In Nature in North Carolina

The view of the backyard from the screened porch at the house in North Carolina.

We're spending most of our time on the deck chatting while the kids run around and explore. This might be the most relaxing place on Earth! There's a pond across the street that the kids are having fun throwing rocks into, a dirt pile for building volcanoes and dams, great fishing in the canal out back, and bikes and scooters for the kids to ride. We're in the middle of nowhere so they have a lot more freedom than they would at home.

We're having a great time bird watching! We've seen tons of hummingbirds, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Finches, and Robins. We have a few different families of geese with babies and ducks. I always forget how tiny and amazing hummingbirds are!

The house is on a canal that leads to the Albermarle Sound in the middle of a protected bird sanctuary and wetland. The sunrises are incredibly beautiful, and if you come out early enough you can see egrets fishing for their breakfast.

I think we're going to get the fishing poles out this afternoon after a picnic, water balloon fight, and some swimming. There are so many fish here that the kids can catch 4 or 5 in an hour without much effort. We catch and release after taking pictures of the many species of fish found in the canal.