Painting the Lighthouse

In addition to a principal "keeper," lighthouses often required first and second assistants. One might wonder why a lighthouse needed so many attendants, but maintaining a lighthouse was a major job.

The keeper was responsible for lighting the lamp at sunset, ensuring that it remained lit throughout the night, and extinguishing it at sunrise. The lamp needed to be filled with fuel daily, and the wick trimmed regularly. The Fresnel lens and lantern room windows had to be cleaned and polished every morning. Keepers were required to shine and polish all of the brass, sweep the floors and stairs, and clean tower windows and sills as needed. They also cleaned, painted, and repaired all of the buildings, including the keeper's dwelling, chimneys, privies, outbuildings, and the tower itself. In addition, keepers were required to maintain all mechanical equipment, weed walkways, paint and maintain the fence, and see that the grounds were presentable. They kept a log book, recorded weather readings, and kept an inventory of all equipment. Keepers were forbidden to leave the light station without permission, and were considered to be on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They even provided visitors with tours of the lighthouse as needed.

And, as Cheryl Shelton-Roberts & Bruce Roberts point out in their book, Lighthouse Families, "One of the biggest jobs in maintaining a lighthouse [was] painting the tower...." In the book John Gaskill (1916-2013), son of Vernon Gaskill (1889-1984), principal keeper of the 170' tall Bodie Island Lighthouse (by comparison, the Ocracoke Lighthouse is 75' tall), relates climbing into a "paintbox" attached to the lighthouse's catwalk by hooks and ropes. The painters worked their way down, scraping and painting (white and black paint mixed with zinc, lead, linseed oil, and turpentine). It "took as much courage as they could muster."

It was not a job for the faint of heart!

Photo by Jarek Tuszynski*

*Jarek Tuszynski / CC-BY-SA-3.0 & GDFL [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Common.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is an article about one of the early July 4th Parades written by Alice Rondthaler in 1953. It is accompanied by vintage photos.You can read the Newsletter here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news062116.htm.  

Inlets

How many inlets have existed along the Outer Banks of North Carolina? Here is a partial list (of existing and historic inlets), beginning at the north (source, Place Names of the Outer Banks by Roger L. Payne):

1. Currituck
2. New Currituck
3. Musketo
4. Caffey's
5. Trinitie
6. Roanoke
7. Gunt
8. Oregon
9. New
10. Chickinacommock
11. Chaneandepeco
12. Hatteras
13. Old Hatteras
14. Wells Creek
15. Ocracoke
16. Whalebone
17. Swash
18. Sand Island
19. Old Drum
20. Drum
21. Cedar
22. Old Drum 
23. Barden
24. Beaufort
25. Cheeseman
26. Bogue

The number of inlets, and their changing locations, attest to the dynamic nature of these fragile barrier islands.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is an article about one of the early July 4th Parades written by Alice Rondthaler in 1953. It is accompanied by vintage photos.You can read the Newsletter here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news062116.htm.

1953 Parade

In recognition of Ocracoke's upcoming Independence Day Celebration, our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1953 article written by Alice Rondthaler about one of the island's early July 4th Parades. A number of vintage photographs from the Mary Ruth Dickson Collection at the Ocracoke Preservation Society and from the Chip Stevens Collection accompany the article.

You can read the Newsletter here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news062116.htm.

Efficiency Star

In 1912 the Bureau of Lighthouses reported to Congress: "To promote efficiency and friendly rivalry among lighthouse keepers, a system of efficiency stars and pennants has been established. Keepers who have been commended for efficiency at each quarterly inspection during the year are entitled to wear the inspector's star for the next year, and those who receive the inspector's star for three successive years will be entitled to wear the Commissioner's star..."

On August 18, 1914, Capt. Leon Wesley Austin, Keeper of the Ocracoke Lighthouse, received this notice: "You are informed that you have been awarded an efficiency star. You are therefore entitled to wear the efficiency star for the succeeding fiscal year beginning July 1st, 1914. [It] shall be worn in a manor described in the uniform manual."

For $6.50 you can order your very own Efficiency Star from the United States Lighthouse Society.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the dramatic story of life-saver Rasmus Midgett and his rescue of the crew of the barkentine Priscilla in August, 1899. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052116.htm.

Leonard Meeker

In a recent blog a reader left this comment: "We first stayed on Ocracoke in 1973 and way back then it seems we noticed a fairly large house with sloped roof almost directly opposite the C. Guard station - on the other side of the channel into the lake. Do you know who built it? Or who lived in it? A long time ago we were told that it was where the mystery writer Mary Ellen Bradford ?? stayed from time to time. We tried to find a Mary Ellen Bradford but it was a dead end. Can you shed any light on any of this?"

I believe the reader is referring to the home of Leonard (1916-2014) and Beverly Meeker, wonderful people who have contributed much to the Ocracoke community. If I remember correctly, the house was built sometime in the 1980s.

Leonard was a remarkable man whose life included a distinguished public service career in government and work with non-profit organizations focusing on social justice law.

2005 Photo by Oliver White
Courtesy Ocracoke Observer

It was always a delight to visit with Leonard and Beverly, either joining other island friends for dinner around their dining room table, or sipping Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and discussing local and world affairs on their screened porch overlooking Pamlico Sound.

I am not familiar with Mary Ellen Bradford. If she ever visited Ocracoke I am not aware of it.

Leonard died at the age of 98 in his home in 2014. Peter Vankevich wrote a detailed obituary in the Ocracoke Observer: https://ocracokeobserver.com/2014/12/05/leonard-meeker-1916-2014-2/. Beverly continues to live in the home.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the dramatic story of life-saver Rasmus Midgett and his rescue of the crew of the barkentine Priscilla in August, 1899. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052116.htm.  

Arm Wrestling

Ocracoke's Eighth Annual Women's Arm Wrestling Tournament will be held tonight  at 6:30 in the Community Center (not in the back yard of the Village Thrift Store, as originally planned). This is a fun evening's entertainment with friendly competition and creative costumes.

Here are photos of a couple of the contestants from past years:

The event is a benefit for Ocracoke's radio station, WOVV (90.1 FM). Come on out for a great time!

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the dramatic story of life-saver Rasmus Midgett and his rescue of the crew of the barkentine Priscilla in August, 1899. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052116.htm. 

OPS Events

The Ocracoke Preservation Society hosts a number of informative and fun summertime events at the museum. These include museum tours, porch talks (history, wildlife, environmental issues, seafaring, pirates, storytelling, etc.), and kids' programs.

Click here for more information.

The OPS Museum is located near the Swan Quarter/Cedar Island ferry docks, across the parking lot from the National Park Service Visitors Center.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the dramatic story of life-saver Rasmus Midgett and his rescue of the crew of the barkentine Priscilla in August, 1899. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052116.htm. 

Ship's Knee

Many an Ocracoke Island home was built from lumber salvaged from wrecked sailing ships. One highly prized item was the ship’s “knee,” a sturdy right-angle timber hand hewn from the Hackmatack tree which grows in Canada and the northeastern United States. 

Because the root of the Hackmatack tree grows at a right angle to the trunk, this section of the tree has great strength.  Called "tension wood," it was widely used to make "knees," which have a long history of use by builders of wooden ships, to join ribs to deck timbers.

Salvaged ship's knees were often re-purposed to be used in island houses to secure floor joists to the outer beams.

Ship's Knee used in 1865 Island Home

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the dramatic story of life-saver Rasmus Midgett and his rescue of the crew of the barkentine Priscilla in August, 1899. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052116.htm. 

Wococon & Wokokon

The earliest known spellings of Ocracoke ("Wococon" and "Wokokon") are found on 1585 maps drawn by John White, who was among those who sailed from England to America as a member of Sir Walter Raleigh's expeditions.

Roger Payne, in his book, Place Names of the Outer Banks, speculates that Wococon could be a tortured  Anglicization of the Algonquian word "waxihikami" which means "enclosed place, fort, or stockade." (See our post on June 10, 2016).

Historian David Stick has a different explanation.  When Walter Raleigh's expedition set foot on Ocracoke in 1584, the explorers reportedly asked the natives they encountered what the name of their country was.  In reply the Indians answered "Wingandacon," which Stick believes became "Wococon."  In truth, the actual reply was "You wear good clothes." 

Over the years I knew I had seen a dozen or more different spellings for the present-day Ocracoke Island.  Curious, in 2003 I decided to compile a list of all the variations I could document. Ultimately I discovered more than fifty distinct names and/or spellings for Ocracoke.

The following chart lists eighteen different spellings (highlighted in yellow), as well as a number of duplicates, from a series of early maps and other documents.  The earliest record of the current "Ocracoke" that I could find was on a map dated 1852.

Date	Name	Document	Author
1585	Wococon	map	John White
1585	Wokokon	map	John White
1590	Wokokon	map	White - De Bry
1606	Wococon	map	Mercator - Hondius
1657	Wococock	map	Nicholaus Comberford
1665	Wococock	survey	T. Woodward
1665	Wococon	survey	T. Woodward
1672	Okok	map	Ogilby
1675	Okok	map	John Speed
1682	Wosoton	map	Joel Gascoyne & Robert Greene
1689	Wossoton	map	John Thorton & Will Fisher
1706	Wocoton	map	Johannes Loots
1709	Ocacok	map	John Lawson
1715	Occacock	an act of the assembly	NC Assembly
1715	Occacoke	map	Henry Mouzon
1717	Occeh	letter	Gov. Spotswood
1718	Occocock	account of capture of Blackbeard
1732	Ocacock	document/letter	Capt. Burrington
1733	Ocacock	map	Edward Moseley
1733	Ocreecock	deed	Richard Sanderson
1733	Oakerccok	map	James Wimble
1738	Okerccok	map	James Wimble
1770	Occacock	map	John Collet
1775	Occacoke	map	Henry Mouzon
1795	Occacock	map/description	Jonathan Price
1808	Occacock	map	Price - John Strother
1821	Ocracock	map	Leut. Strong
1833	Ocracock	map	Mac Rae - Brazier
1834	Occacock	map	H.S. Tanner
1852	Ocracoke	map	A.D. Bache
1861	Occacock	map	J.H. Colton
1861	Ocracoke	map	Bachman

In addition to the spellings listed above, I located  the following 34 variations mentioned in different books and pamphlets, although no sources were indicated.  These do not include other names by which Ocracoke was sometimes known, such as Pilot Town, Port Bath, Port Grenvil, and Gordons Ile.

Woccon	Oecceh	Woston
Woccocon	Okcrecock	Oa Cock
Woccocock	Okerecock	Oakocock
Occacoe	Woccock	Occacode
Ococock	Wococan	Ocrecok
Occek	Ocacok	Ocacoc
Oakacock	Ocraacocke	Sequotan
Oacock	Ocracook	Vokoton
Ocock	Okerecok	Woccock
Okercock	Onoconon	Wocotan
Ocrecock	Wakokon	Wosotan
	Wocoken

One of the more enduring early spellings was "Occacock."

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the dramatic story of life-saver Rasmus Midgett and his rescue of the crew of the barkentine Priscilla in August, 1899. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052116.htm.

Waxkahikani

On July 4, 1584, two English barks under the command of Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe began their exploration of the "New World." They had been sent by Sir Walter Raleigh to locate a suitable site to establish an English colony on the American coast. More expeditions were to follow.

In 1590 Thomas Hariot published A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia. This volume included an engraving (below) by Theodor de Bry based on watercolor illustrations made by Capt. John White, commander of the 1587 expedition sent by Raleigh. It shows the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Please enlarge the map to view a better image.

This 1590 map is oriented with North (Septentrio) to the right, and shows Wokokon (Ocracoke) just above the sailing ship on the left.

The detail below shows Wokokon more clearly. Wokokon is identified in a key to the White-de Bry map in Appendix I of David B. Quinn's Roanoke Voyages (London, 1955):

"Wokokon: 1. An inlet near, or identical with, present-day Ocracoke Inlet. 2. An Island, which Arthur Barlowe called 'an out Island vninhabited,' probably consisting of the southern half of modern Ocracoke Island. The etymology of Wokokon (perhaps from Proto-Algonquian waxkahikani, 'stockade' or 'stronghold') and the palisade symbol northeast of the inlet may indicate a palisaded town abandoned before English contact. De Bry used this symbol with some lack of restraint to indicate towns without palisades, such as Pomeiock (which see), and perhaps other things; so it is far from certain what the symbol signifies here."

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the dramatic story of life-saver Rasmus Midgett and his rescue of the crew of the barkentine Priscilla in August, 1899. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052116.htm.

The Monumental Bronze Company

There are more than 80 family cemeteries scattered around Ocracoke village. But there is only one island grave marker made by The Monumental Bronze Company. It is the marker for Tilmon (1798-1880) & Anna (1804-1884) Farrow. And after more than a century and a quarter it is still as legible as the day it was installed.

The Farrows' “White Bronze” grave marker is actually made from zinc. The fancy "white bronze" name was a marketing ploy to make the zinc material sound more attractive. The markers, which were sold nationwide from the 1870s to 1912, came from the The Monumental Bronze Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut. 

The colors of these markers can be pale grey to a very pale baby blue. They are hollow, and mainland stories have been told of how gardeners hid garden tools inside, and how outlaws hid their loot in them. 

The Farrows' zinc marker has stood the test of time better than their neighboring contemporary stone markers which are often eaten away by weather, lichens and mosses.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the dramatic story of life-saver Rasmus Midgett and his rescue of the crew of the barkentine Priscilla in August, 1899. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052116.htm.

Maritime Music

If you will be on the island this coming Sunday, June 12 you are invited to join Janie Meneely & Rob van Sante at Coyote Music Den  from  8–10 p.m. They will be presenting an evening of maritime music they call "The Bay and Beyond." Admission is $15 per person.

Described as “The Voice of the Chesapeake” singer/songwriter Janie Meneely joins forces with Dutch-born guitarist/balladeer Rob van Sante for a lively evening of maritime music derived from the Old World and the New. Meneely brings the characters and history of the Chesapeake Bay watermen to life with witty and sometimes poignant clarity.

Van Sante, who has toured extensively with the likes of Alan Reid (Battlefield Band), Kate Rusby, John Connolly and other folk luminaries, adds his own take on traditional music while backing Janie up on guitar and vocals.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the dramatic story of life-saver Rasmus Midgett and his rescue of the crew of the barkentine Priscilla in August, 1899. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052116.htm. 

Roy Parsons

Many of our readers will remember island native Roy Parsons (1921-2007). He was a regular performer at the Ocracoke Opry.

Photo Courtesy Island Free Press

In 2003 Ken McAlpine visited Ocracoke and attended an Opry show in November. This is how Ken remembered Roy's performance in his book Off-Season:

"Roy played three songs on guitar and harmonica, and I had the impression that, had the other musicians not joined him onstage, he would have played a few more. The pace of the songs waxed and waned, but there was no doubt that Roy still possessed plenty of wind. After the third song he remained sitting on his stool.

"There was a long silence.

"Gary Mitchell knelt beside him.

"'So, said Gary, 'what did you do for Thanksgiving, Roy?'

"'I had some turkey, and lots of pie and collards,' stated Roy.

"'I didn't get any collards,' said Gary amiably.

"'Well, you should have come around, I'd have given you some.' Roy returned to sitting ramrod straight and silent.

"'Well, Roy,' said Gary, ater a pause. 'Way back when, what were Thanksgivings on the island like: Did you eat turkey?'

"We didn't have any,' said Roy tartly. 'We didn't know what a turkey was. All we had was fish and clams and crabs. That's how I lived so long.'

"There was another pregnant pause. I could imagine Roy at home, spending the day neatly laying out his clothes, gathering his guitar and harmonica, considering and reconsidering his song list, waiting patiently in a favorite chair until evening purpled, then darkened, his windows.

"In our youth-obsessed culture the old rarely take the stage anymore, except to extol the virtues of various laxatives or the positive assets of denture cream. These are not positions of respect.

"Nobody rushed Roy, or filled the silence with a joke at his expense. The audience waited patiently.

"'Do you have any Thanksgiving memories from long ago, Roy" Gary finally asked.

"Roy considered this for only a moment. 'No,' he said flatly."

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

Anyone who remembers Roy's performances at the Opry can picture the scene above. We all miss Roy.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the dramatic story of life-saver Rasmus Midgett and his rescue of the crew of the barkentine Priscilla in August, 1899. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052116.htm.

Grand Opening, 1889

 From the New Berne Weekly Journal (New Bern, NC), Thursday, August 8, 1889:

GRAND OPENING

 OF THE

OCRACOKE HOTEL,

SPENCER BROS, PROP'RS

ON

JUNE 18th, 1889

_______________________-

Hotel enlarged. Table supplied with the best. Servants attentive and polite. Soda fountain. Band of music. Rates low.

Steamer two trips a week from Washington and one from New Berne. First trip June 18th from Washington. 

TERMS:

Per day..........................................$1.50 to $2.00

Per week.....................................$7.00 to $10.00

Per month.................................................$30.00

Address

SPENCER BROS.,

jelldw2m                               Washington, N.C.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the dramatic story of life-saver Rasmus Midgett and his rescue of the crew of the barkentine Priscilla in August, 1899. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052116.htm.

How Old is Ocracoke?

I have often wondered how old the Outer Banks is. Recently I decided to read carefully The Battle for North Carolina's Coast by Stanley R. Riggs, Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at East Carolina University.

Riggs identifies two Coastal Zones in North Carolina. Ocracoke belongs in the Northern Coastal Zone which extends from the Virginia border to Cape Lookout. Unlike the Southern Coastal zone which is "underlain by rocks that range in age from 145 to 2.6 million years," the Northern Coastal Zone is filled with "marine mud, muddy sand, sand, and peat" which buried the older rock "to a depth of 50 to 250 feet."

The Outer Banks, from Apollo 9

Below is a summary of Dr. Riggs' explanation of the evolution of the Northern Coastal Zone:

• Ca. 9,000 years ago: Sea level rise flooded the paleo-Tar and Neuse River valleys, "forming a series of small narrow estuaries." At this time the mainland ocean shoreline was a few miles east of the present Outer Banks. Riggs speculates that there might have been barrier islands situated close to the shoreline.
• By ca. 7,000 years ago Pamlico Sound formed as the result of continued sea level rise. Precursor barrier islands formed "east of the modern Outer Banks." What we know today as the Outer Banks did not exist at that time. 
• Over the next few thousand years the shoreline migrated to the west. By ca. 1,100 years ago (ca. 900 CE) barrier islands existed close to the location of the modern Outer Banks.
• Beginning ca. 1,100 years ago much of the southern section of the Outer Banks, from Cape Hatteras to Ocracoke Inlet, collapsed as the result of storms, creating back-barrier shoals.
• By about 500 years ago (just prior to the arrival of the first Europeans) the modern Outer Banks barrier islands re-formed. During the "Little Ice Age" (ca. 1300 to ca. 1850) numerous inlets, probably the result of increased storm activity, separated the islands of the Outer Banks. Today, there are only three major inlets along the Outer Banks: Oregon, Hatteras, and Ocracoke.

So, the answer to my question, according to Dr. Riggs, is that Ocracoke Island is approximately 500 years old...young by geologic standards.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the dramatic story of life-saver Rasmus Midgett and his rescue of the crew of the barkentine Priscilla in August, 1899. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052116.htm.

The Community Square

The Ocracoke Foundation includes the following paragraph on their web site about The Community Square Revitalization Project:

"Since 1918, Ocracoke's Community Square has been the heart of our maritime heritage, a welcoming gathering place for watermen, merchants, students, locals and tourists alike.  Nearly a century later, stories are still shared, goods are still sold, and local events are still celebrated amongst these 5 National Register structures and waterfront docks."

But the Revitalization Project needs funds to meet their goals.

In order to continue to protect the Community Square, an $800,000 interim loan from The Conservation Fund must be repaid by October, 2016. As the Foundation raises the money to repay The Conservation Fund, the private donor is willing to release the debt obligation dollar for dollar. Therefore, between now and October 2016, for all donations made to repay The Conservation Fund loan, the Private Donor will forgive an equal amount—up to $800,000. 

For more information, and to make a contribution to the Community Square Revitalization Project click here. 

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the dramatic story of life-saver Rasmus Midgett and his rescue of the crew of the barkentine Priscilla in August, 1899. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052116.htm.

Snappers

According to Susanne Kynast on the web site Tortoise Trust, "Around mid June [snapping turtle] nesting will start. The females undertake extensive true nesting migrations in search for a preferably sandy, sunny nest site."

Several snapping turtles have been seen in the village lately. Just a few days ago Lachlan called me over to see a snapper that was slowly making her way across Howard Street.

Tortoise Trust has a wealth of information about snapping turtles. As Kynast quotes B. Gilbert, snappers are “creatures who are entitled to regard the brontosaur and mastodon as brief zoological fads”

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the dramatic story of life-saver Rasmus Midgett and his rescue of the crew of the barkentine Priscilla in August, 1899. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052116.htm.

Festival

Coming right up is the 2016 OcraFolk Festival, this weekend, June 3-5.

Visit Ocracoke Alive's Web Site for the schedule of events, up-to-date information about this year's musicians & storytellers, the Friday evening art auction, Saturday night's traditional Ocracoke square dance, special concerts, and the Admiralty Dock Party.

A host of activities, fabulous music, outstanding arts & crafts, and great island food combine to make this one of the island's most popular events. We hope to see you this weekend.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the dramatic story of life-saver Rasmus Midgett and his rescue of the crew of the barkentine Priscilla in August, 1899. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052116.htm.

Art Auction

Every year the Ocracoke Festival (June 3-5 this year) hosts an art auction. The on-site live auction will take place this coming Friday, June 3rd, at the Berkley Manor starting at 7:00 pm. For those who want to get a jump start on bidding (or who can't make it to the event), Festival organizers are offering online bidding until 7 PM, Thursday, June 2. The highest online bid will become the starting bid for the on-site auction on Friday, June 3rd. If no one outbids you, you are the winner!

For photos of the art, an on-line bidding form, and more information, please visit the official Ocracoke Festival web site: http://www.ocracokealive.org/auction.html.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the dramatic story of life-saver Rasmus Midgett and his rescue of the crew of the barkentine Priscilla in August, 1899. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052116.htm.

Island Character

Ocracoke has never had a shortage of wonderful island characters. Some that come to mind are Rob Hanks (who, in the 1950s, would tell you the story of Ocracoke for a dime), Wilbur Gaskill (who carved birds and entertained visitors with crazy hand gestures), Horatio Williams (who sank his schooner during the Civil War to keep it out of the hands of both the North & the South), Bill Askren (a hippy before there were hippies), and Mad Mag Howard (who liked to stand in graveyards after dark). I also think of Henry (with the 3-lgged dog), Don Wood (whose living room also served as his workshop), and Dale (he works sometimes at Village Craftsmen!).

Just a few days ago I joined several friends, including Susan, an Ocracoke property owner and part-time resident, for a walk on the beach. Susan had to point out her new bumper sticker:

Susan's house is full of creative things: colorful quilts of her own design, numerous animal bones and skulls, elaborate crucifixes and statues...and baby doll heads.

"You know, Susan," I said to her, "you are a wonderful person, full of love and compassion, smart, and incredibly talented and creative. But those baby doll heads are kind of weird."

"Philip, you would be surprised to know how many people collect baby doll heads," she replied.

With nothing more to be said, we then proceeded to enjoy our walk on the beach.

Just another Ocracoke Island Character!

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the dramatic story of life-saver Rasmus Midgett and his rescue of the crew of the barkentine Priscilla in August, 1899. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052116.htm.