Blue Water

For years folks have told me how beautiful the water is in the Gulf Stream. Friday I had an opportunity to experience it for myself. In the photos below you can see the difference between near-shore and off-shore water.

I took this photo as we were returning to Ocracoke. You can see the island in the distance. The water was that familiar blue-green color.

I took this picture when we were in the Gulf Stream. The water was a deep, rich blue...almost indigo.

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is an account of Infant & Childhood Mortality on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news072113.htm.

Coming of Age

Friday & Saturday at 8:30 p.m. Lou Ann, Marcy, & Sundae will be presenting an evening of music and storytelling at the Deepwater Theater on School Road.

This weekend, decades after these women's "coming of age," you will be entertained with vintage tunes and "humorous and poignant tales from one girl's experience" in  "A Baptist Girl's Guide to Love and Happiness."

Lou Ann

Marcy

Sundae

Tickets are $7.00 each, and are available at the door. Come on out, and be prepared for an entertaining evening of music and storytelling.

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is an account of Infant & Childhood Mortality on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news072113.htm.

Fish

Yesterday I posted a photo of me and the dolphinfish I reeled in while out in the Gulf Stream with new friends on the charter boat Gecko. Below are a few more photos from our trip. (By the way, the fish dinners we prepared were outstanding!)

Brian, James, Andy & Philip back at the dock

Our Catch: 3 Dolphin, 1 King Mackerel & 1 Wahoo

Capt. Ernie Filleting the Fish

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is an account of Infant & Childhood Mortality on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news072113.htm.

Dolphinfish

For many years I have wanted to see the Gulf Stream, but just never made arrangements to do so. This past Thursday I made the acquaintance of an incredibly gracious family from Salisbury, NC. In the course of our brief conversation, I mentioned my desire to go off shore. Immediately the family patriarch invited me to join him and his son and son-in-law the next morning on the sport fishing boat Gecko.

 "Be down at the docks at 5:30," he admonished me. "Oh, by the way," he added, "you don't get seasick do you?" As a matter of fact, I have never been seasick, although I've been in some pretty rough seas on Pamlico Sound. I conveyed firm assurances of my stomach's hardiness lest the invitation be withdrawn.

Capt. Ernie Doshier and his mate, Rob, provided an outstanding full day experience. I even reeled in a respectable sized dolphinfish. Since this was my first off-shore fishing adventure, Capt. Ernie wanted to be sure to get a photo to prove that I was now a true fisherman.

 

Look for more about the fishing trip, several other photos, and more observations about the Gulf Stream in upcoming posts.

For more information about the sport fishing vessel Gecko, and other Ocracoke charter boats click here http://www.ocracokevillage.com/Fishing.html.

Oh, by the way, I did not get seasick.

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is an account of Infant & Childhood Mortality on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news072113.htm.

Loop Shack Hill

Ocracoke Island played a significant role in World War II. German U-boats attacked and sank dozens of US merchant vessels off shore...and the Navy constructed a sizable military base here in 1942, part of the Navy's successful effort to thwart further submarine attacks.

Many people know about the main base, located where the NPS Visitors Center is today. Fewer are aware of the installation on Loop Shack Hill, where the Navy monitored an underwater anti-submarine magnetic cable and maintained sensitive communications with other military installations. Many islanders believe the Park Service should recognize these historic structures, which today are merely ruins.

Below are some recent photos of the remaining structures.

The Base of the Loop Shack

Remnants of a Communications Tower

A Communications Building?

Concrete Foundations

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is an account of Infant & Childhood Mortality on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news072113.htm.

Soap Bubbles

Tree forts may captivate most boys, but soap bubbles are a fascination for boys and girls.

For our float in this year's Ocracoke Island July 4th parade we purchased a bubble machine. Of course, we had to test it out the day before the parade. The perfect opportunity arose when Lou Ann's two granddaughters walked into the yard (they were visiting and staying in the rental cottage across the lane).

They had a grand time chasing bubbles and trying to catch them. It's nice to know that children still enjoy simple pleasures.

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is an account of Infant & Childhood Mortality on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news072113.htm.

A Blessed Life

Many of our readers know Della Gaskill. She operates a small gift shop on her property next to the Assembly of God Church. Della was born on Ocracoke in 1937, and she has many stories to tell about "Growing up on Ocracoke Island" (that's the subtitle of her new book, A Blessed Life).

Della's book is full of fascinating local lore, island history, first-hand stories, and vintage photos. Chapter titles include "Hotcakes, Turtle Stew and Other Recipes for Love," "World War II Comes to Ocracoke," "The Storm of '44 and Other Storms at Ocracoke," "School Days," "The Ocracoke Ponies," "Figs, Figs and More Figs," and much more.

Della Gaskill

You can order a copy of Della's book directly from our web  site (http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/islandbooks.htm#ablessedlife), or purchase a copy at our store on Howard Street...or buy one from other merchants on the island. You'll be glad you did. A Blessed Life is the most recent addition to a wide selection of books about Ocracoke. This one is told by an island native, and that makes it extra special.

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is an account of Infant & Childhood Mortality on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news072113.htm.

Marsden Mats

A year and a half ago I published a blog post about WWII landing mats that were used on Ocracoke. Below is a photo I took last month. This twisted piece of rusty metal may not look like much, but it is actually something of an historic artifact.

These Marsden Mats were originally developed by the US military during WWII for use as temporary runways and landing strips. Approximately 2 million tons of this material was produced, at a cost of about $200 million.

After the war these landing mats were laid down on island soft sand to serve as roads. In 1957 a three mile section of landing mats at the north end of the island joined the nearly completed hard surface road (NC12) that, for the first time, connected Ocracoke village to Hatteras Inlet.

This twisted artifact now rests near Loop Shack Hill, one site of the Navy's Ocracoke Island military installation here during WWII.

I will include a few photos of the remains of these buildings in a future post.

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is an account of Infant & Childhood Mortality on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news072113.htm.

Tree Fort

What could be more fun for a couple of young boys than building their own tree fort? Last week Lachlan and his cousin Eakin collected scraps of plywood, 2X4s and other lumber from my tool shed and from under my house...and commenced construction of their very own elevated perch, one that Tom Sawyer would have been proud of.

Eakin & Lachlan

 The best part about this project is that no adults were involved! It's pretty well hidden, but if you look carefully you might catch a glimpse of it while walking down Lawton Lane.

 Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is an account of Infant & Childhood Mortality on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news072113.htm.

Mystery Pendant

This 14K gold pendant was found on Ocracoke some years ago. I just learned about it...and thought maybe I could help return it to its owner. A little research revealed that close to 40,000 of these pendants were created, but each one is unique (well, actually two are identical...created for identical twins).

The symbols on the pendant are personalized for the purchaser. They show the planetary positions at the date, time, and place of the customer's birth.

There are 17 symbols on this pendant. You can see the last 10 in the photo (Uranus, Cancer, Pluto, Virgo, Neptune, Sagittarius, Jupiter, Venus, Capricorn, & Moon). If you can identify the first seven symbols, or otherwise verify that this pendant is yours (tell us exactly where on the island, and when, you lost it) we will send it back to you.

I know this is a long shot...but who knows, maybe we can locate the owner.

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is an account of Infant & Childhood Mortality on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news072113.htm.

Infant & Childhood Mortality

It is not a very pleasant subject, but visitors frequently ask about the large number of young children who died on Ocracoke Island, especially during the nineteenth century. Any perusal of the more than 80 island cemeteries will yield evidence of many such deaths.

Sacred to the Memory of
Warren O. Wahab
Sept. 10, 1833 – Sept. 14, 1842
These ashes poor
This little dust,
Our Father’s care shall keep;
Till the last angel rise and break
The long and dreary sleep.

 This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a brief account of a number of graves of Ocracoke children, speculations about cause of death, availability of medical care, and accompanying photos. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news072113.htm.

Hula Hoop Queen

Many of our readers also follow Lou Ann's blog. We stopped at an arts and crafts fair the other day when we were on Hatteras Island. One of the booths had hand-made hula hoops for sale. Lou Ann asked me to make a short video of her hula hooping as a celebration of her 1,000th blog post.

You can watch the 56 second video here:
http://louannhoman.blogspot.com/2013/07/in-celebration-of-my-1000th-blog-post.html

Dragonflies

[The following few paragraphs are a reprint of a blog post from several years ago titled "Skeeter Hawks." I am publishing it again because dragonflies have been flitting about in the village recently.]

For several days now dragonflies have been darting through the air around Ocracoke in great numbers. Intrigued, I did a little research on these beautiful creatures. I learned that Alfred Lord Tennyson described the dragonfly as a "living flash of light." Definitely an appropriate appellation. Their iridescent wings make them look like creatures from a childhood fairy tale.

A Blurry Photo of a Fast-Moving Dragonfly

Pat Garber's book, Ocracoke Wild, relates folklore about dragonflies from Arizona, South America, and medieval Europe.

Dragonflies are insects belonging to the Order Odonata. I did not know that they are the oldest surviving order of flying insects. As Pat explains, "300 million years ago giant dragonflies with wingspans approaching three feet hovered over swamps and bogs, the largest flying insects of all time."

I also did not know that as larvae (called nymphs) they spend two to five years as aquatic beings, moving along the bottoms of marshes and creeks eating small creatures. They spend only a few weeks as flying insects, but as aviators they are amazing, sometimes reaching speeds of 30 miles per hour or more.

Ocracokers love dragonflies because they are voracious eaters of small "bugs," especially mosquitoes. Hence the local name "Skeeter Hawks." As larvae they also consume great quantities of mosquito "wrigglers."

You can read more in Pat's book.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a photo gallery of past July 4th parade photos. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news062113.htm.

Seven Bridges

There are stars
In the Southern sky
Southward as you go
There is moonlight
And moss in the trees
Down the Seven Bridges Road

The lyrics above are from the popular Eagles song, "Seven Bridges Road." It was a fun song to sing while driving down NC12 from the Pony Pen to the NPS campground. There were seven bridges over seven creeks: Try Yard Creek, Parker's Creek, Old Quawk's Creek (also known as Quoke's Point Creek), Molasses Creek, Old Hammock Creek, Shad Hole Creek, and Island Creek. 

Recently I received this email from a reader: "We've been regular visitors on OI for 30 some years and last week it struck me that there once were 7 creeks between Hatteras ferry and the federal campground. Am I looney or right? Try Yard, Parker's, Quork Point, Molasses, Old Hammock, Island and _______. If not my memory then what am I missing?"

Our reader was missing Shad Hole Creek. It took our reader a few years to notice the demise of Shad Hole Creek. What has happened to it?

When our old wooden bridges were replaced several years ago it was noted that Shad Hole Creek had pretty much dried up...and there was no longer a need for a bridge there. The bridge was replaced with a culvert. Even that is superfluous today.

We can still sing the old Eagles song as we drive that stretch of highway...and remember when it could legitimately be called the Seven Bridges Road. Maybe it was even the inspiration for the Eagles' song. Really, it could have been. At least I like to think so.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a photo gallery of past July 4th parade photos. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news062113.htm.

Wooden Pegs

Several days ago I shared a photo of some of the hand-forged iron nails that were retrieved from my house (built ca. 1865) when it was rehabilitated in 2005.

Nails were not used to fasten the roof rafters, however. The rafters were joined by a mortise and tenon joint and fastened with a wooden peg.  Click on the photo below to see a larger image (the original rafters are grey; new, larger rafters have been "sistered" alongside them for additional strength).

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a photo gallery of past July 4th parade photos. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news062113.htm.

Patsy Lab

I walked into the Health Clinic a couple of days ago, and sat down as far away from the one other patient as possible. "I don't want to infect you with what I've got," I said. "It's no fun...nasal and chest congestion, headache, listlessness."

"Oh, don't worry," my neighbor said, "I've got the Patsy Lab, too. My head feels like it's going to explode."

"The Patsy Lab is the umbrella of disease.  When you have the Patsy Lab it means you're bad off," said Jason Wells, as quoted this winter in the Ocracoke Current. No one seems to know where the term originated, but I'm nearly 100% sure it is a uniquely Ocracoke Island expression. If any of our readers has more to add, please leave a comment. In the meanwhile I'm staying home, resting, and drinking plenty of fluids.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a photo gallery of past July 4th parade photos. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news062113.htm.

Bird Houses

This summer I have been delighted to have another grandchild on the island. Eakin Howard is fourteen years old and has been making and selling birdhouses. You may have seen him (or my son Stefen) at their outdoor booth on the corner of Lawton Lane and NC12.

Eakin uses a variety of colors to create quite an assortment of attractive bird houses. Each house is topped with a license plate roof. Popular designs include college and university logos, pirate themes, beach scenes, and hobby designs.

However, the most popular roof is a custom designed "Ocracoke" plate.

If you are walking, biking, or driving down NC12 this summer, stop by and say hello. You might even find a birdhouse in just the right color combination for your yard or rec. room.

(To view larger, better quality images in Internet Explorer do a right click on the image, then "Open Link in New Tab," then left click on that image to enlarge. In Firefox, do a left click on the image, then a right click to "View Image." Then a left click on photo to enlarge.)

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a photo gallery of past July 4th parade photos. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news062113.htm.

Dockside Talks

This summer visitors to Ocracoke have an opportunity to learn more about island sailing traditions at the Community Square docks.

Free dockside presentations are scheduled for three times a week aboard the skipjack Wilma Lee.

Sponsored by the Ocracoke Island non-profit organization, Ocracoke Alive, the talks include the following:

Tuesdays at 11 a.m.: "The Story of the Wilma Lee" Take a tour and learn about this beautiful historic wooden boat with Tom Pahl.

Wednesdays at 1 p.m.: "Pirate Tales & Fiddle Music" True lies and lotsa "arrrrr." with Captain Rob & Fiddler Dave. 

Thursdays at 11 a.m.: "Sailboats on the Sound" Hear salty tales and learn about the colorful history of sailing vessels on Pamlico Sound with Philip Howard.

Programs will take about 1/2 hour and are free to the public. Come to the docks at the Community Square where you'll find the Wilma Lee.

Content and schedule are subject to change.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a photo gallery of past July 4th parade photos. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news062113.htm.

Broken Wrist

Some of our readers have heard about Lou Ann's mishap. Three weeks ago, just as she was sharing one of the last stories on her Ghost and History Walk, two scary creatures jumped out from behind the bushes on Howard Street. Startled, Lou Ann stepped back, stumbled in a pot hole, fell, and broke her wrist. The culprits ran off.

After an ambulance trip to the hospital in Nags Head, and two visits with the orthopedist in Kill Devil Hills (who has a second home on Ocracoke), we are feeling rather confident that the doctor's manipulations and Lou Ann's purple cast will keep her out of the surgery room.

It's no fun to spend the summer in a cast...but things could be worse...and they could be better, too, of course, but Lou Ann is back to work leading her tours.  Take a look at our Ghost Tour web site for more information.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a photo gallery of past July 4th parade photos. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news062113.htm. 

Wood-Fired Pizza Oven

There is a new game in town for fresh-baked pizza. Randy White, brick mason and jack-of-all-trades, has built a beautiful brick, wood-fired pizza oven at Dajio's restaurant.

Randy White & Friends

Lou Ann and I stopped by this past Thursday evening to observe as they baked their very first pizzas. It is an impressive operation...and the pizza (we were served a shrimp & scallop pizza) was superb.

Be sure to stop by and try a delicious pizza baked in Randy's new wood-fired oven!

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a photo gallery of past July 4th parade photos. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news062113.htm.

Nails

The following photo shows 10 hand-made iron nails that came out of my house when it was rehabilitated in 2005. The other nail is bronze.

The bronze nail was recently unearthed in the yard of another small cottage on Howard Street. The house was built ca. 1840, and we think the bronze nail is one one of several that once helped fasten beams in a sailing ship, and were then re-used in building the house.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a photo gallery of past July 4th parade photos. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news062113.htm.

Mercury

Tomorrow is the 200^th anniversary of the US Revenue Service Cutter Mercury escaping the invasion of Ocracoke by the British in the War of 1812. A new historical marker will be dedicated at 11 a.m. on NC 12 in the village.

At 2 p.m. the public is invited to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras for a presentation by US Coast Guard historian Bill Thiesen on USRS cutter service along the North Carolina coast during the War of 1812.

The Museum will also have a model of the Mercury on display as well as an exhibition on USRS cutters. “The Mercury is extremely important,” says Museum director Joseph Schwarzer. “It was built on Ocracoke and on top of that, the Mercury was the only vessel to escape Cockburn’s raid during the War of 1812.”

Model of the Mercury by Jim Goodwin

You can read more about the Mercury, Ocracoke, and the War of 1812 here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102112.htm.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a photo gallery of past July 4th parade photos. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news062113.htm.

Parade Photos

Many thanks to Ben Spain who sent me the following photos from our Independence Day Parade, 2013. 

To view larger, better quality images in Internet Explorer do a right click on the image, then "Open Link in New Tab," then left click on that image to enlarge.

In Firefox, do a left click on the image, then a right click to "View Image." Then a left click on photo to enlarge.

Enjoy!

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a photo gallery of past July 4th parade photos. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news062113.htm.

More Coastal Geology

Recently I wrote about the age of the Outer Banks. Here is another paragraph from geologist Stan Riggs. This information may not seem particularly exciting, but I think it's fascinating to contemplate how & when these islands formed.

"About 5,500 to 5,000 years ago, small barrier islands began to develop along the interstream-divide headlands in the vicinity, but seaward of the modern barrier islands.... By about 3,000 years ago, the barrier islands began to resemble those of today. The barriers grew laterally along headland areas and into the adjacent valleys. This elongation changed the broad openings of the valley estuaries to small inlet channels, dramatically restricting estuarine dynamics. Extensive flood-tide deltas developed, and associated salt marshes and tidal creeks formed on the [flood tide deltas] inside the inlets." (The Battle for North Carolina's Coast, page 64.)

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a photo gallery of past July 4th parade photos. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news062113.htm.

2013 Parade

Several people have asked to see pictures of the 2013 Ocracoke July 4th parade. We participated in the parade (even won "Best New Float")...but never had a chance to make photos of other entries. I looked on line, hoping to post a link to someone else's photos or videos, but I couldn't find any. I am sure some will be posted soon. Please leave a comment if you locate any. In the meanwhile here are two pictures Lou Ann took of our entry at the end of the parade.

The Ocracoke Current has posted an article and photos of the Sand Sculpture Contest here: http://www.ocracokecurrent.com/66866

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a photo gallery of past July 4th parade photos. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news062113.htm.

Another Outdoor Shower

Regular readers of this blog have heard about (and seen photos of) my outdoor shower. Many houses on the island have outdoor showers. I just happened to have my camera with me several days ago when I was visiting with neighbors, so I snapped two pictures of their "truly outdoor" shower.

Boardwalk and Towel Pegs

Shower Head Attached to a Cedar

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a photo gallery of past July 4th parade photos. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news062113.htm.