Haystacks Tornado

A waterspout/tornado struck the Atlantic Beach-Morehead City area Wednesday afternoon. It came ashore on Atlantic Beach where it did little damage, then crossed the sound and entered Morehead City between 15th and 20th streets. Again there was little damage to homes in the area. The evening news reported several hundred customers lost power.

The tornado continued north toward Crab Point which is next door to the Haystacks. Becky and I were in the condo at the time. The rain and wind was extremely strong. You could feel the wind gusts shake the building. The tornado posted just west of the Haystacks boat yard where it snapped a small pine but there appeared to be no damage to any of the boats. The condos had some minor damage, shingles, gutter downspout, trim, etc.

The tornado touched down at the Oglsby farm at Crab Point where there was extensive damage to the farm buildings.  You can see Crab Point from our kitchen window.

This is what it looked like from our deck facing the Newport River just before the tornado struck. 

Tree limbs in the boat yard. 

Oglesby barns

Christmas with the Family

We had another traveling Christmas this year, Angier, Winston-Salem, and Morehead City. It was very nice and relaxing.

Stockings hung with care. 

A beautiful tree.

Eamon with his new sword. 

Brendan got a train. 

Santa brought Brendan a Wake Forest hoodie. 

Classmates

Several classmates from the class of 1963 had lunch at Simon'z in Angier Saturday following the funeral services of Leah Earp Avery who was also a classmate. There are now 40 classmates left of the 50 that were pictured in the yearbook. This year marks the 50th anniversary for our class and a big reunion is being planned for the spring.

Chicken Dish

I wanted to try something different for the chicken we eat four to five times a week. I found this recipe on the Internet an decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did. It was delicious.
Ingredients

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind $
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice $
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds) $
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
Tomatoes:$
2 cups grape tomatoes $
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind $
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice $
1 tablespoon capers
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation

1. Prepare grill.
2. To prepare chicken, combine first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 15 minutes, turning the bag occasionally.
3. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until done.
4. Preheat oven to 425°.
5. To prepare tomatoes, combine tomatoes and 2 teaspoons oil in an 8-inch square baking dish; toss gently. Bake at 425° for 18 minutes or until tomatoes are tender. Combine tomato mixture, parsley, and remaining ingredients, stirring gently. Serve with chicken.

This is what it looks like sitting on the Mangum's table. We had a bottle of Sangiovese which I thought paired well with the chicken. 

Annual Christmas Visit to the Farmers Market

The first order of business was lunch at the NC Seafood Resturant. It certainly is not fancy but the food is good and plentiful. I had the "small" lunch shrimp. There was enough to feed two on my plate

The fruit vendors are well stocked for the holiday season. The oranges and apples are at their best.

  

And if you wanted a "real" Christmas tree, there were many to chose from.