Saturday Signs

Continuing on with various and sundry getaway photos

these amused me

Many of you like mantels so here is the original photo

which was taken at M and M Cafe in Oriental, NC

I had a delicious crab cake sammich and slaw
hubby had a basket of fried shrimp and hush puppies

Look closely at this photo...what do you see in the clouds

I  bet SHE at DownUnder Daisy and Chester see it.  They have their heads in the clouds
a lot just like I do.

I'll call this little girl Ellie the Elephant because she is so adorable and holding her 

own in a city full of Bears O My

Nature Friday and I spy?

Nature Friday is hosted by my Niece Rosy and her brudders, Arty and Jakey

This and that nature  from two trips

The bottom left was taken in the Cemetery in New Bern, NC

Others from out trip to Dobson, NC

Two kinds of Nature in our yard

Left:  SomeCritter has been feasting our our Hostas. This ~2' pot sits on a stump on a hill adding about 8" to height. I hope we don't have rabbits tall enough to reach it.  

Right:  Liriope is just starting to bloom.  I love this color of the blooms

What do you SPY??????

Brightened and zoomed  now do you see it?

Thankful and Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

Kat and Pup sent me this email to tell you all how very thankful they are for

all your kind comments this week:

Dearest Aunty HiC

Mom has big tears running down her cheeks as she’s reading the comforting blog comments about Dakota. It always helps to know others understand the intense sorrow we are experiencing. 

Thank you, Furiends , again. ❤️ 

Pup and I are staying close by, providing lots of cuddles.  😻

❤️ Kat Your Feline Nephew 

Hosted by Brian

Today we join Two  SPOILED CATS 

Angel Sammy and Teddy for their poetic pictorial poem.

Here is our photo challenge

Hair
by Cecilia 

Hair that drags the ground

Shampoo(ing) a total nightmare

Drying time a  year!

Watery Wednesday down by the river

Hosted Sandee our favorite Sailor-Gal over at Comedy Plus


Last Monday and Tuesday I was MIA...

we took our third mini vacation in our beautiful state

Number One is here*

Number Two is here**

I am thrilled to report this was a very calm and relaxing mini trip
no gale force winds on the * and no trekking straight up a mountain**

Our plan was to make the trip entirely by land; however, thanks to Angel Madi's favorite BIL, who suggested an alternate way to our first stop in Oriental, NC.

We drove to Havelock, NC then turned off toward Cherry Branch to catch a ferry to take us across a narrow portion of the Neuse to Minnesott Beach.  Which is just a hop, skip and jump down a very scenic coastal road to Oriental.  Oriental is located on the N.C. innerbanks on the Neuse River
in......

Oriental is named for a sailing steamer The Orient which wrecked off Bodie Island in May of 1862.
Interesting fact about this tiny village of ~800 residents:
It had the very first motorized school bus in service in NC starting in September 1917.

The Neuse was calm and clear as glass as we glided across
The Neuse River is 6 miles wide and just a few miles from the Pamlico Sound.  The Pamlico is 1700 sq miles in area and the largest of 8 NC coastal sounds.  If offers a vast area of sheltered water
for sailing. It is located on the Intracoastal Waterway.

Did you notice on the Oriental Flag in the first collage that it is the Sailing Capital of NC
We saw gorgeous sailboats in the dock.

 I took a picture of a guy taking a picture!!

 Oh my word this sailboat below Zen Moments was from Fairbanks, Alaska!!

We thoroughly enjoyed visiting this quaint coastal town.

After we left Oriental we drove 26 miles to New Bern, NC.
More pictures from New Bern in the coming weeks including 2 Steeple Sundays
Thanks for sailing with us watch your step as you disembark.


******************************
I had two appointments this week
Dentist yesterday (2pm) and dermatologist today (1:45pm); however, yesterday I went to
today's appointment.  Luckily my dentist is not too far from my dermatologist.
Anyway, long story short is I'll be MIA again today, but at least I'll be going to the
correct doctor.

Message from Kat

Dearest Aunty HiC

 I lost my sweet, fluffy, warm, gentle Dakota yesterday August 5.  I heard Mom say Dakota was the most forgiving and loving dog she has ever owned.  Dakota had been struggling with oral cancer for several months. She is no longer in pain, but our hearts are broken, again. 😿 

Run Free, Sweet Girl....

Dakota was my golden gal pal from the first day I arrived.

Devoted

Adored

Kat's Golden Gal pal

One and only

Terrific sibling

Always and furever remembered

 I can’t believe we’ve lost Sassy, Buddy, and Dakota this year...

Dearest Nephew 

My heart is broken for you and your family.  I know how very very much you loved your Golden Dakota and she loved you. My daughter calls my grand kitty Mia the glue that binds them. I honestly and truly know you dear Nephew are the super glue that binds your family...You have been a blessing to them.

I found comfort knowing your three loving, beautiful

faithful dogs are all together now.

Lovingly your Aunty HiC

Awww Monday Celebrating with Kat

hosted by Comedy Plus

Today we are thrilled to be celebrating 10 months that KAT has been living in his furever home!!!

A recent email:


Dearest Aunty HiC

It’s hard to believe I’ve been living with my furever family for 10 months. You remember how hard Mom worked to convince me life as a house kitty is the BEST!  I’m so happy she didn’t give up on me. She says I helped fill the hole in heart left after we lost sweet Sassy.

I would say we rescued each other.😻

Mom says YOU were very helpful, and supportive in those early days.

Love you Aunty HiC!

❤️ Kat Your Feline Nephew

Dear sweet Nephew...10 months....OMCs I can hardly believe it either.

You were lucky to wander into the yard of a most wonderful lady who loves to teach and has 87 tons of experience with youngsters, puppies and now kitties.  She knows how they best learn. She applied all her teaching  to you.  AND on top of that I too deep down in my heart believe Angels Sassy and Zach helped guide you to your furever home.

Sending tons of love to you and your family.

Give everyone and nite nite kissy from your Aunty

Love Aunty HiC

This video shows the first couple months of my life with my family. Mom was certainly purr-sistent! 😹

Steeple Sunday: Christ Episcopal Church New Bern

Many years ago in my early blogging career I featured many many Church steeples

in Raleigh and Wake County.  While on our getaway last week, I found

some more beautiful ones in New Bern, North Carolina

Christ Episcopal Church

Next two photos were side by side but too large for one photo

 Beautiful stain glass windows

 Spanish Moss was hanging all around the church

Even in this huge and very old Crepe Myrtle

 slate roof

There was a small cemetery too very very old head stones

In Memory of M. Alexander Maust
a native of Scotland
who departed this life on October 16, 1791
aged 47 years.

I tried to find out more about Maust aka Most
there were some photos that could have been of him
I bet my YAM-Aunty in Scotland, who is queen of research, can found out something.

My Great great maternal granddaddy was a printer I found this interesting

James Davis established the art of printing in N. C. in 1749

New Bern became North Carolina's first capital after the Revolutionary War, until everyone moved on in the late 1780s. 
Raleigh was established as the capital of North Carolina near the geographical center of the state in 1792.