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There are of course more pictures from vacation, but I’m going to wrap this up because I have tons of client images to share, and not enough time in the day! 
Love these birds - as they scoop the water…
The ONLY way to do the beach! This year was way too rushed…
And the secret to how I got so close…
Well, we had planned on chartering the Godspeed, and finally having our deep sea fishing experience (complete with seasick patches), but it was canceled early in the morning due to 6-foot waves. One of these days we will do this! Captain Dave has been absolutely wonderful, though, watching out for us and giving us great advice as he knows some of us…… ahem…. ME especially, gets seasick.
So out of nowhere, Dean decides we are going to get into a teeny tiny little metal box, and fly over Hatteras and Ocracoke.
My kids have never flown, and well, we all know I hate to fly. But I’m going to suck it up in the name of fun, and deal with this, right?
I’m happy to report, I made it through - but I know deep down inside the only reason I didn’t freak out once we were up in the air was because I was trying to remain sane for my little girl sitting next to me, and I did have a need to photograph this, as it may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
I was very surprised, as I have never done any sort of aerial photography, that depending on the direction of the sun was how vibrant the images turned out.
This is the plane we were in…
If you haven’t been to Cape Hatteras, it may surprise you that there is one road right in the center of the island, and there are places that while you are driving, you can see the Pamlico Sound on one side, and the Atlantic Ocean on the other at the same time. It definitely makes you feel quite vulnerable, and no, I wouldn’t want to be there during a hurricane.
This is where we usually drive our cars onto the beach and swim/fish - no lifeguards. It can be a little scary at times depending on the rip currents.
The Southern end of Cape Hatteras
Beach Houses
This is the Northern tip of Ocracoke. Notice how the waters of the Sound and the Ocean swirl around together. When we were in the Godspeed last year (when the seasickness nightmare began), crossing where the two bodies of water met was a pretty incredible experience with 6-10 foot waves It makes you really appreciate the power of nature.
Up top of this image is where the Ocracoke ferry brings you in. This is the one road on Ocracoke that takes you to civilization (and the famous Howard’s Pub of course…).
Sound side. The Pamlico Sound is at the bottom of this image, ocean at the top
I think this is the Frisco Pier. I don’t remember what the pilot said at this moment in his comforting and mellow voice as right about here, we hit some (in my opinion MAJOR) turbulance that made us drop (i.e. free fall) about 3 feet. At this point is when my motion sickness started. Erynn decided this was the metal trap of death at this very moment.
Hatteras Lighthouse… Pilot said, “I’m going to circle around the lighthouse again” and my mind was screaming PLEASE DON’T as we were practically sideways in the air…
Landing… *whew*
Please vote every day for the next few days - it’s almost over!
We’re going to back up just for a moment… I can’t believe that fall has really arrived. I’m loving this cool crisp weather! So I felt like the Cape Hatteras Storm pictures would have to be shared before it gets too cold! This was our last evening in Hatteras - we watched an amazing storm come through from our deck…
Ahhh I’m so sorry, haven’t been keeping up with this again. Had a bunch of newborns arrive right after I came back from vacation, so have been catching up. Also, my kids are now on their last two weeks before school starts, and I of course, have a million and one things to do with them
Here’s a few more shots from our vacation… of course, there are still many more. I need to catch up with posting some client work as well - I wish I could share images from every session, but it seems that I’m barely hanging on to this blog sometimes, and I’ll never have enough time in the week to share every session. I’ll share some glimpses of sessions next week some time as the rest of this week is planned already ;)
These three I took on the last day as Dean and Barrett were securing the kayaks on top of our vehicle before driving through a nasty storm…
Before I show the beauty of the beach, I wanted to share this interesting waterspout that was next to our vehicle - I took this picture through the driver’s side window as we were driving down the main road of Ocracoke Island, heading towards Howard’s Pub. Dean noticed it first, so I got my camera out just in time to see it turn into a full fledged waterspout that touched down onto the water…
If you are a Marylander who has only grown up going to Ocean City, you are missing out on something amazing… I’m a beach snob, okay, I admit it. I like privacy, I don’t like crowds - I enjoy peace and tranquility and personal space! LOL!
Here’s how we do the beach…
Let a little air out of the tires, and head right out on the sand… One year, the sand was very very dry and deep and we didn’t let some air out of the tires and got stuck. My husband with his amazing super-human strength ;) lifted the back end of our vehicle out of the sand just enough for me to depress the accelator and get us out…
So here’s the view… We have learned from other’s mistakes and now know that you must not back your vehicle too close to the waves, and be very careful as the tide comes in to get back to the paved road before you get trapped!
Ahh… and ahead of us lies the ocean….
Next, you set up right out of the back of your vehicle…
Beaches should have plenty of seashells…
And lots of teeny colorful clams that move before your eyes, digging back into the sand after every wave…
Don’t forget, you are never too old to dig for sand crabs!
Ahhh… the sea birds!
Frisbee anyone?
There’s something about sea oats and dunes that fascinate me…
Did I mention this is the only way to do the beach?
I purchased my first point and shoot camera before going on vacation this year. I know, you all are thinking “huh?” I have never owned a point and shoot consumer camera. I have always owned SLRs and DSLRs. Point and shoot cameras are foreign to me. Despite being a Nikon fan, after much thought, I decided on the Canon PowerShot D10 waterproof camera. This camera can be submerged in water, and I wanted to know that when I was out riding, kayaking, etc., if my camera got wet, it would be safe. It’s also a bit freeing not to lug around a big DSLR once in a while ;) So when you view the kayaking pictures - they were taken with this very same point and shoot. I don’t think it turned out too bad at all.
Changing the subject a bit — If you have ever vacationed in Cape Hatteras or Ocracoke Island, you know that there are no lifeguards. You basically have to be careful and heed the warnings of severe rip currents, and keep an eye out for things like sharks… yikes, I know. We were out in the ocean one day with severe rip currents, and it was a little scarey, but we did our best to stay safe. I was just awed by the power of these waves, they were incredible, and way above our heads!
Here’s a quick shot of my kids the first day we went out in the water. It’s hard for me to believe that Barrett is only 2 years, 10 months older than Erynn, but he is double her size/weight. He has no trouble scooping her up and carrying her with no effort - but geesh, he didn’t have to drop her, on purpose of course… *sigh*
Erynn underwater…
So I have really had a hard time coming to terms with something that happened this week. We booked a fishing boat, The Godspeed, for a full day. We were heading out to fish in the ocean. We had visions of pulling in some big dauphin or blue marlin, anything… I was going to take all these images and even videotape some of it… We were all excited. My biggest fear was the seamonsters in my imagination
Before I go on, let me say, I am well aware that some people get motion sickness, and in fact, I have gotten it occasionally in the car driving down windy country roads; however, I have always been able to muscle my way through it. I consider myself a fairly strong individual. I do have some fears (water, heights, etc.), but I force myself to face it, and work through it… One thing I have always had trouble with is medicine. Okay, yeah, that’s not a fear, but you won’t catch me popping Tylenol, ibuprofen, and I absolutely cannot take pain meds (as I have said before, two C-sections and hernia repair without pain meds is rather interesting - so yes, I don’t feel I am a weak person)… I did take a half dose of non-drowsy dramamine a year or so ago, and it knocked me out for an entire day. No lie. I swore that I would never take it again. Ever. You have to understand, even taking 400 mg of ibuprofen will make me incredibly sleepy.
So yeah, ocean fishing - waves… no problem. I went fishing and crabbing with my dad all the time growing up. I had seabands for pressure points, I had ginger tablets, and I had an herbal substance you place behind your ears, as well as a positive attitude and a fighting spirit. I also had the power of being able to muscle through occasional motion sickness. I very seldom vomit. I can actually fight my way through that feeling and get through it without getting sick.
Little did we realize that this particular day we were to go out on the ocean… the waves were 6-10 feet according to the news…
We began on our journey. We sat in the cabin. Dean and Barrett on one side, Erynn and myself on the other. We began to hit some huge waves. I wasn’t nauseous at all. It was fun… we were all laughing. The boat would go up, and then there was nothing under us… we would free fall drop down… it was like a rollercoaster, it was incredible! This was going to be SO MUCH FUN!!! I looked out the cabin door, keeping my eyes on the horizon, and watching the waves crashing everywhere… it was amazing. I couldn’t wait until we got to the area to start fishing.
Ummmm…. what’s the queasy feeling? hmmm… that’s not good. I quickly grabbed the herbal stuff and put it behind my ears after discarding my mint gum. Okay, I feel better… that’s good. Two minutes later… ugh… oh no… this isn’t good.
Dean got up out of his seat, and like spiderman, he was hanging onto anything he could to get me a bag….
At that point, I didn’t care who saw me, the force that I got sick was like nothing I have ever felt before…. wow…. and it wasn’t going away. Even when the boat stopped, it wasn’t easing up at all.
Later, I found out, Dean was laughing… he couldn’t believe it. He watched me get out my potions and pills and he said he thought any minute, I would start burning candles, incense, and doing some kind of voodoo chant LOL!!!!! but no, I was sick… very sick. It was beyond any flu, morning sickness, and even beyond the two times I have gotten food poisoning (salmonella at that).
Barrett was the next to fall… yes, he too succumbed to the massive waves swirling and sloshing around our insides….
I did glance over at Erynn, and her face was green. She was lucky to be in front of the air conditioning vent to help relieve the feeling, but she would be next, we all knew it.
Dean, who just a few weeks ago had his throat closing up after touching one of my horses, who is severely allergic to grass, molds, pollen, dust, you name it, had a smile on his face, and he felt perfectly fine.
Needless to say, we had to have the boat turn around and go back…
I’ve now learned my cryptonite is the ocean….
I have a new respect for ocean fisherman… I have a new respect for the founders of our country who sailed across the ocean… I cannot imagine…
I will never be a pirate.
I’d like to begin sharing some vacation pictures this week and maybe into next week… here’s our start. Per below, we were at a beach house in Cape Hatteras. This year we stayed in Frisco, right on the Sound. The house was beautiful (photo below). We have learned over the years, that staying on the Sound is better for us than oceanfront. We like to drive our vehicle out on the beach, but being on Soundside, the kids get to enjoy wading in, kayaking, and fishing right in “our backyard”.
Here are some Soundside images. There were some 8-inch vertebrae and remnants of some dead thing washed up on shore. I took some pictures but thought it kinda gross to post it to my blog, so we will stick with the “pretty” pictures ;) My only concern is - if that thing had 8-inch vertebrae, what the heck was it? That was a massive water beast!
Right at the shore on the Sound, you can just look under your feet and see all kinds of living creatures crawling and swimming around…
Hermit crab…
Fish…
Dean and Barrett wading out…
Erynn splashing…
The shore…
Even flowers on the shore…
More to come
We have landed in Cape Hatteras. Our location is beautiful. We have water on three sides - perfect for taking the kayaks out - the Sound stretches out as far as you can see. I’m really scared of paddling out there, but I’m working to get over my fear of water. I’m going to try to share a few images here and there of our trip, and when I get back, I’ll share the rest.
I have no idea how my editing is working out on this laptop - I hope it isn’t that different than my norm
Again, please keep in mind the studio is closed until August 3rd for our family time. I will do my best to answer voicemails this week periodically.
No, I’m not done with the vacation pictures… ;) I currently have triple the amount of sessions I usually have for the next two weeks… looks like the Christmas rush has already begun!
Here are two images of the sunset as we were getting ready to head out to kayak on the Sound at Pea Island. We had never been kayaking before, so if you know of my terrible fear of water (natural bodies of water), this was quite a challenge for me to get by my fears…
Erynn and I shared a kayak, and Dean and Barrett had their own. Barrett was launched out first… I have to say, being out there at sunset was absolutely BEAUTIFUL - nothing else like it. I wasn’t about to bring one of my good cameras out there in the water, so I did have a disposable waterproof Kodak - havn’t had that film developed yet, so this is all I have.
One simply AMAZING thing about the whole experience was as it was dark after the sun had gone down, we were paddling back to shore, and all of a sudden, you could see your paddle glowing a little. If you put your hand down in the water, you would see little specs of light. It was bioluminescence in the water (did I spell that right?) You could even pull your hand out of the water and see it all over your hands. If you looked down into the water, you could see fish swimming with a trail of it behind them. It was like nothing I had ever seen in my life. What an incredible experience!
Revisiting sitting at the Jolly Roger Pub on Ocracoke Island - that is when Dean had an epiphany. He felt that we should visit Portsmouth Island the next morning.
What a great thing to do, we have never been to the totally abandoned Portsmouth Island where no one lives…. why not?
Heh… funny.
We woke up the kids the next morning at 5 a.m. We needed to be on the ferry to Ocracoke by 6 a.m. The usual jam-packed Ocracoke Ferry was bare and empty… That’s our vehicle… all lonely… a few people on bikes sat behind it.
Our poor children… wondering why on earth they were pulled out of their nice cozy beds so early….
The only ones out were the fishermen…
It was all worth it for me and for Dean when we watched the sunrise over Hatteras…
Pelican at the dock…
So we got in a boat, and went from Ocracoke Island to Portsmouth Island… When we arrived, we waded through some water and up onto the beach, where we were given some ATVs. Note Barrett’s look of “I’m not sure about this” and Erynn’s look of “Why do I have to ride with Mommy - I don’t like her driving!”
Most of the beach pictures were taken by Erynn - I just had her aim and shoot… since I was driving…
We then went to the abandoned Portsmouth Village on foot. We had to wear hats and cover ourselves from head to toe in bug spray… it was incredible to watch the bugs swarm, but not bite. Evidentally, there are also weird giant rat creatures on the island as well called nutria… we were told they are huge, and they had big orange teeth… wish we would have gotten a chance to see one, but they were all hiding!
Some of the buildings and building elements…
Leaning church…
and then it was back to riding on the beach….
Sea turtle tracks…
and here are some of the seashells the kids picked up while on Portsmouth Island….
So after everyone is fed and feeling well, it’s time to drive out on the beach and relax! Well, relax for myself and Dean but the kids were everywhere…
Maybe I am spoiled, but this is the *ONLY* way to do the beach!!
Erynn has the right idea - goggles protect her eyes from the saltwater and sand!
Barrett has no trouble catching the waves…
Erynn, however, tries… but can’t quite get it…
I thought it was so sweet… Barrett took her out and helped her catch waves…
Uh oh… someone isn’t very happy….
Wet sand fight anyone?
We took two trips to Ocracoke this year. To get to Ocracoke Island, you must take a ferry from the edge of Hatteras - it takes approximately 30-40 minutes once you drive your vehicle onto the ferry.
It’s kinda become a tradition to arrive on Ocracoke and have breakfast at Pony Island Restaurant, park and walk around the island - shop, and shop some more…
Erynn is quite the shopper…
We ended up sitting at the Jolly Roger Pub for a couple minutes (that is what brought on the Plymouth Island trip, but that, we will revisit in another post), and I couldn’t resist shooting the pelicans that were hanging out…
After shopping, we needed a break - you can’t visit Ocracoke without stopping into the famous Howard’s Pub…
Okay, well, I received an “okay” from Dean to post this one… we were all getting that mid-morning “sleepy” solemnly walking around on the island… when Dean broke away from us quietly… we look over to see this… The funny thing is, I actually took this shot before our visit to Howard’s Pub
To be continued….
As I said, I am going to show little clips of our vacation in posts here and there for the next… well… for the next - I have no idea how long, until I’m through editing. I can only edit a little at a time because I have customers and regular business items to take care of - so only in my very early mornings or late evenings, I will have time for this, but as I get finished sections, I will post a few pics, and then at the very end, construct a slideshow that will be made into our Cape Hatteras 2008 coffee table book for our family 
Our beach house this year was soundside, and on a canal… it was very very relaxing.
This is Rocky the squirrel. He visited us every morning waiting for corn chips or peanuts… You will see a LOT of animal images with our vacation - we had quite a few visitors and my kids made some animal friends along the way lolol!
Sunset on the canal standing on our little dock…
I was so very touched by my children this year. Barrett and Erynn are very close. They are 2 years, 10 months apart in age - but so very close. If one of them hurts, the other hurts. They know how to make each other laugh, they know how to make US laugh…. They have such a special bond - I’m constantly amazed and I feel so very blessed to witness this type of relationship between siblings. Throughout my vacation images, I made sure I caught glimpses of this bond. Barrett is 12 now and in the 7th grade - big middle schooler should want nothing to do with his little sister, right? No, that’s not the case… here he is just holding her hand out in the rough water on the first day at the beach in Hatteras.
Strangely enough, just like last year, the first day on Hatteras, a storm was brewin’…
I cannot visit Hatteras without a snap of the sea oats
Because I am going to be incredibly busy this week, opening the studio back up and getting started into the Christmas rush, I wanted to go ahead and say an early Happy 40th Birthday to my husband, Dean. His birthday is technically Sunday, but I also thought this was a good way to start off the sharing of images from our vacation in Cape Hatteras
Dean and I have been married about 13-1/2 years. We met when I was taking his custom framing order at an art store where I worked long ago ;). I tried on his last name, yes, I did… first time I ever did that. He was a total stranger, I have no idea why I did that lol! At any rate, we were married six months later, just knew it was right.
While we were down in Cape Hatteras, Dean decided he wanted to get a tattoo for his birthday - and well, he sure did! It took 5 hours straight. He said it was very painful! I think John Francis of Hatteras Ink in Buxton did a wonderful job; we highly recommend him!
Here’s a family shot - we set my camera on the hot tub since it was just the right height and set the timer ;) and Barrett and Erynn goofing off…
After a very full summer between teaching out of state and finally, finally, after a long year, we went away for a week and a half… and now the studio is back open and we are ready to begin the holiday rush!
If you are waiting for a response from an email or phone call, please expect it no later than Thursday, the 30th.
Just going to post a bunch of images from last week - you can click on them to see them larger…
