Our vision of the South…..
There are so many sights to see in Eastern North Carolina, where do I being to describe them to you? I never realized this part of the country was so flat and ripe with farm lands. The precision of endless fields of green in perfectly lined rows, surprised me. Glancing at a simple field of cotton ready for harvest is a true pleasure. The beauty of a farmhouse shaded by an enormous shade tree brings a calm to my soul that I hadn’t realized before. Farms that sow cotton, peanuts, watermelon, cantaloupe, and pumpkins to name a few surround StillWater. Rocky Hock, a section of Edenton is famous for its melons, for they are the sweetest you have ever tasted.
In autumn, the smell of raw peanuts being harvested permeates the air, which has coaxed a black bear or two out of the woods looking for a treat. Did you know peanuts grow underground?? I didn’t, I just never considered it. The local farm equipment is reminiscent of 1980’s Star Wars armored all terrain walkers. We have seen tires as large as 7′ high and 3′ wide. I’ve added maneuvering one of these to my bucket list. Upon first arriving, we joked that we could drive our car under one of these massive vehicles while traveling down the road.
What’s keeping me busy…..
To keep me occupied and happy, Tom built me raised beds for my gardens. After MUCH discussion, we picked a location close to the boat and next to the pond. He tilled the ground for me with the excavator, and built six 4×8 raised beds with “plucked” pine trees. The rest was up to me. I labored in the September heat, dressed in long pants, long sleeves and a netted hat because of the bugs. We have little pesky knats that crawl all over you, but don’t bite. They are more of a nuisance, and I am told that I will get used to them. (I actually have and no longer need the hat!) They arrive with the ripening of the melon crops and we have found that a simple breeze or fan will keep them at bay. A local joke is that people are very friendly around the area and always waving at everyone. What they are really doing, is keeping knats away from their faces…..but visitor’s don’t know that!
Tilling from excavator Raised bed log frames Raised bed formed Raised bed planted
In fall, when I would typically be harvesting and wrapping up my garden, I was thrilled to be planting. Hopefully, I could grow all “winter” long. I tucked radishes, cabbage, broccoli, kale, chard, sage, Brussel sprouts, lettuce, onions and garlic into my little plots. A few mornings later, I found some cabbage leaves chewed. Wondering what creature was the culprit, we put up a fence. To my delight, I realized that the turtles were emerging from the pond and having a healthy snack. In my book, the turtles can do NOTHING wrong. While I was happily occupied with my little garden, Tom was busy clearing, clearing and clearing.
What’s keeping Tom busy…..
In the meantime, Tom was missing his beloved granite. It’s amazing after living in Maine, to be working on a land that has NO rocks. So, he hitched up his trailer and set off on a quick trip to bring some Maine to our North Carolina paradise. He loaded up an brought two huge statement pieces to add New England flair to the marina.
Tom has also been busy creating and sketching the house design, spending endless hours making our house spectacular. Starting from scratch is quite a challenge to put down onto paper. It is going to be a darling little two story Southern bungalow with front and rear porches, and tall windows which are not depicted below. Of course, he is planning an amazing interior, full of surprises!
Sunday bliss…..
In Edenton, on Sunday’s most everything has closed, and is truly a day of rest. It seems there are neighborhood churches on every corner and we marvel at the filled parking lots and pews. After services, families spend the day eating dinner and enjoying each others company. We have found a simpler way of life, one that emphasizes God, family and hard work. We are in love with this Southern part of the country and its way of life!
Faith Pentecostal Holiness Church Hawkins Chapel – Ame Zion Church Macedonia Baptist Church Rocky Hock Baptist Church – “OUR” church
Loved reading your blog post, especially what’s keeping you both busy!
My ex and I lived in Virginia for awhile. Gave birth to my 3 daughters there. Life was simple. The South used to be called the Bible Belt, where God and church were a priority, and family time was important. The only things I didn’t like was the snakes and the heat! It sounds like you are settling in very nicely. Glad you have found a church you like. I always thought the Southern churches were so much more friendly than the Northern churches.