Sorry to have left my thoughts on such a sour note the last time. I was however feeling very bummed out about the state of a country which would elect Obama to be President.
On a happier note I decided that it is past time to make a small contribution of my own to the blogging community instead of just feasting on the words of others which I thoroughly enjoy. Since we are on vacation I finally have a little free time to spend trying to translate my thoughts and activities into words.
First of all for those of you who currently are involved in doing indexing for the LDS church I have a few thoughts. We had a fellow from our stake come and teach a short class in Priesthood/Relief Society about indexing, how easy it was to be involved and how important the work is. I was sold and so I went home and decided that from here on I was going to be involved. It was relatively easy to get signed up and started; but reading some of the records can be a challenge indeed. Some of the names border on unbelievable and others just don't seem to add up but then the idea is to record things as they are written and so I have done that. For those of you who haven't tried it yet I would encourage you to try and spend a little time getting your feet wet and I think that you will be hooked as well. Even an hour a week can make a difference to the total effort. I was getting so involved in fact that I went to sign on one evening a week or so ago and the site was down for updating and maintenance. I tried again three or four times over the next couple of days and it was still down. I was beginning to suffer withdrawal pains and wondering when they were finally going to get it back up again. Finally just before Christmas it came back online and I dug in to record a few more records. I even took some time one night on our vacation to do a couple of records since we brought our laptops with us.
Christmas was fun for us but we interrupted it in the middle of the celebration to catch a plane for North Carolina so that we could visit Matt, Danae and family who live there. We caught our plane at 2:00 in the afternoon on Christmas day since that was the time when we could find the cheapest flight. They had predicted storms for the afternoon so we were a little apprehensive but as the plane took off we saw the sun peeking through and even a bit of blue sky. I understand that the storm hit with a vengeance though shortly after that. We were on a somewhat smaller plane though and getting above the wind currents in the valley led to a pretty bumpy and shaky ride. Finally once we got above the mountains it leveled off and we had a smooth flight all the way to Minneapolis Minnesota where we changed planes. Minnesota is like landing in Michigan, the plane can descend for hundreds of miles before you get to the airport and so there is no need for a sudden drop to land. From there we caught a bite to eat and then a plane to Raleigh/Durham airport in NC where we picked up a rental car. We had a GPS and so once we got it up and running it took us to Matt and Danae's without much trouble where we arrived around midnight. Their weather here has been a pleasant change since it has been in the fifties most of the time and of course there is no snow. Brenda and I took advantage and went for a couple of long walks around the neighborhood to get some exercise and fresh air.
We had planned to take a few days and head for the outer banks and so we asked the family to come along. They decided that they could fit it into their budget and would enjoy the change of pace during their time off. We got up and left early Monday morning but by the time we had gone a couple of miles down the road our rental car ( a PT Cruiser ) began to act up. The engine light would come on and then it would sputter a little before stalling out. We spent an hour on the phone trying to connect to someone who could actually provide us with the 24 hour roadside service that they advertised. But finally after a couple of hours total the man showed up with a replacement car for us to drive. This time it was a Pontiace Vibe which was smaller than I would have chosen but served the purpose for the trip and at least it ran.
It took us about 4 hours of travel to get to Kitty Hawk where we had made reservations for the night. We also managed to squeeze in a visit to the Museum and memorial to the Wright Brothers. The story the ranger told was very interesting and the boys all got a workbook to fill out so that they could become junior rangers and get a patch to wear. We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express and it was about a block from the beach. Brenda couldn't wait and so she walked out to the beach even though it was dark and a little chilly. The next morning she found 7 enthusiastic volunteers and a baby to go with her to the beach. It wasn't that warm but the kids still had fun trying to outrun the surf and getting their ankles wet now and then. We also saw a whole bunch of dolphins swimming back and forth past the beach and jumping into the air as they came by. Then we went back to the motel for some free continental breakfast. We piled into the cars and headed for the nearest lighthouse since it is a must to see the lighthouses if you come to the outer banks.
Currituck Lighthouse is the farthese north in the region and also the closest to where we were and so we started there. It is a beautiful brick structure that was left bare rather than painting it and so it is a natural red brick color. You can climb to the top for $7.00 a person and although the kids thought it sounded like fun we decided that we would forego the pleasure. It was different than I had imagined since it sits somewhat inland in a forested type area but rises above the trees to spread it's light. We explored the base, the grounds and took pictures from numerous angles and then we were off to the next stop. Next we went to a Memorial to flight that was created by numerous civic groups and featured a number of metal plylons of various heights in a circle that surrounded a metal representation of the earth embedded in the ground. The pylons held numerous memorials to the significant events that took place in the history of flight beginning with the Wright Brothers in 1903 up until 2003 which marked the centennial of flight on which the monuments were based. Then we went on to the National Historic Museum for the Wright Brothers again to finish our tour there since it had been interruped by an early winter closing time the previous day.
This time we had a chance to view some of the exhibits in the auxiliary buildings. They have a replica of the first airplane flown by Wilbur and Orville made of original type materials (canvas and wood) in the museum and so it is off limits to touch. There was however a very detailed replica made of steel elsewhere in the compound which the kids could touch and climb on and they did just that. The display shows the plane, the people who helped push it to gather speed and even a statue of the cameraman who recorded the event for posterity. That was fun for the kids to enjoy hands on. They also have a monument on top of the hill from which the first attempts at flight were made. Due to the shifting nature of sand dunes the plaque indicated that the hill had actually changed locations by almost 400 feet from it's original position. So to make things more accurate the Corp of Engineers moved the hill back into place and planted crops on it to help keep it in position. The hike to the top was a bit of a challenge but the view from there was worth the trip and we got an up close view of the memorial. It was designed to replicate a wing stuck into the ground with the tip extending skyward.
By this time we were ready for lunch and so we hit the local Mcdonalds for lunch and since the kids ate all of their food Grandpa offered to buy everyone an ice cream cone. No playland but the food and happy meals toys were a hit with the kids. Then back to the beach so that the kids could put on their suits and get into the surf in a more active way. We spent about an hour there as the early winter sun was going down and the kids enjoyed themselves although being wet as it started to coof off brought them out of the water and headed for the motel. Since we had all gone out to the Restaurant the first night Matt's family opted for a peanut butter sandwich meal with ice cream sandwiches for desert. Brenda had a plate full of crab on the first night and so she wasn't ready for more of that yet. We went to another restaurant and I had a steak while she ate fried shrimp and hush puppies. When we got back to the motel they had even saved us an ice cream sandwich for desert. Then after a little time on the computers we called it a day. Madsen and Sullivan stayed in our room with us and rode in our car. Declan and Cannon rode along with Matt, Danae and Waverly. They said that it had been one of their best vacations to date since all of the boys weren't together in the car to irritate one another. We wound up back at the same Motel on the second night since we were still in the area and it had been a good choice in the first place.,
We decided to make the third day our last and so that still left us time to visit the Bodie Island Light Station(black and white striped), the Cape Hatteras Lighhouse (black and white but with stripes spiraling up) and even the Ocracoke Lighthouse (plain white) as well. We managed to squeeze a visit to the beach in again and the boys had strict orders to not get wet since their dry clothes were about used up at this point. The wind was blowing rather hard and their were some big waves crashing into the pier. It was also fun to watch the wind catch the top of the wave and send spray flying for a number of feet. The boys were doing a good job of outrunning the waves but playing it close to the edge. Finally a huge wave came rolling in, they turned to run and unfortunately Cannon was a little slow. First it was up to his feet then up to his knees and finally up to his waist., He was trying to run but the wave knocked him down ane after the rescue his Dad asked him how the bottom of the ocean looked. He was wet from head to toe with Matt getting about a foot of pantleg wet in reaching for him. He wound up wearing swimming trunks for underwear and Madsen's Hoodie which made him look like a midget. But that was about all there was left that was dry. All in all they had a good time and Cannon gained a new respect for the power of the waves.
To get to Ocracoke island you need to ride the ferry which is free and takes about 40 minutes to pass between islands. Since it was already a windy day it was a little hard to stand up on the deck and when someone pushed with all their might to open the door against the wind it came swinging around with such force that it almost knocked them down. Inside the cabin was nice and warm though with nice leather like seats and a picturesque table to sit at. Much nicer than the front runner accomodations. The kids and Danae were worried about getting sick on the ferry ride but despite the wind it was a very smooth ride and we all suffered no ill effects. At the bottom of the island there is a 2 1/2 hour ride to the mainland or go back the way you came. We crossed a number of large bridges enroute and got to see lots of scenic beauty. All of the houses kind of look the same with decks and landings everywhere up and down the houses. We opted to backtrack and headed for home arriving back in Apex a little after 9:00 PM on New Years Eve we did little in the way of celebrating other that hauling everything in from the cars. It was an enjoyable trip and I think that everyone found something to have fun at in the mix. We aren't looking forward to heading back to the snow and cold weather but we still have a week to enjoy before that happens so we will make the best of it.
Now back to the indexing and getting caught up on my computer connections. Hope that everyone had a terrific Christmas and survived the New Years Celebrations. We wish for all of you to have the best year ever during this coming one and we look forward to seeing and interacting with as many of you as possible. If you make it to out area be sure to touch base and allow us to get caught up with you and your lives. May you always have the wind at your back and an enjoyable destination in your future.
