Dinner at The Cafe

Most people I know refer to most of the restaurants on Ocracoke by a two word name, the first word being "the". Howard's Pub becomes "the Pub", the Flying Melon is "the Melon", the Jolly Roger is known as "the Jolly", even the Gas Station (yes, you can get food there, too) is called "the Station".

"The Cafe" is Cafe Atlantic, which reopened last night. John and I chose to enjoy our first Cafe meal of the season tonight instead, mostly because I had Bible study last night, but also partially because we thought we might miss the initial huge rush of all the locals going to the Cafe for dinner on the first night they could do so in several months. Well, we certainly weren't the only locals with that idea, and we ended up waiting half an hour to get a table. Unlike the tourists who left in a huff, muttering under their breath that it wasn't worth a half an hour wait and that they would go to the Pub instead, we knew that it would be well worth the wait. Besides, since other locals were also waiting, and many others were coming out to head home, we got to spend the time chatting with friends, so it went by quite quickly.

And, of course, the meal did not disappoint. We started with our favorite Cafe appetizer, the herbed chevre (goat cheese) with fig preserves. It is always delicious but seemed doubly so as a result of being deprived of it all through the winter. John then had soup, we both had salads and entrees (my lemon pasta with scallops was fabulous), and we completed the feast with dessert (peanut butter ice cream with hot fudge). It was a marvelous meal, I am completely stuffed, and now I'm going to bed!

The company of women

I've joined a group of women at the Ocracoke Assembly of God (OAG) church for a Bible study. Yes, I know I really didn't need something else to do in my busy life, but when I saw the title of the study ("Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life"), I thought maybe He was trying to tell me something! Anyway, I have really enjoyed this weekly time spent with island ladies. I love listening to the older women in the group, both for their wisdom, and because I get to hear the Ocracoke brogue! I am blessed to hear the group members my own age talking about things they think and feel, and recognizing some of myself in them; it is comforting to know I am not alone in my struggles.

Ocracoke is a small town and as such can be somewhat clique-ish. (Just in case you thought I was wearing my Pollyanna rose-colored "everything is perfect and everyone gets along here" glasses again, now you know I actually am a realist...sometimes.) But the cliques here are not necessarily exclusive - anyone can join most of them. (Unless you actually were born and raised here, you obviously can't be an O'cocker, but other than that, you're pretty much welcome wherever you want to join in.) The Bible study group is a good example of this - there are ladies who regularly attend the OAG church, some who go to the United Methodist Church, and one who worships with the small Catholic congregation. Everyone is accepted and the mix of perspectives is a wonderful thing, as we all learn from each other.

Flowering

I just wrote an article for the Mullet Wrapper (the Ocracoke Preservation Society newsletter) about a plant which is currently flowering around here: Yaupon. Among the interesting things I learned about this type of Holly tree is that it is quite hardy, thriving in the sandy soil and salty air of the Outer Banks which is much tougher on other plants. The leaves can be dried to make tea, something which was done by both the early Native Americans in the area and the Ocracokers who lived here years later. Contrary to the implication of its Latin name, Ilex vomitoria, Yaupon tea is not actually an emetic. Early Europeans, who observed Native Americans using Yaupon tea for purifcation rituals which involved vomiting, assumed that the tea was the cause, and gave it the misleading name. Scholars of Native American history and culture explain the truth: the vomiting was caused by the over-consumption of the liquid, not the chemical properties of the tea itself. So if you see Yaupon tea available for sale in a store on the island (yes, some people still dry the leaves and package them for purchase), buy some and give it a try! It's not all that delicious by itself, in my opinion (I add honey and lemon when I drink it), but it is said to be healthy (in the past, Ocracokers used it as a tonic and a cure for hangovers). At the very least, it will wake you up: the active ingredient is caffeine.

Greening

The fig trees are starting to get leaves again. Makes me look forward to fresh figs (straight off the tree, pop them in your mouth whole...it's like a shot of honey), fig preserves, and fig cake. Here's a recipe for fig cake I got from Chester Lynn, who is Ocracoke's fig expert (at least the only one I know!) The recipe says that it is from Margaret Garrish, Marie Womac, Frances Kemp, Iva O'Neal, and Etta Spencer.

Fig cake

1 c. salad oil
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. soda, dissolved in a little hot water
2 c. flour
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. preserved figs, chopped
1 c. chopped nuts

Beat 3 eggs; add sugar and oil. After sifting dry ingredients, add to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk. Add vanilla and fold in figs and nuts. Pour into greased oblong pan and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or in a well greased tube pan at 350 degrees for just a little longer.

Light!

I just returned from my daily walk to touch salt water. It was a little late this evening, as we went out for dinner with new friends and ended up talking several hours away (not a bad way to lose several hours, all things considered).

Anyway, it is one of those lovely clear nights, with enough moon to provide a lot of illumination on my favorite soundside beach area. The tide is still very low, so with the combination of light and shallower than usual water, I could see the shells on the bottom very well. I find the interplay of light and water endlessly beautiful and fascinating, especially the fact that sunlight has a different affect than moonlight.

There was also another light which had an impact on my evening walk. The lighthouse is back on and shining brightly again! Seeing it tonight, I fully realized just how much I had missed its sweet consistency and faithfulness. It is important to have immovable, unchangeable anchors in this crazy life, and the lighthouse is one of mine.

Quilting

I finally went to quilting tonight. I had gone a few times several months ago (October-ish) but then hadn't gotten back, although I wanted to. Tonight by some miracle I managed to get through the Monday craziness on time to join the quilters at 7:00. It was a really fun evening. The ages of the women gathered together ranged from mid 20s to mid 80s. The conversation was mostly about quilts, but also about family, friends, and just life. There was a lot of laughter and collaboration. Several ladies brought quilts they have been working on, to share, to get ideas, and to get others to help work on them, too. It was lovely.

I brought home a package of small strips of fabric so I can choose which ones I want to use to make my Ocracoke Cracker pattern pillow. The information provided with the pattern explains a bit of the history of the pattern, and I've copied it below.

For many years it was thought that this was an original Ocracoke pattern but it was discovered to be from Colonial Times. During the documentation of quilts in North Carolina it was found only on Ocracoke Island. It was popular with the ladies here during the thirties and forties. There are a number of them in family collections on the island.

The fabric used in quilts and clothes often found its way to Ocracoke from the West Indies as the island men were seafarers. Often the quilts made by different women looked alike because of the use of the same materials.

In this pattern one of the two inside stripes is always red, either solid or a print. The corner triangles are always te same fabric, often pale pink, blue or yellow. Adjacent squares are turned to lend excitement to the overall quilt pattern.

The quilters group on Ocracoke makes several quilts a year. They always do one for the Ocrafolk Festival raffle and one for the OPS museum fundraising raffle. They are finishing the one for the Festival now, and will soon be starting work on a commissioned piece (a cracker pattern).

You can see a picture of a cracker quilt at Philip Howard's Village Craftsmen blog (link in the menu to the left). I'll post a picture of my pillow when it's finished. It will be a while, though, so don't hold your breath!

If you're going to be stupid...

...you have to be tough.

That was the lesson I learned today. My friends Randy and Dianne have been visiting, and Dianne really wanted to go to Portsmouth Island. I remembered that Steve Wilson, who owns the Miss Ocracoke, had told me that he would take me over there if I wanted to go someday. So I called him yesterday and asked him if he would take us today. He said sure, and we set a time to meet at his dock.

The weather recently has been beautiful - warm, very little wind, sunny. Today, there was a decent wind, and it was decidedly a northeast one, which cooled things down considerably. Did that stop us from our planned trip to Portsmouth? Of course not! We came home from church, changed clothes, and got ready to go. We packed a picnic snack, beach chairs, the portable hammock John gave me for my birthday last year, towels, and beach reading. We were ready! We loaded all our gear and ourselves into Steve's boat, Net Income (the Miss Ocracoke is not quite ready for the year yet), and set out across Silver Lake. Dianne and I were sitting in the beach chairs in the middle of the boat, and Randy and John were sitting behind us. The first few minutes were idyllic. We saw several dolphins swimming in the harbor and enjoyed the sunshine.

Steve warned us that it was a bit choppy and that he would try to not get us too wet. Well, he did his best, but we all ended up soaked! Shortly after we went through the Ditch, John and Randy moved forward to try to escape the waves crashing over the sides of Net Income. Dianne and I scooted our chairs further forward as well. Pretty soon, the four of us were huddled in a bunch, trying just to keep our heads down and not get completely sopping and frozen.

We were troopers, though, and hung in there. Steve dropped us off on the beach, where we found a reasonably un-windy spot near a hilly area, settled into chairs and let the sun begin to warm and dry us. We drank an entire bottle of wine, enjoyed the fruit, cheese and crackers we had brought, and then Dianne and I went shelling. I found my first whole scotch bonnet! (Yes, that did make the trip completely worth it!)

Steve came back for us shortly after 4:00 as we had agreed. When we saw him pull up in the boat, dressed in his fisherman's wetsuit, I said "we are in deep sh__". He had told us on the way over that it would be even worse on the way back, so we thought we were somewhat prepared for the experience, but we were unpleasantly surprised by just how wet and cold we got going home. We were all freezing and drenched (except Steve, of course!) by the time we pulled into the harbor. That didn't stop my heart from lifting at the sight of home, and I still even sang the song which often comes to my mind when returning to Ocracoke, even after only a short time away:
Home sings me of sweet things
My life here has its own wings
To fly over the mountain
Though I'm standing still
I sang it very quietly, to myself. I knew no-one else was in the mood for song!

We came home and all immediately took LONG, HOT showers (thank goodness for hot-water-on-demand continuous hot water heater systems!)

But before we got off the boat, Steve expressed the lesson of the day: "if you're going to be stupid, you've got to be tough". We took it in the manner it was intended and laughed at ourselves. It was pretty stupid of us to still head over to Portsmouth when the weather was windy and turning cold. I don't regret it, though. I found a scotch bonnet and had an adventure with good friends. One we will certainly never forget!

Related link: Miss Ocracoke

Dinner and a movie

We just finished a fabulous dinner and we're now watching a movie. It's Facing the Giants, an independent flick which was made for very little money but managed to take in a good bit at the box office, mostly because of support from Christians. The people in it are not professional actors, and frankly they are not very good. But it's still interesting, in that (so far at least) it has been very realistic. For example, the new kid on the football team, when given a chance to kick a field goal in the game, misses it. There's no Hollywood glurge here. It's actually quite refreshing. It has also been very funny every now and then.

Lighthouse update: my friend Jamie let me know that the reason the light hasn't been on is due to electric issues, which should be resolved soon. Will let you know when it is shining again!

Sounds I love to hear...

~ Birds singing (yes, again!)
~ My kitten purring (and squeaking...he's a funny little guy, doesn't meow!)
~ Children playing
~ Those same children reading out loud to me...it's amazing how fast they learn and grow in first grade!
~ Friends singing Happy Birthday in a restaurant, and total strangers joining in, too.
~ Hilarious slips of the tongue which make you laugh REALLY hard. (Tonights was our friend Randy reading a description of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and saying "lap dancing" instead of tap dancing. I'm still giggling.)
~ Nothing except wind and quietly lapping water on a clear night, looking up at the stars and out at the stillness of Silver Lake at the same time.

I've had a full, blessed day. Heard all those things and more. Hope things sound good in your corner of the world, too!

Wonderful weather

It was an absolutely beautiful spring day on the island. I don't know what the high temperature was, but it's still warm enough to have doors and windows open to the night air. Even better than the sunshine today, though, were the sounds. I opened the door in the early afternoon and heard what sounded like a dozen birds singing, but was probably only a few. There was just enough breeze that the wind chimes in the screened porch added a note or two to the song every few seconds. It was lovely. Since I was inside most of the day, I felt like I still got to experience the joy of spring...it came in to me, with sweet scents on the breeze to go along with the sounds of the birds.

I did get to go outside and enjoy the wonderful weather later, too. I took a walk with our friends Randy and Diane who are visiting from Concord. We went through Springer's Point and watched the sun set into the water. On the way we saw lovely tiny blossoms on a tree (I think they might have been yaupon blooms). They looked like miniature wedding bells. Very pretty. That reminds me, I need to get going on my next couple of articles (this time for the Mullet Wrapper, the Ocracoke Preservation Society newsletter), one of which will be about yaupon. Guess I'd better do a little research, since I'm obviously not even sure what it looks like! I'll know soon whether that is what we saw today.

Hope you have time to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of spring wherever you are.

Dark

The Lighthouse has not been working for the last few nights. (I am not sure why, so don't ask...I have been too busy to follow up on it.)

I know that it's not all that much darker in the village without the light (there are a handful of streetlights around), but it certainly seems sadder. At least I am disappointed not to see it shining at me when I go outside at night (I have been doing that fairly frequently recently, squeezing in my daily salt-water-touch at the last minute, right before bed!) I certainly hope the issue is resolved soon.

Tired of words...

I know that those of you who know me are shocked that it is possible for me to be tired of words. But I just finished an article for the paper which came out to slightly over 2000 of them! (And those are just the written ones...I hesitate to even guess at how many I heard over the last week, in talking with nearly 15 different people about the topic. I used up an entire pad of paper taking notes, and can't remember how many times I sharpened my pencil!)

So, yes, believe it or not, I need a little break from words. Thanks for understanding. :)

My thoughts exactly

I have been stuck inside all day today, so I have no idea what is going on around the village, so today's blog is not highly informative in that sense. It's just going to be a short one anyway.

Someone I talked to today said "some people come here just to cash in...they stay a few years, then sell out and leave and never look back at Ocracoke. But I want to be here until the day that I die".

I answered "me, too". I don't think he heard me, but that doesn't change the fact that I feel that way.

Pot luck o' the Irish

I went to a great potluck today, in celebration of St. Patrick's Day. Yes, we all realize the party was a day late; my friend Sundae, who hosted the event, believes that continuing to celebrate an event after "the day" just prolongs the joy! That wasn't actually the reason the gathering was today, but it's still a good philosophy.

I thoroughly enjoyed the potluck: the food was wonderful, the drinks were great (more on that in a moment), some incredibly funny jokes were told, and it was just fun to be with a group of friends. Most people had brought food which was either actually Irish (Linda's soda bread and the traditional Haggerty onion, cheese, and potato dish John made for us to bring) or at least green. Sundae had made a delicious punch called "Sneaky Pat" (usually called Sneaky Pete, but renamed in honor of this occasion) which was described to me as containing "more vodka than you'll realize". That turned out to be quite an accurate description, as the punch was delicious and didn't taste alcoholic at all. After quickly drinking my first cup, I realized I had better eat something before I imbibed any more! It was later revealed that another ingredient was powdered sugar. No wonder it was so good!

After we ate, we enjoyed some Irish musical entertainment: Rob played Danny Boy on a metal whistle and Molly played an Irish tune on her fiddle. We finished out the evening in true Irish style: drinking, and laughing a lot.

Acting Irish for a day

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I completely forgot to wear green this morning, but after John pinched me a few times, I changed clothes! Other than that, the only way we celebrated the day was by enjoying something truly Irish: booze! In the middle of the afternoon, for no reason other than it had gotten very cold, we drank Irish coffee with our guests. Chuck put very liberal amounts of Emmet's (which tastes just like Bailey's but costs half as much) in each cup, and it was warming indeed!

Tonight, John and I ate dinner at the Flying Melon. It was fantastic, of course, and made even better by the fact that we haven't been able to enjoy it for so long since they have been closed for the winter. I, for one, am really glad they have reopened. And it was clear that I am not the only one who feels that way: the place was packed! I overheard one lady saying that a friend had eaten there twice (once for lunch and once for dinner) today! I had a dessert with an Irish whiskey cream sauce on it. It was the perfect way to finish off St. Patty's Day.

Weird weather day and duck decoys

We have run the gamut of spring weather here today. It started out gray and just slightly windy this morning. In the middle of the day, it suddenly got pretty dark, and then we had a minor downpour. The wind had picked up quite a bit before the rainstorm, so we had a classic March day on Ocracoke - I describe them as "raining sideways" days. For a while, after the storm, it was bright and sunny. Now it is raining again, although not as hard as earlier.

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to get to see my neighbor's collection of duck decoys. He has an entire room in his house dedicated to them. There were old and new ones, unpainted functional "working ones", beautiful painted "show" ones, and everything in between. He doesn't have just ducks, either - there were swans, geese and a cormorant as well. Jerry told me who had carved many of them. Some were by native O'cockers, others by transplants to the island, and many were by off island carvers. I am not sure how many he had, but I would guess a few hundred. There were wood ones and canvas ones (the canvas is stretched over a ribbed frame made of metal). Jerry showed me how to tell whether the canvas ones had been used or were just for show: the functional ones have a hole in the bottom to let the water out of them. I enjoyed learning more about them, and seeing the results of the talent and hard work of so many people.

Or maybe not

I feel like I need to issue a retraction. I considered simply deleting yesterday's post, but have decided to leave it there in the interest of full disclosure. I got an education today in the fact that not everyone agrees on what is "best" for Ocracoke. And I am ashamed to admit that I assumed that, knowing the opinion of a small group of people who attend OCBA meetings, I knew the opinion of the community. I was wrong. Ocracoke is paradise in many ways, but it's not an idyllic utopia where everyone gets along all the time. And that's okay, too. There are real people here who fiercely love this place and feel strongly about what happens to it. They simply have different opinions about what is best for their home. I sincerely hope that we can all work together to do what makes sense, both short and long term, for the island and for the people who need to live here together.

Okay, so enough political stuff. (Yes, I know that I wasn't specific regarding what I'm talking about...it doesn't really matter that much. I hope I made my point without going into the details.)

Here's something which may interest you more. Re-opening dates for a few things:
The Flying Melon restaurant - tomorrow, Friday March 16th - YAY!
Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum - March 29th
The Cafe Atlantic restaurant - March 30th

Three good reasons to come visit!

Civic and Business Association meeting

I attended the Ocracoke Civic and Business Association (OCBA) meeting tonight (I have to go to the meetings; I'm the secretary). The group of around 20 people talked about several topics affecting Ocracoke, including items as varied as 4th of July fireworks, designing a logo for OCBA, and porta potties. I was struck by the fact that there is usually very little disagreement in this group. (As the secretary, I document the results of voting on any motions made during the meetings, and I have very rarely had to type anything other than "motion passed with none opposed"). It is heartening to be involved with a group of people who are usually of one accord. We all have the best interest of Ocracoke in mind.

That said, it's also sad that it's the same small group of people who attend these meetings, and that this group is often thinly stretched and moving toward burn out from being the small percentage which is doing much of the work. This was evidenced in tonight's meeting by the difficulty we had in getting a volunteer to take on the coordination of the contest to select an OCBA logo. It wasn't that the people gathered didn't want to help; they are simply all very busy doing the things they already do to aid the community.

So I exhort you: find out where you are needed, and volunteer! If you live here, join us at an OCBA meeting or call any of the officers to learn how you can help.

So many things...

I often find myself thinking of songs which fit the moment (or the day) I am having. Today the song which came to mind multiple times was one by Hatteras singer-songwriter Noah Paley. In it, he reflects on the fact that some days are full of moments to remember. The chorus lyrics, in part, are:

In every day there's many books
And too much life to write them down

Today was like that for me. It started very early, as I had to get up shortly after 5:00 AM to ride the 6:30 ferry to Swan Quarter. Because of the early move to Daylight Savings Time, it was still pitch dark when I left home to get in the ferry line. By the time the ferry pulled out of Silver Lake, the sky was just beginning to lighten. The lighthouse was still on, and the sliver of moon cast a silver glow on the water, which was perfectly smooth. The only disturbance on the harbor was from the ferry itself, and the soft swish of the waves caused by our wake was very soothing. It was a lovely moment, and I enjoyed it very much.

Later in the day, I got slightly lost in Greenville (my sense of direction is notoriously awful). While waiting for a light to change so I could turn back onto the street I was supposed to be on, I saw a sight which made me smile. It was one of those air filled standing streamer-type things (that are used to draw attention to a place which is having a sale, etc.). It was the kind that is constantly being filled from the bottom and therefore moves around quite a bit in the wind. This particular one was a tall, skinny cylinder shape, painted to look like a person, and it had two arms reaching up at 45 degree angles over its head. There was something ebullient about each time it deflated a bit, only to pop up again and throw its arms in the air, and I found myself grinning and giggling, enjoying the show. Joy can be found in odd places, when one takes the time to look.

There were other things that I remember thinking "oh, I could blog about that", but I have already forgotten them. As Noah said, there really is "too much life to write them down".

The chorus of Noah's song goes on to say

So many things I hope to find
So many things, I wonder if I'll ever take the time.

Here's hoping we all get to take the time to discover and enjoy all that is around us.

Busy day

I am not a fan of Mondays. Why does it seem that suddenly everything has to be done all on one day? Today was even worse than your average Monday, as I had to do all my usual Monday stuff and all my usual Tuesday activities, too. Why? Because I have to go to the dentist tomorrow. When you live on Ocracoke, going to the dentist takes an entire day, so my Tuesday is fully planned already. It will be mostly spent riding the ferry to Swan Quarter and back again, starting at 6:30 AM. Guess I'd better go to bed!

Good advice

I saw a bumper sticker today which said "breathe deeply". That's really good advice, and it seems fitting on a Sunday to take it. So I'm going to just relax now, instead of blogging!

Lessons from kids and seagulls

I saw two things today, both of which made me smile and taught me something. The first was the annual Ocracoke Child Care Hoop-a-Thon. The kids (from toddlers to 4 and 5 year olds) had a blast tossing basketballs (in a variety of sizes, as appropriate for their individual ages) into the hoops (in variety of heights, again as appropriate by age) in order to raise funds for the OCC program. The kids had fun regardless of the results - if they missed the basket, they simply tried again until they got the ball through the hoop. Some of them got the idea to do things a little differently on their follow up tries, and those were usually the ones who had more success. Just watching them made me smile.



After enjoying watching the kids, I went to Silver Lake for my daily ritual of touching salt water. I heard a repeated banging sound and looked around to find the source. It was a seagull with a clam shell, which he was repeatedly dropping on the roof of the houseboat on which he was standing, in an effort to get it open so he could have lunch. After several attempts, he picked up the shell and flew away. I wondered what he was going to do, so I watched him. He circled around, over the corner at the intersection of Hwy 12 and Silver Lake Drive, and then he dropped the clam shell on the road from a height of between 10 and 12 feet, by my estimate. Of course that was successful, and he feasted as a result. I laughed out loud, and had to commend him. Smart seagull!

So now you know about the smiling. Here's the lesson: if at first you don't succeed, by all means try again, but maybe use a different approach!

Cat bite

I am a cat person. I have 2 indoor cats and 3 adopted outdoor cats. Yes, that's a total of 5! But I'm only just beginning. My current retirement goal is to be the crazy cat lady of Ocracoke (that's attainable, at least!)

It's not that I have anything against dogs. I like dogs, too. I'm just more of a cat person. On Ocracoke, cats are very popular in general. There are a good number of feral cats on the island, and there is a great program called Ocracats which spays and neuters as many as they can catch each year, to prevent the population from getting out of hand. If you see a kitty with a clipped ear, odds are good that it's an Ocracat (that's how they mark them, so they know which ones have been "fixed").

Many people on the island ensure that the feral cats are well fed. There are particular spots where food is always left out for them (not surprisingly, that's where you can always find groups of them spending their time!)

One of my three adopted outdoor cats likes to walk with me. (Well, all three of them have been known to do so every now and then, but Bucky does it consistently). We have walked together through Springer's Point many times. A few weeks ago, we were doing just that when Bucky spooked and bit me. I was shocked (not to mention in pain: he gave me a pretty darn good bite!), having never expected that. But in the days since, I have realized that this incident has taught me a lot.

I used to have a poster that said "everything I need to know I learned from my cat". It had all sorts of cute ideas on it, such as "stretch", "yawn like you mean it", and "take naps". Those are all certainly good things to learn from a cat, but what I learned when Bucky bit me is a bit more complex.

First, I realized that it is very difficult to learn to trust again when you have been suddenly, unexpectedly hurt by someone (or some-animal) that you love. This is a great lesson for relationships of all sorts.

But the other lesson was more subtle, and more important. Bucky bit me because I moved very fast and very suddenly. It scared him, and he reacted the only way he knows. Ever since the incident, I have walked very slowly when he is with me. Which is, of course, a better way to go through life. Bucky taught me to take my time when walking through Springer's Point, enjoying the journey as much as the destination. Now, that's a good life lesson. Pity it took a cat bite for me to get it!

Post office blues

I have got to get to the Post Office! I haven't been in a few days. John has been picking up our mail, so it's not that I'm stressed about not getting another bill or a new Netflix movie. On Ocracoke, going to the Post Office is not only about getting your mail. It's probably not even mostly about getting your mail! Going to the Post Office is about catching up with your neighbors (chatting and sharing the latest news), and finding out what is going on on the island (the bulletin board always has postings about upcoming events). That's what I miss. I feel disconnected from the heartbeat of the community when I don't go to the Post Office for an extended period of time.

In the past on Ocracoke, the mail was brought over on a small mail boat (for a long time, that was how people visiting the island came over, too). When the mailboat came in, the community would gather at the docks and someone would "call the mail over" (that's Ocracoke-speak for announcing who the mail was for). If the person was present, he or she would step up to retrieve the letter, package, or whatever it was. If the addressee of the mail was not there, invariably a neighbor would offer to take the item and deliver it in person. This ritual happened at approximately the same time every day, and there are still folks on the island who consistently go to the post office at the same time each afternoon.

I often tell people the story of the first time I visited the island: I had only been here for about 20 minutes when I knew this was the place I wanted to call home. The rest of the story is that the final thing I saw which cemented that feeling in place (there had been several things in the 20 minutes of driving around, but this one was the topper) was the sign in the Post Office which said "the mail is IN". The sign spoke volumes to me about the community. That was before I knew the history of the daily gathering for mail distribution, but somehow the sign communicated the same sense of the Post Office as the center of daily life. Now that I live here, going to the Post Office is part of what keeps me centered. I'd better get over there soon!

Flashing lighthouse?

I went for a bike ride just before sunset today (it was much warmer than it has been recently; I think spring is trying to arrive). It was a calm, quiet time and the fading orange sunlight reflected on Silver Lake was lovely. I stopped just before 6:00 and sat looking across the harbor at the lighthouse, which was already on for the evening.

The church bells chimed the hour, and then started playing a hymn (they play 2 or 3 tunes each day after chiming 6 o'clock). As I sat listening, trying to identify the tune, and looking at the lighthouse, the light turned off. (The music stopped, too, although I didn't realize that immediately). In the first few seconds, before I figured out what was happening, my jaw literally dropped open in surprise. Then, before I could close my mouth, the lighthouse came back on again. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that the lights on the Harbor Inn also came on at the same time and realized that there had been a brief power outage. So rest assured, the Ocracoke lighthouse is still non-flashing!

This reminded me of the time John and I attended an NPS program about the lighthouse. The ranger was explaining the different flash patterns of the other Outer Banks lighthouses. Then, she informed the group that the reason the Ocracoke light does not flash is because it is a harbor light, to guide vessels into Silver Lake, as opposed to a warning light, letting ships know to stay away from the dangerous shoals. She said something which moved me so much that I cried, and ended up memorizing it: "Ocracoke is a light of welcome. It says 'here is Ocracoke, here is safe harbor, here is home'". Perfectly describes how I feel here: safe, and at home.

The next time you're on the island...

...you will probably notice it is easier and safer to walk around the Silver Lake area. The DOT is in the process of installing 3 ft. wide sidewalks on both sides of Hwy. 12 in this most congested area of the village. The project has been "in the works" for a long time, and much coordination was required between the National Park Service, the NC DOT, a group of folks who have formed a committee focused on transportation, and owners of the property on which the sidewalks will be installed.

There are several other potential projects which may improve the transportation and traffic situations on the island, including improvement of the parking at the lighthouse and a trolley service for getting around the village. But things move slowly around here, so don't get too excited about those just yet. It will most likely be at least another year before they become reality.

Go ahead and start looking forward to the sidewalks, though. Work on those started this week.

Changing views

The tide has been unusually low recently. So low that, walking through Springer's Point, I saw a rocky area which is usually covered by water. Roy Parsons told me that it was "stone rock" (see my first blog, dated Nov. 15, 2006). The sunken boat just off the nearby point has also been much more visible. (This one is nothing exciting like a historic shipwreck; it is what's left of a boat which caught fire in Silver Lake - when there was concern that the flames might ignite other nearby vessels, the Coast Guard towed it out to the spot where it burned and sank.)

The times I've gone to the edge of Silver Lake to touch salt water, I've had to walk really far out before I even reached it. And when I walked on the beach recently, the color of the sand near the water line seemed different than usual. My guess is that particular area is usually under water, or at least moist, so seeing that sand drier than normal made it seem to be a different color. (Of course I'm no expert, and I frankly have no idea what caused the unique look...it could just as easily have been something to do with the quality of the light, or a trick of my own imagination with no foundation in reality!)

The last several days have been windy (classic March weather around here), so the water is beginning to rise as it gets blown from the sound toward the shore.

All of these differences reminded me of a question my friend Mike asked me shortly after I moved to Ocracoke. He wondered if going to the beach very often would get boring. I tried to explain that the beach is different every day - some days the ocean is wild, others it is calm; sometimes there is a lot of seaweed on the beach, other times there are bubbles skimming along the surface of the packed sand; every now and then something new washes ashore, or part of an old shipwreck is re-exposed; some animals are around every day (shore birds of one type or another are always present), others, such as dolphins, are seen less frequently (and whales even less often - I personally haven't seen any of those but have spoken with people who have). What a blessing it is to have the opportunity to observe the beach in all its many "moods"!

Signs of Spring

Around here, some signs of spring are similar to the ones you may see in your neighborhood. I have seen early daffodils and returning robins, as a couple of examples.

Other signs that spring is coming are more specific to Ocracoke. The community seems to be waking from its winter nap, and we begin to see activity in preparation for the coming tourist season, mostly in the form of businesses reopening or readying to do so. There's a sign in the Post Office that says The Flying Melon restaurant will reopen in mid March (a fact which is very pleasing to me). Thai Moon takeout will be available again at the end of March. It will be good to have a few more dining out options!

Ocracoke Coffee Company is in the process of expanding their building, as is Secret Garden Gallery. The Slushy Stand is open. There was a large truck at Pirate's Chest the other day, delivering inventory for the season.

The 2007 Ocracoke Map and Directory brochures have been delivered. The brochure informs me that this year, as in most years, there will be a couple of new businesses on the island. Mango Loco, a Mexican restaurant and lounge, will open in the building which was formerly Sargasso Grill (and Saucy Shrimp before that, and multiple other things before that). My friend Zoi is opening a shop specializing in pampering treats, such as high thread count sheets and luxurious bath and body items. I think she's planning to call it Indulgences. It will be in Spencer's Market, near Thai Moon and Eleven Eleven.

Finally, we are in the planning stages for the Annual Ocrafolk Festival, now accepting applications for artisan booths. More details are available here: http://www.ocrafolkfestival.org/ (click "2007 Artisan Application" in the left menu).

As you come out of winter "hibernation" and make your plans for spring, hopefully a trip to Ocracoke will be among them!

Fried chicken!

There is no KFC on Ocracoke, so when we get an opportunity to eat fried chicken we take it! Today, there was a chicken dinner fundraiser at the Assembly of God church. It was a feast: each plate included potato salad, green beans, a roll, and a deviled egg to go along with two big pieces of delicious fried chicken. Even better than the food, though, was the conversation. I always enjoy meeting new people at events like these. (Many people on the island are still new to me!)



It was a blustery, windy day and after we walked back home from the church, we stayed inside for the rest of it! Somehow it seems there is always plenty to do to keep us indoors and off the beach. Real life has to be kept up with, even when you live on an island.

I'll go out and touch salt water before bed tonight, though. Hopefully it will be another clear night like the ones we have been having recently. I have enjoyed walking outside long after dark, yet having no trouble seeing my way by moon and star light. The water looks different in the moonlight, somehow clearer, and it is easy to see shells in the shallows. I love that, and seeing luminescence on the water. It's a good way to end the day, when I haven't had time during the daylight hours to just stop, listen and be quiet.

Small and large events

Islanders enjoyed two annual events today. Only a small handful enjoyed the first event, while a large group enjoyed the second. I was lucky enough to attend both.

The first event was a celebration of Dr. Seuss, on his birthday. The first grade class, the second grade class, and several parents, friends and volunteers met in Mary Ellen's classroom to learn about Dr. Seuss, read some of his books, and (of course) eat green eggs and ham. Mary Ellen first told the group that, had he still been alive, Dr. Seuss would have turned 103 today. That would have made him just a bit older than the island's oldest resident, Miss Muzel as she is known to everyone, who will turn 103 on March 12 this year. Since she is actually still alive, she's the older of the two, at least in my book!

After talking a bit more about Dr. Seuss, Mary Ellen cooked up the green eggs and ham while the kids read Dr. Seuss books to each other or to their parents and other gathered friends. Then we ate; once I got past the mental factor of the eggs and ham being green, they were both delicious and I enjoyed them thoroughly (especially since I hadn't eaten breakfast, so I was hungry). Mary Ellen then read Green Eggs and Ham to the group, many of whom read (or simply recited from memory) along with her. After the other adults and the second grade class left, I read the first graders a Dr. Seuss book I hadn't seen before, Hunches in Bunches, the hilarious story of a young boy who can't make up his mind which of his hunches to follow. It was an excellent way to spend part of my morning.

This evening, islanders enjoyed the school Homecoming festivities. This is one of the best attended school events of the year (the others are the Halloween carnival and graduation). Ocracoke School does not have a football team, so basketball is our homecoming sport. All of the basketball team members (girls and boys) are part of the Homecoming court, and the entire school votes to determine the Prince, Princess and King and Queen. The ladies dress up in lovely dresses, but the guys are mostly more casual. Still, it's a chance to see Ocracoke's young men and women all spiffed up, and dressed to the nines. But the better part of the Homecoming celebration was learning about the students - their families, hobbies, favorite things, and future plans (all of which were read aloud as each couple was introduced).



I very much enjoyed my day with the young children and the teenagers of the community. One of the things I love about the Ocracoke community is reflected in the fact that 3 of the 4 most attended annual events are directly related to celebrating the future generation.

A new book

I have a small collection of books about Ocracoke. Many people who live here do. Mine is much smaller than I would like, but it grew by one book today. Pat Garber, naturalist and author of three books for adults about the island, has published a children's book about the Ocracoke ponies. A book reading and signing was held today at the school/community library to introduce it. Pat signed copies, then read her story to the gathered group of island children. They seemed to enjoy it, at least judging by their quiet attention while she was reading.

The book tells the story of a young girl named Trudy, whose grandfather owns a couple of ponies. When a foal is born, Trudy is very excited, and wonders about what to name him. She also is very curious about how the ponies came to live on Ocracoke in the first place. While contemplating these things, she falls asleep and has a dream which answers both of her questions. The story is a sweet one, and the reader learns a good deal about the ponies while enjoying it.

My favorite thing about the book is the unique illustrations. Some of them are drawings, but others are historic photographs of the Ocracoke ponies, including the annual penning, held for many years on the 4th of July, and the mounted Boy Scout troop, which was the only one in the nation. Both the illustrations and the photos are rendered in lovely sepia tones, giving the book a very cohesive feeling. The cover illustration is a lovely photo of 6 ponies walking in the water at the edge of Silver Lake, which Pat color tinted.

I bought two copies: one to keep, and one for our grandchildren John-John, Jordan and Jacob, who love the Ocracoke ponies and each adopted one the last time they were here to visit. All proceeds from the sales of the book go to the Ocracoke Preservation Society, and you can order it online at their website (http://www.ocracokepreservation.org).