Growing older does not necessarily mean growing up.

Nearly every year since 1991, minus those five in South America, we've gone to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina in the fall.  Originally it was for windsurfing, but it has morphed in to kitesurfing more recently.
This year was no exception, with fourteen folks in total showing up, with levels of expertise ranging from newbie to seasoned expert.  Everyone brings everything they own.

The houses we rent are always directly on the Pamlico Sound, a huge body of shallow water bounded by the Outer Banks themselves.

This time of year is less crowded than the summer and particularly beautiful at sunrise.

There is always an inordinate amount of laughter, junk food,

and great meals served by people in weird outfits.

The women folk are included in all of the above, including kiting itself by the young lady on the left.

Speaking of great food, the young lady turns out to be an oyster farmer, delivering thousands of oysters she has raised to restaurants in Washington, DC and Virginia.  She kindly brought about a hundred, to everyone's delight.

A consistent member of the group has been Winston Trice, our beloved friend from medical school.  On every trip, he comes up with some great new idea.  This time, he brought a 4 x 8 sheet of 3/4-inch plywood,

and believe it or not, he used it as a kiteboard, even successfully making his way up wind on the thing.  This speaks way more to his skill than the advisability of the idea.

The week was glorious, with kiting five days out of five (we take off Sunday and attend church in Kitty Hawk), and with water in the Sound warm enough that wet suits weren't needed.  Almost every session ended with everyone piling in the hot tub and laughing about their misadventures on the water.  

We suspect that the maintenance guy probably thinks there is a leak in this tub; when everyone piled out, the water level went down by at least half a foot.  

And of course the kiting, which was just great.  Everyone improved on various skills through the week, and had a whole lotta fun doing it.

Did I mention that it's also particularly beautiful at sunset?

In the end, another great week at Hatteras, made even greater by the company of friends and family.

We hope you find imaginative uses for plywood also.

Dave & Paula