What a difference a day

makes . . . . .' 

It was rainy and dreary yesterday and today it was clear and in the 70s.

So we dinghyed over through Snow Cut to Carolina Beach State Park and walked the 6 plus mile hike through a  variety of ecoclimates.

We first walked along Cape Fear River where we saw boats going on down the waterway south in the distance.  That should be us tomorrow.

We didn't see the Venus flytraps and other insect-eating plants that this park is known for.

We did see so many things that typically live in dry climates like these dryish clumps that seem related to Spanish moss.

And beautiful grasses that had a horizontal band of pink about midway up.

And a lily pond where ducks were grazing.

And late flowers where butterflies were gathering nectar.

We may have a better opinion of the area today than yesterday.   Many of the buildings are painted happy colors, making the town cheerful.

We'll probably leave tomorrow to motor the 12 miles south down to Southport.  There we can see the historic town or take a ferry across to an island where there is a small scattered community and where all the beaches are public and relatively untrammeled.

it's kinda nice to know we don't have to be to our dock for a week or so.   I can learn to find ways to slow down and see stuff.