At the Coast-part 1

I left Chapel Hill on September 27 and headed for Cedar Point, NC, on the coast.  It's a beautiful little campground near Newport and is usually full on the weekends and doesn't take reservations.  When I arrived it was about 1/4 full so I found a very nice site and settled in for only $11 a day, senior rate. 

The next afternoon I headed to Wilmington for an overnight stay to work with my client at the Graystone Inn on Wednesday.  Derick had mentioned that his Uncle Gary always asked about me, so I decided to go for a visit.  It was terrific!  We told many stories and did a lot of catching up in a short time.

D. Gary Blake, former brother-in-law

  I had decided to ride the Burg, in spite of the weather forecast, and got wet just before arriving at his house.  The rain continued when I left there for the inn, so my first task upon arrival was a hot bath in the giant tub.   The inn is a restored mansion and very plush.  It was nice to be pampered in style!

Graystone Inn, Wilmington, NC, my room

My client was NCHARRP (North Carolina Housing Authority Risk Retention Pool) which provides insurance for public housing.  This was the third time I had worked with their board and staff on a 5 year strategic plan.  I was more than a little scared, since I hadn't done this type of work , or any work, in quite a long time.  Before we began, I felt like "Stony Burk getting ready to come out of chute number 5", a bronco rider TV show from long ago.  But once I stood up and spoke, I felt great!  It was wonderful to be working again and doing a pretty good job in spite of the rust.  Fortunately I had a fine group of folks who focused well, worked hard and accomplished all that they wanted.  It gave me a nice boost in confidence. 

Part of my group

It rained hard all day and the forecast was calling for 45mph winds that afternoon and evening.  I had foolishly left the canopy on the trailer out and was afraid it would rip off in the high winds.  So I called Marianne in Newport, asking if she would take it down for me and she agreed.  The group wanted me to stay over another night and I said okay, thinking the rain would slack off the next day.  By 5:00, the forecast had changed again calling for worse weather the next day.  So I decided to leave, hopped on the Burg and took off.

I drove  north in the driving rain for 1 hour and 45 minutes.  Luckily the wind wasn't blowing and it was very warm.  The windscreen on the Burg was a lifesaver and my light weight rain suit helped a little bit.  I sang and hummed nonsense tunes constantly to help me stay focused on riding a good ride and being safe.  I saw a truck hydroplane in front of me and wind up in the muddy median.  I was constantly looking for that in case I had to dodge one. 

Near the end of the ride my visor fogged up and I missed my turn.  With the visor up and looking around the windshield, I finally found it and got home.  When I lowered my arms, the water poured out of the sleeves of my jacket.  Rainwater had found parts of me that had never felt rainwater before, I'm sure.  It felt like I had been immersed in a swimming pool for all that time and everything was thoroughly soaked, including all the bills in my money clip.  Somehow my camera and cellphone escaped unharmed, though I'm not at all sure why.

Well, I wanted adventure and I got it!  I now own a brand new rain suit, purchased from a neighbor here at Rutledge for a bargain price.  However, I don't plan on doing that again any time soon. 

Stay tuned for part 2....tomorrow.  Thanks for stopping by!