Monday, November 05, 2007

Monday Morning

Hurricane Noel is already little more than a fleeting memory. This late offshore tropical storm blew by last Friday and Saturday with winds around 50 mph. It shut down the ferries for a while, and caused an electrical blackout for several hours, but otherwise had little impact on Ocracoke.

Yesterday was bright and sunny. David and I carried Lachlan to Springer's Point where he waded in the Sound, explored the shoreline, and ran around looking for treasures. In the afternoon Ann Ehringhaus and I interviewed Blanche Howard Jolliff & Bertha Garrish O'Neal. Clayton Gaskill videoed the two hour session for the Ocracoke Preservation Society. Blanche and Bertha. dressed in their Sunday best, shared stories of hurricanes, childhood games, midwives, windmills, and island life in the early twentieth century. It was a delight to hear their stories. We've got several more interviews planned for future Sunday afternoons.

The sun is shining again this morning, and the temperature will soon be in the upper 60s, I'm sure. Life is good.

Our latest Newsletter is an article about Blackbeard the pirate and new research that suggests he may have been born in eastern North Carolina. You can read it here.

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:40 PM

    Interesting to hear about the Preservation Society interviews. What's the scope of the project (i.e., is it a focused, ongoing effort or something more casual, lots of people slated to be interviewed, etc.) and will the results be available for the public to view and enjoy? You often mention your friend Muzel. Might she be a subject of a future session?

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  2. Anonymous7:09 PM

    Very interested in the Preservation Society interviews...this sounds like a very important work, and one that's missing in so many other communities (and, even in families!). Would be wonderful to know how they plan to be used or published?

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  3. Anonymous7:39 AM

    It is our own communities that will value from your comment. I have already contacted my Historical Society. Our stories are strong and wonderful and need this loving attention and preservation. Thank you for the gentle reminder about our lives.

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