A few more things about our trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina staying on the top floor (seventh) of the Comfort Inn on the Atlantic Ocean at Nags Head when a Nor’easter hit:
From our seventh-floor window overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, we watched waves of 30-40 feet with 50-60 mph winds. The wind made the blowing and drifting sand look just like snow moving around in Minnesota.
The wind previously had covered a miniature castle built in the middle of a miniature golf course. This was the third Nor’easter in a month and it uncovered the miniature castle.
There is only one road in and out of Hatteras Island, so some of the residents were staying at the Comfort Inn at Nags Head.
The residents of the Outer Banks have OBX as the first three letters followed by four numbers on their car license plates.
We attended Grace Lutheran Church by the sea at Nags Head for the Wednesday evening Lenten service; a small, very friendly Lutheran church with soup and sandwiches for all before the service. They even sent us a, “Thank you for coming, you all come back, you hear?” card in the mail to Albert Lea.
It was so windy it reminded me of ice fishing when the wind would make the water go up and down in the hole. The wind did the same thing in the Outer Banks. The only difference was in the stool going up and down in our seventh-floor room.
The morning that we left, the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean was most beautiful.
As we left the Outer Banks, the bridge back to the mainland was closed—thus, we had to detour. The detour on Highway 264 took us through low flatland country. You could see for miles but you couldn’t see the end of many fields. The main crops were corn, soybeans, cotton and a few peanuts. We only saw two tobacco barns and they were just blowing in the wind, not used any more.
Congrats to Kristen (nee Morreim), 2018 Albert Lea School District Teacher of the Year. I feel obligated to mention Kristen is also a Sunday school teacher at 7 p.m. Whirlwind Wednesdays at Central Freeborn Lutheran of rural Albert Lea.
Professional-looking sign at local golf course: “Open Sunday, April 1.” Scribbled below: “April fool.”
Sad to say, Paula, the great Senior Center leader in Albert Lea, is retiring. Her retirement party is 1-4 p.m. on April 27 at the Senior Center. Each attendee is allowed two teary eyes.
Only in Minnesota can you go ice fishing in the morning, mow the lawn in the afternoon, and shovel 14 inches of snow out of your driveway two days later. All this time you’re hoping the flowers that are up on the south side of the house survived.
The ultimate “Minnesota Nice” was the huge snowman built in front of the “Welcome to Minnesota” sign on I-35 after the 14-inch snowfall.
Once again that old, wise saying of, “In like a lamb, out like a lion” for March held true.
The robins are here in full force. Nest building has just started, as they have had three-plus snows on their backs.
This has been a late spring in regards to a lot of things. Do you suppose the ice on the lakes (especially Northern Minnesota) will be gone before the fishing opener on Saturday, May 12?
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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in Vermont. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.