Lake Mattamuskeet

For years, Bryan has told me all about the waterfowl that travel from all over the Western hemisphere to winter at Lake Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge. Last winter we finally took a day trip down there to check it all out. I was amazed to see thousands upon thousands of ducks, swans and geese of all types and colors. It was truly a memorable experience and we can't wait to go back and take Jonah with us next time.

Hannah was in complete awe of all the waterfowl she could see and hear. She was literally shaking with excitement when we arrived. I'm guessing what she was really thinking was, "Umm, I bet they taste like chicken!".

After riding around on the refuge for a while, we saw people with professional cameras and monster long-range lenses taking photos and they were drawing quite a crowd. I asked Bryan what in the world they were looking at and he said, "probably that gigantic bald eagle right in front of you!". Holy cow! My whole life I had wanted to see a bald eagle and there one was, right in front of me, and I didn't even see the darn thing! Blame it on a blonde moment I guess :) It was so beautiful and much much bigger than I had expected.

The refuge featured a boardwalk that went all though a cypress forest. Hannah enjoyed running through it and I really loved checking out the tall trees and unusual swamp plants. It was all good until we saw fresh bear tracks and then I was really to high tail it back to the truck!

Bryan scoping out all the ducks. He is incredibly good at identifying all of the waterfowl. He can even tell you what they sound like, what they eat, where they live, how they fly, etc. He's like a waterfowl encyclopedia!

The sunset over the refuge was very peaceful and we saw wave after wave of waterfowl flying in formation heading for a place to sleep for the night.

Camping on Okracoke

This time last year, Bryan and I took Hannah and Jonah on a 5-day camping trip to Ocracoke Island. It was absolutely beautiful and we had a great time (except for the mosquitos that tried to carry us away!). This was Jonah's first trip to the beach. As a 3-month old puppy, he wasn't so sure of the big waves and cool water, but he sure did love playing in the sand! Hannah on the other hand loved the water and couldn't wait to go swimming.





The 2-hour ferry ride over to the island





Jonah crashed out after a long day of playing on the beach. He looks like a little baby seal.

Do you even recognize me with all of this sand on my face??

Oops, tangled leashes! We wanted to let them run freely on the beach because there was no one around for a half-mile, but the park rangers checked on us frequently to make sure they were leashed. Don't tell, but we let them run after the rangers left (hey, it was their vacation too!).

Jonah dug himself a big hole to lay in. I guess he liked the cool sand on his belly!

Hannah fast asleep back at the campground.

Jonah was right at home at the campground with all of his toys. We were so impressed with how well behaved he was. We had some teenage girls that camped right near us and they all fell in love with Jonah!

Back on the beach for another day of fun!

Hannah watching us cook shrimp and grits...and hoping that some of the shrimp "fall" on the ground for her!

Bringing Home Jonah

Everyone knows that my dogs are my pride and joy and I spend lots of time talking about them. My amazing labrador, Jonah, is no exception! Last March Bryan and I drove all the way to Ohio to pick him up and bring him back to North Carolina. Here are a few of his puppy pictures that I'm always so proud to share. Even from a young age, he astounded me with his affection and intelligence.

Our first meeting with Jonah in the breeder's back yard.

We stopped to get some lunch about 2 hours after we picked up Jonah and let him run around in field. His first taste of freedom!

Jonah finally crashed in the back seat. Bryan made him a cozy bed with blankets and towels and a big teddy bear for him to curl up with.

From the first day we got him, he's loved to sleep on his back!

Don't let these pictures fool you into thinking that Jonah slept a lot as a puppy. That was NOT the case. It's just that the only time he would slow down enough for us to get pictures was when he was sleeping!

Look at those gorgeous blue eyes!



Could Jonah's ears BE any bigger???

Checking it all out in his new big back yard.

A fun afternoon of playing in the yard with Hannah. Look at all the pollen on my nose! I'm definitely a Southerner now!