Portsmouth Island Homecoming Gallery

Well, I am a day late sharing images of Portsmouth. Had a great time in spite of mist and light rain. It was breezy, also, and that kept most of the mosquitoes at bay. The highlights of the day were chatting with friends (new & old), touring the Henry Pigott house, visiting the Life Saving Station, and enjoying the outstanding potluck dinner on the grounds. Here is a gallery of photos by my friend Jim:

Philip Chatting with Dale in the P.O.

A Typical Bedroom

Kitchen in the Roy Robinson House

A View from the Life Saving Station

Henry Pigott's Living Room

Ranger Dave in Henry's Kitchen (notice the low ceiling)

Exterior of Henry's House



The Methodist Church

A View Across the Marsh

The Road to the Village

The Marsh after a Rain

Ready to Depart

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Project Nutmeg, and how Ocracoke almost became a site for testing nuclear weapons. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news042112.htm.

Portsmouth

I am off to Portsmouth for Homecoming. I'll let you know how it was tomorrow.

Island Ponies & Island Boys

From Ocracoke in the Fifties, by Dare Wright, edited by Brook Ashley and John Ogilvie:

"The native ponies developed their own system of survival. Together, they formed a circle, then pawed a hole in the sand. Dig deep enough and fresh water appeared. Those who didn't dig didn't drink.

"The ponies long roamed freely, unshod. So did the island boys who rode them. So could visitors, if they wanted. Ocracoke was a barefoot island."

Be sure to take your shoes off and get some sand between your toes! When you do you'll be hooked on Ocracoke.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Project Nutmeg, and how Ocracoke almost became a site for testing nuclear weapons. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news042112.htm.

The Grit

In 2006, as I was rehabilitating my grandparents' 150 year old house (where I now live), I discovered a yellowed and badly deteriorated 12" X 8" newspaper that had been laid down on the floor and covered with several layers of linoleum (see my post for February 29, 2012 for photos of the linoleum). The newspaper was the April 4, 1937 issue of The Grit.

The Grit, begun in 1882, was a weekly publication that targeted residents of the rural United States. It was subtitled "America's Greatest Family Newspaper." On Ocracoke, subscriptions were sold door-to-door by various school children over the years. The newspaper was very popular on the island in the 1930s.

The Grit, April 4, 1937

My copy has a number of stories, including "Rangers is Powerful Hard to Kill, Continuing Caddo Cameron's Story of Two Hardboiled Gun Slingers," "Killer's Greed, Telling How a Smart Cowboy Overpowered a Brutal Slayer," ""Hills of Destiny, Concluding An Appealing Love Story," and "Triangle, Aunt Margaret Just Cannot Understand the Modern Viewpoint in Regard to Marriage."

The center section includes several comic strips: "Bringing up Father" and "Rosie's Beau" by George McManus (1884 -1954), and "The Bungle Family" and "Short Stories" by H. J. Tuthill (1886–1957).

The advertisements are just as fascinating. In 1937 you could purchase an "Amazing New Popular Pictorial Ring" for 59 cents, a "Shock-Proof Watch (with a Free Knife and Chain)" for $1.48, a "Typewriter 1/2 Price, Easy Terms Only 10 cents a Day," or earn up to "$14 a Day" as an agent selling the "Streamlined Diamond Iron" that "Burns 96% AIR, only 4% kerosene (coal oil)."

In 1937 there seemed to be a cure for almost any ailment -- warts, leg sores, catarrh, grey hair, itch, stomach ulcers, rupture, or intestinal torpor -- you could purchase patent medicines for any of these.

The Grit ("Celebrating Rural America Since 1882") is still being published. You can visit their web site here:
https://www.grit.com/

You can read more about the Grit on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grit_(newspaper)

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Project Nutmeg, and how Ocracoke almost became a site for testing nuclear weapons. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news042112.htm.

Portsmouth Exhibit

I received the following comment recently from DeAnna Locke, the administrator of the Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum:

"Please make plans to visit the museum and see our new exhibit “Portsmouth Beckons”. This exhibit features 14 photographs from Portsmouth Island by talented Outer Banks photographer, Michael Halminski.
 
To inaugurate this special exhibit, OPS will host an opening reception, at the museum, on April 27th, 2012 from 6:00-8:00pm. Mr. Halminski will be with us to talk about his work and his love of Portsmouth.

Also featured that night will be author James E. White, III, who will be signing his book, Portsmouth Island: A Walk in the Past, along with other books he has written about life and people on Portsmouth.

Work by Mr. White and Mr. Halminski will be available in our gift shop during the reception and throughout the season. The reception on April 27th will be a great evening for all members of Friends of Portsmouth, and anyone else who’s interested in learning more about that beloved island." 

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Project Nutmeg, and how Ocracoke almost became a site for testing nuclear weapons. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news042112.htm.

Is It Fall Already?

Yesterday dawned chilly and overcast. The early morning temperature was only in the low 50s. After an exceptionally mild winter I wondered if we had just bypassed spring and summer. It felt like fall -- chilly and breezy. Although it warmed up by midday, the mercury fell back into the 50s after dark. I don't have an outdoor thermometer, but I think it might even be in the upper 40s as I write.

Today is expected to be similar to yesterday...but forecasters are predicting a warming trend by Thursday. It doesn't matter. Any day is a great day to enjoy Ocracoke. If you are on the island be sure to stop by Village Craftsmen. It is warm inside, and we are open 10 - 5. I will be on the porch (bundled up against the chill) from 1 - 2.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Project Nutmeg, and how Ocracoke almost became a site for testing nuclear weapons. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news042112.htm.

Portsmouth Homecoming

Don't forget Homecoming on Portsmouth Island this coming Saturday!

Portsmouth was a thriving port village in the late eighteenth and early nineteeth century. Because of its proximity to Ocracoke Inlet, Portsmouth was the center of piloting and lightering in North Carolina. In 1842 over 1,400 vessels and two-thirds of North Carolina's exports passed through Ocracoke Inlet. With the opening of Hatteras Inlet in 1846 Portsmouth's population began a steady decline. When the island's last male resident, Henry Pigott, died in 1971, the remaining two residents left. The island has had no permanent residents since then.

For more information about Homecoming please visit the Friends of Portsmouth Island web site (http://friendsofportsmouthisland.org/fopi/), or call Richard Meissner (252-728-2250, ext. 3008).

You can read a brief history of Portsmouth here: http://www.nps.gov/calo/historyculture/portsmouth.htm.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Project Nutmeg, and how Ocracoke almost became a site for testing nuclear weapons. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news042112.htm.

Molasses Creek

Well, my son-in-law is famous...or almost famous. Molasses Creek, Ocracoke Island's contemporary folk band (Dave is the fiddler for readers who may not know), was ranked in the national top 10 in folk music across the United States for the month of March.

Their new CD “An Island Out of Time,” was the fifth most played album on the folk radio scene and they were the No. 9 artist, based on 13,326 airplays form 150 different deejays across the United States.

Congratulations to Fiddler Dave, Gary, Marcy, Lou, and Gerald!

This is the first time Molasses Creek has submitted an album for national release.

Recently the band learned that their latest album, “An Island Out of Time,” the re-mastered, repackaged, and renamed “Catharsis” CD (issued last summer) was number five on the charts.
In addition, two of their songs are in the top 20: “Mississippi Sawyer” and “Scat Reel Set,” both written by Fiddler Dave.

An Island Out of Time

“It’s a Sin to Tell A Lie,” a classic swing song, sung by band member Lou Castro, also is on the charts. “Selchie's Joy Waltz” has also been praised by several deejays.

Molasses Creek left Friday for a tour in Virginia and New England.
They will travel to Virginia, Boston, Connecticut, Vermont and eastern New York. Later this spring, they will play at the Institute of Musical Tradition in Washington, D.C., and later this summer at the Floyd Fest, in Floyd, Va.

In March, the Hyde County Chamber presented Molasses Creek with its 2012 tourism award.at their annual dinner in Engelhard.

”Everywhere we go, people know them and the Ocrafolk Fest,” said Melissa Joyner, chamber executive director. “We just thought it was well deserved and we wanted to acknowledge all that they do for tourism here.”

You can visit Molasses Creek on their website at www.molassescreek.com. For bookings, please contact David Tweedie (252) 921-0260 or info@molassescreek.com.

The following list shows their recent ranking:
TOP ARTISTS OF MARCH 2012
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L
Based on 13,326 airplays from 150 different DJs

1. The Chieftains
2. The Steel Wheels
3. Dave Carter And Tracy Grammer
4. Sarah McQuaid
5. Carolina Chocolate Drops
6. Mariel Vandersteel
7. Drew Nelson
8. West Of Eden
9. Molasses Creek
10. Red Molly
11. Altan
12. Emily Pinkerton
13. John McCutcheon
14. Bob Dylan
14. Jackstraw
14. Loretta Hagen
14. The Pines
18. I See Hawks In L. A.
18. Peggy Seeger
18. Steve Gillette And Cindy Mangsen
21. Cathy Fink And Marcy Marxer
22. Johnny Cash
23. Lara Herscovitch
24. Jack Hardy
25. Lester Flatt And Earl Scruggs
25. Mary Black
25. The Refugees
28. Carrie Newcomer
28. Darrell Scott
28. Tim O'Brien
31. Cary Cooper
31. Lowen And Navarro
33. Gillian Welch
33. Greg Brown
33. Lyle Lovett
36. Joe Crookston
37. Anais Mitchell
37. Peter Mulvey
39. Cathy Jordan
39. Dennis Warner
39. Leonard Cohen
39. Richard Shindell
39. Truckstop Honeymoon

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Project Nutmeg, and how Ocracoke almost became a site for testing nuclear weapons. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news042112.htm.

Project Nutmeg

Did you know that Ocracoke Island and other parts of the Outer Banks were at one time the primary choice for a nuclear weapons testing site? It is a sobering thought! 

The Armed Forces Special Weapons Project stated in 1949 that the Pamlico-Core Sound area of North Carolina "should be investigated first" because it had "the most promise for [nuclear weapons testing] sites on the southeastern Atlantic seaboard" where favorable winds would "remove the waste products to the open Atlantic Ocean with no possibility of second order effects through biological processes."

You can read more about "Project Nutmeg" in our latest Ocracoke Newsletter: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news042112.htm.

Litter Sweep & Earth Day

Tomorrow Ocracoke residents & friends of the island will gather at the schoolhouse at 10 am to participate in the annual Litter Sweep. Ocracoke's first organized Litter Pickup was in 1974 (you can read more about that here: http://villagecraftsmen.blogspot.com/2012/03/litter-pick-up.html).

This year the Litter Sweep is sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and will last from 10 am to 12 noon. At the school volunteers can pick up supplies such as orange trash bags, blue bags (for items to be recycled), orange safety vests and gloves.

You can read more here: http://www.ncdot.gov/doh/operations/dp_chief_eng/roadside/Beautification/littersweep/default.html.

We hope you will join a large group tomorrow to help clean up our roadways!

Sunday is the 42th annual Earth Day. Wherever you are we hope you will make every effort to celebrate and protect this beautiful planet, our home in a vast and awesome universe. Whether it is the beach, ocean, and sound...the mountains...farmland...or any other aspect of nature, we protect the earth because it sustains and nourishes us. You can read more here: http://www.earthday.org/2012 .

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Rondthalers of Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.

Fun Run

The First Annual Ocracoke Island 5k and 1 Mile Family Fun Run will take place Saturday April 28, 2012 at 8:00am. This event is a benefit for Ocracoke Community Radio WOVV and the Ocracoke School Athletic Boosters Club.

The 5K run will take place in the Village of Ocracoke through historic neighborhoods, by Ocracoke Harbor, and by the 2nd oldest lighthouse in the United States in continuous service. The course is basically flat. All accommodations are within walking or biking distance to the start/finish line.

There will be a one mile family fun run immediately following the 5K. The top three male and female runners will receive an award as well as the top three male and female finishers of each age category. Everyone completing the Family Run Run will receive a wrist band recognizing the event. All 5K runners will receive a t-shirt (sizes not guaranteed after April 19th pre-registration) with local artist design.

Beginning 11:30am, Gaffer's Sports Pub will host a post run party. There will be no charge for the party for 5K runners. Food and beverages will be provided.

Click here for more information: http://www.ocracokeisland5krun.org/

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Rondthalers of Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.

Elisha Ballance

Yesterday afternoon I stopped by Blanche's to sit on her porch and visit for about an hour. In the course of the conversation I asked her to share a story I'd heard before. It concerns her great grandfather, Elisha Ballance (ca. 1824 - ca. 1855).

Elisha was a schooner captain. One day he sailed home to Ocracoke after having delivered a boat load of lumber for a client. With his leather purse filled with money, he stopped at the local tavern for a few drinks. On his way home he walked down Howard Street (it was called the Main Road back then), stumbled into one of the graveyards and passed out. There he slept until morning.

At first light Elisha woke up and began crawling around on his hands and knees, searching through the grass and vines. Presently along came a black man (Blanche thinks he was one of the crew members). "Captain," the sailor said, "you don't look like you feel too good."

"No I don't," Elisha replied. "I had too much to drink last night, and passed out in this graveyard. Now I can't find my leather purse. It had the payment for that load of lumber, and now I've lost it. This is terrible."

The black man began to chuckle. "Captain," he said, holding up the purse so Elisha could see it, "I walked by here last evening and saw you lying there with this leather purse by your side. I thought someone might take it from you, so I picked it up for safekeeping. Here it is, sir."

I love this pre-Civil War story because it confirms what I understand about race relations on Ocracoke.

We know that Ocracoke was not immune to prejudice and racism. It was a southern state, after all. But, as I've written elsewhere (see http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm), the institution of slavery, and relationships between whites and blacks on Ocracoke Island was somewhat different from the situation on large southern plantations. Coastal schooner trade led to new ways of thinking, and helped weaken the traditional boundaries between the races.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Rondthalers of Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.

Coins

Islands just beg for treasure hunters. Tales of seafarers, shipwreck survivors, and pirates lure adventurers to isolated shores. Ocracoke is no exception. Every once in a while someone finds a treasure. -- an Indian pipe bowl, a colonial buckle, an arrowhead, a piece of eight. Many of these artifacts have been donated to the Ocracoke Preservation Society.

In 1996 Julie Howard found an 1850 One Cent piece in Howard Street (I had just graded the road a few weeks earlier). That coin is pictured on the left in the two photos below.

In 1993 she found the other coin (we are not able to identify it, but we think it might be a large copper penny) on the beach just north of the Pony Pen.

Obverse

Reverse

Keep your eyes open. Who knows, you might be the latest lucky person to find a piece of Ocracoke history.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Rondthalers of Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.

I'm Looking Over...

...a four-leaf clover. Or maybe even a five- or six-leaf clover. Lachlan went out looking for these lucky charms a few days ago, and came back with a fistful of them. He refused to tell me where he found them, put I'm pretty sure it was somewhere on Howard Street

Four- Five- & Six-Leaf Clovers

You already knew Ocracoke was a charmed island. Now you can pick up a lucky clover here (if you can figure out where to look!).

 Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Rondthalers of Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.

Poems

In recognigiton of National Poetry Month, today  I am posting three recent poems by my grandson, Lachlan Wesley Tweedie Howard, age 7:

I'm Dining on Very White Lettuce

I'm dining on very white lettuce,
And though it may seem very queer,
The lettuce I'm dining is not all white,
Though some parts are partially clear.

I'm dining on very white lettuce,
I say "More lettuce please!"
Yep, this is what happens when you're dining on lettuce,
with very, very white cheese.

Clouds

Clouds, Oh dark and stormy

Oh, clouds that I adore

Cover the golden path of the sun

To sweep shadows ‘cross the floor

Teeth

Your teeth, your teeth, your teeth

They sure could use some brushing

If you don’t brush, they’ll turn to mush

Your teeth, your teeth, your teeth.

You are welcome to share your original poems in a comment.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Rondthalers of Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.

Shell Books

Recently a reader inquired about shell books, and asked for a recommendation. Below are several books that I have in my collection. I am not sure if they are all still in print.I have had the first three for more than 40 years! The last one listed below is a best seller at the Preservation Museum.

Seashells of North America, A Guide to Field Identification, by R. Tucker Abbott (280 pages)
A Field Guide to the Shells of Our Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, by Percy A. Morris (236 pages)
Sea Shells Common to North Carolina, by Hugh J. Porter (36 pages)
Seashells of North Carolina, by Hugh Porter and Lynn Houser (132 pages)

No doubt numerous new books on shell identification have been published. An Internet search should lead you to them.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Rondthalers of Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.

Friggatriskaidekaphobia

Today is Friday, April 13, 2012, Friday the thirteenth, one of the unluckiest days of the year, so the superstition says. The fear of Friday the thirteenth even has a name: friggatriskaidekaphobia [frigga from the Norse goddess Frigga, for whom Friday is named; triskaideka denoting the number 13, and phobia meaning a fear of].

My father was born and raised on Ocracoke, but my mother was the daughter of peasant class Hungarian immigrants. I never heard my father voice any common superstitions, although Ocracokers were not immune to them. On the other hand, my mother passed on many old world superstitions which she inherited from her mother. I was admonished to not walk under ladders, to avoid black cats, and to be careful not to break mirrors.

In high school I stumbled across a quotation by Francis Bacon (1561-1626), English philosopher, statesman, and scientist. He was instrumental in establishing the epistemological system of empiricism, and for advocating for the scientific method of inquiry and experimentation.

Francis Bacon

Bacon observed that "[t]he general root of superstition is that men observe when things hit, and not when they miss; and commit to memory the one, and forget and pass over the other."

With just a little thought I realized how true Francis Bacon's statement was. It freed me from friggatriskaidekaphobia and from numerous other superstitions.

So I will go about my day, this Friday the thirteenth, and enjoy the lovely spring weather. I hope you will also, whether you are on the island or on the mainland.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Rondthalers of Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.

Camels in the Sea

Porpoises are a common off-shore sight just beyond the breakers, especially in the winter. Once in a great while we see a whale migrating by. We might even spot a seal now and then. But camels?

In 1827 the "North Carolina General Assembly House of Representatives Committee on Occacock Inlet" recommended using camels to to help carry vessels across Ocracoke Inlet.

Lest you think I am jesting, this is the exact wording of their report:

"If it should be too expensive to remove or deepen the shoals [in the inlet], the use of the contrivances to which the Hollanders have given the expressive name 'Camels,' will carry vessels over them with ease and safety."

As you will have no doubt figured out, a "camel" in this context is not a humped back ungulate. The ship's camel,  invented in 1690 by the Dutchman, Meeuwis Meindertsz Bakker, was designed to allow ships to navigate shallow water. Basically a large wooden box filled with water, a camel was positioned on each side of a sailing ship and secured to the hull. The water was then pumped out of the camel, which caused the camel to float, thus raising the ship and allowing it to pass over shoals.  You can see a diagram here: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/maritime-history. (Scroll down to about the middle of the page.)

To my knowledge, camels were never employed at Ocracoke Inlet, in spite of the committee's report, though maybe they were.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Rondthalers of Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.

Let's Chat

As many of our readers know, I have owned the Village Craftsmen on Howard Street since 1970. For three and a half decades I could almost always be found at the counter, in my office, or somewhere nearby. For the last few years I have left the running of the business in the very capable hands of my long-time employee, Jude Brown. Many of you have talked with her or communicated with her in the shop, while placing mail orders, or reserving space for a Ghost & History Walk.

Frankly, although my "semi-retirement" has allowed me to pursue many other interests, including drawing, writing, and collecting island history, I have missed daily interactions with customers and island visitors.

This season I have begun a new project that I call "Let's Chat." Most weekdays starting today, and through the fall, I will be spending the hour from 1 pm to 2 pm on the porch of the Village Craftsmen for an informal hour of sharing island history, stories, and glimpses into daily island life. If you have ever had any questions or curiosity about Ocracoke and life on the island, please stop by and "let's chat." Stay 5 minutes, or the whole hour. Come back every day if you want. There is no charge, of course. I would like to meet you on the pizer!

Let's Chat!

Check the sign on the porch to make sure I will be there.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Rondthalers of Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.

"Fun" with a Skiff

Regular readers of this blog, as well as Ocracoke Islanders, will know that "buck" is a common local word meaning "pal" or "friend."

Many years ago an islander motored his small skiff out into the harbor to spend time with friends on a sailboat that was anchored in Silver Lake. After several hours of congenial conversation and a few drinks the islander stepped back into his skiff, cast off his line, pushed away from the sailboat, and pulled the cord on his outboard.

Unfortunately, he had neglected to set his controls to neutral. As soon as the engine fired the skiff took off, and the islander fell over backwards into the harbor. The unmanned skiff made a wide circle and headed back towards the islander who was treading water. The islander dove deep as the skiff roared past him, just overhead.

"I'm alright, buck!" he yelled as he came back up for air. He hardly had time to collect himself before he saw the skiff headed back to him. He dove under the water and the skiff went by again.

"I'm alright, buck!" he called out once more. 'Round and 'round went the skiff. The islander finally swam back to the safety of the sailboat.

I can't remember if the skiff ran out of gas, or if they were able to catch up to it with the sailboat's dingy. Regardless, it is an enduring image!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Rondthalers of Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.

Candy Pull

Back in the latter half of the 1800s and in the early part of the twentieth century Ocracoke young people periodically gathered for candy pulls, an important social gathering of the time.

Elizabeth Williams Howard ("Miss Bessy," 1892-1970) contributed the following recipe to the old "Ocracoke Cookbook":

Molasses Candy
1 cup molasses
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
a little butter & vanilla

Boil 10 minutes then cool enough to pull.

Maybe some of our readers will be able to get kids away from their electronic devices long enough to have an old-time candy pull. If so, let us know how it goes!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Rondthalers of Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.

It Were

One very distinctive feature of Ocracoke grammar is the use of "were" for "was." Typical island expressions include comments like "I think it were, buck" and "It weren't me." If you spend much time around islanders it won't be long before you hear this construction.

Not long ago I had dinner with friends who have lived on the island for several decades. They told me this story:

Years ago a couple from off the island purchased a rather large tract of land in the village. Down a sandy path they built a home and a workshop, surrounded by cedars, live oaks, and other vegetation. Their property adjoined an undeveloped tract owned by a native islander.

The islander would periodically visit his property, taking the most convenient path which passed by his new neighbors' home and shop. Their relationship was cordial, and the newcomers always waved and greeted the islander as he walked or biked through.

One afternoon the new property owner was sitting outside in the shade enjoying island life. When the islander walked past the newcomer remarked, "It sure is quiet and peaceful back here."

Without missing a beat the islander replied with just two words.

"It were," he said.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Rondthalers of Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.

Easter

Today at 10:45 am the Annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held on the lawn of the Ocracoke United Methodist Church. All children and their families are invited to participate.

Tonight "Ocracoke Alive" presents its annual OcraFolk Festival Easter Fundraising Concert at 7:30 at the Community Center. Cost is $15 for adults, and $7 for children. Come on out for music, stories, and tasty treats. Coffee will be served.

Tomorrow a throng of people will gather at the Lifeguard beach for the annual Easter Sunrise Service sponsored by the Ocracoke Methodist Church and the Ocracoke Assembly of God.

These rituals have been part of Ocracoke's spring tradition for many decades. Easter services will be held tomorrow at 11am at both local churches.

Happy Easter to all of our readers.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Rondthalers of Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.

WWII & a Whale

On March 26 I wrote a blog post about the sinking of the Dixie Arrow on that date in 1942.

I recently read an on-line article by Drew Wilson about Cherry Point Marine Base Air Station, "The Summer of '42." In the article Richard DeCharms IV, who is now 83 years old, relates stories of 1942, when World War II came to the coast of North Carolina. DeCharms mentions the military's admonition, "Loose lips sink ships."

I was intrigued by the following two paragraphs:

"DeCharms said he went on one trip with his father to Ocracoke where a runway was to be built for pilots to go out and find the German subs.

"'One day every plane they had, it seemed like, went out one day. I was down on the beach and saw them going out, just plane after plane that day. Father came home and we thought half the German submarines were out there,' DeCharms said. 'He got home and he said "I guess I can tell you this," he said. "It’s the saddest thing. They went out there and they killed a whale. They bombed a whale." So that’s the one thing he told us.'"

You can read the entire article here: http://www.havenews.com/articles/summer-9525--.html


Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Rondthalers of Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.

Colus Ventricosus

Recently, while strolling along the beach, I picked up a 3 inch long, rather robust, but worn and broken seashell. I couldn't identify it, so I carried it home to do a little research.

Stout Colus?

It appears to be a Colus Ventricosus, otherwise known as a Stout Colus. The description in the only shell book I have that lists this shell (A Field Guide to the Shells of Our Atlantic and Gulf Coasts by Percy A. Morris) says it is a "deep-water form, found off the coast of northern Maine."

I am wondering if any of our readers can tell me if I am correct. Because of the confluence of the Gulf Stream and the Labrador Current we sometimes find shells that are more common in distant waters.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story Alice and Theodore Rondthaler of Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.

Portsmouth Island Homecoming

Every two years Friends of Portsmouth Island (http://friendsofportsmouthisland.org/fopi/) and the Cape Lookout National Seashore sponsor a Homecoming celebration at Portsmouth Village. The date this year is Saturday, April 28.

Events will include a hymn sing in the Methodist Church, a program under the tent in the village, and a potluck dinner on the grounds. Please bring food to share and a beverage. The post office will be open for business, and a special cancellation will be offered. A highlight of the day will be a ribbon cutting for the newly restored Henry Pigott House.

Henry Pigott's House

Rudy and Donald Austin will be operating a passenger ferry service that day. Cost is $20 per person, round trip. Call 252-928-4361 for reservations.

For more information please visit the Friends of Portsmouth Island web site (http://friendsofportsmouthisland.org/fopi/), or call Richard Meissner (252-728-2250, ext. 3008).

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Rondthalers of Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.

Baby's Ear

Babys' ears are cute. Everyone knows that. And there is a beautiful little shell that is commonly found on Ocracoke's beach that looks much like a baby's ear.

This small (ca. 1 inch long), flat, white gastropod (a snail-like, one shelled animal) is found from Virginia to the West Indies. The live animal almost completely surrounds the shell. The shells are common on Outer Banks beaches. They are relatively sturdy, so they are most often found unbroken.

The scientific name of this species is Sinum perspectivum (Say).

Baby's Ear Shell

You might want to look for these cute little shells on your next walk on the beach.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Rondthalers of Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.

Ghost & History Walking Tours

Our 2012 Ocracoke Ghost & History Walking Tours will resume tomorrow. They are scheduled for Tuesday and Friday evenings beginning at 7:30 on the porch of Village Craftsmen on Howard Street. We offer two distinct tours. The "Around Creek" tour explores the northern side of the village, including the area of the Methodist Church and the British Cemetery. The "Down Point" tour goes past the Island Inn, to the lighthouse, and back down Lawton Lane. Both tours include stops at the graveyards on Howard Street.

Each tour takes about an hour and a half. We make 8 - 10 stops on each walk to share island history, ghost tales, and stories.

Reservations are not required, but they are highly recommended, especially during the busiest times of the season.

Adults are $12. Children 6-12 are $6. Children 5 and under are free. We hope to see you on one of our tours!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Rondthalers of Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.

Fulgurites & Fanciful Formations

Fulgurites are among the more unusual objects that are occasionally found on Ocracoke. Formed when lightning strikes the beach and fuses the sand into irregular lumps of glass, small fulgurites are sometimes not even recognized as anything unusual (you can read more about fulgurites here). That was not the case several days ago when visitors were walking along the beach north of the pony pen. They stumbled upon a very strange formation of fulgurites.

Three rather large circles of fused sand were arranged as on the points of an imaginary triangle. Surrounding the fulgurite circles was a much larger indented circle, as if a powerful wind had carved out a two foot wide trench. Word quickly spread throughout the village, and soon a horde of people were traipsing all over the configurations, threatening to destroy much of the design, and picking up many small fulgurites. Fortunately, it didn't take long for the Park rangers to seal off the area to protect the strange circles.

No one knows what caused the unusual formation, but theories and speculations abound. The most popular idea is that aliens landed a spaceship on Ocracoke beach. More sober minds are looking for a perfectly natural explanation, perhaps an unusual lightning strike (we did have a thunderstorm recently), or even an elaborate hoax.

News crews from several eastern North Carolina TV stations were on the island yesterday. You can read their reports, and see photographs of the unusual formations here.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Rondthalers of Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032112.htm.