Well, even I need a break once in a while. This year we headed back to our favorite beach on the outer banks. It is at Frisco National Park Campground. We take the truck so we can take it out on the beach with our food and campsite grill and we camp in the campground while there.
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| Campsite at Frisco National Park Campground |
The view from our campsite this year was absolutely awesome. We could see bits of the ocean peaking through low spots in the main barrier dune by the beach. Two years ago we went here for the first time ever and stayed over the 4th of July. This year we decided to go a little later and see if it was less crowded and we were happy to find there were very few campers.
This was our first morning at camp. We were getting ready to eat breakfast before heading out. We drove straight through on Saturday leaving at 5am and arrived at 9pm......very long time in the truck with two kids and the dog but, we made it! On our first morning we had to go get a ORV permit to go out on the beach. While we were there the kids completed their projects and got their Junior Ranger Badges!
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| Campsite at Frisco National Park Campground |
As you can see daisy was taking full advantage of being on vacation. As a matter of fact I think she got to relax way more than I did! This is the best part about camping and staying at the OBX, we get to take Daisy with us. She simply needs a leash and we are good to go. She doesn't like to get in the water but does enjoy meeting other dogs and eating some of the local treats that are available. Most of the time at the beach she just lays in the shade under the truck relaxing and watching the kids play!
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| Daisy taking at nap at Frisco National Park Campground |
I managed to take a panoramic picture of the sunrise just before the sun came up. This does not do it justice at all.
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| Sunrise at Campsite at Frisco National Park Campground |
These pictures were taken at dinner our last night at the campsite. Daisy got up on the bench of the picnic table and was checking out what was for dinner. She was fully expecting to get to eat all of this...
.....and she was not pleased when Mom ate a piece instead of giving it to her! She is truly part of this family and acts just like a combination of me and the kids!
On Tuesday morning we had a massive thunderstorm move trough starting at 2am and lasted till 10am. We ended up going down to Hatteras for breakfast and the weather finally broke around 11am. While we were in town we stopped at our favorite fish store "Risky Business" and got some delicious fresh tuna and some very large shrimp for dinner. After we got back wife headed back to the campsite to dry everything out in the sunshine and I took everyone else to the beach.
On our last day at the beach we packed everything up before leaving the campsite so we could leave in the afternoon. We got to the beach just in time to watch the National Park Service rangers excavate a sea turtle nest to check for any babies that were still stuck in the nest.
There were 87 eggs total. Of them, 20 never finished developing, 8 started to hatch but didn't make it, 7 were still alive and trying to get out, and the rest were already in the ocean! The kids got to see the babies as they came out of the nest. If you look they are sitting at the edge of the black fence right where they were digging the nest up!
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| Sea Turtle Nest excavation at Frisco National Park Campground Beach |
After the excitement was over we all went down to the end of the beach where the fishing is best and set up for our last day. We ended up catching enough fish for my wife to make a stew with the last of our leftovers and from the night before and the fish. It was delicious! Leaving this view behind was harder than you can imagine. My dream is to either grow the farm business large enough to have a second farm in North Carolina near the OBX or to just move down there. I think I would rather have a second farm as I could never fully depart from the state I am so completely attached to! Another option, and one that is probably more feasible is to charter a small plane to take us there where we want. There is a small airport at the entrance to the campground that can handle a plane just large enough to fly us from home to the beach! That would make visiting much easier and more enjoyable at different times of the year!
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| View of the beach at Frisco National Park Campgrounds |
We headed for home on Wednesday afternoon. We stopped for a night stay in a hotel in Charlotte NC. before driving the rest of the way home. We were supposed to leave for the OBX on Friday and head back home on Saturday of the following weekend. However, I had another mission that cut our stay shorter than we wanted. I was the Best Man at my best friends wedding and we were not going to miss it!
I had to be back on Thursday to pick up my Tuxedo. Then Friday we had rehearsal and then the wedding was on Saturday.
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| The most expensive thing I have ever worn, a Vera Wang Tuxedo! |
The wedding went awesome and the Jason's bride Brandy looked Phenomenal! I was so happy to be a part of this and I am very excited to see them start their new life together! Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Jason McNamara!
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| The entire wedding party! |
So, now here we are back to reality. School started for my daughter yesterday, I started work on Monday, and my wife's school schedule is back to normal again. Where did summer go so quickly. I try to occasionally stop for a moment and reflect on what has been going on and make a mental note to not waist a moment of the day. Once a moment is gone it will never be again. No matter how hard we try we cannot get back lost time.
The weather has not changed a bit since about this time last year. We continue to have rain every few days and we just had another 4" again over night and this morning. This makes everything very difficult. Dry hay this year seems to be out of the question for me. The neighbor has gotten some but very little and I have heard of a few other people getting some but usually it is rained on or is very old hay and lower in quality. Looks like I will be making the last cutting of my hay this year as I have done the rest.....as silage.
On another note, we our last calf born while we were away. Unfortunately, due to the wet muggy weather, the flies found here before we did. She was very weak and in very bad condition when I found her but she is almost able to stand on her own again now. I am really hoping she pulls through and makes it as she is Frosty's first daughter and Sally Shorthorns first Grand daughter.
I have some more news to report. Pearl's little girl "Montana" got her brand over the weekend.
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| Dam; Shorthorn x Charolais x Angus Sire; Longhorn |
I have mentioned before and I will explain again why they need to be branded. Out west cattle run the large areas the feed on in groups. They are not all kept separately like they are here in the east. So, branding is the only highly recognizable way to be sure who belongs to whom! It cannot be erased, it is highly visible to the naked eye unlike a tattoo, and cannot be removed like an ear tag. This is the only way to stop/slow down cattle rustling and be sure that when you purchase a cow it is not stolen. It also makes sorting your cattle from a large herd incredibly easier!
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| Conser Run Farms & Dave N Robin brands |
Here is my buddy David holding her to get her brand.
This picture was them roping her to catch her.
Sadly I must report that we have to put one of our two new Berkshire to sleep today. She contracted a rare disease called Mycoplasma hyosynoviae. Please click on the link to learn more. In its most basic explanation it is a micro-organism that attacks the joints in the pigs legs and causes severe crippling arthritis and complete lameness. We have tried for 6 weeks to help her get over it but as we have now found out there is nothing we can do to stop it once it passed a certain point because the damage is already done within a week of the disease starting. She will be missed but we cannot bear to see her in pain any longer.
I have just noticed that while I was typing the rain has stopped and the sun has come out. I cannot waist this opportunity....even if it is muddy I am going to go out and try to accomplish something!
Talk to everyone soon!
Kenny
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