Linen closet

One of the features of our house which I love is the closets. There's a good sized one in every bedroom (one bedroom has two!), a long one in the master suite, a huge pantry, a coat closet, and a linen closet.

So if you don't live on the island (or if you haven't ever looked at houses for sale here), you're probably thinking "what's the big deal about a linen closet?" Let me be the first to tell you: most of the houses here don't have them. (Many of the houses have very few closets at all, let alone "extra" ones for coats and linens!) The historic homes were built without closets, and the newer ones are often designed as vacation getaways, so closet space is not a major consideration.

I knew for sure that linen closets were a rarity around here when Sundae came to the house for the first time. I gave her "the tour", and when she saw the linen closet, she said to her daughter Caroline "Look at this, it's called a linen closet and houses in other places have them." (Or something to that general effect.)

Yesterday, Jakes decided he likes the linen closet as well.

Caring

I know I have blogged about this topic before, but I just have to say again how much I appreciate the care John and I have received from the Ocracoke Health Center. John recently had an outpatient surgery in Nags Head, to remove a cyst from his back. The wound will need to be dressed every day for several weeks, so Dr. Moore has been meeting him at the Health Center to do that. He'll meet him there tomorrow and Sunday, too...days they are not even usually open.

After my cat Jamie bit me, I also went into the Health Center on Saturday (and again on Sunday), just to be double checked before I left for Colorado.

This is what health care should be everywhere...truly care.

As John was coming back from his daily wound dressing yesterday, he noticed a beagle walking down the street without a person. When he got home, he asked me to call Marcy to make sure it wasn't one of her dogs. I did that, but got her answering machine. So I left a message and then headed out down the street on my bike to see if I could find the dog. I found Marcy outside instead. She had heard my message and confirmed that the runaway (walkaway?) beagle wasn't one of hers. She did, however, know whose it was, including the dog's name. She called for Pixie until the beagle came back, and then Marcy carried her across the street to the home where she belongs.

Oh how I love this circle of caring and being cared for, where neighbors look out for one another (and one another's animals) and Doctors go out of their way to make sure their patients (also their neighbors) get the best possible healing.

Ocracoke is a wonderful place to visit. It's also a terrific place to live.

The bells

Our house is close enough to the Methodist Church that we can easily hear its bells, which toll the hour several times a day and play music once each evening. I enjoy sitting in our screened porch and listening to the evensong. Recently, I have heard the bells more often than usual, because windows have been open throughout the day as a result of the lovely spring weather.

Thinking about the bells reminded me of a journal entry I wrote about them a few years ago, in which I reflected on what I had learned from listening to them. So here it is. [With one parenthetical update...]

__________________________________________________

May 4, 2005
The village is small and the Methodist Church centrally located, so one can hear its bells from most places. They chime on the hour, marking the passing of the day. [Actually, the bells only chime the hour 4 times a day - 9 AM, 12 noon, 3 PM and 6 PM...I didn't know that at the time and just assumed I didn't hear them the other times.] They are rhythmic and predictable, like the ebb and flow of daily life - time passes, and we are engaged in activity. And then, at night, they stop. I didn't realize that was the case until I found myself unable to sleep early one morning. I was up from around 3:00 until about 6:00, when I realized I hadn't heard the bells. But that is as it should be - there must be times in our lives for quiet - for rest and reflection.

Once a day, the carillon, after chiming the hour, plays 2 or 3 hymns. I try to stop what I am doing at that time each day and listen. It is vital to allow onself these times, too - to enjoy beauty (perhaps from music, like the bells, or others may find loveliness elsehere - art, nature, animals, whatever speaks to each individual soul.) These times of "drinking in" - not actively doing, merely being, and receiving a gift of beauty and peace - are essential for rekaxation, renewal and refreshing, so we can go on with the activity of our days. (I go back to whatever I was doing before I stopped to listen to the bells.)

___________________________________________

Hope your life is filled with beauty, wherever you are.

Swap shop

This Saturday May 31st, there will be a "Baby Stuff Swap" at the Community Center. (Not a "baby swap", as the Ocracoker called it. I doubt anyone would want to swap their baby! Well, at least not permanently...)

Here's how the swap will work: between 11 AM and 1 PM, people will bring gently used baby items (toys, bedding, strollers, furniture, bottles, car seats, clothes, books, etc.) to the Community Center and drop them off there. Then, between 2 PM and 5 PM all items will be available for pickup by anyone who needs them. No money will change hands.

I love this on many levels. First, it's environmentally friendly - the items will be reused and recycled, rather than thrown away. I'm not specifically a believer in the idea of "reducing your carbon footprint" by doing things which "subtract" from what you've added by driving a car, etc. But as a person who will soon be putting plenty of diapers into trash cans, I do like the idea of keeping as many other things out of them as possible.

Also, it's an example of community support at its best. I suspect that, especially in this day and age of eBay and craigslist, there aren't many places where people willingly give things away for free, just to help their neighbors.

Finally, I appreciate the idea of the swap because I still need things for Connor! I'm looking forward to getting ideas from local parents about what I really need, and what will just be clutter. And I'm especially hoping that there will be a swap next year (there was one last year, and I've heard talk about making it an annual spring event). In a year, I won't be merely receiving the benefits of what has been donated, but will also have things to give away to others myself.

Touring the village

I recently heard about a new way to tour the village, so I thought I would summarize the ways I know about for anyone who is interested in learning more about Ocracoke.

Like to see old pictures? Pick up a copy of the Ocracoke Walking Tour and Guide book. Go at your own pace on foot or by bicycle, learning about the historical structures in the village, and the people who built them and called them home.

Want to hear some spooky stories along with your history? Take an evening Ghost Walk. These guided tours leave from the Village Craftsmen on Tuesdays and Fridays at 7:30 PM. (Call 252-928-6300 for info. and reservations.)

Feeling high tech? Take a self guided MP3 history tour. These are new and also available from Village Craftsmen. I plan to take one soon! You can learn more about this option here.

Enjoy your tour!

On the water

I have been lucky enough to go sailing on the Schooner Windfall three times in the last two weeks. I love being out on the water, watching the sunlight sparkle across the waves. If you have never been for a sail, I highly recommend it!

You can find out more by calling 252-928-SAIL, or by visiting their website.

I hear...

The bedroom I use as my office is on the side of the house which has all the windows facing the street, through which I get to see some interesting things.

Recently, the weather has been lovely so I have had the windows open. As a result, I have gotten to hear some interesting things, too. Here are a handful of examples.

Things that might make you curious to hear more:
- "That's the weirdest question I ever heard." (Unfortunately, I didn't hear the question...)
- "I had to get up at 6 o'clock this morning to make breakfast." (This one I actually understood, as the person speaking was an innkeeper at a local B&B.)
- "For a couple of years, it's been on the market at $400,000, but he lowered the price because he really wants to sell it" (I have no idea what piece of property this was about, or whether it was even around here.)

Good things to say:
- "Thank you for checking."
- "I understand."

And a couple of pieces of excellent advice:
- "I try to ride my bike everywhere."
- "Remember that time is ticking away."

Amazing what you might learn, if you keep your ears and your mind open. Listen!

How to live on an island

I have a book called "How to Live on an Island". It offers several pithy pieces of good advice, including things like:
- "dance on edges"
- "sugar yourself with sand"
- "ride rusty bikes"
- "build castles and leave them for the moon to find"

All of those are also good advice for how to enjoy time on an island, regardless of whether you live on one permanently.

Then there's this word to the wise, which applies more to island residents:
"expect company".

Now THAT'S true advice! Our weekend guests (my friend Steve and his daughter Jamie) left this morning, and our friends Randy and Dianne will arrive tonight. We are blessed to have a house big enough to welcome friends and family, and share this lovely place with them.

My favorite word of advice from the book is a single one: Thank.

Full day

It was rainy this morning and I was afraid we would spend most of the day inside. Not that I don't enjoy a day inside. I love to read and do puzzles and occasionally find myself almost hoping for a rainy day so I can do so without feeling like I'm wasting daylight. But I had spent the last several days inside, and was looking forward to my long weekend off to go out and have some fun. I also wanted our guests to be able to enjoy the island, not be cooped up inside.

So we decided there wasn't any reason not to just go out and enjoy ourselves, even though it was raining. We went shopping, and then took a drive around the village and a walk through Springer's Point. As we came out of the woods and onto the beach there, it stopped raining.

The rest of the day was full of sunshine and activity. We went to the beach, where we found many seashells and one shipwreck. Then we went to the Pig Pickin' at the Community Center, a fundraiser for the Fire Department. Next, we went for a sunset sail on the Schooner Windfall. We ended up the day with ice cream and card games.

It was a terrific day. Hope you are having fun this weekend too, wherever you are...

The _____

We went to dinner with friends tonight at The Jolly Roger. It was the first time we had been there since they opened for the season this year, and the french fries were terrific as always. (I love their fries!)

Something I thought about as we were talking about where to go to eat was was the fact that many of the restaurants around here are referred to by a short version of their name, usually in the format of "the __". The Jolly Roger is "The Jolly", Howard's Pub is "The Pub", Cafe Atlantic is "The Cafe", Flying Melon Cafe is "The Melon", etc. I think I may have blogged about this phenomenon before, and I'm sure it's a common occurence for places like Ocracoke to have a cultural vocabulary that residents and visitors use to refer to areas and establishments there.

I am looking forward to spending the holiday weekend with my friend Steve and his daughter Jamie, who came to visit. Steve's wife Ginger had planned to be here too, but fell ill at the last minute and encouraged them to come anwyay, while she stays home and recuperates. I admire the sweet, loving selflessness of that act.

I enjoy being a "hometown tourist", taking people to see the sights and participate in the activities that make visting Ocracoke fun. I wish that I had done more of this in the other towns I have lived in, because every place has interesting assets to explore, enjoy, and be entertained or educated by. Hope you enjoy your home town, wherever you are...

Well, we tried...

...to conjure up the ghost of Blackbeard. But it didn't work. Last night, at the OPS Spring Membership meeting, Kevin Duffus, author of the new book The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate, gave a presentation on his research and his findings about Ocracoke's favorite bad boy, Edward Teach (or Thatch, or Tach, or Beard, or ... ).



Kevin started his presentation by telling the audience that his interest in Blackbeard (and in Ocracoke) was piqued when he saw a highly inaccurate Disney movie about the pirate. The movie's protagonist calls up the ghost of Blackbeard when he mistakenly says the following words out loud:



So we tried it. But nothing happened, of course.

Later in the evening, there was a loud storm, with some fantastic lightning and booming thunder. At one point, the power in the Community Center went out briefly. Kevin said he wished that had happened after we uttered the mysterious "bring back Blackbeard's ghost" words. To which several people replied with varying statements, but all generally to the tune of "had that happened, there wouldn't have been much of an audience left for your presentation after everyone ran out of here!"

How to vacation in a small town

(Those of you who prefer my Pollyanna happy person blogs might want to skip this one. It's my annual beginning of the season rant.)

Every year, I am astonished at how inconsiderate some people are. I'm not sure that anyone sets out to be deliberately rude, they just don't think about the possible impact or perception of their behavior. Some people, when on vacation, are pretty well self centered and focused only on how everything around them affects them, rather than remembering they are not the only people on the planet. (Some people are like this all the time, too...so I can't fault the people who are only like this when on vacation too much!)

What do I mean? Here's a quick list of DOs and DON'Ts which will give you some examples.

When on vacation in a small town (which is basically what Ocracoke is):
- DON'T walk, bike, drive, skateboard or anything else down the middle of the street. I understand that one of the things people love about Ocracoke is that it's so different from home, but truly road rules (and common sense) should not be variable. There are people who live and work here, who need to drive to where they are going by a particular time, and who don't need to worry about whether they can get there on time because a group of 16 (or 6, or 1!) people is walking literally in the middle of the road. Besides that, it's just not a great idea for your health and future wellbeing (or being at all!) Yes, Ocracoke streets are not as busy as the ones in your hometown, but they do still occasionally get busy, and you don't want to be in the middle of them when that's the case. Even in the middle of the night, you never know when someone might be driving and not paying as much attention as he or she should be, for a variety of reasons. I think I've said this before, but it bears repeating: injury or death is really not how you want to end your vacation. A quick summary in case you've forgotten: walk on the left (facing traffic), bike on the right (with traffic).

- DON'T loudly comment about the prices you see on the menu of a restaurant as you walk out the door. By all means, if the prices are not what you expected or are more than your budget can afford, go ahead and walk out the door. There's just no need to be judgemental about it in a voice the entire place can hear. It's embarrassing for the other patrons, the staff, and you.

- DON'T make fun of the pronunciation of...well, anything. The name of the island, the sandwich you just saw on the menu, etc. You never know if the person for whom the sandwich is named is sitting within feet of you, listening to you butcher and laugh at his or her moniker.

- DON'T sit on the ferry and discuss how awful Ocracoke is, and how you can't imagine that anyone would want to live there. There is probably someone who lives there within earshot. If you don't like it, by all means go back to your home, but don't malign the choice of the people who make Ocracoke theirs.

- DO - pick up after your dog, when he/she uses someone's lawn as a restroom. I have personally observed multiple people do this outside my house, and I appreciate it greatly.

- DO tip your server. They work hard and don't get paid much. They depend on your generosity.

- DO enjoy the peace and quiet. Or enjoy the many available activities. Yes, there are many available activities on Ocracoke. If you want to stay busy, you can. If you want to sit still, you can do that too. (If you don't believe me about activities, here's a partial list: go parasailing, go shopping, ride a bike or a scooter or just walk around the village, visit the OPS museum, learn about Blackbeard, go fishing, take a sunset sail, take a dolphin cruise, read a book on the beach, see some live musical entertainment, ride a jet ski, take a Ghost Walk...hopefully you get the idea.)

- DO say thank you. To people who answer your questions (where is that pesky Lighthouse, anyway?), make your bed, sell you souvenirs, etc., etc. And to God (whoever you conceive Him to be) for the beauty of this place.

And DO enjoy your vacation!

Coming events

There are several fun activities planned over the next few days, so get out there and enjoy one or more of them!

Tuesday 5/20 - you have choices:
- Ocracoke Preservation Society potluck and spring membership meeting - 7 PM at the Community Center
- School Fair - presenting work by all the kids from pre-K through 12th grade, to show off how much they have learned this year - 7 PM in the School gym

Wednesday 5/21 - Kevin Duffus will be signing his book at Books to Be Red (I'm not sure of the time)

Saturday 5/24
- carnival at the school with bounce house, food, games, etc. (I'll have to check on the time for this one too)
- the Third Annual Memorial Day Weekend Ocracoke Volunteer Firemen's Ball - a fundraiser for OVFD - will be held at the Community Center. The event starts at 5 PM with the Pig Pickin' ($10 for a dinner plate); the live auction begins at 7 PM and the dance kicks off at 8:30.

Whatever you do this week and this weekend, have fun!

Beautiful

The last few days have been absolutely beautiful. The days have been sunny and warm, with cloudless blue skies (well, Sunday morning was a bit overcast and drizzly, but it cleared into a lovely afternoon). The nights have been cool but not cold - perfect sleeping weather with an open window to let in the fresh air and the sounds of the wind chimes tinkling just slightly in the mild breeze. Tonight the moon is nearly full.

I just rode my bike home from my friend Sundae's house after spending the evening with her family, eating pizza, talking and playing a card game. Rob asked me if I wanted him to load my bike in his truck and have Sundae drive me home, but I didn't. I wanted to ride in the cool, quiet evening under a sky full of stars and a crystal clear moon, unafraid and uninhibited. So I did, and it was wonderful.

Home...sings me of sweet things
My life here has its own wings...

I see...

As a result of where my house is, and the fact that it has a bunch of windows, I get to see people (locals and visitors) going by on their way to and from...well, wherever they are going. Every weekday, I see the same few kids walking to school in the morning, home for lunch, back for the afternoon, and then home again. I see several local ladies walking for exercise, some alone, some with a friend, and several with babies in strollers.

Every now and then, I see something a bit...well, different. There's a local man who runs for exercise, covered completely (head to toe) including a hooded sweatshirt, regardless of the temperature. I've seen people walking, biking, and skateboarding literally in the middle of the street, as if cars didn't use it too. Today, I saw a guy walking down the street alone, minding his own business...with an iguana or some other large lizard-like reptile riding on his shoulder.

I'll let you know if I see anything else intriguing.

The truth about Blackbeard...

...will be revealed on May 20th. Well, at least the truth according to Kevin Duffus' new research. Kevin has done a lot of study and says that he has learned new things about Blackbeard's past and identity which will surprise people. He will be talking about his findings and his new book, The Last Days of Blackbeard the Pirate, during the Ocracoke Preservation Society annual Spring membership meeting at the Community Center on Tuesday. If you're curious about Blackbeard, come and listen!

By the way...Kevin will also be signing his book at Books to Be Red on Wednesday May 21st.

A Marcy movie

My friend Marcy invited me (and a bunch of others) to her house on Thursday night to watch the second cut of the short documentary film about her life and experience with cancer. It is an incredibly moving film, and I was inspired by it...to live differently. To think about what's important and what I want my life to be. And then to realize and accept that life is short and precious, and take steps to ensure that my life is what I want it to be.

That's good advice. As Marcy puts it in the movie, and in the example of her life: "live while you're alive".

Schooner sail

I went for a sail on the Schooner Windfall today, a gift of appreciation for being a volunteer at the School. Along with the other volunteers, several of the teachers, and Mr. Ortman (the Principal), I enjoyed a windy trip out on the waters of Pamlico Sound. The teachers had brought some fabulous snacks to share with everyone, too, which made it even better.

As we prepared to leave Silver Lake harbor, I observed something interesting about being a schooner captain in this particular place. All sailors must be aware of the weather, Coast Guard regulations, passenger needs, and obviously sailing technique. Here on Ocracoke, however, there's one additional thing a Captain needs to know: the ferry schedule. Just after pulling away from the dock, Captain Rob noticed a fully loaded ferry, still in the dock, but with engines churning up a wake behind it. He said "is there a 3:30 ferry?" (It was 3:30.) No one on the boat was sure, until the ferry started moving, at which point it became fully obvious that there was, indeed, a 3:30 ferry to the mainland. So we needed to wait while the ferry moved safely out of our way. No problem: we took a short sail around the harbor, then followed the ferry out through the Ditch.

No ferries

There were very few ferries running yesterday as a result of the wild wind. It reminded me of something John told me about a friend of ours. This lady says that she feels somewhat uncomfortable on Ocracoke because, for a few hours every day (between midnight and 5 AM, when the Hatteras ferry runs are stopped for the evening), and during windy weather, she can't leave if she wants to.

I found this interesting, because I have a completely opposite reaction to same information. I actually love the fact that there is a time period every day when everyone here will be here for the next several hours. It speaks of Ocracoke to me: a place that people choose to come to (seriously, no one "stumbles" across Ocracoke) and where some choose to stay (for varying lengths of time...some, like me, get "bitten by the bug" and do whatever it takes to stay for always).

The other feeling I get from the fact of no ferries is a sense of security. It feels like Ocracoke is a warm blanket which wraps itself around me, and I don't want to leave its confines.

I'm curious how others feel about this, residents and visitors alike. So weigh in, if you want to: leave a comment to let me know if not being able to leave Ocracoke (for the scheduled/expected few hours a day, or for extended periods during inclement weather) is something that bothers or pleases you, and why. Thanks!

Bulletin board

I had been jonesin' for sushi at Jasons, since they were closed for a month, reopened while I was in Colorado for two weeks, and then didn't have it last Tuesday! So we went tonight, and stuffed ourselves with combination rolls, spicy tuna rolls, and seaweed salad. Good stuff!

After dinner, John asked me if I wanted to go to the Post Office to read the bulletin board (he had already picked up our mail for today, so I didn't need to do that). He is excellent at getting our mail, but terrible at reading the board, which in my opinion is the FAR more important reason for going to the Post Office in the first place! If I don't go for a few days in a row, I miss all the happenings, because John doesn't read the board and let me know what is planned.

Anyway, of course I went over there and read my fill while John paid our Jason's tab. (Darnit, sushi isn't free...) I noticed a theme among many of the current notices on the board: HELP WANTED. It's that time of year, when the seasonal businesses start getting busy and need all the staff they can get. If you're willing to work hard, and if you have a place to stay, there's a job for you on the island!

Windstorm

It has been VERY windy here for nearly the last 24 hours. There was a major storm last night, with some spectacular lightning, tornado warnings, and plenty of rain.

This morning, I noticed this in my backyard:


No, that's not a bush in front of the shed. It's a section of the top of a tree in the yard next door.



So now you know that I wasn't kidding when I said it was windy! I haven't had a chance to get outside to see if there's any damage around the Village. I certainly hope there isn't!

A lovely Saturday

I enjoyed a wonderful Saturday morning this past weekend with several examples of things that make the Ocracoke community special.

I started by riding my bike to Ocracoke Coffee Company for a smoothie and a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon. I got the last portion of salmon, so it was already feeling like my lucky day! I sat at one of the tables, reading the latest Observer and enjoying my breakfast while watching the line of patrons ebb and flow. (It stayed pretty long for most of the time I was there.) This was where I noticed the first example of community - locals who stop in just for coffee (not a smoothie or bagel or something else that requires preparation) can skip the line, going to the end of the counter and serving themselves. There's a jar there to pay for your drink, and it's on the honor system.

After spending nearly an hour and a half at the Coffee Company (I enjoyed that bagel at a leisurely pace, and then I went shopping in Java Books), I headed back home. It took me several hours to get there.

How? Well, first I stopped to talk to Jamie who was out in her driveway. I stood there chatting with her long enough that we both started getting sunburned! And we talked about everything under the sun. It is good to have friends with whom you can chat about anything.

Then, I stopped at Marcy's house to say Hi and hug her and Charlotte, both of whom I had missed while I was in Colorado. Charlotte is getting so big! Marcy was putting her down for a nap, and once she was happily snoozing, Marcy blessed me with multiple bags of baby stuff for Connor.

I got home at about 1:30. I had left at 9:00 for a quick bagel. I loved every minute of it!

Moving memorial service

The annual British Cemetery Memorial Service was held today in the school gym. (Due to the threat of thunderstorms and/or tornadoes, the service was moved indoors instead of being held at the cemetery.)

The only difference in the service itself as a result of being inside was that there was no 21 gun salute. Oh, and bagpipes are really loud in a school gymnasium! It was still a moving tribute to the British and Canadian sailors who gave their lives attempting to help protect American shores during World War II. Here are a few pictures.

Healthy...relationships

I stopped in at the Health Center today. I didn't have an appointment, and I wasn't sick. In fact, it was actually time for them to close for lunch, but they were still there when I popped in to say hello to my friend Jamie, who started working there recently. She was preparing bills to mail, and pulled mine out of the stack to hand it to me. No need to pay postage since I was right there!

While we were chatting, Dr. Moore came out and asked how my finger was healing. He immediately noticed I had a bandaid on, and asked why. I explained that the skin was a bit dry and not yet completely healed, to which he said "come back here and let me look at it". He took a quick look, and gave me a sample of an antibiotic cream to use on it until it completely heals.

A few minutes later, another patient came to pay her bill. She was $6 short, to which Jamie said "no problem, just bring it by later."

I enjoyed both of these examples of what health care is like on the island. It's mostly about relationship, and not focused only on revenue. Jamie even commented that she enjoys working there because she gets to see islanders that she knows (she previously worked in a tourism based establishment, and saw mostly visitors).

It was just another example of what makes Ocracoke a wonderful community to call home. Hope you are healthy and happy, wherever you are...

Home again!

Our most recently adopted cat, Jakes, came back home today after having been missing for 5 nights. I was worried about him, and thought it was entirely possible that we would not see him again, but I wasn't particularly distraught.

Why? Because I knew that if he didn't find his way home to us, someone would feed and take care of him. Ocracoke is definitely a cat friendly place. Several people even take responsibility for ensuring that the island's feral cat population eats regularly, spending their own money on food to put at areas where our feline citizens hang out in groups, like the Post Office and the Bank. So I knew that here in the village, Jakes would be in good hands.

We did post a flyer at the Post Office in case anyone had seen him, and very quickly got a call from our friend Amy. (We're still not sure if the cat she saw was Jakes or not, and of course it's a moot point now.) This is another great thing about the community here - people do try to keep a lookout for each other (and each other's animals!), and help when they can.


This picture is from a few weeks ago. Jakes loves snoozing in the laundry basket!

Fun stuff!

I swear, I wish I were a kid. (Well, maybe I am still a kid...)

Anyway, I am jealous of all the fun toys there are for kids these days. I spent a night with my friends Julie and Alan, Alan's son Patrick, and their son Alex on my way home from Colorado. I loved watching the boys play with their cool toys...and I also participated, of course!

Here are a couple of pictures of the most fun (in my opinion) things:


Alex loves playing his colorful drums.


Patrick doesn't like having his picture taken, but he had no choice when I snapped this one. This kind of play I definitely can't do...no one is going to pick me up and dangle me upside down! (Come to think of it, that's probably a good thing.)


This is the thing I most wish I could do. You would not believe how much fun Alex was having in this jumper! Darn, though...this is another one I can't do...

Loud thunder

Last night, lightning flashed repeatedly in the sky throughout the evening. John said a storm was forecasted, and from the looks of things I expected a doozy. But nothing happened...at least at first. The night was uneventful, with no rain even though the flashbulb pops of lightning continued.

It started raining this morning somewhere between 9:00 and 9:30 AM. At first, it wasn't even particularly stormy; it was just raining but with no thunder or lightning. A little later, though, the weather system started to strut its stuff, with rumbling thunder accompanied by flashes across the sky.

Late in the morning, I happened to look up and see a bolt of lightning which looked like it hit right across the street. It was followed almost immediately by an incredibly LOUD clap of thunder. It sounded directly overhead. It was so intense that my house shook slightly, and a broom leaning against the wall fell over!

After the storm, the sun came out and it was a beautiful day. Multiple windows and doors are open at my house, as we have been enjoying the mild weather. Hope things are more sunny than stormy in your life too, wherever you are...

Moves, adds and changes

As I drove off the ferry and down the island last night, finally making my way home from Colorado, I noticed a few things that were different from when I left. In my job, we use the term "MAC", which stands for move/add/change, to refer to updates happening in the work environment. So here's the update on the MACs I noticed:

- the store Village Diva has moved and is now on Back Road, on the left just past Pirate's Chest
- mile markers have been added to Highway 12 on Ocracoke
- the National Park Service is attempting to change the height of some of the sand dunes protecting the road, and they have installed sand fences (on top of the existing dunes) in order to do so

Today, I saw another addition: the ice machine. You may have already read about this, as I did, on ocracokeblog.com. It's right around the corner from my house, so now I've seen it with my own eyes.

Another recent change, which you may know about already, is an exciting one: the Community Store is open! I haven't experienced this change personally yet, but I hope to get in there and do just that very soon.

Some changes are good, some are not so great, but they are all certainly inevitable. Hope you are able to embrace change, wherever you are...

Traveling and talking

I spent all day Saturday traveling back to North Carolina. The day started at about 6:15 AM (Mountain Time), as I had to get up early enough for Damon to drive me to Denver for my flight. I arrived in Raleigh at 5:30 PM (Eastern Time), and my friend Julie picked me up at the airport.

I thought that I was completely exhausted from traveling (and not sleeping particularly well the night before), but somehow managed to stay up past midnight chatting with Julie and Alan! (As Julie pointed out, it was only 10 PM to my body, which was still on Mountain Time...)

Anyway, all that traveling and talking meant no time for blogging!

Family focus

I went to the Focus on the FamilyVisitor Center and bookstore today. What a terrific ministry with wonderful resources for families of all kinds!

I had to control myself in the store; I could easily have spent a small fortune in there. I am now looking forward to reading the books I bought.

I'm flying back to NC tomorrow, although I won't be home on Ocracoke until Sunday. I'll get back to truly island daily updates soon! :)

Cold

This morning, while watching the snow, it was very difficult to remember that the high temperature yesterday was 79. Yes, it snowed here today. That's a temperature change of around 50 degrees! Yikes.

I did not take any pictures of the snow (it melted this afternoon). Sorry!

Stay warm, wherever you are...