Tuesday, February 05, 2008

An Interesting Day

I really don't know how I can find so much to keep me busy on the island in February when the road is practically closed and the village is so quiet! Well, actually, I've been off the island for a few days. Went to Raleigh to see Lou Ann off at the airport on Sunday. But we left on Saturday in order to get there on time (her flight was Sunday morning). We stopped in Belhaven on the way and toured the museum there. That is a very peculiar attraction, and I'll tell you more about that on another day, I promise.

I stayed an extra day in Carboro, NC to visit a close island friend (who is having some medical treatments at Duke) and her husband. I was reminded of how important our community is to all of us, and how supportive islanders are when friends and neighbors need each other.

Back home today I made a point of going to the beach. A thick wet fog had enveloped the island most of the day and kept ferries tied up at the docks periodically. Visibility on the beach was about the length of a football field. The gun metal gray sky and the slightly darker ocean, punctuated by churning whitecaps, blended seamlessly into each other to create a surreal seascape.

This afternoon I cooked up a delicious pot of broccoli soup, so I invited three friends over. We filled our bellies, then repaired into the parlor to chat about politics and island eccentrics who have passed through our tiny village.

It's been a good day.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is inspired by an April, 1942 article about the island in The State magazine. You can read it here.

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:29 PM

    Island eccentrics, eh? You'll have to share with the rest of us. Distinctive characters we've encountered on our visits over the years, mostly while sipping coffees at tables outside the Ocracoke Coffee Company, include: the dread-locked, deeply tanned fellow pulling long draws on his hookah pipes (and sharing); the lanky, lavender-toe-nail-polished sand sculptor; and the loquacious middle-aged fellow with the languid southern drawl, seeking fellow "investors" to join him for an off-island day trip to visit a little ol' lady, northward. (We took to calling him The Mayor).

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  2. Anonymous8:35 AM

    How is the bridge replacement project going?

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  3. Anonymous11:07 AM

    Glad you got to stop in Carrboro! I know they really enjoyed the visit! Through all of this, I have also been reminded of just how amazing our little community is. It's been pretty overwhelming, but the support of our wonderful friends has made everything much easier. Thank you!

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