Salt and Sun

Today was the day that the five of us here finally took TJ up on his offer and went for a ride and some fishing on his boat. Now that the initial trip is over, I hope many more will follow. It was AWESOME! The boat is a beauty - Key West - that's its name. She seats eight, but there was only the six of us there. TJ opened her up to get her into open waters and that was thrilling. I've never gone so fast on the water before! We passed under the Atlantic Beach bridge and then plodded through the no wake zone by the port, and then TJ opened her up again. After some fishing in shark-infested waters (the only things they caught were these tiny little sharks, barely a foot long), we moved to another area, where Dad caught the first and last 'real' fish, a lion fish. In lieu of touching it, he just cut the line and pushed it overboard (they're supposed to be poisonous). Then TJ pulled up in front of Shackleford Banks and we all (Dad excepted) took a swim and a walk on shore. Then it was time to head in (we'd been out for over four hours). Mom, Becca, and I sat up front and when TJ opened her up, we became airborne several times as we passed over boat wakes. That was the best part of all - the initial sighting of the cresting water, the knowledge that you're headed straight for it, the thrill as you hit it, and that one exhilarating second you spend floating in the air as the boat jumps back down. Then you come crashing down several inches to a foot away from where you were originally sitting, and your eyes return to the water looking for more turbulent waves.