Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Past & Present

About a week ago a distant cousin stopped by to share family history and stories. We chatted for over an hour. Much of the conversation revolved around events from the past. I was reminded of a conversation I had with a neighbor several years ago. We were talking about an altercation that took place on one of the docks. A friend stopped to listen. After several minutes he realized we were talking about something that had happened in the 1930s. "It's so weird," he said. "When I hear Ocracokers in animated conversation, I can never be sure if what they're talking about happened just this afternoon, or a hundred years ago."

Getting back to the present -- what a beautiful day this is...bright, sunny, and warming up after a cool evening. I'd better go home and cut my grass before it gets too hot. Maybe Lachlan will want to go out to the sound with me this afternoon for a hour or so of swimming.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the second half of my father's short journal. I call it Remembering Growing up on Ocracoke. You can read it here.

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:22 PM

    Cut your grass? Have you considered an xeriscape approach to your yard?? Ground covers, hostas ? Is there a gardening center on the island? do you have to bring geraniums across the sound or does everyone grow plants from seed? Just curious -- Nantucket is known for the roses, climbing roses that even cover the roofs of homes --- curious --if there is a signature plant or flower that visitors see and snap pictures of ?

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  2. Ocracoke Island has no gardening center, though several islanders offer landscaping services. In the old days most yards were sand with a smattering of sand spurs. We do have wild roses, yuccas (locals call them Spanish Bayonets), & prickly pears (locals call them pickle pears). Our signature "plant" is probably the live oak (or maybe the fig tree), not a flower.

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