OBX 2018

We weren't sure if we'd be able to make it to the beach this year given John's recent surgery, but he received an "all clear" (or at least a, "you are free to convalesce with your family in an alternative location provided they assume all risk" clear) so we packed up the cars and headed to the Outer Banks. It was an oddly efficient drive with minimal beach traffic, which made us worry that there was some hurricane headed our way that none of us noticed, but apparently the beach gods were just smiling at us. And they continued to smile on us all week.

Last year it rained most days, but this year the weather was near perfect and the ocean was (mostly) like bath water. The only complaint was that the waves were a little off, making it hard to body board and thwarted Allen's attempts at surfing (yep, that's totally what did it). Oh, and there was one spotted shark (and a number of baby sharks fairly close in). Regardless, the weather meant that pretty much everyone was able to enjoy the water more, albeit in a less extreme manner, than in previous years, and so spent the bulk of our days outside basking in the sunshine (when we weren't baking or watching baking competitions).

The only problem with this is that it limited number of sanctioned competitions eligible for points in our the annual Pelican Cup competition. Last year's rains meant numerous board games breaks, which made some of the less physically dominant players competitive. This year, after the boys won the sand castle competition, and Owen won 2 corn hole games plus a marble game, there was really no stopping him (though Allen and Lee were close). Owen was awarded the trophy and in a new tradition, got to demand a group pose signifying their supremacy over there competitors (which made us all really glad that Nora didn't win).

It was a great week. The fresh air seemed to help John's recovery (or at least proved a nice distraction while recuperating) and gave us all bit of respite before returning to real life and the last days of summer.


(To see all the beach pictures, click here.)