Watching the tropics, it's that time of year!

First Fay, now Gustav. We are old hands at this storm business after spending so many years on Topsail Island. My wife is fond of saying, "you pay your money and you take your chances, especially if you want to live this close to the ocean." The trade off is the unbelievable sounds of the waves crashing on the beach just a few streets over and the views from our sound side home of the Intracoastal. Lots of marsh between us and the water but the sunsets, especially in the winter are magnificent. Most folks think of the beach as a summertime place to go but candidly, the fall and winter are the absolute best seasons to be here. The crowds are gone and the beach walks are mostly just us and our dogs. Yep, I am glad to see the fall arrive. Now, if we can just keep it a secret for a while longer...