The state bird, the state flower, and a state park

Every U.S. state has a state bird and a state flower. Some probably have a state insect and a state seashell. North Carolina's state bird is the cardinal. The male is bright red. My photo is kind of blurry, but it was the best I could do in rainy weather.

The N.C. state flower is the dogwood. They are starting to bloom now. The dogwood is a small flowering tree. I think this one is Cornus florida. But don't quote me.

My friends Lewis and Evelyn had a good day. The rain held off and we took a nice walk around the old town of Beaufort, N.C., including a look around the old burial ground. Then we drove to Harker's Island and saw the visitors center and a video about the area at the Cape Lookout National Seashore.

In the afternoon, we toured Fort Macon, an 1830s-era fortification at Beaufort Inlet, on the east end of the barrier island called Bogue Banks. My mother came with us. With my sister, we had dinner at Clawson's Emporium and Restaurant on the Beaufort waterfront.

Here, for those of you who know them, is a photo of Evelyn and Lewis taken at Fort Macon. We've been friends for l0 years now, and we owe that to the Internet.