DUML 2009... Done!



Whew. Trip number 6 (I think) is in the books. Well, there are still a few bills to be paid that total around 10 thousand dollars... but for all practicality, the trip is over. We had a great week atDuke University Marine Lab. It started out a bit rainy and cold but quickly turned sunny, windy, and cold:) The kids seemed to love it and Zoe had a HUGE time. It was shocking to see your beloved 5 year old suddenly not need you – but it was also wonderful. Food was wonderful as usual (thank you Gilbert, Sly, and Sandy). Here is a quick rundown:
  • Day 1: Left the school at 7am and got there by dinner. Got settled in and then went for a walk to radio island. I totally remembered a gate preventing us from getting to the water – I was only wanting them to burn off some energy before bed – but the gate was no more and there by headlamp, a few brave souls plunged into the still sound water. As they squealed and splashed, I did inform them that this was prime shark feeding time...

  • Day 2: We split into 2 groups – one went kayaking and the other went to Rachel Carson Estuarine Reserve (Bird Shoals). It was pretty rainy. I led the Rachel Carson group each time and we found some great stuff – though the water was murky and the second group was there at high tide. The kayaking groups had a good time (I hear) and even some close encounters with dolphins. Dawn Keller – the Pirate Queen took good care of us again.

  • Day 3: Weather cleared and we went into Beaufort for a double decker bus historical tour, Maritime Museum, toured the huge research vessel the Cape Hatteras, and then on the Susan Hudson for dredging and trawling. I got sick that night but it cleared on the night beach walk... thank goodness.

  • Day 4: We went to the NC aquarium in the morning (I had to take a student to the Urgent Care center, but it all worked out well) and then way out to Shackleford banks (via Perry Barrow at Outer Banks Ferry) for the entire afternoon. A perfect barrier island – we landed on the sound side, stayed there awhile, then marched across the island to the surf, found a well sloped beach and the mountain kids got to play in the (ice cold) waves. That night we spent time watching basketball, playing ping pong, pool, foosball, and working puzzles.

  • Day 5: We bid bon voyage to wonderful breakfasts and got back to Boone in time for dinner.

  • Now there is 4 inches of snow on my deck and it should snow the rest of the day. Ahh, Boone.

Here is a link to pictures

Great Spirit, thank you for a great week, great group, and good weather!

PS - the skirt is one Ash made for Zoe while we were gone.  Sorry I couldn't move around the pictures to make the blog flow a bit...















Popular posts from this blog

1st Marathon...done

Image
Here's the lowdown on my Grandfather Mountain Marathon. I cut my lantus down to 8 units the night before and didn't take anything in the morning. I woke up and ate breakfast at 3am so I could take a full bolus. My blood sugars that day were between 140 and 100 the whole day until the night when they rose a bit. So success on the glucose front. I then woke up at 5:30 and headed over to the marathon. It was a bit unnerving as everyone I talked to seemed to be pretty experienced and when I mentioned that this was my first one, the comment was always a variation of "well, you sure picked a hard one to start with" or "well, this is the hardest road marathon in North America"... I mean, come on - that is a little discouraging. So we go down through town and pass the mall - and there is Dave. I didn't know whether he would be there but suddenly there was company. So we went along and headed uphill. Somewhere in the first 5 miles, Dave says (in typical Dave fas...
Read more

Wake or sleep

I’ve often wondered how paralysis works In my sleep. How can my soul fly And my body be dead? Infinitely better however  Than when I wake  And the two Trade  Places 
Read more

It hasn't even started yet?

I agreed to this in August of 07 and I signed up for it in September. I've been running, swimming, and biking... I'm sore and sleepy quite a lot and I am just realizing that I have not really begun to train yet... I guess I should set the stage. My name is Steve and I am a Type 1 Diabetic and have been since I was 10 (so 25 years). I've kept pretty good control (just lucky on that front - not due to excess effort) and I was always kind of active - so when my neighbor moved in (also a Type 1) and somehow talked me into being part of a group (now called Triabetes - see www.triabetes.org ) of Type 1 Diabetics that will train for and complete in the 2008 Ironman Wisonsin. I wasn't a runner, I was a terrible swimmer, and I was slow on the bike.... so I figured, "why not?" This blog will be a record of my path through this process. More to come.... as I figure out what a blog is....
Read more