Elizabeth (UR) Water in my veins

Currituck County and the OBX

I have spent my entire life on the East Coast of the U.S. I was born in Norfolk, Va, grew up in a small county called Currituck in North Carolina and have lived in coastal Volusia County since 2000. The famous "OBX" aka The Outer Banks of North Carolina is where my mother and stepfather have spent the last 20 years... I still call it "HOME." It is rich with history, tiny fishing villages and thousands of tourists from May to September. I have always lived on or near a sound (a narrow stretch of water forming an inlet or connecting two wider areas of water such as two seas or a sea or a sea and a lake), a bay, a river or the Atlantic. 

My 1st shark. 1988

Beach seine fishing

I come from a "long line" (pun intended LOL) of fisherman. One grandfather was an oyster-man, another was a singer and fisherman, then there is my third grandpa (step but I love him just the same!!) who took me fishing every summer and I always out fished him. We had the best fish stories. My father loves fishing... mostly for my favorite fish, stripers; also known as rock fish. My brother loves beach seine finishing with my stepfather and stepbrother, but he is hunter of the family. My stepfather is a commercial fisherman on the Outer Banks. He soft crabs twice a year, beach seine nets in the summer, hard crabs if the catching is good, shrimps in the sounds of coastal North Carolina and he even oysters. The man LOVES to be on the water. I don't think he has blood in his veins... just salt water. I have learned a lot from him while fishing with him and listening to the fish tales at the fish houses and on the boats. My step brother has followed closely in his dad's footsteps and some days out fishes him :) he also shark fishes. We have shared our talks about this endeavor but coming from a long line of fisherman himself I know it's how he makes his living and it is in his blood too.

Helping the boys beach seine net fish

Dock fishing 2007

Little fishergirl

A rather OLD whelk
found at the Dry Tortugas 2018

I am not sure when my love of the ocean really happened; it goes back further than I can remember. I will say I have loved water all of my life. It is truly running through my veins and I think I have gills when I swim. In high school I took every science class I could. I loved it especially oceanography, marine biology, ecology, and biology. I got certified to scuba dive in my marine biology class. FUN! Growing up I spent weekends in the woods or on the water; whether at the beach playing in the water, trying to surf, fishing, crabbing picking up shells or laying with marine organisms in tide pools. Learning
new things meant listening and using dusty encyclopedias to see what I had found that day. If I had Google back then... MAN the things I would have known. :)

Over the year's life took hold and my dreams of being a Marine Ecologist and Environmentalist took

Orchid obsession

a back seat... a lot longer back seat than I liked or ever imagined until Daytona State began offering these degree programs! YAY!! So fast forward to present years... I work full-time, go to school part time some semesters and almost full time others. I have 4 furry creatures at home (cats and dogs) and an amazing husband. We love to travel. I LOVE orchids and gardening I would say as much as I love water. How is that possible you ask? Well, it is all intertwined... water, earth, air, right? Gardening is my relaxation after work. My weekend fun is homework (yes, because I get to learn!) and hiking local parks and trails, camping and visiting Florida's beautiful fresh water springs. Last year I got certified in freediving. It is an awesome experience and you truly feel like you belong underwater. All the worries of the world disappear, and you lose yourself in the beauty surrounding you.

Freediving in the springs.

Every time we go to a spring whether  I have been there a once or a hundred times I am awe struck. The water is always 72 degrees, usually crystal clear and you get to see wildlife underwater like turtles, fish and manatees. The springs are in danger though and that is pushing me towards where I want to go with my career. I am very big on plant and animal conservation and saving our wild spaces, but water conservation has my heart. Without the ocean our planet would never be the same; we wouldn't exist. Without the springs Florida loses its drinking water. It's up to us to get this planet and our bodies of water in check... we all contribute, and we can all do our part to help.

My husband (Ben) and I passively
viewing a manatee at a local spring.

sunshine and 72 degree water

So, I have rambled on about myself and my love of water and this EARTH! I hope you have enjoyed getting to know a little bit about me. I am full of fish stories, spring adventure stories and photos, gardening how to's and so much more... just ask, but be warned I might not be able to shut up. :)