(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it. Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)

This picture was taken in December, 2010. Betsy and I had gone to Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina to enjoy the beach and get some good seafood. An advantage to our December beach trip was that we could enjoy the sunset from our room at the inn.

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it. Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)

Betsy and I go to the beach at Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, each year. If the truth be known, we go for the seafood as much as for the sun and sand. We can see shrimp boats like this working off shore opposite our room, and then drive to Calabash, where many of these shrimp boats are docked, for a delicious seafood dinner.

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it. Clicking a second time will make it full-sized.)



I went to my archives to get this picture of a Florida beach sunrise. This picture was taken at Ormand Beach, where we we celebrating Betsy's birthday.

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

I was walking along the beach at Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, on a beautiful morning last month. The tide was going out, and as I approached the pier I noticed the reflection captured by the wet sand and shallow water. This picture makes me ready to go back.

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

I'm still experimenting with the conversion of photographs into line drawings. Most of the time I prefer the photo, but I do find the drawings interesting. I guess that goes back to my complete lack of drawing talent.

The picture above is the view from our room at Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina last week. I think the drawing below rather neat.



(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

Betsy and I just got back from a week at Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. The weather was just about perfect all the time we were there, but one morning started out with overcast skies. I captured the picture above from the balcony of a room. I like the way the water around the pier appeared to have a silver sheen as it was lighted by the sun peeking through the clouds.

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

While at Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, last May we had a storm one afternoon. It didn't last long, but as it was ending we saw a double rainbow. The lighting was a little strange, but I managed to capture this picture before the rainbow disappeared.

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

While walking along the beach at Ocean Isle when we were there in December, I was attracted by this batch of grass silhouetted against the sky and water. I couldn't resist taking a picture.

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

Yesterday I posted a picture of Ocean Isle pier taken on a sunny day in May, 2009. Last month I walked along the beach on a dreary, cloudy day. Since it was low tide, I walked under the pier and snapped this picture.

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

The pier on Ocean Isle Beach is a landmark we can see from the Islander Inn, our favorite place to stay when we're at the beach. This picture of the pier was taken on a sunny day in May, 2009.

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

This seems to be an appropriate picture for my first post of a new year. I snapped this picture from the balcony of our room at Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, as dawn broke on December 23.

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

Many beach communities have learned that dunes can provide some protection in case of a hurricane.  The sea oats in this picture are protecting the dunes at Sunset Beach, North Carolina.  The access path to the beach gave a nice view over the dunes out to sea.

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

In 1987 I was able to spend a few days at a beach-front resort on the island of Bali. As a farm boy from Indiana I was mesmerized by the palm trees, the ocean, and the waves breaking over the reef. It was a few days in a tropical paradise.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

I was fortunate to be able to spend several days in Bali back in 1987 before heading for China. We stayed at Kunta Beach near the capital. This scene from the beach just seems to say 'South Sea Island Magic'.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

When Betsy and I were at the beach last year, we were treated to a night moonrise over the ocean from our room. We were able to see the moon over the ocean this year as well, but it was during the day from the beach. You have to look carefully, but the moon is visible in the upper part of the picture above.

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

I couldn't resist sharing another picture from Ocean Isle Beach. This picture was taken a couple of days after the picture I posted yesterday. As you can see, we had a perfect day for sitting on the beach and enjoying the beauty around us.

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

This is the view Betsy and I enjoyed from the balcony of our room at the Islander Inn in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. Is it any wonder that we go back each year?

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

The picture above was taken at Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, last year. We're heading down there again early today (Saturday).

The picture shows why we keep going back to the beach each year. There's the beautiful blue of the sky and ocean, the quiet beach and the shrimp boat, which represents some of the delicious seafood we hope to eat while we're down there.

This will be my last post until we get back. I'll have my iPod Touch with me and will try to visit as many of you as possible.

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

A wonderful way to spend a wintry evening is to enjoy a good cup of tea in front of a roaring file while planning a vacation at the beach. Betsy and I will go to the coast of North Carolina in May. The picture of the dunes above was taken at Sunset Beach, North Carolina, one of our favorite places.

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

One nice thing about living along the coast is great seafood. Calabash, North Carolina, which is only about five miles from were I lived in South Carolina, has some great restaurants along the docks where the fishing boats put in. This shrimp boat is one of the boats which brought in some of the wonderful seafood meals I enjoyed in Calabash. And now I'm fortunate that Betsy enjoys Calabash seafood as much as I do.