Dowry Creek is tucked in off of the Pungo River (which turns off of Alligator River). We were welcomed by Bret and another dockhand and easily tied up to a finger dock across from Alize - though not the dock we were really assigned. Confused old people -strike once again! Dick, Marge, Wiley and I borrowed the courtesy car, an old white and rusted Chevy Caprice filled with water on the back floorboards, complete with handcrank windows, and which "kinda" worked. Dick drove, and while he is about 5'8" or 5'9" he looked like a tiny old man hunkered down driving this tank of a car. We picked up a few groceries for the pot luck that evening. The pot luck dinner was to include a celebration of one of the kids 13th birthday. All the boaters came together by invitation from Mary the owner and a main dish of seafood pasta & birthday/ice cream cake was shared along with all of the wonderful dishes the boaters brought. The boating community forms quickly; stories are shared, boat cards exchanged, and quick friendships are made. The "boat cards" are one way of remembering all of the people we meet. We now tape them in our log book on the entry of when we met with a little note about them. We need all of the cues we can find to assist our aging brains. Mary, the owner of Dowry Creek Marina, continues to mourn the loss of her husband who passed five years ago as well as the loss of a child. She has faced our worse fears and truly understands what is important in life. She embraces all around her with warmth, kindness, and positive energy. A "slap in the face" to remind us to value the gifts we can offer each other. This is a wonderful stop in a great private marina with immaculate facilities which is slightly off the usual path that should not be missed by anyone who has the opportunity to stay at Mary's Marina - in Dowry Creek.