Carolina woke up in the last eight minutes against Southern California. Onto the Final Eight Sunday. It was in 1n 1982 in the national championship game against Georgetown, that a young freshman, Michael Jordan made the key shot that guaranteed the Carolina national title.
Georgetown is really tough this year. Either team can win this one. It is possible that it could be a blow-out too - happens in these big games sometimes.
Pindo (butia) palms are sending up first new fronds. These tough guys are impervious to the 20 degree nights we get here only a couple of nights each winter. Sega palms (two to four ft. height) on the other hand, have to be wrapped in plastic or burlap if one wants to be certain they won't be lost to the cold temps. I had to keep mine wrapped for ten days of up and down really cold nights and days. My neighbors did not protect theirs and without exception they got zapped. The Oleander bushes got a mega-trim. The Oleanders have such gorgeous flowers all summer and into the early fall. These abound in Bermuda. Bermuda is 600 miles directly east of Morehead City, NC. Centipede, Bermuda and Zoysia grasses are fast turning green. It is very hard to maintain these palms even 50 miles to the north of Morehhead City, New Bern, Oriental. We are just about on the northern edge (proximity of the Gulf Stream) where these tropical plants can survive year round. Haven't planted any banana plants so far - these dudes grow BIG TIME here , die back in winter.(my dear spouse is not interested in seeing a 15' banana plant in the backyard - no sense of humor). The large tree palms, several varieties are very happy clams here on the southeast coast. When planted right, after surviving the first year, they do really well, standing up to the severe northeaster storms also. Fire ants have made their appearance, beginning a spring-summer-fall battle with insecticides. These tiny, red/brown little creatures can ruin your day (your next five days) if you are not aware that you have stepped on their nests. Their tiny bites create painful burning sensation around the bite-area, (fire ants!) I am on the case! So far, at at best, it has been a standoff. This year I plan to prevail!
I have the fever. March 23, is an early 'offshore' day even by NC standards (unless you go the 42 miles to the Gulf Stream where everyday is summer). My good friend Ron and I went to a couple of artificial reefs just two to three miles offshore of Atlantic Beach. His boat this time, 24' Sailfish center console with 250hp Yamaha. Lots of dolphins frolicking out there. Beautiful day. Ocean fairly calm and smooth early in the AM. New sea birds on the scene! Have never seen these dudes before (going back to 1978, fishing out here). Hundred or so large white birds with heavy black tipped wings, light golden throat and neck feathers, three ft wingspan approx., about twice to three times the size of a seagull, very slender. Fantastic divers too. They would go to a height if about 40-50', fold their wings and plunge straignt down onto their finny prey. Checked my Audobon book later: Gannets, related to booby birds and frigates; far, far away from their normal Northern Canada habitat; normally come nowhere this far south during migrations. Whatssup? Water temp was 54.8 degreess. Much too chilly yet for the Spanish Mackeral, Cobia, Kingfish and many familiar bottom feeders like spots and trout. Only the small dogsharks were home and hungry. Using only medium spinning rods they put up a fight. We were using circle hooks making quick release fairly easy.
December and January - so warm that I did not have to winterize the boat. My Hibiscus plants still produced flowers outside into the first week of January. Tulip trees and cherry trees bloomed in early February.
What's up with that? Great way to spend "winter". My wife and I took a slow ride to Beaufort in late January on the boat - normally it "winterized" and hibernating in the boat storage building. What experiences have y'all had?
