November is a wonderful time to be living on the southeastern coast of North Carolina and – if I squint just right – I can see that I am lucky to be living where I am right now.
My home suffered some major damage when Hurricane Irene came ashore a few months ago and, since then, the dogs and I have been living in my parents’ former home on the mainland. This house is slowly being renovated and, while that is going on, they themselves are living in a smallish condo in the next town over. So, for now, the dogs and I are in a fairly large place that squats right on the Intracoastal.
The house’s living area is found on the second and third floors, so there is sufficient height to look out over the Intracoastal across the marsh islands and beyond to where the inlet empties into the Atlantic Ocean at the end of the island where my own place is. On cool but sunny November mornings like today’s you can watch the rising sun light up the mirror-like water and see flocks of geese glide by. From time to time pods of dolphin break the water’s surface, and pleasure boats heading south for the winter glide past the large bay windows. It is extremely beautiful and very peaceful.
