My dear wife, Carrie, and I are enjoying a few days away from the normal day to day we are fortunate enough to be a part of… back home again in Indiana.  We are in North Carolina.  Not far from Wilmington…north of Wilmington…on the coast.

Every time I think about Wilmington, North Carolina, I can’t help but think about the Andy Griffith  episode when Gomer Pyle was joining the Marines.  Camp LeJeune, an enormous Marine Base, is just up the road from where we are.  In the episode, Andy told Gomer he would drive him to the Marine base the next day because he said he had some business to attend to in Wilmington.  I doubt Andy had anyone to see in Wilmington.  He was just going there to take care of Gomer.

Ironically enough, Carrie and I walked past the Courthouse that is shown as the primary building Andy Griffith did his legal practicing on his later show Matlock.  Though Matlock was set in Atlanta, they did their filming of the show…at least a great deal of it… here in the Wilmington area.  That show is not alone.

A new show set to premier next spring on ABC called Secrets and Lies was filming this week down by the Battleship Wilmington along the Cape Fear River.  The carnival set is just for the show…explain that to an eight year-old.

The next picture shows the Battleship Wilmington next to it.

A great many television shows are filmed here, as well as movies.

Current shows filmed in the Wilmington area include: Sleepy Hollow, Under the Dome, Revolution, and once upon a time a show called One Tree Hill was filmed here.  Across town yesterday they were also filming a Nicholas Sparks’ film adaptation of “The Choice”.

No one in town blinks an eye if they see production equipment moving about.  What they do see is opportunity and the prospects of jobs for the people in the area.  While I hate to get into something I know little about, it seems there is some political push-pull going on between the Filming Industry and the State Politicians…they are trying to hammer out treaties regarding tax and revenue (if you can believe that).

SHRIMP

One great thing about coming down here is the Carolina Shrimp.  Carrie and I acquired a pound and a half of these fresh critters and she commenced to working her culinary magic.  I am a fortunate man to be in the presence of a great cook.  She could open a restaurant and do quite well anywhere in America…I am convinced.  Many of you whom have eaten her fare understand what I am saying here.

Fried Shrimp and Onion Rings on the way!  The tomatoes are just there for decoration.

We picked this assortment of veggies at the Farmer’s Market just a mile from downtown Raleigh.   I threw them on the grill.  They were very tasty.

I can’t overstate how nice the people are around here.  Carrie and I feel quite at home here.  I suppose that is why we keep coming back.  Admittedly I am a creature of habit.  This place is a good place to be acclimated to.

I wonder why?

We met a friend on the beach when we got here.

Speaking the rights.

Danny Johnson