north carolina: boat houses

i lived in north carolina a few years and i tell everyone that it is god's country.  if you're a nature lover, then north carolina is the place to be.  it has beaches (okay, they are not florida beaches, but still), mountains, and practically the whole state is a national forest.  i love it.  i mean, look at this view.

while we were there visiting my sister and her family on vacation, uncle greg took us out on the boat.

the perpetually happy millmaester was not amused by her safety device. 

growing up in florida, we called floating vation homes "houseboats."  here they call them "boat houses."  upon closer inspection, i totally understand the distinction.  these are not boats outfitted with all the comforts of home, these are little tiny houses dropped onto floating palettes.  way cute.

this is the one we visited.  next year, my sister promises we will grill out on it.  i can hardly wait.

she says that last year they were grilling out and the fella in this boat house, deciding it was bath time, jumped in butt naked with his bar of soap and bottle of shampoo.  dinner and a show!

the kids had fun swimming.

sunny smiles and happy days.

i'm really so proud of them.  i never would have done this as a child.  i had a powerful fear of water that i couldn't stand up in and they definitely can't stand up in this.

but goodness, what an amazing place to swim.

then uncle greg and g went off for a little fly fishing while the girls puttered around the boat house.

they didn't catch anything, but had great fun.

hello duckies!  sorry we only had fruit chews to give you.

next up, the trout pond . . .