The temperature all day today was wonderful - we still have the door open to let in the fresh air (at nearly 9 PM). Other than that, the weather was not great. It was very overcast and windy all day (there's still a slight breeze, and I am enjoying listening to the wind chimes in the screened porch). It was not, however, as windy as it was on Sunday. We've had a run of windy days recently! The first picture is a view of the sound as it looked on Sunday. The mainland ferries were not running for most of the day, due to the high winds.
Wind-wise, it wasn't that bad today (as far as I know, the ferries kept running), but it was seriously cloudy! Shortly after 2:00, it got pretty dark and I started hearing rumbling thunder. I headed out to enjoy being outside briefly before the expected deluge arrived. It was so dark that the lighthouse was already on, at 2:45 in the afternoon!
After taking a couple of pictures, I went to the library to pick up books to read to the first grade class tomorrow. I happened to actually have my library card with me (a rare occurrence), so I gave it to Jetta at the desk. She chuckled and said that it had been a long time since anyone actually used a card. That made me smile, and started me musing about one of the things I love about living here: the small town community. There aren't many towns left where you don't need a library card to check out a book, your registration card when you show up to vote, or ID to order a drink (well, some people might not need that no matter where they live, LOL). Around here, people know who you are, what you do, and whether you are old enough to drink. It is a wonderful feeling when your neighbors know and trust you.
Islanders also often go beyond mere knowing, to looking out for each other. I experienced this recently when I lost one of the library books I had checked out to read with the first graders. After looking everywhere at home and calling Mary Ellen to confirm I hadn't left it at school (she said she would check the next day), I had resigned myself to paying for the book. Then Mary Ellen called to say she had not found the book in the classroom, but that she had checked with the library and someone had turned it in (and, coincidentally enough, one of the first graders had then checked it out ~ I guess he really enjoyed that story!)
I have no idea where I left the book or who found it, but I am grateful to that person for taking care of it for me. It was a simple but tangible example of the way neighbors treat one another here. I think of everyone who lives on the island as my "neighbor", even those who live all the way on the other side of the village (2 miles away, quite a distance, LOL!)
All this musing reminded me of an editorial my friend Sundae wrote several years ago. In it she talked about the reasons she moved to Ocracoke, and what she loved about the island. It moved me so much that I cut it out and put it where I would see it often. After reading it every now and then for a few months, I had memorized part of it. Sundae wrote that she moved here because she "wanted to be known, to be of use, to be home". I know exactly what she meant. So much of the sense of home I have here is related to being known, to being a part of the community. The world would be a better place if everyone could live in a town where they feel at home, at peace, and accepted. I recommend doing just that, if you can!
Wind-wise, it wasn't that bad today (as far as I know, the ferries kept running), but it was seriously cloudy! Shortly after 2:00, it got pretty dark and I started hearing rumbling thunder. I headed out to enjoy being outside briefly before the expected deluge arrived. It was so dark that the lighthouse was already on, at 2:45 in the afternoon!
After taking a couple of pictures, I went to the library to pick up books to read to the first grade class tomorrow. I happened to actually have my library card with me (a rare occurrence), so I gave it to Jetta at the desk. She chuckled and said that it had been a long time since anyone actually used a card. That made me smile, and started me musing about one of the things I love about living here: the small town community. There aren't many towns left where you don't need a library card to check out a book, your registration card when you show up to vote, or ID to order a drink (well, some people might not need that no matter where they live, LOL). Around here, people know who you are, what you do, and whether you are old enough to drink. It is a wonderful feeling when your neighbors know and trust you.
Islanders also often go beyond mere knowing, to looking out for each other. I experienced this recently when I lost one of the library books I had checked out to read with the first graders. After looking everywhere at home and calling Mary Ellen to confirm I hadn't left it at school (she said she would check the next day), I had resigned myself to paying for the book. Then Mary Ellen called to say she had not found the book in the classroom, but that she had checked with the library and someone had turned it in (and, coincidentally enough, one of the first graders had then checked it out ~ I guess he really enjoyed that story!)
I have no idea where I left the book or who found it, but I am grateful to that person for taking care of it for me. It was a simple but tangible example of the way neighbors treat one another here. I think of everyone who lives on the island as my "neighbor", even those who live all the way on the other side of the village (2 miles away, quite a distance, LOL!)
All this musing reminded me of an editorial my friend Sundae wrote several years ago. In it she talked about the reasons she moved to Ocracoke, and what she loved about the island. It moved me so much that I cut it out and put it where I would see it often. After reading it every now and then for a few months, I had memorized part of it. Sundae wrote that she moved here because she "wanted to be known, to be of use, to be home". I know exactly what she meant. So much of the sense of home I have here is related to being known, to being a part of the community. The world would be a better place if everyone could live in a town where they feel at home, at peace, and accepted. I recommend doing just that, if you can!
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