Travelog for: Ballet Cindy

Mara-Joy tried to sneak onto the schoolbus this morning. After that excitement, I relaxed in the garden.

Today was picture day at Tee's school.  3tmom took Mara-Joy and me with her to school so we could get our photos taken.  I wanted to wear my ballet dress but it isn't appropriate for school. I dropped my pretty pink sweater somewhere on the way out the door so I couldn't wear it either.

We waited in line for a long time. The student behind me helped smooth my hair so 'fly-aways' wouldn't show in the photo.

Finally, it was our turn.  The photographer arranged our pose and took a picture.  The proofs will be back at school in a few weeks.

I am going to be a ballerina. I am taking lessons and practicing.
Today I perfected the First Position and Second Position.

I had another ballet lesson today.  I perfected the Third Position, which isn't used much, and the Fourth Position.

We're on our way to the Outer Banks (OBX), North Carolina. Mara-Joy, 3tmom, and I are retreating with many other women. 
We went over a bridge and through a tunnel and over a bridge, all called the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel.  We saw sailboats and Navy boats.

The Outer Banks towns have picturesque names: Kitty Hawk, Duck, Nag's Head.  After we checked into our beachfront hotel in Kitty Hawk, we walked down to the beach on the Atlantic Ocean. I was fascinated and a little scared by the waves under the pier.

We meandered along the beach, looking at seashells and shiny stones polished by the sand and water.  I watched someone fishing in the waves. We built a sand castle with a little help from Emma.  Mara-Joy can tell you about Emma; she was wet, sandy, and energetic so I didn't get my picture taken with her.  We washed the sand off our legs and feet after we left the beach.

Because we were retreating, we did nothing energetic. We lazed around the pool.  We saw dolphins while walking on the beach but they were too quick for the camera.  These dolphins were slower.  I found a butterfly.

While the other ladies retreated to a meeting, Mara-Joy and I looked at fish in the hotel lobby aquariums.  The small bright fish like the Yellow Tang were serene.  After a while Mara-Joy and I got silly and played hide-and-seek with each other and the fish.

This morning, Mara-Joy and I went sight-seeing while the ladies retreated to their meeting.  Three wonderful women at the Aycock Brown Welcome Center guided us.
First we oriented ourselves: Kitty Hawk here, Cape Hatteras there.

Kitty Hawk is famous as the site of the first controlled powered flight in the world.  WIlbur and Orville Wright came to Kitty Hawk from Ohio because Kitty Hawk had the necessary weather conditions and long soft landing area.

Next we went to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.  It is the tallest brick lighthouse in North America.  We climbed 268 steps to get to the top.

Mara-Joy and I went back to the hotel at lunchtime.  We heard that crabs swim in the pool at night so out we went to the patio. 
Ooooh, a swim in this pool could leave a lasting impression.

Before heading home, Mara- Joy, some women, and I took a last stroll on the beach and pier. I chatted with a seagull and looked at a horseshoe crab shell from a distance.  I said goodbye to the Atlantic Ocean from the pier.

Brian is here.  Rescue Hero helped us release him from his travel accomodations.  I've heard about Brian.