The wind howled around last night and we were happy to be tied to the wall at Waterfront Wharf. Today is brighter, and really quite pleasant. Jim and I went to the local seafood store/restaurant for lunch (steamed shrimp for me and a sampler platter for him) and then walked back to Muddy Waters for coffee and wifi.

As we were strolling around yesterday admiring the elegant old houses - some not so elegant anymore, but others just lovely - we met a young mum picking jalapeno peppers from her garden. She very kindly gave us some (stuffed with cream cheese, they were hot and good) and took time for a good chat. I loved her yard. It was a big corner lot with flowers and vegetables and lots of play structures including a castle/hen house for the two chickens that were picking their way around the garden. We hadn't realized that Elizabeth City is home to a huge Coast Guard complex - the largest on the east coast (and maybe the nation?) It also has a couple of colleges and a state university. She says it is about a 45 minute commute to Norfolk so there are lots of people living here and working in larger centres. It must be a nice way to have a quieter quality of life.

Tonight we'll attend the local movie theatre/diner for dinner and a show. Ken and Connie have been here before and it sounds like fun. You get there at 6, sit down at a table, pick up the phone on it, order dinner, eat and drink, and then at 7 the lights go down and the movie starts. Can't believe the movie is Men Who Stare at Goats. We saw that while we were in Solomons, and despite the good actors in it, we thought it was "kinda dumb with some funny moments". Perhaps with a glass of wine in hand and the company of friends it will be better the second time around??

We'll do a restock of some produce and dinner fixings at the grocery store this afternoon (they pick up and deliver to the Mariners Wharf) and Susan at the Welcome Centre says there might be a "rose buddy" wine and cheese reception at 4:30 if there are enough cruisers around and the weather cooperates.

We seem to have a glitch in our refrigeration system - and maybe the VHF too. We can hear a beep on the radio that seems to be from the fridge (how is that possible?) because when we turn off the fridge, it stops, but when we turn off the radio the beep is just quieter. Jim is doing some trouble shooting and we hope it will be an easy fix.

What we haven't figured out yet is the static in our remote VHF mike (the one in the cockpit) that started a couple of days ago. It makes so much noise that we have to keep it turned way down and then we can't hear when someone is calling, except that the static stops during a conversation. There is no static on the nav station radio and they are both connected to the same antennae. We have a handheld VHF so that helps, but its range is not nearly as great. Ideas anyone??

Tomorrow morning we'll be off across the Albemarle Sound and into the Alligator River. I'm not sure where the next posting come from but it will be south of here!

Thanks for posting comments folks, it is great fun to find them and know you are travelling with us.