Captain Sam's Spit

There are a few places I've been in the world that stir my soul.  Big Meadows.  Hunting Island. And now I can add a new place ~ Captain Sam's Spit.  (What does it say about me that all of these places have almost NO people!?!?) 

A spit is a narrow point of land projecting into the sea.  My girls didn't know this and would dissolve into giggles each time I mentioned Captain Sam's Spit.  So this glorious place is located right where the Kiawah River empties out into the Atlantic.  The little piece of land is undeveloped and wild.  To get there one must take a boat down the river, or walk or bike the beach.  Since we had Clara in tow, we decided to bike the beach.  

The ride was approximately a mile and a half.  We lucked out on the way there with a downwind.....I didn't even need to pedal and the wind would carry me down the beach.  When we arrived, we were amazed.  

We'd planned our trip at just before low tide so there were small shallow pools all over the beach.  It was an explorer's dream-come-true to wander around and see what creatures one could find.

 

There were flocks of birds on every available spot of sand.  We were clearly in their place (which is such a nice change from every day life).  Every so often they'd all take off at the same time and that was so magical.  A photo could never do it justice!

It was a little chilly and really windy.  Clara had on my scarf and wrapped herself in a beach towel.

A bald eagle was flying over us when we arrived (only the second one I've ever seen) but I didn't get to my camera in time.  While we were exploring, the most GORGEOUS bird kept flying over.  I managed to get a few shots of it and only later that night found out that it was an osprey. Oh man was I excited!  I'm not sure if that was my first osprey (likely not) but it's definitely the first I've photographed.

There were so many fun things to find....

The dolphins come to Captain Sam's Spit to feed at low tide.  If my online research proves correct, the dolphins below are "Hook" and "Scratch"....two members of the family that reside in this area. I have a bunch of dolphin pictures but, since they're so hard to photograph, none of the pictures are very good.  But they were there, swimming by every couple minutes.

There were a number of dead sting rays washed up on the sand.  This one was MASSIVE and had two gigantic bites taken out of each fin.

The birds were eating some of the smaller dead sting rays.  It's rare but I like when my girls get to see the circle of life in action.....

Yep, I still have a thing for pelicans.

As usual for this area, there were tons of cannonball jellyfish in the water and dead on the shore.

After almost two hours of exploring, the girls were cold and tired.  We cozied up behind the bike cart to shield ourselves from the wind, covered ourselves in beach towels to get warm and ate some snacks.  These pictures give you some idea of how large the beach is.....the next two were taken at low tide just before the water starting moving back in.

Alain & I both agree that this place is something really special.  We enjoyed our visit immensely.  Wild places, like Captain Sam's Spit, seem hard to come by these days.  

As you may have guessed, the bike ride back was HELL.  I could walk my bike faster than I could ride it.  The wind just beat us into pulps.  If you ask me, it was still worth it to get to visit such a magical place!  Sophie may or may not agree.  What I do know for sure is we all ate well that night and then slept like babies!

41

The years just keep on coming, don't they?  Here I arrive at 41 today!  I am veering from my annual tradition today, just a tad.  Have guys seen the video "73 Questions with Sarah Jessica Parker"?  I thought it was kind of cute.  Then I received an email from Sweet Paul with a similar video.  How adorable is he?  So I fused their two question lists for my birthday questions.  Yes, there are more than 41 questions but so be it......

How long have you been in the Charlotte area?  Since 1998.

What’s your favorite season in Charlotte?  Any season but Summer.

What’s your favorite activity in Charlotte?  Picnics in Freedom Park with my family.

Describe Charlotte in three words: Hot, hot and hot.

Would you ever leave Charlotte?  Absolutely.

What’s your favorite movie? To Kill A Mockingbird and The Way We Were (I cannot choose between them!)

Favorite movie in past five years?  No idea, I don’t think I could ever pick just one. 

Favorite TV show that’s currently on? MAD MEN!

What’s a book you plan on reading?  Grain Brain

A book you read in school that positively shaped you?  The Great Gatsby

A book you read in school that you never think of?  Great Expectations (I am NOT even linking to that book.  I hated it.)

What book is on your nightstand right now? I just counted and I have 13 on there currently.  My favorite of those is Goldfinch by Donna Tarrt (the best fiction I’ve read in a LONG time!)

Real books or tablets?  Um, hello, REAL BOOKS!

Favorite magazine? Sunset

On a scale of one to ten how excited are you about life right now?  TEN

iPhone or Android? Android

Twitter or Instagram? Instagram

Vine or Snapchat? I don’t even know what these are.  Ha!

Who should EVERYONE be following right now?  Lead, don’t follow.

What’s your favorite downtown restaurant?  In Charlotte, Fourth Ward Bread Co.

What’s your favorite food?  Indian

Least favorite food? Japanese

Favorite Meal of the Day? Always breakfast

Coffee or Tea? Tea, tea, tea

Favorite Cocktail?  Margarita or Mojito

What do you love on your pizza?  Loads of onions, and oregano.

Favorite drink? Red, red wine.

Favorite dessert? Brownie Pie

Dark chocolate or milk chocolate?  Dark

What’s the hardest part about being a mom?  Letting go.

What’s your favorite band? Duran Duran, baby.

Favorite solo artist?  Adele.

Favorite lyrics? Hard question….there are so many……but let’s just say that I’m very partial to Country lyrics. 

If you could sing a duet with anyone, who would it be? Jimmy Fallon.

If you could master one instrument, what would it be? The guitar

If you had a tattoo, where would it be?  Never, ever, not in a million years would I ever have a tattoo (of my own choosing).  Skin is sacred.

To be or not to be? To be

Dogs or cats? Dogs.  Clearly.

Kittens or puppies? Puppies.

Dolphins or koalas? Dolphins.

Bird-watching or whale-watching?  This question is torture but I’m going to say whale watching.  One of my favorite days in my entire life is the day I went whale watching.

What’s your spirit animal? Haha, whale!  See previous question.

Best gift you’ve ever received? My daughters. And my pups.

Last gift you gave a friend? Some books for our little friends, Liam and Ben

A person you want to have coffee with?  Jane Goodall

A historical figure you’d love to have coffee with?  Ooooh, Thomas Jefferson. Or T. Jeff as he’s called in our house. 

How do you like your coffee?  With almond milk and real sugar.

What’s your favorite curse word? The F bomb.  Is there another?  

What’s your favorite board game? What’s a board game?  (totally kidding)

What’s your favorite country to visit?  Italy

What’s the last country you visited? Switzerland

What country do you wish to visit? Iceland

What’s your favorite color? Seafoam green

Least favorite color? Probably orange.

Favorite Flower: Pink Peonies and Red Poppies…..ooh, and Lilies of the Valley.

What color dress did you wear to your prom? I went to several proms but my dress was always black.

Diamonds or pearls?  Neither.

Cheap shampoo or expensive?  Expensive.

Blow-dry or air-dry?  Depends on the day.

Heels or flats?  I wore heels for YEARS and they ruined my feet. So flats.

Pilates or yoga?  Neither.  I like Zumba.

Jogging or swimming?  Neither. I like a nice brisk walk.

Best way to decompress?  Driving with some really good music…..or a long, hot shower.

If you had one superpower, what would it be? The ability to make people more caring.

Can you describe an experience you felt most nervous? Getting married.  I am extremely non-committal.

Who do you have a crush on?  Joseph Gordon-Levitt 

Well, that's it.  Join me won't you?  And lastly.....

On this birthday, as with every birthday, I raise up a toast in memory of my dear friend and fellow free spirit, Brian Paul Mercado. Thanks to knowing him and in part because of losing him at a young age, I appreciate EVERY birthday and understand how lucky I am to live each day. Bri, you are still loved and missed, every single day!!! Cheers....

This now goes out to Ygal too.  Iggy Pop.  My brother-in-law.  Little brother to Alain.  Sweet uncle to my girls.  Iggy, to say that you are missed every day would be the understatement of the century.  But you are always with us!   


{Sorry for the photo-less post.  Extremely short on time lately.}

We are HARD CORE, people.

So our week at the beach turned out.....COLD.  We had ONE day of really nice beach weather and the rest.....not so much.  Did we make the most of it?  Hell yeah we did.  And we had a blast. 

Yesterday, our last day, was butt cold but we decided we HAD to go to the beach and soak it up (before the massive rainfall a few hours later!).  Let me tell you.....this beach was EMPTY except for a lone biker now and then.

Our umbrella and chairs were the only ones in sight. The wind beat at us and tangled our curls.    The chill cut right to the bone (and I had on three layers!).  The girls (and Alain) built a sandcastle with a long gully that led down to the ocean.  

After dropping Alain and the kids at the beach, I went to the store to pick up some coffees for Alain and I.  While there, I passed by the Krispy Kreme display and noticed the bags of mini white powdered donuts. Well, you have no idea how much white powdered donuts remind me of going to the beach with my family when I was little.  My Dad always bought them.  Isn't it amazing what sticks with you? Of course I picked up a bag, purchased it and took it the beach to surprise the girls.  And surprised they were!  It occurred to me that maybe they've never eaten white powdered donuts. They went NUTS.  Especially Clara.  She seriously ate about 1/2 the bag by herself.  She didn't want to share with anybody else.  

There we sat, all cuddled up under the umbrella, eating white powdered donuts. In the freezing cold. On an empty beach. And it was pure bliss!

Just for fun......we took these few pictures for you, Dad.....hope you like them!!!  

We're back home now but already missing the beach.  Cold weather and all.

Cutest Squirrel Ever?

We're in Kiawah for the week enjoying some time by the shore for Spring Break.  Much to our dismay, the weather dipped down pretty drastically the last couple days.  After a morning outing yesterday, we returned home to our cottage to find this guy warming himself on the grill......

Do you see that baby face?  He looks really young to me....

We do what we have to do to stay warm, right?

Our presence in the cottage made him a little nervous....

.....so he got up and switched position to face the other way.

What a little cutie!!!

Hope everyone else is having a good week!

XOXO,

Audrey 

Happiness is.....

......watching Sophie play soccer.  Seriously, she is always smiling when she plays soccer.

....this little goofball.

.....being a Girl Scout leader.

......this little goofball.

......scootering with Dad.

......roasting marshmallows.

.....this little goofball.

......sending Sophie & Alain off to the Father/Daughter Dance.

{Whew, these pictures make me emotional!}

.....this little goofball.

.....the first strawberry blossoms.

......and this little goofball!

Hope you're all well, happy and healthy!

XOXO,

Audrey