For all you fans of the "Ocrafolk" scene here on the island (Festival, summer concert series, etc.), you might be interested to know about the planned Ocrafolk School, which will be held later this year. There will be 2 week-long sessions, either Oct. 21 - 26, or Oct. 28 - Nov. 2.
There are several classes to choose from:
Week 1
Bird Carving - William Nathan Spencer
Jewelry Making - Kathleen O'Neal
Ocracoke History and Culture - Philip Howard
Island Cooking - Debbie Wells
Music and Stories of the Sea - Bob Zentz
Island Photography - Ann Ehringhaus
Week 2
Model Boat Building - Jimmy Amspacher
Watercolor Painting - Mary Ellen Golden
Exploring Ocracoke - David Senseney
Old Time Sailing and the Seafaring Tradition - Captain Rob Temple
Lifesavers and Lightkeepers - John Golden
Basketry: Materials and Techniques - Judith Saunders
Tuition is $495, which includes group meals (breakfast and dinner). You can learn more about each class and see a sample class schedule here. To sign up, complete and return the registration form here. I've put a link to the School website in the new links section (on the left) as well.
I'm thinking of taking the photography class, and I recommend any of the classes that interest you, whether you would like to learn an art or craft skill, or more about the history, culture, or nature of the island. I am working as one of the class coordinators as well, helping to organize the School, so let me know if you sign up for a course. I would enjoy meeting some of my blog readers in person!
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Full days
Well so much for daily blogging! Let me tell you about how full the last few days have been for me (yes, I'm making excuses...)
Thursday was my sister's last full day here, before she had to fly back home to Colorado. We took advantage of the day, filling it from beginning to end. First, we took a drive out to South Point. She had not been before, and I had not been in about a year...I really need to get a 4WD vehicle so I can go there more often! (We went with some friends on Thursday.) It was a hot day, perfect for some time on the beach. We enjoyed walking, shelling, and a bit of wading both in the inlet and in one of the small tidal pools that form in low spots on the beach (these are my absolute favorite thing about South Point).
Later, we went parasailing. It was a BLAST, and not scary at all. (I had thought I might be a bit scared when we first lifted off the boat, but it was so gentle that I was completely relaxed.) We had a ball, and Hans dipped us down so our feet went into the water three separate times. The view of Silver Lake was lovely, and we thoroughly enjoyed our fly. I highly recommend it!
After parasailing, we did some more shopping. Then we went to Springer's Point for a while. Jocelyn lay in the sun, working on her tan, while I sat in the shade enjoying the view and my Mike's Hard Berry drink.
We headed to bed early after our first full day, to prepare for our next one. After getting just a few hours of sleep, we got up at 11:15 PM and headed to the midnight ferry to Hatteras. Jocelyn's flight out of Raleigh was at 6:15 AM on Friday, so leaving on the Thursday midnight ferry was the only way to get her there on time. After I dropped her off at the terminal, I parked the car in the parking garage and went to sleep in it! Then I headed home, stopping several times along the way to sleep some more. I ended up on the 3:30 PM ferry back to Ocracoke from Hatteras. The truly funny thing is that Jocelyn actually arrived in Colorado before I got back to the island!
So those were my too-full-to-blog days. Today was not as busy, and I think after a couple of naps I actually managed to get caught up on my sleep. Ah, the joys of living on an island accessible only by ferry.
Thursday was my sister's last full day here, before she had to fly back home to Colorado. We took advantage of the day, filling it from beginning to end. First, we took a drive out to South Point. She had not been before, and I had not been in about a year...I really need to get a 4WD vehicle so I can go there more often! (We went with some friends on Thursday.) It was a hot day, perfect for some time on the beach. We enjoyed walking, shelling, and a bit of wading both in the inlet and in one of the small tidal pools that form in low spots on the beach (these are my absolute favorite thing about South Point).
Later, we went parasailing. It was a BLAST, and not scary at all. (I had thought I might be a bit scared when we first lifted off the boat, but it was so gentle that I was completely relaxed.) We had a ball, and Hans dipped us down so our feet went into the water three separate times. The view of Silver Lake was lovely, and we thoroughly enjoyed our fly. I highly recommend it!
After parasailing, we did some more shopping. Then we went to Springer's Point for a while. Jocelyn lay in the sun, working on her tan, while I sat in the shade enjoying the view and my Mike's Hard Berry drink.
We headed to bed early after our first full day, to prepare for our next one. After getting just a few hours of sleep, we got up at 11:15 PM and headed to the midnight ferry to Hatteras. Jocelyn's flight out of Raleigh was at 6:15 AM on Friday, so leaving on the Thursday midnight ferry was the only way to get her there on time. After I dropped her off at the terminal, I parked the car in the parking garage and went to sleep in it! Then I headed home, stopping several times along the way to sleep some more. I ended up on the 3:30 PM ferry back to Ocracoke from Hatteras. The truly funny thing is that Jocelyn actually arrived in Colorado before I got back to the island!
So those were my too-full-to-blog days. Today was not as busy, and I think after a couple of naps I actually managed to get caught up on my sleep. Ah, the joys of living on an island accessible only by ferry.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Fryin' fish
My sister and I went to the Glass Bead shop and made jewelry today (she made an anklet, I made a bracelet). This is a fun way to spend an hour or two, and you get to go home with a lovely reminder of your vacation that you can wear. I recommend it, especially for a rainy, windy, or otherwise not-the-greatest beach day.
There was a fish fry this evening, to raise money for the Ocracoke Working Watermen's Association. I love being able to give to a good cause by eating! The fish was delicious of course, and all the fixins were available too (hush puppies, cole slaw, baked beans, etc.) It was an excellent dinner. Now I'm going to go eat the brownie I got with it. Maybe eating chocolate this close to bedtime will give me "sweet" dreams. :) G'night.
There was a fish fry this evening, to raise money for the Ocracoke Working Watermen's Association. I love being able to give to a good cause by eating! The fish was delicious of course, and all the fixins were available too (hush puppies, cole slaw, baked beans, etc.) It was an excellent dinner. Now I'm going to go eat the brownie I got with it. Maybe eating chocolate this close to bedtime will give me "sweet" dreams. :) G'night.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Stormy nights
There was a lightning and thunder storm in the early hours of morning last night (it woke me at about 5:40 this morning, and it had already been raining for a while at that point). It was overcast most of the day today, and now it is pouring. There has been some spectacular lightning and loud thunder over the last few minutes too.
Better post this blog before the power goes ou
Just kidding!
Seriously, here's hoping there aren't too many storms in your life at the moment!
Better post this blog before the power goes ou
Just kidding!
Seriously, here's hoping there aren't too many storms in your life at the moment!
Monday, July 9, 2007
Wow, time flies...
...when you are really busy! Sorry it has been so long since I blogged. I'll try to get back to "daily", since that is what the blog is called! :)
So since I last blogged, here's what has been keeping me so busy.
July 4 - was great fun as usual. There were some excellent sand sculptures on the beach, including Shrek lying in the sun, Davey Jones (from Pirates of the Caribbean, complete with creepy face tentacles), and several pirate themed ones. I am not sure who won, though. The parade was my favorite part of the day. Unfortunately, my camera battery died and I didn't have a spare with me, so I only got pictures of a handful of the floats. :( The fireworks went off from the beach with only a minor hitch (small fire on a dune, which was put out very quickly). I watched them from the car in Jason's restaurant parking lot, which was a fine viewing location and ensured I missed the traffic!
July 6 - I got my stitches out, but my cut is still healing. Dr. Moore put a sterile glue and butterfly bandages on it, and covered the whole thing with a cute red Crayola bandage.
July 7 - after a final rehearsal in the afternoon, the women of the Ocrafolk Opry presented our show at 8 PM to an appreciative crowd. It was a fun evening, and I have to agree with my friend Jamie that our duet performance of "Otto Titsling" will probably go down in infamy!
Yesterday and today were spent trying to get totally caught up on work, so I can take the rest of the week off and spend the time with my sister who is visiting until Friday. I am planning to play the "hometown tourist" while she is here, doing things like parasailing, shopping, eating ice cream, and just generally relaxing. Oh, yes, and blogging. Daily, of course!
So since I last blogged, here's what has been keeping me so busy.
July 4 - was great fun as usual. There were some excellent sand sculptures on the beach, including Shrek lying in the sun, Davey Jones (from Pirates of the Caribbean, complete with creepy face tentacles), and several pirate themed ones. I am not sure who won, though. The parade was my favorite part of the day. Unfortunately, my camera battery died and I didn't have a spare with me, so I only got pictures of a handful of the floats. :( The fireworks went off from the beach with only a minor hitch (small fire on a dune, which was put out very quickly). I watched them from the car in Jason's restaurant parking lot, which was a fine viewing location and ensured I missed the traffic!
July 6 - I got my stitches out, but my cut is still healing. Dr. Moore put a sterile glue and butterfly bandages on it, and covered the whole thing with a cute red Crayola bandage.
July 7 - after a final rehearsal in the afternoon, the women of the Ocrafolk Opry presented our show at 8 PM to an appreciative crowd. It was a fun evening, and I have to agree with my friend Jamie that our duet performance of "Otto Titsling" will probably go down in infamy!
Yesterday and today were spent trying to get totally caught up on work, so I can take the rest of the week off and spend the time with my sister who is visiting until Friday. I am planning to play the "hometown tourist" while she is here, doing things like parasailing, shopping, eating ice cream, and just generally relaxing. Oh, yes, and blogging. Daily, of course!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Fireworks update and answers to questions
UPDATE: the fireworks on July 4th will be shot off from the beach (near ramp 70) rather than near the harbor. "Why" is a long story with many boring details that you don't want to know but trust me when I say that many people worked long and hard to attempt to keep the fireworks in the village/near the harbor, to no avail. There was, briefly, a possibility that there would not be fireworks at all, so I don't want to hear any complaining... :)
A reader posted several questions pertaining to visiting the island. I thought this info. might be useful for a larger audience, so I'll try to answer the questions here.
Information about places to stay (hotels/motels/B&Bs/cottage rentals) is available here.
There are many things to do on the island. Here are just a few ideas:
- parasail
- rent a bike, scooter, or electric car and ride around the village, visiting shops and other points of interest
- rent a jetski and zip around on the surrounding waters
- enjoy the water at a slower, quieter pace in a kayak
- visit the Lighthouse, the British Cemetery, and the OPS Museum
- go fishing (surf fishing, gulf stream, sound, inlet, offshore wreck, etc.)
- go on a ghost and history walk (Tues. and Fri. nights)
- see a music show at Deepwater Theater (Tues, Wed, Thurs, and Fri. nights)
- take a pirate cruise or a sunset sail on the Schooner Windfall
- go exploring and/or shelling on nearby Portsmouth Island
- learn to surf
More info. and ideas, and links to some of the above mentioned activities are available here.
The "best" seafood is of course a personal opinion. I will say that all of the restaurants on the island serve fresh seafood, most of it caught right around here. There's a list of most of the island restaurants here.
The best attraction is also a personal opinion. My vote is for the lighthouse, or the beach itself, but you may prefer something else. Ocracoke is a great place to explore and see what you find.
The best route to catch a ferry depends on what direction you are coming from. Generally, from points south, your best option is Cedar Island. From points west, it's Swan Quarter or Hatteras; and from points north, Hatteras. A ride on either the Cedar Island or Swan Quarter ferry will cost $15 (for a regular car not towing anything), and reservations are strongly recommended (this time of year, especially). Call 1-800-BY-FERRY or visit the NC DOT Ferry website for more information.
Hope that helps. Enjoy your vacation!
A reader posted several questions pertaining to visiting the island. I thought this info. might be useful for a larger audience, so I'll try to answer the questions here.
Information about places to stay (hotels/motels/B&Bs/cottage rentals) is available here.
There are many things to do on the island. Here are just a few ideas:
- parasail
- rent a bike, scooter, or electric car and ride around the village, visiting shops and other points of interest
- rent a jetski and zip around on the surrounding waters
- enjoy the water at a slower, quieter pace in a kayak
- visit the Lighthouse, the British Cemetery, and the OPS Museum
- go fishing (surf fishing, gulf stream, sound, inlet, offshore wreck, etc.)
- go on a ghost and history walk (Tues. and Fri. nights)
- see a music show at Deepwater Theater (Tues, Wed, Thurs, and Fri. nights)
- take a pirate cruise or a sunset sail on the Schooner Windfall
- go exploring and/or shelling on nearby Portsmouth Island
- learn to surf
More info. and ideas, and links to some of the above mentioned activities are available here.
The "best" seafood is of course a personal opinion. I will say that all of the restaurants on the island serve fresh seafood, most of it caught right around here. There's a list of most of the island restaurants here.
The best attraction is also a personal opinion. My vote is for the lighthouse, or the beach itself, but you may prefer something else. Ocracoke is a great place to explore and see what you find.
The best route to catch a ferry depends on what direction you are coming from. Generally, from points south, your best option is Cedar Island. From points west, it's Swan Quarter or Hatteras; and from points north, Hatteras. A ride on either the Cedar Island or Swan Quarter ferry will cost $15 (for a regular car not towing anything), and reservations are strongly recommended (this time of year, especially). Call 1-800-BY-FERRY or visit the NC DOT Ferry website for more information.
Hope that helps. Enjoy your vacation!
Monday, July 2, 2007
Truly Silver Lake
I stopped by Silver Lake today, at one of my favorite spots to touch salt water, and what I saw took my breath away. The water was very calm, and the light was perfect. Silver Lake looked...well, silver. I was hungry, tired, feeling a bit cranky at the people yelling behind me, and had just thought of an errand I needed to run (and it was nearly 9 PM at this point). But still I stood there, staring at the loveliness of the scene for well over 15 minutes. I was simply transfixed and couldn't tear myself away. I stood, with my feet in the water, and watched as the last light faded and the first stars began to peek through the gaps in the ragged clouds. My patience was rewarded, as I was lucky enough to see an otter playing in the water. Everything else faded in the background, and only one thought filled my heart and mind: how I love this place.
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