After the rainy day intermission to our vacation, the weather was great for the rest of the week. On Wednesday we returned to Frisco beach, trying to get there at around low tide, since that is the best time for children or uncoordinated adults to go in the ocean. While we waited for the tide to go out, the children found other ways to entertain themselves.

When the tide went out, the water was calm and clear, which made it perfect for swimming…

…Or grimly drinking and staring blankly out to sea as you wonder what you could have done in a former life to end up in this family.

After Stephen’s discovery that what is dead can never die, it was time to return to the beach house to cook dinner.

After our dinner of featuring the usual – some sort of tacos/enchiladas and/or burgers/brats – Stephen and I decided to try something new. The beach house had two kayaks, both seating two people, and a dock that could be used to take the kayaks into the nearby sound. We had meant to use the kayaks earlier in the week but found that we had a pretty narrow window of opportunity in the morning and evening if we wanted to avoid being driven to drink the salty sound water by the blazing hot sun. By the end of the week, we had practiced preparing Mexican food and hamburgers enough that we finished dinner early and could try the kayaks before sundown. We got the kayak in the water fairly quickly but did not immediately get the hang of handling the kayak.

 

Fortunately, we figured the kayak out enough to return to the dock before sunset.

The next day, Laura and I decided to take the kids to Ocracoke. We managed to inspire the children to show as much urgency as elementary and middle school children can, so we managed to…

 

Finally, we got on the ferry to the island.

At first I was irritated that the ferry had to take such a roundabout path to the island.

 

Others on the ferry seemed not to notice how long the ferry ride took.

 

 

The entire trip had taken over two hours, and Laura had a hunger that quickly became hanger. In order to save the children, we bypassed the lighthouse, drove on by the ponies, and went directly to a restaurant.

 

Now that the food situation had been addressed, we could take in the wonderful sights of the island in our normal, classy way.

Ocracoke has an amazing beach, which is wide and flat. Like Frisco, there is a sand bar just off shore, and this produces as shallow pool between the beach and the sand bar.

At Ocracoke, this pool is even shallower and more child friendly than in Frisco.

In the scramble to load three children and beach supplies into the car, we had forgotten life preservers for McKenna and Tabby. Fortunately, the water was so safe that they didn’t need them. At least that’s what we told ourselves. And the children.

In fact, the water was so safe that Laura took a two-hour nap under the beach umbrella, which is approximately four minutes longer than the nap she would have taken had the water been unsafe.

The next day was Friday, our last full day at the beach. Laura and I decided to take the kids out on the kayaks before it got too hot.

Then we went to the Frisco beach one last time.

Finally, it was time for the annual group shot before Alex and Stephen, who were leaving early to avoid the Saturday traffic, left.