( Sandy's notes )
Cindy and Chris came Friday night around 11, and they had sandwiches then we all headed to bed. The next day Dick went off to see where the birding area was at the Green Swamp , then rode his bike while Cindy and Chris ran the loop we often ride. On the way over to Sunset Beach we took a side trip to try to show the family an alligator, and found one lazing in the water in a pond. We got to Sunset Beach around 1:30 and they let us have keys, even though check in time was supposed to be 3:30 . We all made up our beds and got everything else put away. Everyone went down to the beach and the boys swam a little. I walked up the beach with Michelle then we met Dick with Cindy and Chris. They wanted to walk further and Dick and Michelle needed to get back, so I continued on with them. We stopped at the Kindred Spirit mailbox and Cindy wrote some thoughts while we talked with a couple who were Bird Island Guardians. Then we walked to the breakwater and saw the old boat on the beach. Cindy made chicken in barbecue sauce, salad and rice for dinner. Dick got back from picking up Heather at the airport and everyone got their "Easter" bags. The boys played with their toys and we all sat and talked until after ten, then went to bed.
Sunday morning Heather and Cindy ran on the beach. Dick and I biked around the island, then he and Heather rode over to try to see the alligator. The boys headed for the beach with boogie boards and sand toys. I walked to the breakwater and across. We had lunch at the house, then walked to the ice cream shop and across the street to the bike rental place. Rick rented bicycles for all four of them. Dick and Heather walked to the other end of the island. Rick and family rode their bikes to the breakwater, and Cindy and Chris ran there. We heated up our grill, had hamburgers and hot dogs, and read and talked until bedtime.
On Monday Dick got up early to try to photograph birds on the beach and Cindy, Chris and Heather ran the beach again. They brought back a bunch of sand dollars. I went out and wasn't as lucky, but as I was looking at one that was probably still alive, a nice woman gave me two she had found. Dick took Heather to see the house and took his bike to get new tires (his were thirty years old and falling apart) and a new bike seat and pick up things we had forgotten to bring. When they got back, we went back down to the beach and Dick and Chris used his wet suit and boogie boarded and swam with Ricky and Randy. Randy built the Great Wall of China around the sand castles they made earlier. We had lunch at Captain Nance's, stopping to say hello to the alligator again on the way. We read and played cards, and everyone did their own thing for dinner, since we had had such a big lunch.
Tuesday I went out walking early and found over twenty sand dollars on my round trip. Lots of huge jellyfish were also washing in and I found three sea stars (starfish) but they were still alive and I threw them back in. Rick went out running with the gang. We spent a lot of the morning on the beach, but it got more overcast as the day wore on. I got out the colored sand I brought and the boys filled bottles with it, one for Cindy and Chris. Cindy and Chris took a turn with the bikes, then Dick, Michelle and I rode to the other end of the island. Dick talked to the man from across the street who rents his house out himself, so maybe we'll check that out in the future. We ordered pizzas from Dominoes and started one of the jigsaw puzzles, played 'Go Fish,' and watched American Idol. Chris taught the boys a magic card trick that they practiced a bit before perfecting. A group went out on a grocery run and came back with a birthday cake for Michelle and Dick, so we sang "Happy Birthday" and ate cake.
Wednesday I walked on the beach for forty minutes or so, then headed to Ash. I got blocked by construction on the bridge road, but made it around the blocks and got over to the house. James was mad I wouldn't let him out, but I gathered the things on my list, tried in vain to get online, and headed for the airport. I was there in good time, so got a sand dollar windchime as a birthday gift for Michelle and waited for John and Christy to arrive. They were there on time, but their luggage wasn't, so we filled out the forms to have it delivered to Sunset Beach . Then we drove into Wilmington and they treated me to a nice lunch at a restaurant near the river. We walked through some cute stores and visited a woodworking project for at-risk teenagers and families in shelters. In the meantime, Dick and family stayed at the beach until Chris and Cindy had to leave for the airport, then they all headed to the ferry at Southport and across to the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. Unfortunately Heather had allergy problems so she soaked her feet in the ocean and skipped the aquariuman. Soaking only provided temporary relief so they had to go to a clinic to find a way to get the swelling in her feet under. When Christy, John and I got to Sunset Beach (after visiting the alligator once more), we walked the beach, then sat on the porch and waited for the suitcase to be delivered. Dick and the crew got back just as the suitcase was delivered- around 7. We went to Captain Nance's but the rest of the family who'd already been there stayed at the house and rustled up something for dinner. After our dinner we drove into SC just to say we'd been there and headed home to watch the Idol results show- which was also a fundraiser. Ricky wanted to donate money of his own, so the rest of us chipped in and made a good sized donation altogether. Heather and Rick stayed up fairly late waiting to get through to make our donation, but the rest of us went to bed.
Thursday morning Dick took Heather to the airport. Christy and I walked to the breakwater and beyond and found three sand dollars. I made brownies and the Dowlings rode their bikes one last time and left off the boys' bikes. They all left at noon to begin their long drive home. We did four loads of sheets and towels and packed them away. We read on the beach but it was windy and cool. We ate chicken, sweet potatoes, and carrot and celery sticks on the porch, then watched the Democratic debate and Survivor on TV. Christy and John stayed up watching Grey's Anatomy and we went to bed.
Friday I rode my bike on the beach, then we time shared the other two and walked or rode to the breakwater and ended up at the Kindred Spirits Mailbox. Christy and I wrote, but rain came in and she and John rode the bikes back. Dick and I considered walking back, then went back up and he lay under the bench while I pulled the folding chair over me like a tent. But the time we were walking back and met Christy and John biking back, the rain had stopped and the warm wind dried us off quickly. We got the bikes and rode down to the main beach entry. Someone had sculpted a sea turtle out of sand and we took a picture of it. Dick took a first load back to the house, let James out and drove into Shallotte to get his bike back. We read, dozed, and relaxed, then went to Shallotte and got barbecue at Joe's. But Dick and Christy didn't like what was on the buffet, so they went on to SubWay, while John and I pigged out on pig. We drove back for our last night on Sunset Beach and read until bed.
Saturday morning we continued packing up and were out of the house well before the 10 o'clock deadline. Dick rode both of the adult bikes back to the rental agency. We relaxed at the house and Christy, John and Dick went to the Waccamaw River to scout out fishing places for John. We drove to the China Buffet for lunch. Holden Beach was having a festival called Days at the Docks, so we went there. I walked through all the art booths with Christy and John while Dick went to the beach where they were having a kite flying exhibition- kites in shapes of dogs, octopi, demons. We got a fresh squeezed lemonade and drank it, and moved down to the beach after seeing everything and listening to the country music. Then we drove to the far end and walked down to where the river comes in. Dick made pancakes at night with pecans and chopped up Easter M&Ms and we ate on the porch. After dinner we walked across the street and talked to Wayne , then went back to Jeff's to see the baby pigs. We all watched some of School of Rock , but they needed to shower and we all needed to get to bed early to make the early airport run.
So at 3:50 we were off to take Christy and John to the airport for their 6AM flight, and so ended our 2007 Family Escape to Sunset Beach !