First Day in Duck

We both found ourselves waking up early this morning, 6:30 a.m. or so.  As in Atlantic Beach, it is not easy to sleep in when you are staying oceanfront and the sun is banging on the window with two fists:  "Wake up, wake up!"  I started the coffee and we went outside to watch this daily miracle; right on time, the brilliant red arc of the sun appeared over the ocean, rising higher and higher in the sky.

"Best way to start off the morning in Duck, North Carolina," I posted on Facebook.  "Beautiful sunrise, beautiful wife!"

We enjoyed breakfast and watched the sun rising higher and higher on this mild day, our first day in Duck.  We were both ready to run, and by 9:00 a.m. we were headed west on Marlin Drive into the heart of Duck, looking around at the familiar old places and the new improvements, like the sidewalk on both sides of the road (instead of sharing the bicycle lane).  Scarborough Faire, Fishbones Restaurant, Aqua - so many wonderful memories of our 20 years of staying here.

I started out first, but Martha caught up and passed me at the Duck Town Park, and we passed each other again on the sidewalk that runs along Four Seasons out to the Ocean.  Such a beautiful morning!  Warm and sunny, with just a little breeze now and then.  We both completed four miles before returning to Ocean Watch and sitting in the sun for awhile.  I realized that this was the first time this year that I ended a run wet with perspiration.

And so the day passed by, our first day in Duck, running past all of our familiar places, reminding ourselves of how fortunate we are in being able to stay here for two or three weeks.  And now I sit at the dining room table, writing another post to this blog, listening through the open screened-in porch to the soft, rhythmic sound of the ocean, which soon will lull us to sleep. 

Life is good.