Speaking of...

...things we take for granted: how about mail delivery? It's not something we necessarily take for granted around here, as ferry issues can result in delays and sometimes days without mail. This morning, when I arrived at the Post Office, I learned that today was likely to be one of those days. The Hatteras ferry is not running (see below), and it had gotten too late to re-route the mail via Swan Quarter. I'm not terribly worried about not getting mail for a day, though: it's mostly bills and catalogs anyway!

Here's the release about the ferry situation:

UPDATE: HATTERAS FERRY ROUTE REMAINS SUSPENDED; ALL OTHERS RESUME NORMAL SCHEDULE
Extreme shoaling in Hatteras Inlet prohibits ferries crossing

MANNS HARBOR — The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division announces that extreme shoaling at Hatteras Inlet is prohibiting operations from resuming on the Hatteras-Ocracoke route. The Ferry Division is working with the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies to find and mark a new channel, which may take as long as two days. Once a clear channel is found and marked, the Hatteras route will return to normal operations.

All other routes are operating normally.

The Ferry Division is waiving tolls for Ocracoke residents and commercial supply vehicles today. Residents must show proof of residency in the form of a driver license and will be given priority re-entering the island, however, they must arrive at Swan Quarter or Cedar Island 30 minutes prior to departure. Tolls will also be waived for Ocracoke residents leaving the island, but no priority status will be given. Residents must get in the stand-by lane and arrive 30 minutes prior to departure going to Swan Quarter or Cedar Island. Reservations are being honored as well.

For up-to-date information, call 1-800-293-3779 (BY-FERRY) and Press 1, or go to www.ncferry.org.

And now for a final thought on this topic of taking things for granted. I got this quote in email yesterday, which is a good fit for the idea. "Don't believe there's plenty of time for everything. There isn't." - Lillian Hellman

Don't take for granted that you have plenty of time. Life is short!