Remember how I said after living in France for a few months everything back in the states felt so LOUD? Well, we found the quiet. It’s here in Rodanthe (pronounced Roh-DANTH-ee, which I just learned). . .

In fact at this time of year Rodanthe is practically a ghost town. We’ve rented one of maybe 60 condos in this complex, but we usually see no more than five or six cars here at any one time. It is beautiful and roomy, though . . .

. . . which is a nice change after the tiny place we rented in Alexandria, that was barely larger than the bed. Plus, we have this view of the Atlantic from the deck (and the living room and the master bedroom, which both open onto the deck):

Sunday was a bit cloudy but no rain, with temps in the 60’s, so we went for a walk on the beach.

Here’s one of our neighbors . . .

Mornings here so far have been blue-grey . . .

But evenings? Wow! We can see the Pamlico Sound from the kitchen window, but it’s blocked a bit by other condos, so we walked across the street to really see this:

I could not stop taking pictures of this sunset. I promise these sunset photos are not enhanced in any way. These are the actual colors.

We’ve finally unpacked the car and reorganized everything. It was feeling like we just kept cramming more into every corner, which is NOT a restful feeling. So now we’re able to relax a bit, walk a lot, and admire the sky in all its moods. I’m loving the warmth and the peace, but three weeks in Rodanthe will be long enough, I expect. No one to laugh with here, at least not so far.

I hear it has been crazy cold in Fort Collins this week, so my heart goes out to all of you experiencing winter before winter even officially arrives. You know how fond I am of cold! So here’s wishing you warm blankets, toasty fires, and steaming cups of . . . well, whatever you enjoy drinking steaming hot!