Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Daily Facts and Opinions

The sun is shining. Yea!! And, we're beginning to dry out after last week's unusual torrential rainfall.
Beware, though, boaters on the New River between Jacksonville (NC) and Sneads Ferry. Reports of a lot of debris in the water, debris that floated downstream as the banks of the New River and the various creeks that feed it oveflowed. Hopefully, the logs and branches and whatever else made its way downriver will soon be deposited on the banks.

And, equally as hopefully, all that fresh water will once again be replaced with salt water. Fishermen have been catching all sorts of salt water species in downtown Jacksonville. Flounder, speckled trout, blue fish. And, my cousin picked up a spanish mackerel, a three pounder, just south of the high rise bypass bridge just before the "rains came down".

This weekend, it's the annual Swansboro Rotary Club's King Mackerel Tournament. Good luck to all the anglers competing for an estimated $180-thousand. Should be a lot of fun, though they may have to fish further offshore than normal for the fall kings. The freshwater runoff, if heavy rains of the past are any indication, may extend out several miles from the shoreline.

Nice king on a trip with Cap'n Andy Everhart, Southern Sportfishing

Chances are good that I'll be offshore Sunday aboard our boat, Pirate Attack.  We monitor channel 16, and scan a variety of other "local" channels. Give us a hollar if you're hooked up. If we're close, I'd like to get photos to post here.

What's up with what once was "fast food" restaurants? While I don't make a habit of fast food on my diet, twice this week I've stopped for a burger at one of the joints. First time, there wee about a half dozen people in the ONE line open. One order-taker was half working the line, but was taking her time socializing with an obvious friend . Seve, count them, SEVEN other staffers were inside. One was working the drive-thru, ONE was cooking, one was handling the fry-station, and the rest were milling around. There are three cash registers at this restaurant. Only the one was open as the line of people, including me, were looking for FAST-FOOD.

Second trip. Only one person in line. I became the second. One person on the register. One on the window. One on fries. One cooking. Two others standing around, not even trying to look busy. The order-taker did her job, but then had to run around to different locations to fill the order. Refer back to that part where "two others were standing around". I was the second person in line. It took six minutes before I left with a hamburger. Not a "special order" burger. Just a plain old, what once was a 15-cent piece of meat, with ketchup and mustard, crammed between two pieces of bread. Six minutes for Fast Food. I was just happy that I didn't order fries and a soft drink.

And, speaking of "crammed between two pieces of bread"...ever notice those big display posters at the Fast Food joints? The ones depicting a burger, with the meat extending outside the bun? Yeah, the one where there is an even amount of meat displayed, ever so exact, all around the bun? Let me know if you ever get one of those burgers.

Still haven't seen the deer at Tideline. Not since the rains started. I'm guessing they found some higher ground. Hopefully, they'll return after everything returns to normal. Always fun to watch them feeding in the grass next to the marina.
One of the two Tideline Deer.

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