Beryl & OVFD

It rained almost all day yesterday, sometimes a heavy downpour, sometimes just a drizzle or a light mist. It was windy at times, but never severe...probably 30-35 mph at the most. We were treated to this beautiful rainbow about 7:30 last night:

Photo by David Davenport

Now we are hoping the ground will dry out (and that we don't get more rain) so that everyone can enjoy the Festival this weekend.

In other news, I received this email from the Ocracoke Fire Protection Association:

 
"The auctions brought in a total of $20,636 (the silent auction brought in $1981 and the live auction brought in $18,655.)

After paying the bills, we have made $48,494.06 so far. We have a small amount of donations to be turned in. We are awaiting payment from 10 sponsors. We anticipate finishing with approximately $57,000 this year. We are thrilled to have had such a good event. So many people made this a very successful fundraiser and it takes us a step closer to constructing the new building. People from Ocracoke and off the island worked together to make all this happen. Thanks to everyone who became a 2012 sponsor, volunteered their help, donated items to the auctions, bought a meal or an item in the auctions, or came and enjoyed some great music. All of you did a great job! It takes a community to protect a community."

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a list of a few traditional Ocracoke Island recipes. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052112.htm.

Pot Holders

Back in the early 1970s I taught school on the island. It was fun, but often a challenge, especially because Kathy and Rena Dell were in my class. Many mornings they would walk into the classroom, plop down in a chair and sigh.

"Philip Howard, we're wore out," they would announce. I never wanted to know why!

Of course, daily interactions with Kathy, Rena Dell, and the rest of the students was a great experience. Over the years we've joked and carried on about one thing or another. Kathy continues to tease me that I once promised to invite her and Rena Dell to my house for a dinner of barbecued chicken necks.

Kathy is now married to Tommy Hutcherson who owns and operates the Variety Store. A few days ago Kathy grabbed my arm and led me over to a display of pot holders she recently had printed. "If you buy one of my pot holders for Lou Ann," she announced, trying to bribe me, "you won't have to make me those chicken necks."

Well, I did buy a pot holder. And you can, too. They come in blue and green, and have a recipe for delicious Ocracoke Island fish cakes printed on them. They are only $5.99, a great buy!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a list of a few traditional Ocracoke Island recipes. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052112.htm.

Mishap

Some people will do anything to get in the news. All I did was drive into the ditch. Yes, that is my pickup truck...and I was the driver. It may look like a case of reckless drunken driving, but I was just turning around to park alongside the road Saturday when my right front tire dropped into the ditch. I think the state troopers were reluctant to believe me at first, but they didn't even give me a breathalyser test. Darn, I wanted to be in the Police Blotter (innocent, of course) in the Ocracoke Current.

You can read the whole story here: http://www.ocracokecurrent.com/33563

Photo by Jenny Scarborough

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a list of a few traditional Ocracoke Island recipes. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052112.htm.

Memorial Day

In honor of all who have served our country, especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Out of the Box

This year the OcraFolk Music & Storytelling Festival has embarked on a creative new fundraising project. About three dozen islanders and friends of Ocracoke picked up five pieces of wood from committee members several months ago. Any conventional person could make a simple box with the pieces. However, everyone was encouraged to think "outside of the box" to create a distinctive work of art. Some of these "boxes" will be auctioned off at the festival; others will be sold on Ebay. Below are photos of some of the early submissions (any idea which one is mine? -- no fair peeking at the file names!).

For more information about the boxes and their creators, and to see more boxes as they come in, click on this Festival Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ocrafolk-Music-Storytelling-Festival/210781592277504?ref=tn_tnmn

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a list of a few traditional Ocracoke Island recipes. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052112.htm.

Capsized Boat

I received the following email message last night at 9 pm. We are glad there were no deaths. And hoping for a full recovery for the one person in serious condition. Many thanks to our local and national rescue personnel.

Hyde County, North Carolina May 25, 2012 9 PM

Boat Capsizes in Hatteras Inlet; 4 Passengers Carried to Ocracoke Shore On Friday, May 25, at approximately 7 pm, a call came in to Hyde County Dispatch reporting a capsized 23' Grady White boat near the Hatteras Inlet. The 4 passengers of the boat were carried by ocean current two miles south onto Ocracoke beach shore. One patient was transported to a local hospital via Coast Guard helicopter after receiving treatment from Hyde County EMS and Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department. He was reported to be in serious condition at that time. The other three passengers did not need further care at that time. This was a collaborative rescue effort by the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department, National Park Service, US Coast Guard, and Hyde County EMS. It was reported that the boat capsized due to rough seas.

Horses

Here is a saying that was once very common on Ocracoke. I still hear it now and then, but not very often.

"They don't set horses."

I wonder if any of our readers know what it means. Leave a comment if you do.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a list of a few traditional Ocracoke Island recipes. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052112.htm.

Firemen's Ball

Coming right up -- this Saturday, May 26 -- is the 7th Annual Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department's Firemen's Ball. Held at the Community Center beginning at 5 o'clock, the Ball is a fun-filled event featuring a Pig Pickin', Live and Silent Auctions (starting at 7 pm), and a Dance at 8:30.

The Ocracoke Rockers, The Aaron Caswell Band, and the Dune Dogs will be providing the music.

All funds raised help support the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department. You can visit their website at http://www.ocracokevfd.org/  for more information or to make a donation.

Hope to see you Saturday!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a list of a few traditional Ocracoke Island recipes. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052112.htm.

Ocracoke Brogue Segment

For those of our readers who missed Monday's CBS segment with Mo Rocca about accents and the Ocracoke brogue, here is a link to that episode:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7409252n

Many thanks to "Debbie S" who alerted me to the video.

One other thing -- if you see Amy Howard today wish her a Happy Birthday! I won't tell you how old she is but there is a 4 and a 0 involved. I don't know how this happened.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a list of a few traditional Ocracoke Island recipes. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052112.htm.

Nookd

Today's post departs from my stated mission to provide a glimpse into daily island life...except so far as it reflects my reaction to something I stumbled across in my reading.

Some weeks ago I decided that I wanted to read Tolstoy's War and Peace. Lou Ann loaned me her copy. At more than 1100 pages, reading it in bed required as much strength as balancing a box of bricks in my hands. In my senior years I have developed arthritis in my thumbs, which made the effort not only difficult, but painful.

I had read about half of the novel when I was given the gift of a Nook, the e-reader from Barnes and Noble. Although I am committed to supporting my neighborhood independent book store (Books to be Red), and enjoying honest-to-goodness books, the .99 Nook edition was so lightweight that it has made reading War and Peace a genuine pleasure. For those of you who have not tackled this tome as yet, it is a page-turner.

As I was reading, I came across this sentence: "It was as if a light had been Nookd in a carved and painted lantern...." Thinking this was simply a glitch in the software, I ignored the intrusive word and continued reading. Some pages later I encountered the rogue word again. With my third encounter I decided to retrieve my hard cover book and find the original (well, the translated) text.

For the sentence above I discovered this genuine translation: "It was as if a light had been kindled in a carved and painted lantern...."

Someone at Barnes and Noble (a twenty year old employee? or maybe the CEO?) had substituted every incidence of "kindled" with "Nookd!"

I was shocked. Almost immediately I found it hilarious...then outrageous...then both. It is definitely clever. But it raises many questions. E-books can be manipulated at will by the purveyors of the downloadable software. Here is a classic work of fiction (some claim it is the greatest novel every written) used for a sophomoric and/or commercial prank. What else might be changed in an e-book? Fears of manipulation for economic, political, religious, or other ideological ends come to mind. It makes one wary of the integrity of any digital version of not only War and Peace...but any e-book.

I searched the Internet for others who have found the same "revision" but was unsuccessful. Could it be that no one else has ever read this e-book version of War and Peace? Or has no one else brought the substitution to anyone's attention? Could some software programmer have altered just my copy?

I may never have answers to my questions, but I would like to hear our readers' reactions. Please leave a comment with your thoughts.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a list of a few traditional Ocracoke Island recipes. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052112.htm.

Recipes

We just published our latest Ocracoke Newsletter. I have shared a few island recipes on this blog in the past. This month I decided to reprint nine traditional Ocracoke recipes from three local cookbooks -- the "Green" cookbook published by the Methodist Church (available at the OPS museum), the "Yellow" cookbook also published by the Methodist Church (available from Village Craftsmen), and the "Hoi Toide" cookbook published by the volunteer fire department (unfortunately out of print).

Click on this link (www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052112.htm) to see the recipes, and to start putting a little bit of Ocracoke on your dining room table.

CBS

I just heard that CBS might be airing their Ocracoke segment with Mo Rocca tomorrow, Monday, May 21 on CBS This Morning. But then again, who knows?

Grace

As I was growing up my father always said a short prayer before our evening meal. It went like this:
"God bless us for what's for us, pardon our sins, and save us for Jesus' sake. Amen." It never varied, and was delivered rather flatly. My father had probably learned the prayer from his father, who may have learned it from his father....

It wasn't until I reached adulthood that it occurred to me that the prayer didn't really make sense. What did it mean to ask God's blessing for "what's for us?" After just a little bit of thought I realized that the original prayer was almost certainly, "God bless us and what is before us, pardon our sins, and save us, for Jesus' sake. Amen."

I guess it was the tradition and the feeling behind the words, not the meaning, that was most important to my father.

My mother's father, a Hungarian immigrant, was more pragmatic. At nearly every meal he would simply say, "We eat good in America!"

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.

OcraFolk Festival

We have some recent news about the upcoming 13^th annual OcraFolk Festival.

This year's Festival on June 1-3 will showcase some new and returning artists.

This is a free weekend presented by Ocracoke Alive. The Festival celebrates music, storytelling, and artisans from the NC coastal region and beyond.  An increasing buzz about this popular event has drawn even greater visitors over the past several years.  In fact, in the February 2012 issue of the nationally distributed magazine Coastal Living, the Ocrafolk Festival was rated as one of the top fifteen island festivals in the world.

The Hyde County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Melissa Joyner has noted that the festival attracts more than 2,000 people to the island.

“Everywhere we go, people know about the festival,” Joyner said.

The 2012 Ocrafolk Festival is also seeking private and business sponsorships of stages and performers, and is accepting applications for limited program advertisement.  The festival is financed solely upon donations, grants, merchandise sales and fundraising events to pay for the artists and production for the weekend. 

Interested contributors should visit the website at www.ocrafolkfestival.org and click on “Financial Sponsors” for more information, or contact the festival at info@ocrafolkfestival.org.  For an online information form visit www.ocrafolkfestival.org/files/OcrafolkFestival_Donors_E.pdf.  Although the press deadline for contributors for inclusion in the program was April 30 (I neglected to post this earlier)  I am sure the Festival committee still welcomes your contribution, and would make every effort to recognize you appropriately during the event. 

New performers in 2012 include Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Jacob Johnson, Lizzy Ross, Shana Tucker, The Bernie Pettaway Trio, Carolina Lightnin’, & Banjo Island. The festival will also feature returning favorites Storyteller Donald Davis, Molasses Creek, Beleza, The Steel Wheels, L Shape Lot, The Green Grass Cloggers, Martin Garrish and the Ocracoke Rockers, Bob Zentz, Philip Howard, Lou Ann Homan, Capt. Rob Temple, The Ocrafolk Opry, Chainsaw Artist Clyde Jones, Jef the Mime, The Ocracoke Jazz Society, Rodney Kemp, Craicdown, John Golden, Aaron Caswell Band, The Ocrachicks, and the NC Marionette Theater. 

Artisans in and around the festival grounds will showcase fine arts and crafts in painting, sculpture, wood carving, jewelry, textiles and more.

For more details visit the festival website at www.ocrafolkfestival.org.

Ocracoke Alive, Inc., is a private non-profit committed to enrichment of the Ocracoke Island community through the encouraging and sponsoring cultural, artistic, educational, and environmental activities including the production of plays, musicals, musical events, exhibits, schools, workshops, and festivals.  For more information, visit the website at www.ocracokealive.org.

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.

??

Well, that was disappointing. I guess CBS This Morning ran out of time, and they cut the Ocracoke segment. I will let you know if I hear that the story will be aired later.

CBS & Ocracoke

I just learned that on Friday (that's May 18, 2012) Ocracoke will be featured on CBS This Morning sometime between 7 am and 9 am. Mo Rocca, who was on Ocracoke several months ago with Walt Wolfram, interviewed a number of islanders and school students about the Ocracoke brogue.

If I had known about this earlier I would have posted this notice several days ago. I hope at least a few of our readers get to see the program.

Skiff

Last weekend I launched my wooden skiff. It was built by my father, Lawton Howard, about 1976, and is one of the oldest traditional island boats in Ocracoke harbor. As you might imagine, preparing a wooden boat every spring to put back in the water requires quite a bit of work -- filling it with water to swell up the planking, sanding, painting, and routine repairs.

Captain Rob took this photo of my boat tied up to the Community Store dock.

Ocracoke Skiff

I have been having some problems with the outboard motor (it is almost 20 years old) so yesterday I pulled the boat out of the water to work on the motor. If you are on the island in the next few days you will likely see my boat on the lot next to Spencer's Market. But as soon as I get the motor working right I will be taking her out clamming.

Once she's back in the water, if you happen to walk down the Community Store dock stop briefly to admire my father's craftsmanship.

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.

Market

Saturday's Market at the Community Square was an all-around success. Even with limited ferry service because of shoaling at Hatteras Inlet, the market was well attended by residents and visitors alike.

Islanders brought weavings, children's clothing, paintings, drawings, baked goods, fig trees, and other garden plants to sell.

Ed Norvell made this photo of me offering pen & ink/watercolor sketches.

Philip & his Drawings

The market was great fun, and a wonderful way to keep the Community Square vibrant while new tenants are being sought for the Community Store. Many thanks to Merle Davis for coordinating the event.

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.

Berkley

When I mentioned the "newly renovated Berkley Manor" in Saturday's post I received several questions about this project. The renovation surprised islanders as much as readers of this blog. Because I missed the open house on Friday I couldn't reliably answer many of the questions people had.

On Monday the Ocracoke Current, our new on-line island "newspaper" reported that "between 20 - 38 men worked 7 days a week for 5 weeks to renovate the Berkley." Even though we had noticed the workmen, most of us had no idea of the extent and quality of the repairs.

The Current has the full story with photos showing the exterior and several of the rooms. You can read Jenny's well-written article here: http://www.ocracokecurrent.com/31742.

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.

Market Hunting & Plumes

With the development of the shotgun came an increase in waterfowl hunting. By the 19th century market hunting with shotguns allowed the taking of dozens of geese and ducks, sometimes by mounting several guns on a boat or sinkbox. In one day hundreds of birds could be killed, then shipped to northern markets. Because of such indiscriminate hunting practices the early 20th century saw a steep decline in migratory waterfowl and the beginning of a robust conservation movement. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and the Federal Duck Stamp Act of 1934 put an end to market hunting and the wholesale slaughter of waterfowl.

A couple of weeks ago I had an interesting conversation with a visitor to Ocracoke. Although market hunting was practiced on the Outer Banks, including Ocracoke, it was less economically feasible in isolated areas such as Ocracoke. Because of the greater distance to markets, it was more difficult to preserve the birds and more costly to ship them.

Some remote areas, I was told, resorted to plume hunting. In the early nineteenth century egret, heron, and other such fancy feathers were in demand by the military and makers of ladies' hats. Unlike whole birds, feathers could be stockpiled without preservatives, and shipped to markets at the convenience of the hunter. The bird carcasses were simply tossed aside once the feathers were harvested.

I was curious to know if any Ocracokers had ever been engaged as plume hunters. There has been little written about this almost forgotten enterprise, and I had never heard of any islanders who killed birds just for their feathers. I even asked Blanche about this. Blanche was born immediately after the Migratory Bird Treaty Act was passed, so the practice had been stopped for several years when she was growing up. Blanche told me she had never heard of anyone on Ocracoke engaged in market hunting for plumes. As one who loves wildlife and appreciates the natural world I am sure she is happy to know (or at least to believe) that plume hunting was never resorted to on the 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.

Hatteras Ferry Update

Last night I heard that a dredge began working at Hatteras Inlet yesterday.

According to the official NCDOT website (Saturday, Mary 12, 2012): "Hatteras ferry operations have resumed as of 3:15 pm. Taking light loads. [Call] 252.986.2353 for more [information]."

The extra runs from Swan Quarter will continue through Monday.

The weather has been superb, bright skies and mild temperatures. I went for a walk on the beach last night right at dusk. I wondered why I don't make that a regular part of my day. It was so quiet and peaceful.

This morning three blue jays have been flitting about in my yard. Life is good!

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.

Macbeth

Ocracoke Island might be isolated, laid-back, relaxed, and a bit quirky, but it is no cultural backwater. Ocracoke has a vibrant music and art scene...and a long history of theater and musicals. Just two years ago our high school, under the direction of Charles Temple, produced "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

This year Charles has put together a cast of outstanding local actors to bring us another Shakespeare production, "Macbeth."

As in the past, the play will be performed "en plein air," this time at the newly renovated Berkley Manor near the Ocracoke Preservation Museum. Opening night is Wednesday, May 16. Other performances will be on the 17th, 18th and 20th. All shows begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for children, and can be purchased in advance at the school office or at the door. 

You can read more about this production here: http://www.ocracokecurrent.com/31489

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.

Passion

Not many days ago I noticed a number of buds on the passion flower vine growing on my porch railing. Then earlier this week Amy pointed out several flowers that had burst into bloom. As spectacular as this flower is, it is sometimes difficult to notice. And each flower lasts only one day.

Even though my vine is not huge (the soil in my yard is poor, having been deposited here in 1942 when the Navy dredged Silver Lake) it is full of buds, so I should have these beautiful flowers for quite a while.

Passion Flower

The Passion flower takes its name from Christian symbolism relating to the Passion of Jesus (his trial, suffering, and crucifixion).

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.

Recent Ferry Information

NCDOT Announces Additional Weekend Departures Added to Swan Quarter Route to Assist Travelers to Ocracoke May 10, 2012

RALEIGH - To assist travelers while shoaling problems continue at the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry route, the N.C. Ferry Division has added two additional departures from both sides at the Swan Quarter-Ocracoke route this weekend. On Saturday, May 12, and Sunday, May 13, there will be a 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. departure from Swan Quarter, in addition to the already scheduled 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. departures. Also, there will be a 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. departure from Ocracoke, in addition to the already scheduled 7 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. runs. The Ferry Division will continue to monitor the channel and could possibly extend the extra runs. Also, Ocracoke and Hatteras residents can ride toll free on a space available basis until the channel is clear. They are asked to make a reservation and provide proof of residency. It was announced earlier this week that travelers using the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry route could encounter delays, load weight restrictions and possible suspensions due to extreme shoaling of the Hatteras Inlet channel. Suspensions have occurred daily. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working to resolve the problem, as the channel falls under federal jurisdiction. Travelers can make a reservation for the Swan Quarter-Ocracoke route by calling 800-BY-FERRY (293-3779) and pressing 2 or online at www.ncferry.org. To sign-up to receive messages on Twitter regarding suspensions or route changes, go to www.twitter.com/ncdot_ferry. ***NCDOT*** Lucy M. Wallace Communications Officer NCDOT - Ferry Division 8550 Shipyard Rd. Manns Harbor, NC 27953 252.473.3461 (work) 252.473.1490 (fax)

Ferries & British Cemetery Ceremony

Many of our readers may have already learned that ferry service across Hatteras Inlet has been hampered for several days because of shoaling in the inlet. It is often impossible to operate the ferries at times of low tide. If you will be traveling to or from Ocracoke we recommend that you contact the NCDOT Ferry Division for the latest information. You might also consider using the Swan Quarter ferry (but be sure to secure a reservation).

We understand that a dredge will be stationed at Hatteras Inlet soon. Once the channel is deepened normal ferry service will resume. We will let you know when that happens.

Rumors had been circulating that tomorrow's British Cemetery Ceremony will be cancelled because of the problems at Hatteras Inlet. This is NOT the case. The Coast Guard may not be in attendance, but as one of my neighbors put it, Ocracokers have been organizing and leading the ceremony since 1942. There is no reason to cancel it. With or without the participation of the Coast Guard or any other agency, the Ocracoke community will see that the ceremony takes place. We haven't lived on this island for so many generations without learning how to take care of ourselves.

We hope to see you there.

Homegrown, Handmade, Fresh-Caught Market

Some of our readers may know that the Community Store has been closed for a few months. For several years Susan & James did a wonderful job keeping the store open and preserving many of the best aspects of this traditional country store. Unfortunately, for personal reasons, they will no longer be leasing the property. The entire Community Square is in the process of being transferred to the Ocracoke Foundation, a local non-profit organization. Their plan is to revive the Community Store, provide public access to Silver Lake, encourage business opportunities for islanders, and make the Square a hub of activity for residents and visitors.

With that in mind, an open-air market is scheduled in the parking lot this coming Saturday, May 12, from 8 am to 11 am. (In the event of rain, the market will be held inside the Community Store.)

Local gardeners, fishermen, craftspeople, cooks, and artists have been invited to display and sell their wares.

If you are on the island, come on out to the Community Square and peruse the many items being offered for sale by creative residents of our community. We hope to see you there!

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.

Elizabeth Parsons

Elizabeth Williams Parsons was born and raised on Ocracoke Island. Some of our readers will remember her late husband, Roy Parsons, who played regularly in the Wednesday evening Opry shows at Deepwater Theater. Many years ago Elizabeth started a small business "down point" near the lighthouse. She calls her gift shop "Pamlico Gifts" and stocks it with a variety of items, including her own hand assembled shell wreaths and her original oil paintings.

Elizabeth Parsons Village Painting

Elizabeth is a self-taught folk artist who specializes in scenes of the Ocracoke she remembers from growing up on the island. She often includes depictions of the early post office, old general stores, the mailboat Aleta, and island churches. Be sure to visit Elizabeth when you are on the island. And tell her Philip sent you! While you are at it, stop across the street and purchase some of Della Williams Gaskill's jams and preserves (Della is Elizabeth's sister). You will be glad you did. Elizabeth and Della will give you a genuine Ocracoke Island experience.

You can also click on the photo above (or here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/parsons.htm) to purchase Elizabeth Parsons' paintings from Village Craftsmen. 100% of the purchase price goes to Elizabeth.

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.

British Cemetery

If you will be on the island this Friday, May 11, be sure to attend the 11 a.m. annual ceremony remembering the crew of Her Majesty's Armed Trawler, the Bedfordshire, which was torpedoed by a German submarine seventy years ago off the Outer Banks. All thirty-seven crew members died in the attack. Four bodies were recovered and buried on Ocracoke Island near the Williams family graveyard. The Union Jack flies over this small plot, the British Cemetery, which is considered "a corner of a foreign field that is forever England" (Rupert Brooke). Among the four bodies buried there are Sub-Lt. Thomas Cunningham, telegrapher Stanley Craig, and two unidentified seamen.

This year Cunningham's son, who was born after his father died, will be on the island to attend the ceremony which recognizes, not only the crew of the Bedfordshire, but all allied sailors who gave their lives in defense of our borders.

The ceremony is always a moving experience, a tribute to the servicemen who defended our shores, and to the islanders, Coast Guardsmen, and members of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum who have maintained the cemetery for seventy years and who keep alive the memories of these brave men.

You can read more here:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/05/07/3223462/seventy-years-later-ships-crew.html

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.

Windy

My, it was windy yesterday. It blew 15-20 mph all afternoon. Trees were dancing, flags were fluttering, and Pamlico Sound was sprinkled with white caps. The afternoon Hatteras ferries didn't even run until late in the day. Low tides, combined with the wind, kept the boats tied to the docks.

I pulled my boat to the NPS ramp, but decided it was too windy to launch her there. I chose the ramp at the Anchorage Hotel instead. It is not as convenienct because backing down the ramp blocks traffic, but at least I didn't have to contend with the wind and waves. I will post a photo or two of my newly painted skiff in the next day or so.

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.

First Clamming of the Season

I have been putting a lot of time & energy into getting my boat ready to launch - scraping, sanding, painting, etc. So I was ready for a change of pace when I was asked to join friends out in the sound yesterday raking for clams. We left the docks at 11 am, and returned about 1:30. Bringing home a bucket of clams was a nice treat, but the real appeal was the opportunity to wade in the water (it wasn't even cold), watch the birds dive for fish, and savor another gorgeous spring day.

I am hoping to launch my boat this afternoon (the new paint job gleams in the bright sunshine)...and then I can go clamming anytime I want!

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.

Bicycles

From The Story of Ocracoke Island, compiled by Calvin J. O'Neal, Alice K. Rondthaler, and Anita Fletcher, 1976:

"When they built the first road at Ocracoke [during World War II], someone on the mainland joked it would be 'mostly a sidewalk for pedestrians!' He was right about the pedestrians, but he failed to see how quickly the pedestrians would become bicyclers.

"The road was finished in August, 1950. School opened next month and the yard filled up with bicycles. Pupils who didn't have a bicycle for opening day waited eagerly for Santa Claus, and Santa Claus delivered generously. It was a grand new feeling, riding on the smooth hard cement, but of course, the bicycles were also ridden in the sand and salt, and in a year the great bicycle age lay mostly in the back yards, rusted."

Of course, as the years passed Ocracoke has embraced the bicycle even more enthusiastically. The bicycle has become the vehicle of choice for many islanders and visitors alike. Enjoy your ride!

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.

OISFT

For 29 years anglers have been descending on Ocracoke in May for the annual Ocracoke Island Surf Fishing Tournament. The two-day competition began yesterday for the 2012 catch and release event. This year 70 teams with more than 400 fishermen & fisherwomen will be on the beach from 8 - 11 a.m. and 1:30 - 4 p.m.

The event concludes this evening with a barbecue dinner under the tent at the Community Center, starting at 5:30. The community is invited to attend.

For more information click here: http://www.outerbankschamber.com/events/2012/05/02/community-event/ocracoke-surf-fishing-invitational/.

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.

Banker Ponies

For many years there has been speculation about the provenance of the Outer Banks ponies. Certainly the earliest colonists introduced horses to coastal North Carolina. And, of course, shipwrecks contributed their share of horses and ponies to Ocracoke, Hatteras, Cape Lookout, and Nags Head.

Although the Ocracoke ponies have been crossed with other breeds, Spanish mustangs provided much of the original breeding stock. No one knows how long these horses have been on the island -- maybe for as long as 350 years.

According to Earl O'Neal in his book, Wild Ponies of Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, "Part of the [Spanish] royal credula [of 1493 -- I am not sure what a "credula" is although it is a Latin term from which we derive the English words "credulous" and "creed."]...reads: '...We command that certain vessels be prepared to send to the Islands and to the mainland which has been newly discovered in the Ocean sea in that part of the Indies, and to prepare these vessels for the Admiral Don Christopher Columbus...and among the other people we are commanding to go in these vessels there will be sent twenty lancers with horses...and five of them shall take two horses each, and these two horses which they take shall be mares.'"

So horses have been making the trans-Atlantic crossing for many years. The next time you visit the Ocracoke Pony Pasture keep in mind that those horses are likely descendants of some of the earliest colonial inhabitants.

 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.

Ocracoke Night Life

Yesterday I wrote about all of the activities that are available to us on Ocracoke. Please don't get me wrong -- that is only when we want to be engaged with activity. Take last night for another example. I walked through the village with a half dozen folks, sharing ghost and history stories. What a beautiful and quiet night it was. The half moon hung in the sky, casting soft shadows on sandy lanes. Every now and then a bicyclist passed by. A couple of dogs barked as we strolled down a footpath. Silhouettes of massive live oaks framed our walk down Howard Street. Several participants commented on how serene and calm island life can be.

Many of our readers know what I am talking about. Few other places provide a similar feeling.

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.

Springtime Activities

Sometimes people think there is little or nothing to do on Ocracoke. How mistaken that can be!

Just this past Saturday there was the Portsmouth Homecoming (boats ran back and forth between Ocracoke & Portsmouth from 8:30 am until late in the afternoon). Earlier in the morning Ocracoke hosted a 5K race and a Fun Run to benefit the school athletic program and our local radio station. In the evening students, teachers, parents, and community members attended the Ocracoke School prom.

Sunday afternoon found a large number of friends at a going away party for Susie, our island hair cutter. Later this week anglers from all over North Carolina and surrounding states will converge on Ocracoke for the annual Surf Fishing Tournament. All of these activities are in addition to ball games, family gatherings, church activities, and other community functions.

There is seldom a dull moment 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.