrides now.
A little humor to start your day!
Sherry and Papa steering the pontoon boat on the ICW from OIB to Holden Beach
We all rented a pontoon boat for four hours to cruise up and down the ICW from OIB – to Holden Beach and back to Sunset Beach – where we saw a lone Dolphin for over 15 minutes diving for food in 8 feet of water.
Jim Papa and Buck
It was really busy being labor day weekend – countless boats going both ways and creating waves!
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To be continued with more pictures of the ICW and friends.
Papa’s World – about to depart on the ICW with a young man getting us out of the crowded dock area.
PAPA’S WORLD – FUN TIMES – OLD FRIENDS – GETTING TOGETHER!
Our family from WPA came to visit – driving some 16 hours – a very long trip!
First time for my two sons and their families to make the trip South.
Troy the eldest – Papa and Shawn the youngest.
We tried to work as much into the seven days as we could –
sometimes letting them go off on their own as we had other commitments
but we did sunrises and sunsets all together – beach time and places to eat out together.
Visiting the area and nature walks along with mini golf!
Andrea and Troy – selfie!
Our time together was priceless and I encouraged them to fly next time to be able to spend
more time on vacation and less time driving!
When we moved south to NVA in 1999 – they stayed in WPA for their families and jobs.
Relaxing on the mainland side of Sunset Beach in the park.
Our garage became a favorite place to meet and talk during rain and hot sunshine while at the house.
Shawn and Troy
Shawn runs his own Energy Auditing business contracting with major energy companies for the states of Pa. and firms from NYS. Troy works for and runs the insulation side of the business for Shawn and government and state programs for the elderly.
In the morning they left to drive back to WPA – not saying goodbye but until we meet again.
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