Coastal Time-Out for a Ferry Ride

Although I am thoroughly excited about getting back to work, I am still subject to those lovely little Time-Outs that happen when one is at the Coast.  

My husband had an appointment in Wilmington on Friday morning, and when he offered up a post-meeting tour of the Carolina Beach Fishing Pier and subsequent Ferry Ride, connecting back to Southport... well... how could I resist an offer like that?

To access the pier, you start by climbing up wooden steps and going through their little grill/restaurant:

Carolina Beach Fishing Pier entry.  There is a great Blog about Carolina Beach Here.

Although the Pier looks dilapidated, it still produces fish...the fishermen told us they were beginning to catch King Mackerel again, after a two-week "dry spell".  

This Fishing Pier is where my husband spent every Summer as a little boy - he and his Mom, Vera, would spend all day every day fishing here.  He says his Mom was the first person to ever catch a King off this pier!  She DID catch a King Mackerel (a big one) off this pier, but I'm not sure about the rest...

There was a resident Pelican who greeted everyone and made sure they gave him any left- over bait before they left:

After searching through block after block of houses back on shore, Husband finally found the little house his family had owned there, and although I'm sure the paint colour and small elements were different, he recognized it - there was still a little old Guest House behind it, just like he remembered.  After this nostalgic pause, we headed down to Fort Fisher to board the Ferry.

Ft. Fisher is a Historic Site - the Fort protected the Port of Wilmington during the Civil War, so that "Blockade Runners" could slip through the blockade of enemy boats, come up the Cape Fear River,  and deliver everything from food to ammunition to the port city.  From Wilmington, these supplies and the occasional luxury item were shipped by Railroad Trains all over the South.  Ft. Fisher was captured by the Union forces in 1865, so badly needed supplies could no long reach the Confederate Army.  This hastened the Fall of the South, and the Civil War ended soon after.


So here we were, being entertained by Sunflowers dancing in the breeze 146 years later at what was once a Battle Site, while we waited at the landing for the Ferry.

A beautiful old Cedar Tree framed out the view of the Cape Fear River.  Now, ships from all over the world travel up this river, still passing by the Ft. Fisher Ferry Landing on their way to the Port of Wilmington; still bringing supplies to the South.

Here comes the Ferry!

Turning in to the Landing.

We were finally waved aboard, and after parking the car, went up top to enjoy the view while cruising across the Cape Fear River and down to Southport...

Leaving Ft. Fisher.

We were greeted in Southport by enthusiastic home and shop owners, decorating for their renowned 4th of July Celebration!

This photo was taken by Southport Soundings, a blog about Southport, NC.

From there, we traveled back to Ocean Isle - much the better for our little "Coastal Time Out".  Now, it's back to work!

Poagie Bobbing at The Jolly Mon Tournament

This weekend is the annual Jolly Mon King Mackerel Fishing Tournament, put on by the Ocean Isle Fishing Center.  Since older son Brant took over this tournament from Jamie Milliken years ago, it has always had a family flair.  We've all taken our turns working under the tents - the younger women registering the hopeful fishermen at the Captain's Meeting , Grandma Mac (Vera) selling T-Shirts, friends and family feeding the crowd, and ALWAYS urging Families to Fish Together. 

A view of the crowd from the upper deck.

One of the most treasured contests at the Captain's Meeting is the annual Poagie Bobbing Contest for the kids.  For those of you that don't know, a Poagie is a baitfish - Menhaden is another name for it.  They produce a smelly fish oil that is actually used in a lot of products...but that is a post for another time.  They are small fish, they're pretty smelly on the inside, and they have the usual slime and fins associated with any fish.  And the kids have to catch them IN THEIR MOUTH.  The kid's mouth.

Here are some of the entrants, lined up in front of the stage prior to the start.  Notice the tense, competitive postures of the little ones on the grass??  They are dead serious about this.

There are different age groups, so that the 4 year-olds (yes, 4) aren't left in the dust by their fellow 17 year-old competitors.  The rule is, you cannot use your hands, only your mouth.  Like this:

This young man has elegant style, and kept his hands gracefully away from the edges of the tank.

There are ALWAYS prim little girls who join the fray:

This little girl tucked her dress under her knees to make sure it didn't fly up and embarrass her.  And then, SHE WENT FOR IT!  She was so determined, and stayed under so long that we thought she might drown.  She did catch that Poagie she was chasing in the corner of the tank.

And then there are the 3 year-olds, who have figured out that you can go up on stage, have hundreds of people focused intently on you, and still get roars of delight from everyone by simply reaching down in the tank and plucking a Poagie out with your hand...

Check out my Granddaughter's face on the right - she's realizing the coup this little girl just made - cheers and bravos from the crowd - without having to stick her head down under the water with all that fish-slime!  Rats!

There were winners in all three age divisions, and while all the kids went home with a medal worn proudly around their necks, the winners went home $50.00 richer.  I'm sure there were Poagie dreams on the pillows last night, and plans of how they would tackle it next year...

And another Jolly Mon Captain's Meeting, complete with Poagie Bobbing, is over.

 If you are in the Ocean Isle Beach area, final fishing day is tomorrow, with weigh-in starting at 2:00 and continuing until 5:00.  The awards ceremony begins at 8:00, with thousands of dollars in prizes being disbursed to the lucky winners.  Come on by and join in the fun!

Beach Cottage Decor - Shopping List

It's time to resume "Normal Life" and the Beach Cottage Renovation.  When I walk back in there tomorrow night, the floors should be refinished and gorgeous, and we'll be ready to place the furniture back where it belongs and start unpacking boxes.  Meantime, I've been thinking about how to accessorize our new updated look, and find myself falling for looks like this:

I love the idea of using these glasses for wine - I found them at Berry Red.

 Also love the look of this sideboard - and you just KNOW that I will be making the Giant Clamshell myself...

The Guest Bathrooms will need new shower curtains, and they'll also need new hooks - these are perfect for the look I'm going for:

I also found these at Berry Red - my newest online fave store to browse.  Don't you love the retro look of these?

I can hardly wait to haul my big belt sander up from the basement and sand the top of my dining room table down to the wood.

Okay, so you can't really see the table, but it is painted white.

And, because we cook so much with fresh produce from local farmers, I need one of these:

I'm so happy with the palette I've chosen, and can hardly wait to start integrating my old accessories in with the new - not to mention firing up my new gas stove and grill!

The King Mackerel, Sea Bass, Mahi-Mahi, and Spanish Mackerel are biting off the coast right now, and I WILL be sending Husband off to fish...recipes to follow!