A busy day on Rodanthe's beach!

Friday, August 22, 2014

Today's blog will start with last night!  I was getting ready for bed and glanced outside.  There was an incredible lightning storm way off in the distance over the ocean!  It was absolutely beautiful.  The waves crashing was all we could hear.  Lainie and I watched it for a bit.  So many stars, the lightning was orange and yellow, there was a nice breeze.  It was quite an experience.  I tried to take pics but they were all solid black.  Darn!

Today started as they all have.

I could never, ever get sick of this.

It was so hot and steamy again!  Unbearable.  Unless you are swimming!  So we all went.  Even me again!  The ocean was much kinder today!

There's Lea!

Swimming was really fabulous today.  There were breaks where we could catch our breath at least.  Grandma even came out with us!  It was so warm and nice.  We were out there for about an hour and a half.  And I stepped on a fish. Or something very fish-like.  It was slippery and squishy but firm.  And fish shaped.  Brad doesn't believe me and says a fish would not let itself get stepped on.  But I know a fish when I step on one.

While we were swimming, those rescue vehicles came by as usual, but today they had lights and sirens going.  They zoomed past and went up the beach a bit.  Three vehicles.  There was a small crowd watching them.  Lea and I were the only ones swimming at that time, and we stopped and said a prayer for whoever was in trouble and for the rescue workers.  Word travels fast from beach house to beach house, and we found out a man had a seizure in the water and passed away.  Absolutely heartbreaking.  Sobering.

A bit later, there was another crowd forming.  This time it was a beach fisherman with something huge on his line.

Turns out he had a huge stingray!  We could see it out in the water flopping all over.  Then his line broke and the crowd all said "Oh no!" together.  But soon enough, another dude was catching one!  It was HUGE.  We were upstairs at the time with a great vantage point of it in the water.

See that giant blob in the water?  That is it!

These dudes worked hard reeling these things in!  I have no idea how much they would weigh, but this one that ended up on the beach was measured at over 6 feet wide!  Incredible sight.  They unhooked it and it swam away!  And then, to my surprise, people went right back in the water.  Right there where it was!  I would be way too freaked out to do that.  Seems like he would be really mad and could attack people for revenge.  But all was well.

Then this happened.

A tug boat and some other thing came very close to shore!  We don't know what they were doing, but they were near a big barrel floating out there and a submerged giant pipe.  It all has to do with the dredging to rebuild the island.

And then, this.

Ummm, I have no explanation.  But if THAT was in the ocean, I am DONE.

A strange, strange day around here.

Brad and Lainie did some more swimming and wake boarding.

A bit blurry

We did some shopping at the local touristy stores for fun. It got dark and looked rainy, but didn't really rain.  We have lucked out on the weather!!

I am sitting here with my ear plugged up from ocean water.  It is totally worth it, though!  This week has been so incredible!  Today was our last full day, as we are beginning our drive home tomorrow instead of Sunday.  We always drive straight through to get home, but since we have a rental mini van, Brad is the only driver allowed, and it's just too much in one day.  So we cut our trip a tiny bit short.  We will swim and have fun in the morning, then get packed up and drive almost 7 hours to our half way point.

This trip goes down in Stull history as one of the best weeks EVER!!!