Clams

Raking for clams is a time-honored tradition on Ocracoke. Whether you take your boat out to Hog Shoal, or just wade along the sound shore, clamming is an activity that can feed both your stomach and your soul. Out in the water, under blue skies, with pelicans and gulls overhead, you walk along slowly, pushing your rake. When you hear that distinctive "clink" you dig your rake deeper, then pull back and up. You toss the clam into your basket.

Between clams you think and reflect. It is a good time to put life in perspective. Maybe you share a thought with your companions...maybe you keep it to yourself. Sometimes you stop simply to watch the ferry coming down the channel, or to follow a fishing boat motoring back to port with today's catch. That is enough.

When you have your legal limit you reluctantly head back home to open and cook your catch. More than likely your fellow clammers and their families join you that evening for steamed clams, clams casino, or deviled clams. However you fix them they will be delicious.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

A Picture...

...is worth a thousand words. Lou Ann took this photo when we were out in the boat this past summer. It is one of my very favorites. Enjoy!

(Click on photo to view a larger image.)

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

NC Highway 12

The following comment was posted on the NCDOT blog:
"Highway 12 will reopen at 5pm today. [Monday, October 10]..according to the Dare County web site, there will be no travel restrictions. 

Incoming visitors please know that Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo and some Avon residents are still dealing with the aftermath...two houses were being torn down even today. You may see some trash along Highway 12. There are huge mountains of debris in the NPS campground just south of Salvo. Emotionally, most people are not even close to recovery; they are still in survival mode. 

Thank you for respecting the locals' right to privacy (by not driving down side streets just to look at people's lives being torn apart.) Thanks especially for your thoughts and prayers, donations and good wishes. 

Welcome back! :) "

Tire Swing

Every kid should have a tire swing...so when Lachlan decided he wanted one we looked around to find the right tree. It wasn't easy. Neither his parents nor I have the perfect tree. But in my back yard there is a cedar that leans over (a long ago hurricane almost blew it down). I propped it up with a 4 X 4, and tied a long rope around the trunk high up.

Lachlan and I went to the dump. As luck would have it, they had just that morning hauled off all the old tires. So we went to Jimmy's garage. Jamie took Lachlan out back and let him pick out a used tire.

Back home we trimmed off a few dead branches from the cedar and tied the tire to the rope. We had found the ideal spot.  

Lachlan ran up the lane to tell his friend Gretchen. In a matter of minutes they were back, playing on the tire swing.

"'Tis a gift to be simple."

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

Spanish Treasure Ship

On page one of his small book, Pieces of Eight, Coins, and Ocracoke, Paul Mosher relates the story of the Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe a "Spanish treasure ship laden with a million pieces of eight [that] limped into Ocracoke [on September 3, 1750] as the result of storm damage."

Mosher continues, "As if by a miracle, two empty sloops suddenly appeared and offered to take for a modest fee some of the chests of pieces of eight to the Spanish consulate in Norfolk for Commander [Don Juan Manuel de] Bonilla. He agreed and the two sloops were loaded. That evening they cut their anchor lines and slipped silently toward the inlet and were never seen again."

John Amrhein of Kitty Hawk, NC has devoted a new 396 page book to unraveling the mystery of this story. In the introduction to his book, Treasure Island, the Untold Story, Amrhein writes, "It happened in 1750...that a wealthy Spanish captain named Juan Manuel Bonilla and two Englishmen, Owen Lloyd and his one-legged brother, John, would chance to meet at sea... A huge treasure would soon change hands [at Ocracoke] -- involuntarily.

"The incredible chain of events that began to unfold in the aftermath of this fateful encounter would lead to the burial of Spanish treasure on an uninhabited Caribbean island, and...the most famous treasure map in the world, dated August 1750, would become the inspiration for a tale that would entertain millions of youngsters and adults alike for the next century. The map would also propel a struggling unknown writer to the limelight, making his name one of the most recognized in literary history: Robert Louis Stevenson."

Amrhein's book is divided into two parts. Part I traces the story of the treasure from the time it was loaded onto Bonilla's ship. He recounts the days when the crippled Spanish galleon wallowed helplessly near Ocracoke Inlet, during which time the Lloyd brothers absconded with the treasure. Amrhein then follows the stories of Bonilla's efforts to recover his chests of gold and the Lloyd brothers' flight, burial of the treasure in the Caribbean, capture, imprisonment, escape, and disappearance.

Part II connects the Guadalupe, Ocracoke, and the Caribbean with Robert Louis Stevenson, his classic book, Treasure Island, and the author's search for Owen Lloyd. Amrhein, with the help of various researchers, has pieced together a fascinating story with a remarkable snippet of history in which Ocracoke was a key player.

I was most interested in Part I because of the pivotal role that Ocracoke played in this often complicated drama. Although I sometimes had trouble keeping track of all the characters (ship captains, crew members, colonial governors, various officials, and others), I consider Treasure Island, the Untold Story a valuable addition to my Ocracoke Island library.

Amrhein has clearly done his homework (he has 44 pages of endnotes, many referencing original documents) and made numerous trips to the Virgin Islands for first-hand investigations. Some of his speculations (particularly regarding Owen Lloyd's last days), however, are suspect as the result of relying on visions from a psychic investigator. I could have done without that. Nevertheless, I know of no more comprehensive account of this amazing story. You can order a copy of the book at Ocracoke's Books to be Red.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

OVFD

October 9th to 15th is Fire Prevention Week. We salute Ocracoke's Volunteer Fire Department. Many thanks to all of our dedicated fire fighters!

I remember a fire on Ocracoke in the mid-1950s. An outbuilding was in flames. There was no fire department back then. Neighbors formed a bucket brigade. If I remember correctly, they weren't able to save the building, but they did prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings and trees.

Ocracoke got its first fire truck and fire department building in the 1960s. It took a while to form a well trained and disciplined team, but today we have an outstanding group prepared to protect our community whenever a fire threatens.

The Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department is holding an open house this Sunday, October 9, at the firehouse from 2:00 to 4:00. Everyone will be able to look over the trucks and equipment - maybe even sound a siren or blow an air horn. There will be a display of safety ideas, videos, drinks, fire helmets for the little Fire Fighters, and more. The little Fire Fighters can even have some nozzle time with a real fire hose and spray some water!

Everyone is invited to come out and take part in the open house. All ages are welcome.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

Next Tuesday...

...or maybe sooner. That's what the NC Department of Transportation is reporting about re-opening NC Highway 12. The road should be open no later than Tuesday, October 11. You can read more here:

http://nc12repairs.blogspot.com/

Spanish Raids, 1741-1748

With England and Spain at war (the War of Jenkins' Ear, 1739-1748 & King George's War, 1744-1748) Spanish privateers appeared off the coast of North Carolina, and terrorized inhabitants of Ocracoke a number of times. Sailing vessels were captured, and cargo confiscated. A Spanish tent city was established on Ocracoke Island in June of 1741. In addition to controlling ship channels, the Spaniards burned several island homes and killed a large number of cattle.  Shortly afterwards the tents were set on fire and the intruders were driven off the island. Depredations were sporadic for several years.

In the summer of 1747 the Spaniards returned to Ocracoke and "killed all their Cattle and Hogs, and done a great deal of mischief."

By 1748 the Colonial Assembly made plans to build a large fort on Ocracoke, but it never came to fruition. With the signing of a peace treaty between Great Britain and Spain, relations between the two countries (and their colonies in the New World) gradually improved.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

Fall on Ocracoke

About the only vegetation that changes color in the fall on Ocracoke is the poison ivy. Cedars, yaupons, live oaks, and pines stay green all year. But autumn is usually glorious...and this year is no exception.

Several days ago, as I was walking along the beach late in the afternoon I picked up four beautiful, near perfect scotch bonnets. Only one had a small hole; all of them had the distinctive scotch plaid pattern.

For days the temperature has hovered between the low-60s and the mid-70s during the day. Bright sunshine has dried up all of the puddles. Some days the clouds have been phenomenal, piled high and gleaming white against the cerulean sky. At sunset the edges of the clouds glow like hot iron on a blacksmith's anvil.

Neighbors are taking advantage of the fine weather to prepare boats for the winter, paint steps, wash windows, make minor house repairs, walk their dogs...anything to get outside and enjoy these last days before we close the doors and crank up the heat.

On Tuesday John & Joan invited me to join them for a morning fishing in Ocracoke Inlet. It couldn't have been more beautiful out in Pamlico Sound. Even on the open water it was not cold. A long sleeeved shirt and lightweight jacket was all I needed to stay comfortable. And we caught several blue fish. I fried them up that evening and Amy, David, Lachlan and I enjoyed a fresh fish dinner. As my grandfather used to say, we eat good in America!

Yesterday afternoon I went sailing on the Windfall II. The sunset was spectacular -- even a tinge of green as the sun slid below the horizon; not exactly the emeral green flash, but a hint of green. And I am planning on doing some clamming later today or tomorrow, before the weather turns cooler.

What more could I ask? Family, friends, good food, fantastic weather, and a phenomenal place to live!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

Another Mailboat Story

Dorothy Byrum Bedwell has another paragraph about the mailboat Aleta in her book, Portsmouth, Island with a Soul.

The Aleta at Jack's dock. Click on photo to view a larger image.

"Persons who wanted to sleep on the trip or avoid the brisk wind outside chose to stay in the passenger cabin. I can recall a few unpleasant times on winter trips when we had to stay in the passenger cabin, feeling almost nauseated by the fumes of the engine room and the portable kerosene heater in the middle of the floor. We liked the upper deck where we could chart our progress, feel the wind and taste the salty spray as we plowed our way across the sound."

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

Mailboat Aleta

Every now and then I mention the old mailboat Aleta that carried passengers and mail to and from Ocracoke in the 1940s & 1950s.

I recently re-discovered the following account of a memorable trip aboard the Aleta in Dorothy Byrum Bedwell's book Portsmouth, Island with a Soul.

"The mailboat was not designed for partying, and safety requirements were not as critical then as they are today. Those who imbibed while underway caused real hazards. Once...when my mother and brother were making the trip to Ocracoke, a tipsy lady, trying to walk the narrow strip of deck around the cabins [see photo above to picture this!], tumbled overboard as the mailboat was traveling abreast of the inlet where the tide is most powerful. My brother, an expert swimmer, dove in after her and pulled her back aboard. The mailboat captain was so genuinely grateful for the rescue of his passenger that he assured my brother free passage up and down the sound from that time on."

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

Drum

John Crowe, friend and part-time Ocracoke resident, sent me the following photos yesterday. These are just two of the nine Drum he and his wife Joan caught in Ocracoke inlet on Friday. They also caught four on Saturday. All were between 40 & 45 inches. You can see the excitement in their faces. John says "the action was fast and furious. Nine fish in 90 minutes before we ran out of bait."

Of course, all of the fish were released after being caught.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

From the Food Bank of the Albemarle Web Page

The following announcement was placed on the official web page of the Food Bank of the Albemarle (http://www.afoodbank.org/NewsAndEvents/Events/SpecialEvents.aspx):

"The Food Bank of the Albemarle is very pleased and proud to announce that we came in FIRST PLACE in the Tyson Foods Facebook campaign .... The announcement was made today (October 1), and more inforamtion about the delivery of the generous donation will be posted here and on our Facebook page as it becomes available. MANY THANKS to all those who supported us ...you are very special people, and all the credit for this successful campaign goes to YOU!"

Many thanks to all of our readers who supported eastern North Carolina in this campaign. We appreciate your concern for the people of our area, including those impacted by Hurricane Irene.

NC Highway 12

According to an article on the web site hamptonroads.com, "NCDOT officials estimated Friday [September 30, 2011] that the roadway [NC Highway 12 on the Outer Banks] will be fully reopened by Oct. 15."

This means, of course, that the 662-foot, two-lane, temporary causeway which spans the new inlet at Rodanthe is scheduled for completion by mid-October. NCDOT spokeswoman Greer Beaty is quoted as saying, "When we say temporary, that means it can last years and years. Temporary does not mean, like, six months. It can mean a decade if it has to. What we mean is it's made of metal and it's in a coastal environment and, after a series of 10, 20 years, metal will corrode with the saltwater. So it is not a permanent solution for that location."

Nevertheless, this is good news for Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. 

You can read the entire article here: http://hamptonroads.com/2011/09/temporary-bridge-hatteras-island-nearly-complete.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

Sea Squirts

While kayaking in Pamlico Sound, or just exploring the shallow waters close to shore, you might encounter an odd-looking creature attached to a piling or other submerged object. If you pick it up and it squirts water at you, you've almost certainly discovered a sea squirt.

As Pat Garber writes in Ocracoke Wild, A Naturalist's Year on an Outer Banks Island, sea squirts appear to be "primitive, dull organism[s]." In truth, however, they "are among the most highly evolved animals in the sea."

Sea Squirts are Tunicates or Urochordates, organisms that evolved in the early Cambrian Period, beginning about 540 million years ago. I was fascinated to read that they are members of the phylum Chordata (a group that includes fish, birds, humans, and other vertebrates). It is difficult to imagine, but sea squirts, in their larval stage, are mobile and posses a primitive backbone, a spinal cord, and a primitive brain.

Pat points out that sea squirts' development curiously stops abruptly...and they "grow backwards." She says "their tails are absorbed, their body shapes alter, their stomachs and hearts migrate to the bottom, and their mouths enlarge into spout-like openings." It is during this time that they become immobile and attach themselves to stationary objects, sometimes living in clusters.

What an amazing, awe-inspiring world we live in! Look for sea squirts on your next excursion into Pamlico Sound. I believe Pat's book is out of print, but you can borrow a copy at the Ocracoke library.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

Early Morning Thoughts Re. Food Bank & Tyson's

I learned only yesterday of the Facebook voting campaign to direct 30,000 pounds of food from Tyson's Food to one of ten US Food Banks. Food Bank of the Albemarle, an eastern North Carolina organization, was in the running, and I promoted it on this blog.

When I went to bed last night I fully expected our local Food Bank to "win." It looks now as if the Yuma Food Bank will receive the gift. Regardless of the outcome, I have a few comments.

"Congratulations" does not seem like the appropriate response to the "winner" of this campaign. In fact, the entire promotion initially reminded me of that old 1950s TV show, Queen For a Day. The studio audience listened to pitiful stories of poverty and misfortune from a number of women, then voted on which homemaker was most unfortunate, and therefore should receive gifts of cash and appliances. Many people agreed that this was both emotionally exploitative and a poor way to help people in need.

On further reflection, the Tyson's Food/Food Bank voting campaign seemed more like a personality contest. The area that had the most fans was most likely to receive the prize.

All in all, this campaign does not appear to me to be a very appropriate method of distributing food to needy areas. Why did the donors not simply decide (based on research and statistics) where and how to distribute the food?

I have no objection to corporations or individuals gaining recognition for good deeds, but this campaign seems as much about enlisting Facebook and Facebook members to promote Tyson's Food as about feeding the hungry. When we consider that Tyson's Food has also come under attack for cruelty to animals the entire affair is unsettling.

Next time I don't believe I will be so hasty in promoting something I haven't researched and thought about more carefully.

Food Bank

I looked at the voting a few minutes ago (see previous post), and the Food Bank of the Albemarle was 60 points in the lead. (I like to think that readers of this blog have made the difference.) If you are on Facebook and haven't voted yet, please do so. You have until midnight (Central Time) to cast your vote by following this link: https://www.facebook.com/questions/10150296053666776/

Food Bank of the Albemarle

Vote here (before midnight tonight) to bring 30,000 pounds of food to Eastern North Carolina: https://www.facebook.com/questions/10150296053666776/

The last time I looked, Food Bank of the Albemarle was just 38 votes behind the main contender. If everyone reading this blog would vote right now (or at least before midnight tonight) the food might come to Eastern NC.

Here is some information from Hyde County:

"As September comes to a close, the Food Bank of the Albemarle is reminding everyone about a contest that could earn 30,000 pounds of food for our area.

According to a release from the Foodbank, Tyson Foods, Inc. is sponsoring a program to help food banks serving 10 of the most food insecure areas across the country. The 15-county region served by the Food Bank of the Albemarle is one of those areas, and the impact of this possible donation by Tyson cannot be overstated."

You can read more here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/TysonHungerRelief

And you can vote here: https://www.facebook.com/questions/10150296053666776/

The Mini Cooper & the Schooner

After all the rain we had earlier this week Lachlan was outside walking through the puddles. He came inside, excited. "Mama," he exclaimed, "the puddle in the road in front of Opa's house is up to my waist!"

The next day I was outside when I noticed a Mini Cooper coming down the lane. I flagged the car down and advised the driver not to go any farther. "The water is really deep," I said. He looked at me with skepticism.

"It really is deep," I repeated. "I think it would be best to go down Howard Street." I could tell he didn't want to hear what I was saying.

"I like a little adventure," the driver said with a shrug of his shoulders. With that I said, "Go on, but it is deep." (I might even have rolled my eyes!)

The Mini Cooper plowed through the first puddle, then plunged into the second one. Water covered the bumpers. I was sure it seeped under the doors, but he made it through.

The next evening I had a Ghost Walk (actually not a walk, since the roads and paths were mostly under water) in my living room. Lo and behold, two of the participants were the Mini Cooper driver and his wife!

After the stories I brought out my great grandfather's original shipwreck reports from 1883-1894 when he was keeper of the US Life Saving Station. We opened the book and read about the wreck of the schooner Samuel Grice, January 27, 1885. This is what my great grandfather wrote:

""After arriving aboard finding the schooner lying still on the bottom, asked the captain if he wanted my advice, he said he did not.... The schooner sunk loosing cargo and vessel...."

I pointed my finger at the Mini Cooper driver. "You are the modern day equivalent of the schooner captain," I said. "You were just luckier!"

We all had a good laugh over it.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

Mandolin Orange CD Release Show

If you are on the island, come on out to Books to be Red this coming Sunday, October 2, for a Potluck Dinner at 4 o'clock...and a concert by Mandolin Orange (Andrew Marlin & Emily Frantz) at 5 o'clock.
Please bring a dish to share. B.Y.O.B. Paper products provided. $10.00 suggested donation.

A favorite of Ocracoke audiences, Mandolin Orange, a Chapel Hill, NC duo, delivers a sound uniquely their own, yet satisfyingly familiar. They’ve been described as Americana, Folk-Country and “a little bit grassy”. Call them what you will, people love them! If you’re on Ocracoke on October 2nd, you will not want to miss this special show.

The duo will release a sophomore double LP entitled Haste Make/Hard Hearted Stranger on November 8,
2011 and will tour in support of the album beginning on September 24, at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC. We are lucky that they’re stopping here, on Ocracoke. Mark your calendars! Bring a chair and come ready to be entertained!

CDs and other Mandolin Orange merchandise will be available for purchase.

Special thanks to Leslie Lanier of Books to be Red, for providing the venue.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

The Old Parker

In his book, Ocracoke Island: Pearl of the Outer Banks, Ocracoke native Cecil S. Bragg, tells the story of Wilson (Wilse) Jackson (1887-1974) when he shipped out on the William T. Parker, a three-masted, three-topmast schooner in 1907. Soon after departure, bound for New York City, Wilse said the wind "was blowing so hard it would take six old women to hold a sheepskin over a gimlet hole."

Wilse relates how the Old Parker "lunged and pitched and rolled in the heavy seas. Her bow would come up out of the water snapping the chains taut and threatening to tear out the hawseholes.
For five days they battled the sea.

"On the fifth day we thought the vessel was a goner and all hands with her. The wind was at its peak when the biggest wave began to make. It rolled toward us, gaining size by gathering to it the seas it overtook. It grew larger and larger as though intending to finish what the wind had begun.

"...Up, up and up it reared, until its crest towered above the 'old girl's' bowsprit in awesome green might.

"All hands were lashed to life lines. The ship had just buried her bow in the sea in front of the mountain of water that was rushing at her. She couldn't lift from the suction that had her under water to the cathead. The towering wave curled under and broke in a deluge of pent-up fury.

"The crippled vessel was swamped and helpless under tons of swirling water that swept her from stem to stern. We were nearly drowned before the sea cleared our decks. When we could see the vessel through the clashing water, a shambles greeted us."

In spite of the beating, the Old Parker survived, and made it to New York.

Wilse described his first visit to the city: "I went ashore with Captain Monroe, and gaped at the tall buildings, staring at the strange sights. I bumped into people. I felt the old navigator's eyes on me.

"'Dag-nab-it, Wilse Jackson.' he said, 'pull your eyes in. They're sticking out so far I could stand on one and saw the other off. You act so dad-blame green if there were any cows around they would eat you for grass.' He was glad to get me back aboard ship."

-----------------------------------------------

-- A gimlet is a small tool for hand drilling holes in wood (see photo below).



-- hawseholes are holes in the hull of a ship through which the hawsers (thick rope used for mooring) or chains are passed.

-- a cathead is a heavy wooden beam projecting from the side of the bow, and used to support the anchor.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

Seashells

Amy sent me the following photos of some of the shells and driftwood she picked up on the beach after Hurricane Irene. As you can see there were quite a few whelks, scotch bonnets, moon snails, and lettered olives. She also found one murex, a fighting conch, and a fig shell. Friends and neighbors found helmets (some "early birds" picked up dozens of them), nutmegs, and other uncommon shells. Of course, Amy also discovered an octopus in one whelk (see our September 12, 2011 post). Click on a photo to see a larger image.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

Rain, Rain....

...rain, and more rain! That's just about all it's done for the last few days. Lawton Lane is almost one continuous pond. And the standing water at Village Craftsmen is up to the high tide marker for Hurricane Earl. Here is a photo Amy took of Lachlan floating in the yard at Village Craftsmen (there's no telling what the helmet is about).

(Click on photo to view a larger image.)

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

First Grass

Ocracoke Island is a dynamic, ever-changing island. To illustrate, consider First Grass, an area on the northwest side of South Point Road, about one and three quarters of a mile from NC Highway 12. As Roger Payne comments in Place Names of the Outer Banks "the sparse vegetation on Ocracoke Island is evident in this descriptive name. It was an early method of determining areas of grass or 'scrag' trees. In this case the feature is the first grass area encountered after leaving the village of Ocracoke...."

Modern day visitors to Ocracoke (and many residents) would scratch their heads trying to make sense of this description. Today vegetation extends along Highway 12 from the village all the way to Hatteras Inlet, with hardly a bare sand dune or tidal flat to be seen. Traveling on unpaved South Point Road, tall grass and other vegetation covers both sides, from Highway 12 practically to the very end, where the road meets NPS ramp 72 that takes you to the beach.

Fifty to seventy-five years ago Ocracoke village ended near where the Variety Store is located today. From the village to the NPS campground was a tree-less tidal flat...three miles of bare sand, seashells, and seaweed, interrupted only rarely by small dunes crowned with sea oats.  The landscape was similar from the village to South Point. Today you would be hard pressed to identify the once distinctive area called First Grass.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

More About "Uncle" Sam Tolson

Below is the rest of Ben Salter's book chapter (see Thursday's post) about Samuel C. Tolson:

"Mr. Sam Tolson was born on Portsmouth island, N.C. November 7th, 1840, lived, died and was buried on this island November 17th, 1930, making his stay on this island a little over 90 years.

"He was a nice old man when I was a boy, he used to tell me of days on Portsmouth when he was a boy, many interesting stories he would tell. Once he said that when he was a boy the ducks, geese and brant were so thick that you could stick a bush down on the banks of the shore and kill all you could carry home.

"He said he could remember when people on the island had no window panes in their homes and had no matches to make fires. They did as the Indians did, they rubbed sticks together to start their fires. They had wooden shutters at the windows to close against the wind and rain and when it was cold.

"He used to smoke a clay pipe with a long stem. When he dressed up he wore a derby hat and a stiff breasted shirt with gold studs in it. He was rather sharp looking for that day.

.... [I quoted this paragraph Thursday.]

"He told me that when he was a boy there was a big Fort on Beacon Island, a big castle on Castle Rock, and Flounder slew Rock was a large rock with folks living on it."

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

Hatteras Update

Many thanks to the reader who posted the link below on a recent comment. I have not seen the aftermath of Hurricane Irene on Hatteras Island, but have heard of the destruction of many houses and the loss of much property there.
http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/three-weeks-after-hurricane-irene-hatteras-remains-in-tatters/Content?oid=2661587

Thanks are also in order to Ocracoke residents and visitors who have donated much needed supplies for distribution to residents of Hatteras Island. Please check this link for the currently most needed items: http://www.facebook.com/notes/hatteras-island-vs-hurricane-irene-august-2011/compiled-resource-list-for-anyone-who-wants-to-help/280516281962437.

Any donations may be brought to Village Craftsmen. We will see that they are taken to Daphne Bennink who will transport them to Hatteras.

Ocracoke Island is open for business. Please check with the NCDOT (Ferry Division) at http://www.ncdot.gov/ferry/default.html for information about reservations for the Swan Quarter and Cedar Island Ferries. Further information is available at the Reservation Info. Call Center: 800.293.3779, Press 2.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

"Uncle" Samuel C. Tolson

Below is an interesting story from the 1972 book, Portsmouth Island, Short Stories and History, by Ben B. Salter. It is a story that was told often by the old folks of Portsmouth and Ocracoke.

"Mr. Sam Tolson was born on Portsmouth island, N.C. November 7th, 1840.... He traveled a little up and down the coast by boat. Once he was in Elizabeth City, N.C. in the year 1865 where he was arrested for [the] assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. He was so much like the description of Wilkes Booth, he wore the same size hat and shoes, same size in stature. It took folks on Portsmouth a long time to convince the officers that Uncle Sam was not Wilkes Booth."

Ben Salter ends his story the same way I've always heard it: "Uncle Sam, as the folks on Portsmouth always called him, never went to Elizabeth City again."

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of slavery on Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

Slavery on Ocracoke

We have just published our latest monthly Ocracoke Newsletter, a brief history of slavery on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

Offshore

Visitors to Ocracoke are fascinated by the local dialect...if they have an opportunity to hear it. In the busy summer months many of the clerks and salespeople at local stores are college students on summer holiday, or other folks who have moved here from the mainland. But if you buy shrimp or clams from James Barrie Gaskill out of his truck parked near Albert Styron's store, or meet one of the native fishermen, or chat with an island-bred motel owner you will definitely be introduced to the "Hoi Toide" brogue.

In addition to accent, islanders also use a number of unique words and expressions. One colorful word is "offshore." Besides the obvious definition, it also means "crazy, silly, or outlandish." As Walt Wolfram and Natalie Shilling-Estes explain in Hoi Toide on the Outer Banks, The Story of the Ocracoke Brogue, offshore is "a metaphorical extension of the literal use of the term offshore.... If someone is particularly outlandish, Ocracokers might say 'He's offshore and can't get back in.'"

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a history of the marine hospital on Portsmouth Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092111.htm.

Ocracoke Alive

Another question I received recently was about our new island organization, Ocracoke Alive, sponsor of our off-season Artists Film Series, which I mentioned about a week ago.

Although Ocracoke Alive is a new organization, it was formed to provide an "umbrella" for a number of on-going and established cultural events...and to provide encouragement for new ventures.

The mission statement of Ocracoke Alive, Inc. is "to enrich the Ocracoke Island community by encouraging and sponsoring cultural, artistic, educational, and environmental activities including the production of plays, musicals, musical events, exhibits, schools, workshops, and festivals."

For several years the Ocracoke Preservation Society has graciously sponsored the June OcraFolk Festival and the October OcraFolk School. Desiring to branch out, but not wanting to burden OPS with sponsorship of more artistic events, a group of people formed Ocracoke Alive. As a separate 501(c)3 non-profit organization it hopes to sponsor more events, and to encourage more island artists, musicians, and educators to partner together to bring artistic and cultural events to our island community.

You can learn more about Ocracoke Alive here: http://www.ocracokealive.org/,

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a history of the marine hospital on Portsmouth Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news082111.htm.

Dingbatter

A reader recently asked about the Ocracoke Island word "dingbatter." It is used on Ocracoke to mean someone from off the island who is naive or clueless. For example, an O'cocker might say, "Look at that dingbatter. He's walking right down the middle of the road with his back to traffic!"

As you might expect, it comes from the 1970s sitcom All in the Family.

As Walt Wolfram & Natalie Schilling-Estes write in their book, Hoi Toide on the Outer Banks, The Story of the Ocracoke Brogue, "Foreigner [or stranger, a word that my father's generation used], the traditional term for 'outsider' or 'someone from off-island,' has been replaced in Ocracoke speech by dingbatter.... Archie Bunker regularly refers to his wife Edith as a 'dingbat' when she displays a lack of common sense. The reason the term seems to be such a fitting replacement for foreigner is that, as used on TV, it not only literally referred to a person on the show but also strongly implied that this character was gullible and naive. Ocracokers took those implications of the word dingbat and applied them to their term dingbatter. They now have a single word that conveys many of their feelings toward visitors who come to the island and get into ridiculous situations because they're unfamiliar with island life."

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a history of the marine hospital on Portsmouth Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news082111.htm.

Mosquito Control

Several days ago a reader asked about mosquito control on Ocracoke Island. The question was prompted by my recent post about the invasion of mosquitoes after hurricane Irene. The reader commented, "In your post you say [mosquito control] is being implemented. Does this suggest mere resumption of a regular, ongoing program, or is this something that's done only in extreme situations?"

Ocracoke is part of Hyde County. The rest of our county is on the mainland. One of the Hyde County Health Department's "Programs & Services" is Mosquito Control. They are charged with the "monitoring and surveillance of mosquito-borne illnesses and habitats within the county. The Health Department provides county wide adulticide spraying for mosquitoes [as distinct from killing larval stages]."

During WWII the Navy (which had a large base on the island) sprayed the village heavily with DDT to cut down the mosquito population. As you might imagine, DDT killed the mosquitoes...and most of the frogs, and is suspected of contributing to a number of cancer deaths on Ocracoke. Later, mosquito ditches were dug to drain low, swampy areas where the critters bred.

When I was a child mosquito populations on Ocracoke could sometimes reach epidemic proportions. I remember times, especially some days after a summer rain, when clouds of hungry mosquitoes swarmed around us at dusk. The only protection was a myrtle branch, cut off and constantly swished around our legs, head, and body.

Eventually, a non-DDT spraying program was initiated. Today, I am told that the spray is considered as safe as possible for humans and pets, but still powerful enough to kill adult mosquitoes. I am not sure what chemicals are used (maybe one of our readers knows). Spraying is only conducted when mosquito populations reach certain levels. I have noticed that there is virtually no objection to the mosquito control program when an infestation becomes pervasive and widespread!

By the way, the program is very effective. There are hardly any mosquitoes now. Come on out to Ocracoke and enjoy the fall weather!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a history of the marine hospital on Portsmouth Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news082111.htm.

Fall, Glorious Fall

More than 50 years ago my Uncle Marvin wrote an article about Ocracoke entitled "Fall, Glorious Fall" where he reveled in the thought of cooler temperatures, low humidity, and the abundance of fish and fowl on the Outer Banks.

I awoke this morning to a cool breeze. Fall is definitely in the air. The temperature is only in the mid 60s as I write. I thought of Uncle Marvin, native islander, sea captain, community leader, and master of Ocracoke's mounted boy scout troop in the 1950s. In spite of little formal education, he was well read and an astute student of life. He occasionally shared his thoughts in well written articles he had published in area newspapers.

At the first hint of fall on Ocracoke I always think of Uncle Marvin.

I searched for his article early this morning, but could not locate it. I know it is somewhere in my stacks of island papers. When I find it I'll share a few quotations.

In the meanwhile, our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a history of the marine hospital on Portsmouth Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news082111.htm.

OcraFolk School 2011

Renew Yourself at Ocracoke Island's "Ocrafolk School," October 23-28, 2011!

Every year, travelers retreat to the pristine beaches of the Pearl of the Outer Banks, Ocracoke Island, NC for fun, relaxation, and renewal. But come the last week of October there is yet another great reason to journey to this remote destination. The Ocrafolk School!

This fall retreat for grownups is accepting registrations for its fifth year of week-long workshops and activities for adults. Classes with space still available are "Island Cooking" w/chef Debbie Wells, "The Ocracoke Sampler" w/local historian Philip Howard, Capt. Rob Temple and Ranger Dave Frum, "English Paper Piecing (hand pieced quilting)" w/Debbie Block , and "Exploring Ocracoke Music" w/Gary Mitchell of the band Molasses Creek. This year's other offering, "Island Photography" with Ann Ehringhaus, is full and currently taking registrations on a waiting-list-only basis. All classes are limited to 6-8 students, and the registration deadline is Oct. 3.

Debbie Wells is a local chef of renown, originator of Ocracoke's popular "Back Porch Restaurant" (featured in Saveur, Gourmet, Bon Appetite, The New York Times, and the Washington Post). Her "Island Cooking" class will emphasize local seafood, other meats, some old-time Ocracoke specialties, vegetables, 'Mexican day' with guest chef Eduardo and elegant desserts, and will include a visit to the local fish house and a clamming trip.

"English Paper Piecing" is an old method of hand piecing quilts. By basting fabric onto pre-cut pieces of heavy paper and joining the pieces together with a simple hand stitch you can create a quilt top of any size or design. After learning the basic method from Debbie Block, each participant will work on a design of their choosing using squares, diamond, triangle and/or hexagon shaped pieces. No experience necessary but a love of fabric, color and quilts will help you to enjoy this class.

Ocracoke Island is known for having quite a vibrant music scene. In the "Exploring Ocracoke Music" class, students will spend the week 'behind the scenes' with Gary Mitchell of the band Molasses Creek (award winners from A Prairie Home Companion) exploring and visiting the musicians, rehearsals, recording studios, history, venues and local radio that make it all happen. No musical experience is necessary, but certainly welcome.

Philip Howard, eighth generation islander, joins Capt. Rob Temple and ranger Dave Frum to bring alive Ocracoke history in the "Ocracoke Sampler" class. Students will hear island stories, see fifty-year-old Ocracoke home movies, be guided through ancient family cemeteries, read original Life Saving Service shipwreck logs, sail on the schooner Windfall 2, sing sea-chanteys, listen to traditional ghost tales, tour a preserved maritime forest, and much more.

The school, which began in 2007, is held yearly the last full week of October and includes workshops exploring island history, culture, food, art, music and crafts through hands-on activities. In addition to the classes, students participate in group meals, music and other events throughout the course of the week. The Ocrafolk School is sponsored by the private non-profit "Ocracoke Alive".

For more information, email gary@ocrafolkschool.org, call 252-928-4280 or visit http://www.ocrafolkschool.org/.

Hope you can join us for a great week together this fall!


Gary Mitchell (director)
252-928-4280
Ocrafolk School
PO Box 596
Ocracoke, NC 27960

http://www.ocrafolkschool.org/


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Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a history of the marine hospital on Portsmouth Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news082111.htm

Pirates

Blackbeard and other pirates played a colorful role in Ocracoke's history, as is evident from the many references to Edward Teach in publications about our island...and from the sale of pirate memorabilia in many businesses on Ocracoke.

But, as we all know, pirates were not just colorful. They can be, and have been, described as dissolute, barbarous, murderous, and notorious.

In the author's introduction to "A General History of the Robberies & Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates" by Captain Charles Johnson, published in 1724, we find an account of a band of buccaneers who were captured  by Woodes Rogers, onetime privateer, and later Governor of Providence Island in the Bahamas, in 1718.













Rogers (right) receives a map of New Providence Island from his son, in a painting by William Hogarth (1729)

In 1718, those ten pirates were tried at a Bahamian court of admiralty, convicted, and sentenced to be hanged by the neck in sight of all of their former companions and fellow thieves (who had accepted King George's pardon as spelled out in his September 5, 1717 "Proclamation for Suppressing Pyrates").

Johnson relates that "The criminals would fain have spirited up the pardoned pirates, to rescue them out of the hands of the officers of justice, telling them from the gallows, that, they never thought to have seen the time, when ten such men as they should be tied up and hanged like dogs, and 400 of their sworn friends and companions quietly standing by to behold the spectacle. One Humphrey Morrice, urged the matter further than the rest, taxing them with pusilanimity and cowardice, as if it were a breach of honour in them not to rise and save them from the ignominious death they were going to suffer. But 'twas all in vain, they were now told, it was their business to turn their minds to another world, and sincerely to repent of what wickedness they had done in this. 'Yes.' answered one of them, 'I do heartily repent;  I repent I had not done more mischief, and that we did not cut the throats of them that took us, and I am extremely sorry that you ain't all hanged as well as we.' 'So do I' says another: 'And I', says a third; and then they were all turned off'; without making any other dying speeches....And thus ended the lives, with their adventures, of those miserable wretches, who may serve as a sad example of the little effect mercy has upon men once abandoned to an evil pursuit of life."

Pirates were colorful, yes...but certainly more (or less) than that. I wonder...should I delve more deeply into the life of Blackbeard's one-time quartermaster, William Howard??

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a history of the maritime hospital on Portsmouth Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news082111.htm.

Culture on Ocracoke

This fall Ocracoke residents and visitors will have more opportunities to expand their horizons thanks to "Ocracoke Alive" a new organization dedicated to promoting the arts and other creative endeavors on the island.

Among Ocracoke Alive's new promotions is the Fall 2011 Artist Film Series.

First on the agenda is "M.C. Richards, The Fire Within."  According to the producers of the film, "M.C. was potter, poet, philosopher, and painter, but above all, a teacher. Her extraordinary career stretched from Black Mountain College to Creation spitiuality, from Rudolf Steiner advocate to inspirational artist and teacher. She died in 1999. Author of the classic 'Centering: In Pottery, Poetry, and Person and Toward Wholeness.' An inspiring human."

This first film will be shown tonight, Tuesday, September 13, at 7:00 pm at Deepwater Theater on School Road. The film is free, but donations ($5 suggested) will help pay for renting the space. This film is open to ages 16 and up.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a history of the marine hospital on Portsmouth Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news082111.htm

Gallery of Photos after Irene

Islanders (and now visitors) have had a field day at the beach...collecting shells and combing the beach for whatever they can find after hurricanes Irene and Katia. I didn't go out to the beach right away (I was too busy cutting up limbs and branches) but many of my neighbors picked up dozens of scotch bonnets, baskets full of helmet shells, conchs, olives, murexes, starfish, and even more exotic shells.

Below are a few photos Amy took of the beach and village. Click on any photo to view a larger image.

One of the many scotch bonnets and starfish (thousands of starfish washed up on the beach):

Maria Daisy and a stranded refrigerator:

Chairs and other debris found their way to our beach:

Even a television set floated up:

An exotic-looking crab:

Bags full of leaves and twigs on Howard Street waiting to be picked up:

Amy discovered a live octopus in one of the conchs she picked up in the surf. It slithered out of the shell onto the beach:

Jennifer reacts as she prepares to return the octopus to the ocean:

The frightened octopus leaves a trail of ink:

The conch shell where the octopus had taken refuge:

Lachlan is fascinated by this wild creature:

Look closely (click to view a larger image) and you will see a myriad of starfish under the water:

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a history of the marine hospital on Portsmouth Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news082111.htm.

10th

Much has been said...and written...about the 10th anniversary of the attack on our nation on September 11, 2001. Along with most of our readers, I remember vividly the announcement that planes were being flown into the twin towers, and the horrifying images that followed.

As Newsweek has chronicled, our nation has journeyed through fear, grief, revenge, and resilience.

In spite of Ocracoke's geography and physical isolation from the mainland, we were as deeply troubled by the terrorist attacks as other citizens in this country. And we hope that, along with residents of New York and many other cities, towns, and villages across the United States, we can continue to be a model of  how to live as a community...with respect, empathy, and cooperation...and hope that our examples will help reshape our worldwide community.

Music

Music is good for the soul...good for calming the spirit...good for transcending the mundane.

Thursday night Molasses Creek offered the community an impromptu evening performance at Deepwater Theater. Unfortunately, the word never really got out, and only a handful of folks showed up. But that didn't stop Gary, Dave, Marcy, and Lou from giving a stellar performance! And the audience, as sparse as we were, was wildly enthusiastic.

Music is returning to our lives. Visitors are beginning to return to Ocracoke. And energy and vitality are returning as well. Come on out to the island. Fall is a wonderful time of the year to enjoy our beautiful island.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a history of the marine hospital on Portsmouth Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news082111.htm

Concern

Here on Ocracoke Island life is beginning to return to normal. Visitors are returning, businesses are reopening, and residents are adjusting to traveling by way of Swan Quarter and Cedar Island for routine off-island trips.

We are also well aware of the destruction, devastation, and disruptions caused by storms Irene and Lee all along the east coast, fires in Texas, and other natural disasters elsewhere. Our hearts go out to the people who have lost family and friends, houses, possessions, and income because of these catastrophic events.

In the past, when Ocracoke has been hit hard by hurricanes, the American Red Cross has always been quick to respond with aid. They are helping victims in the northeast and elsewhere now. If you would like to donate please click here. Recipients of your generosity will be very grateful. Thank you.

Village Craftsmen

Now that Ocracoke is accessible to visitors Village Craftsmen will re-open on Friday, September 9, 10 am - 5 pm. As of this writing we plan to continue on this schedule, although that may change due to changing circumstances. Keep posted for the latest information.

Of course, our on-line store is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is the perfect time to make holiday purchases at http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/catalog.htm. We have a large selection of pottery, wooden kitchen items, stained glass, fused glass, wrought iron products, soaps, decorative items, and much more. Family and friends will be delighted with quality, handcrafted, American made gifts from Village Craftsmen on Ocracoke Island.

If you have any questions about our products please email us (info@villagecraftsmen.com), or call us (252-928-5541) during regular business hours.

Remember, for the month of September (maybe longer, but we haven't made that decision yet) we are offering free shipping on all orders over $25.00!

A Modest Proposal

Now that visitors will soon be allowed back on Ocracoke Island (see the previous post) we are sure that many of our readers will be heading this way for a week or so of rest and relaxation in the next few months. Fall is one of the best times to visit Ocracoke -- lower temperatures, low humidity, warm water, great fishing, etc.

When visitors return, there will be only a few reminders of hurricane Irene on Ocracoke. Ocracoke was extremely fortunate, and most of the damage has been repaired and cleaned up. However, we did lose two prime weeks of business. All of our local restaurants, shops, and service providers welcome you back to the island and look forward to your patronage.

Residents of Hatteras Island were not so fortunate. Many lost their homes and all of their possessions. Ocracokers have been gathering supplies to send to Hatteras. If you are making a trip to Ocracoke in the next few weeks, please consider bringing some extra supplies to share with our neighbors to the north. Below is a list of the most needed items.

Please keep in mind that personal items (toothpaste, soap, razors, etc.) should be new.

Donations may be brought to Village Craftsmen. We will see that all items are taken to Hatteras to be distributed to those in need.

NEEDS:

■Boots

■socks (especially new women's and children's socks)

■shoes

■towels

■blankets

■sheets

■plastic storage totes with lids and label making supplies

■fans

■de-humidifiers

■Dog Food/Cat Food

■Rubber Gloves - WORK GLOVES!

■Hand Sanitizer

■Trash Bags & Contractor Clean Up Bags

■Bleach and Cleaning Wipes

■Paper Products and Disposable plates, cups and utensils

■Bottled Water

■Diapers, Wipes, Formula, Baby Items (shampoo, soap) - onesies, etc.

■School Supplies - paper, pencils, notebooks, etc.

■deodorant

■bug spray

■sunscreen

■shampoo and conditioner

■toys

■coolers, trash cans, laundry baskets

■coffeemakers, mixers, bowls

■Packaging Tape & Duct Tape

■Feminine Hygeine Products

■hangers

This list may be updated periodically. Click here for the latest information about needs: http://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/hatteras-island-vs-hurricane-irene-august-2011/compiled-resource-list-for-anyone-who-wants-to-help/280516281962437.

Hyde Co. Emergency Services -- All Traffic Will Be Allowed on Ocracoke!

As of Wednesday, 9/7/11, 5 PM, the state of emergency that has been in effect for Ocracoke and Hyde County will be lifted. All traffic is allowed on Ocracoke through Cedar Island and Swan Quarter ferry routes.

Please continue to be aware of recovery plans [that] are in place to continue restoration efforts. Please be respectful of roadside crews doing clean-up. Please be aware that rescue operations and debris removal are happening.

Please contact the NCDOT-Ferry for reservation information.

Please contact your accommodations on Ocracoke to inquire about your reservations.

Authorized traffic to and from Hatteras will need to be aware of Dare County’s current reentry policy and status at http://www.darenc.com/EmgyMgmt/Alert/index.asp.

The current Ferry Schedule is as follows:

Leaving Swan Quarter: 7 am, 10 am, 12:30 pm, 4:30 pm

Leaving Ocracoke: 6:30 am, 9:30 am, 12:45 pm, 4 pm

Leaving Cedar Island: 7 am, 10 am, 1 pm, 3:30 pm

Leaving Ocracoke: 7:30 am, 10 am, 1 pm, 3:30 pm

 On Ocracoke, there is beach access through ramp 70 and 67.

 Check and abide by current NOTAM status for Ocracoke Airstrip W95.

 Highway 12 from the village of Ocracoke north to the Hatteras Ferry Dock is open to public traffic.

 Please be aware of deadly rip currents as swells associated with Hurricane Katia impact the area. NOAA has issued a rip current risk beginning Wednesday morning through Friday morning resulting in high surf, dangerous swimming conditions, rip currents, additional erosion, and possible overwash around high tide. There is also a high surf advisory in effect from 6 AM Wednesday to 6 AM Friday

Unofficial Update & Ways to Help Hatteras Island

At 1 o'clock this afternoon islanders gathered at the Community Center to hear about Ocracoke Civic & Business Association plans to let off-islanders know the details when Ocracoke is again open to visitors.

Although the mainline electric power has been restored, it is only because "temporary" poles have been erected to span the "new inlet" on Hatteras Island. Tideland Electric Coop wants to test the system for at least 24-36 hours before giving the go-ahead to re-open Ocracoke.

We are expecting official word about the situation sometime this evening, after our County Commissioners meet and come to a decision. Look for a report here later today or early tomorrow morning.

In the meanwhile please click on the link below for information about ways to help our neighbors on Hatteras Island, many of whom have lost their homes and possessions to flooding from hurricane Irene

http://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/hatteras-island-vs-hurricane-irene-august-2011/compiled-resource-list-for-anyone-who-wants-to-help/280516281962437

The following link gives information about food donations for Hatteras Island:

http://islandfreepress.org/2011Archives/09.04.2011-HatterasRestaurantsNeedDonationsToProvideMeals.html

Electricity

I just heard an unofficial report (but from a reliable and credible source) that power has been restored from the mainland north, and we are no longer on generators. Open access to the island can't be too far behind. Keep posted!

Invasions

Hurricane Irene has come and gone...and most of us have finished (or nearly finished) our clean up. There are still a few piles of downed tree limbs here and there, one or two boats that need a little repair, and some shingles not yet replaced, but most of the repairs have been made.

And the invasions have begun! Almost everyone I talk with is complaining of ants..."highways" of ants climbing up walls, across kitchen counters, inside cupboards. They are marching and pillaging. And they are difficult to eradicate.

The mosquitoes are just as bad. The briefest few moments outside attracts a bevy of large voracious blood suckers. By the time you rush indoors your bare legs and arms are smeared with blood, and look like battlefields.  Happily, the island mosquito control program is being implemented. In a few days we shall have conquered those flying nuisances, and I can enjoy my pizer once more.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a history of the marine hospital on Portsmouth Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news082111.htm.

Community Service

On Saturday morning a host of islanders gathered in front of the Methodist Church with rakes, wheelbarrows, and chain saws. The ministers of the Methodist & Assembly of God churches had organized a crew of workers for the elderly and others who were unable to manage a clean up themselves.

We cut up branches & downed trees, raked leaves & twigs, and mowed lawns. We also cleaned up several cemeteries that were littered with branches and leaves.

Afterwards we gathered in the Methodist church rec. hall for soup, sandwiches, and drinks.

Many thanks to Laura & Ivey...and all the folks who gave of their time to help their neighbors and community!

Right now I don't know of any pressing needs that Ocracoke residents have. So many other places on the Outer Banks...and farther north...need assistance. Of course Ocracoke, like elsewhere, will be feeling the effects of lost business soon enough. We hope to have electric power restored before too long. When that happens we should be able to recover some of the business we would have had if it hadn't been for Irene. I will keep you posted.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a history of the marine hospital on Portsmouth Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news082111.htm.

Square Dance

Just for fun, we've planned a traditional Ocracoke Island Square Dance Sunday night (Sept. 4) at 7 pm at the Community Center. It is FREE...and EVERYONE is invited.

If you are on the island, please spread the word. The dance is easy to learn (if you can walk, you can do it -- no fancy steps!). We'll have live music and lots of fun.

Please bring your own snacks.

See you there!

Hyde Co. Emer. Services Public Advisory, 9/3/2011 8am

"Beginning on Saturday, September 3, there will be reentry to Ocracoke for vehicles with red stickers (non-resident property owners). Also acceptable is proper documentation including your Ocracoke tax card, deed, and identification. Also in place is the continued reentry for vehicles with a purple sticker and vehicles with a green sticker (residents). Residents with a current, valid driver’s license with an Ocracoke address are also allowed. A priority order of purple sticker, green sticker, and red sticker will allow infrastructure, utilities, and essential personnel to get in place, residents to get back to their homes, and non-resident property owners to assess their property. Access to Ocracoke is only allowed via NCDOT ferry traffic from Swan Quarter and Cedar Island.

 The current Ferry Schedule is as follows:


Leaving Swan Quarter: 7 am, 10 am, 12:30 pm, 4:30 pm

Leaving Ocracoke: 6:30 am, 9:30 am, 12:45 pm, 4 pm

Leaving Cedar Island: 7 am, 10 am, 1 pm, 3:30 pm

Leaving Ocracoke: 7:30 am, 10 am, 1 pm, 3:30 pm

 On Ocracoke, there is beach access through ramp 70 and 67.

 Airspace over Ocracoke Island is closed until further notice.

 Highway 12 from the village of Ocracoke north to the Hatteras Ferry Dock is open to public traffic. There is no access to Hatteras Island through Ocracoke Island.

 Ocracoke residents remain under generator power. According to the Tideland EMC, the fate of the island's transmission service rests with Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative to the north on Hatteras Island. Ocracoke occupants, please be conservative with water and electricity consumption. Resources are limited until full power is restored. Limit your electricity usage during peak times (8 a.m.-8 p.m.). Turn off all unnecessary lights, set air conditioners to the highest comfortable setting, curtail use of or turn off major appliances during the PEAK TIMES. Please limit your water to personal consumption."

Perspective

As hurricane Irene was approaching, nearly everyone on the island began making mental calculations. How strong were the winds likely to be? Category 1, 2, or maybe even 3. Where would she likely make landfall?

I thought about my house -- more than one hundred years old, a survivor of many storms, completely rebuilt and strengthened six years ago.

I thought about Ocracoke -- battered by major storms in 1899, 1933, & 1944, as well as Isabel, Earl, and Alex in recent memory...some major structural damage sustained by several homes, but never a life lost.

On Saturday morning, the day Irene struck, I awoke thinking about risk. Everyone has a threshold of risk he or she is willing to endure. A major hurricane clearly poses many risks. It would be foolish to second guess anyone's decision about leaving or remaining on the island as a tropical storm approaches. So many factors come into play -- children, family, health concerns, proximity of one's house to Pamlico Sound, emotions, level of anxiety, etc.

Then I thought about traveling by automobile on Interstate highways. Hardly anyone gives more than a passing thought to the risk involved in barreling down the highway at 70 mph with cars and trucks whizzing by at 75 or 85 mph. We get behind the wheel, strap the kids in car seats, and set off for the mall, grandma's, or the Grand Canyon. Most people consider the risk acceptable for the convenience of fast, easy, relatively comfortable travel.

If there were a 24-hour-a-day TV channel dedicated to reports, photos, and videos of fatal automobile accidents most of us would think more carefully about getting into our cars and trucks.

I know that hurricanes and Interstate travel are very different things, but considering them together helps put risk assessment and decision making in perspective.

I often remain on Ocracoke as hurricanes approach because on those occasions when I have evacuated I have always regretted leaving.  It is often very difficult to get back home after a storm because of flooded roads, fallen trees, and downed power lines on the mainland. Several times when I have stayed I was able to saw off branches to prevent damage to my building. Once I propped up a tree to prevent it from falling on my house. After the storm I can begin clean up immediately -- replacing shingles, broken glass, etc. I am also part of this community where neighbors help neighbors, especially in emergencies.

I also think of Henry Beston's sentiment in "The Outermost House": "The world today is sick to its thin blood for lack of elemental things."  Hurricanes and storms are elemental. The raw power of wind and water provide modern human beings with a sense of awe. It is not for everyone. And it may not be for me the next time a storm threatens Ocracoke. Every storm is different; every person is different; every time is different.

It is a matter of risk assessment, and deciding where the threshold lies.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a history of the marine hospital on Portsmouth Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news082111.htm.

From: Hyde County Emergency Services, Sept. 2, 8 am

Ocracoke residents remain under generator power. According to the Tideland EMC, the fate of the island's transmission service rests with Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative to the north on Hatteras Island.

Ocracoke residents, please be conservative with water and electricity consumption. Resources are limited until full power is restored. Limit your electricity usage during peak times (8 a.m.-8 p.m.). Turn off all unnecessary lights, set air conditioners to the highest comfortable setting, curtail use of or turn off major appliances during the PEAK TIMES. Please limit your water to personal consumption.

Since Wednesday, August 31, only vehicles with a purple sticker and vehicles with a green sticker (residents) have been allowed on the Swan Quarter and Cedar Island ferries to Ocracoke, in that priority order. Residents with a current, valid driver's license with an Ocracoke address are also allowed. This will allow infrastructure, utilities, and essential personnel to get in place and residents to get back to their homes. Access to Ocracoke is only allowed via NCDOT ferry traffic from Swan Quarter and Cedar Island. There is no reentry to Ocracoke for non-resident property owners or visitors until utilities and infrastructure are in place which is estimated to be no earlier than one week. There is no access to Hatteras Island through Ocracoke Island.

On Ocracoke, there is beach access through ramp 70 and 67.

Airspace over Ocracoke Island is closed until further notice.

Power Update

From a recent (Sept. 1, 2011) Tideland Electric Membership Cooperative presss release:

"Ocracoke residents remain under generator power. The fate of the island's transmission service rests with Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative to the north on Hatteras Island."

UPS/Mailboat (updated with photo)

Yesterday UPS delivered to Ocracoke for the first time in 5 days. Unfortunately, I missed the big event. Apparently there were so many packages, and Grant (that's our wonderful UPS driver) had to come on the Swan Quarter ferry...so he didn't have time to make deliveries at our doors.

Word was spread around the village (somehow I missed the information) that all of the packages would be distributed at the docks. It must have been quite the sight -- neighbors and friends gathering to receive their boxes. People chatted and exchanged news about how they fared with hurricane Irene...and neighbors and family picked up packages and delivered them to those who were not at the docks.

From all reports it sounded much like the 1940s & 1950s when villagers met at the mailboat dock in the late afternoon to share news of the day, see who was arriving on the island, and to pick up their mail.



(Click on photo [courtesy Dave Frum] to view a larger image.)

Not everything about a hurricane is distressing!

Springer's Point & Portsmouth

I just heard a second-hand report that Springer's Point only lost a few limbs -- no trees down...but about 5 feet of beach washed away there.

I also heard that there was no major damage at Portsmouth village. Again, tree limbs down, maybe even a few trees blown over, but no report of significant damage to buildings. However, I did hear that the dock at Wallace's Channel was destroyed and probably won't be rebuilt.

Please keep in mind that these are second hand stories...not official reports.

Questions...and Answers

Last night before I went to bed I scrolled through about one hundred emails from the last several days (I have many more to look at). It was my first opportunity to read most of them. Again, many thanks for your comments during hurricane Irene. We appreciate your thoughts and are humbled by your concern.

A few readers had questions. I will answer several here...and others in the next day or so. (I am just giving my answer...not the original question [unless the question could not be determined]).

-- In the last several days some of our posts have had 250 or more pageviews.
-- Although I haven't heard any official report, I believe the ponies are all OK. I drove down there yesterday afternoon, and everything looked fine.
-- I also walked several miles on the beach. We found a number of seashells. Starfish were scattered all along the beach. I have also heard that some folks who went beachcombing immediately after the storm (they probably didn't have trees down like I did) picked up hundreds of scotch bonnets.
-- We still don't know when full electric power will be restored to Ocracoke...so we don't know when visitors will be allowed back on the island.
-- There must be a number of charities dedicated to helping victims of hurricane Irene. The Red Cross comes immediately to mind. They have always been among the first to respond when Ocracoke needed help. You might also check out http://www.helpobx.com/.
-- Amy & David did not try to shield Lachlan from news of the impending storm, but they didn't display panic. I believe he understood the situation, but was not traumatized by it.
-- We are watching Katia...and hoping she stays far out to sea!
-- Tree limbs, leaves, and twigs are carried to the "dump." As you can imagine it has been a busy place. They have a chipper there to cut up branches and limbs. The mulch is offered free to islanders for their gardens. I save large logs, especially oak, and give them away to folks who have wood stoves. Some islanders gather cedar logs for carving and other craft projects.
-- School begins today!
-- I have not been to Springer's Point, and have not heard if any of the trees there sustained any damage. Maybe one of our readers has an update on Springer's.
-- I have not heard anything about Portsmouth Island either. In fact I heard that no one has been over there yet. I believe Dave Frum is scheduled to go on Monday. Perhaps someone will let us know what the situation is there as soon as information is available.
-- I believe Merle was here for the storm. I have not seen her, but I have seen her vehicle, so I think she is fine.
-- I drove into Jackson Dunes yesterday, and did not see any significant damage. I am guessing it weathered the storm like the rest of the island...very well.

Thanks again for your concerns. I will post more tomorrow.