Tugboat

 This is my blogging view today.

It’s day three here on the beach and we have been sitting out here watching the waves and people. It’s not too crowded this week so far but more crowded than usual in the middle of August.

We sat with some beach friends earlier in the week and enjoyed some good laughs and cutting up. 

As we sit here, we can see way off in the distance about 2.5 miles at some small boats and a large barge. I think that’s what it’s called. It was a large flat vessel with a crane on it. Jack with the Shiplog blog can correct me on that. He’s a sailor man.

On August 8th a tugboat sank 30 ft deep off the coast of Myrtle Beach. They rescued three people and spent several days retrieving the 59 foot push tug from the ocean. As we sat here in the comfort of our beach chairs and umbrella, I couldn’t help but think about the hot struggles they were having out there as the pulled in the tugboat. I just hope the money was good. 

(Picture source )

The tugboat was finally brought to shore yesterday and moved to a South Carolina shipyard. I wonder why they didn’t just leave it on the bottom of the ocean? Maybe it was the loads of fuel and oil? Maybe it was too shallow to be safe for other boats? But I’m glad no one was hurt and families were reunited. 

Later that afternoon, we cleaned up and went to one of our favorite places to eat. A place called Taco Mundo. We love sitting out on the patio over looking the inlet where there are boat docks full of fancy yachts. But this time, there was a little entertainment. We got to actually watch a reverse activity of a tugboat pushing a barge between some buoys and under a drawbridge. 

That was all the excitement for today. I don’t remember ever seeing a tugboat before.  Have you?

                                                                    

Red Okra

Has anyone missed me? I haven’t written a blog post in a while. I think about blogging and I want to blog but time gets away from me. The blogger platform has not been my friend lately either. I have thought about moving my blog to another platform but not sure which one to use. I would like one that will allow me to blog and also have a store. Comment below if you have any suggestion for me.

But for today. I want to share something delicious that I got my hands on.

I visited my daughter in Charlotte the other day for some mother daughter time. We grabbed an ice coffee, did a little shopping, snacked on a charcuterie board while we sat by the pool. Between shopping and sitting by the pool, we walked to a street market where a vendor was selling red okra. She said she grows this okra from seeds that started with her great great grandmother. She called them Heirloom Okra. I bought a pound.

As the vendor explained: This kind of okra is better than the green ones. They are more tender and sweet. Even the larger ones are tender and sweet when cooked. They are also less slimy when boiled. 

I brought them home and gave them a good wash and ate some for dinner the next night. I left the stalks whole then sprayed some olive oil on them, salt and pepper and threw them into the air fryer. In 15 minutes I had some nice crunchy but still tender okra that tasted like fried okra without all the bread. 

The vendor did not lie. They were really tender and sweet. I have already planned to go back for more the next time she is out there. I will check my local farmers market first just incase someone there may have the same type.

Okra is one of my favorite vegetables. What is one of your favorite?