Breakfast

This morning I joined friends at the old Sound Front Inn, now a rental "cottage." We enjoyed pancakes (with real maple syrup), sausage, coffee, and orange juice on the side porch, just a clam shell's throw away from the old Bragg cemetery. This house had once belonged to the Bragg family. In fact, there is some evidence that the original part of the building may be the second oldest surviving structure on the island. The lighthouse was built in 1823; the Sound Front Inn, maybe 15 or so years later. One wall is canted in a noticeable angle, and the front steps are not lined up correctly with the porch. The house was washed off of its foundation in the 1944 hurricane. It remains a silent witness to the destruction of that memorable storm. Today Pamlico Sound was calm and serene not far away.

The sky is "Carolina Blue" and the air has just a touch of autumn in it. In less than an hour I'll be in a boat heading for Portsmouth Island. I think this is the perfect October day for a visit to this fascinating ghost village.

Our latest monthly newsletter is Lou Ann's story of commercial clamming with 13 year old Morty. You can read it here.