The Salt Life.

This picture is all things to me. I snapped it last week as we walked along the beach with my mother in law. She had just arrived that afternoon and we thought it would be a great way to start her time with us. All these years of visiting the Pacific Ocean, it only seemed right she should see the Atlantic straight away. For comparisons sake, right?

Or because it's the ocean and nothing tops the ocean. 

The boys kept throwing the foam football into the waves and retrieving when it came back to shore.

The awesome games kids will create. I love it. 

We haven't quite had another great day for walking on the beach.

It's spring and the weather is unpredictable.

I'm looking forward to spending our days at the ocean and over-posting beach pictures.

We have been settling for more time near the beach. 

A weekend trip to the coast for a walk on a new-to-us pier at Kure Beach. 

A rickety old thing to make the bravest hearts weak.

I posted all about that on my Friday post (in case you missed it).

The piers are full of friendly fishermen who willing share their fish stories with you.

This is a puffer fish. The guy spent a lot of time trying to get him to puff up for us. 

I wasn't quite believing it was an actual puffer fish...at first. 

I'm such a skeptic, I know!

Such a weird creature.

We found a beach trail for hiking near Kure Beach. 

I miss all the hiking we did in Southern California. 

I can't seem to find many trails around here, so it has been disappointing.

Things turned around after finding this trail. 

It's not quite the same hiking on flat land but we make do. 

I also met someone at MilSpouseFest 2017 who shared a few hiking trails she knew about.

I'm looking forward to exploring those soon.

If the Marine Corps allows some more weekend family time.

I think we finally have this coastal living thing down :)