Pleasant Surprises

Belhaven  

The morning's first look out the master port verified that today was going to be a much better day. The rain and fog were gone and the sun was shining. Pinchy, the Jeanneau 379 anchored in front of us, was clearly visible. It was, however, still quite chilly. We started the generator and turned on the heat. I pulled more cold weather clothes out of storage. Breakfast, stretching, and showers occupied the morning. At noon, we layered up and took the dinghy to shore. A gusty wind was still working over the dockside flag, which was already showing signs of tatter. Belhaven's downtown was welcoming, with several retail outlets and restaurants. We stopped at Gingerbread Bakery and Snack Shop for lunch. The place was full of locals so we had a pretty good idea that we were in a good spot.   

I got the grilled cheese and vegetable beef soup combo special. It was perfect for the cold afternoon. The staff was very friendly, the food was great, and we found out they also serve breakfast. We will visit this pleasant surprise again in the morning. After lunch we continued on our walk through town and came upon a couple selling strawberries. With one look at and smell of the large red gems, I knew they were no store-grade berries. Another pleasant surprise. We picked up an overflowing quart container and brought it back to the dinghy for safe storage.

We then continued our walk through the neighborhood streets. Colorful flowers bloomed in wild spaces and manicured gardens. Huge pine trees and River Forest Manor stand as monuments of resilience in this hurricane zone. Hurricane Florence left the city under water in 2018. 

Private residences were mixed on the same street with Bed and Breakfast inns. Every house had a focal point, whether it be a pastel tree swing or an old-fashioned hitchin' post. Now that I'm back in North Carolina, even last names deemed odd in most areas are more common. We stopped for a quick photo with Mr. Crab. This is as crabby as we got on this day. 

It was warm in the sun and cold in the shade. I put on and pulled off layers all afternoon. By the time we made it to the Belhaven welcome sign, I was down to short sleeves. Barry went into the Chamber of Commerce and came back with a nice welcome pack full of information. He also came back with the news that the couple who certified him as a sailing instructor was on a sailboat at the town dock. Smaller world still was that the boat is owned by a gentleman who lives five miles from us at home. We went over and chatted with all three for a good while. Yes, another pleasant surprise. 

The wind was picking up and the wind chill was again becoming a factor. I layered back up and we headed back to Crossroads doing our best "George Washington Crossing the Delaware" imitation. Following dinner, we watched as the final pleasant surprise developed to the west. The sun and clouds combined to give us a beautiful close to the day.