seaside ruby

seaside ruby, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

We are back from our beach trip, worn out and sandy. Two days later there are still buckets of sea shells in the car. The outer banks of North Carolina are just too far from Appalachia to be sane with three littles, but we hadn't seen the sea this year. We needed some shrimp and some of that north carolina barbeque. We joined some mamas, a grandmother, and friends for a four day beach fest that included hounds, a parrot that takes baths in the kitchen and an ocean that was lapping at the foundations of the beach house. There were dolphins, sea birds eating tortillas, and lots of fun for the little people. I brought lots of art supplies, and the five kids created quite a stack of drawings and sunprints. The previous weekend's nor'easter had closed down the lower decks and the hot tub, my raison d'etre.

I drove home late monday night after bedtime, and thought that I was hallucinating on I-81 when it started snowing. That morning I'd been sitting in the sun watching pelicans and dolphins.