pelican

There is a spot on the causeway between Nags Head and Roanoke Island where the birds seem to like to congregate. Today as I was driving by I saw this pelican. I was able to shoot two quick shots from afar but by the time I got the tripod out of the car the pelican had had enough of me and left. Pelicans are cool birds I love to watch them casually skim over the water only occasionally flapping their wings. These birds never seem stressed out. They are like the suffer dudes of the bird world.

On my way to my mother’s house this morning I noticed a large ray of sunshine slip through the clouds. I was driving on the bypass at the time and needed to cross over to the beach road and on to one of the beach accesses to get a “good” shot. By the time I got to the access the sunray was much smaller and I thought I had lost the shot. I almost did not climb over the dune but I thought what the heck and I’m glad I did it was a beautiful sight.

fall colors

We don’t have much of a change in the color of foliage here on the Outer Banks but every once in a while there is a spot where the color can be seen.. I spotted this while taking my son to work this morning. This bike path goes around the Wright Brothers Memorial.

We have had very pleasant weather this is to change next week, which is only right, who wants to eat a heavy Thanksgiving dinner in 70 to 80 degree weather.

very end of season

Yesterday I picked the last of the jalapenos and cut the oregano back. The weather has been very warm but a change is in the air for next week so it’s time to clean the rest of the “garden” and get the house plants in.

down time

It’s been one heck of a week. Last weekend my computer either lost a vital file when a program was deleted or caught some kind of virus. Either way I spent 2 days finding back ways into programs so I could save information I wanted to disk in preparation for a reformat of the hard drive and then a reinstall of the programs I wanted to keep. Ladies and gentlemen I do not know what “Geeks on Call’ charge but I might just call them the nest time I have this type of problem. I spent 12 hours a day for 3 days strait just to get the computer working again. Most of that time was spent “figuring” out the most “logical” way to get at programs with out the use of a desktop. I will admit I found it somewhat rewarding when I was able to gain access to information I wanted, but I’m not a hacker and it got old after a while. Bottom line is now the computer is up and running. A lot of old programs that were not being used anymore have been deleted and there is a lot more room on the hard drive.

No good job goes noticed

Yesterday I spent the day doing what I call a deep cleaning. It’s when I move all the furniture and dust behind it. I vacuum the dust out of the electronics. I mop under every thing even the area rug. Windows are washed, screens are cleaned, sealing fans are given a good going over. For 8 hours I did this and everything looks the same, no one will notice all the work I did because the cleaning was beneath the surface. The dust behind the TV accumulated because it could not be easily seen, no one knew it was there no one will know it’s gone.

Many of us have jobs we do that no one really notices. Maintenance professionals and many people who service societies needs go unnoticed unless something goes wrong. At work little things done by anonymous people like stocking the paper bin or filling the ketchup go unnoticed by many. Self satisfaction in our work goes a long way but someone taking notice and saying the job was well done is so much better. Take notice of those around you and quietly let them know they did a good job you will make their day.

Ellis island

A few weeks ago on a whim I went to the Ellis Island web sight http://www.ellisisland.org/. My grand parents and 2 aunts and 2 uncles immigrated from Ireland my father was the only one born in the US. I was under the impression that they came into Baltimore but I thought I would give Ellis Island a go. Thirty minutes later I found the manifest that they were on. It is the coolest thing. The manifest tells you how old, how tall weather they were fair skinned or dark, the color of the eyes but more importantly it tells where they were born. I never really got interested in where my family was from until I was in my 30’s by then most of the people who could answer my questions were gone. Now I piece together what ever I can find about my family, many of my mother's family are still alive but all on my father’s side are to my knowledge gone, the Ellis Island manifest is a great find, from it I can go in many directions. It gives me names of towns and next of kin. I will go to Ireland some day and look at the land my grand parents came from. My grand mother loved Ireland and because of her so do I.

halloween 2005

Tonight I was visited by 2 ghosts the Grim Reaper, a solder, a bumble bee, Robin, Darth Vader, Cat Woman, 2 vampires, 2 witches, a princes, a boxer, a lion, a bunch of young teenagers dressed as teenagers (the scariest costumes by far), Buzz Light-year, Spider Man, a GREAT dragon, a pumpkin, a few pirates and two power rangers.

Halloween is a holiday that started out as the Celtic festival Samhain which dealt with the dead. After the Celts were conquered by Rome Samhain blended with the Roman festivals Feralia, commemorating the dead, and one that honored Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. With the rise of Christianity the festival of the dead became all saints day from wince the name All-hallows (all saints) and All-hallows eve and with time Halloween.

In the United States on Halloween we send our children to stranger’s houses with instructions to threaten these stranger’s by saying “trick or treat”, implying that if no treat is given a trick will be played. Now the pumpkin in the stroller doesn’t seem to be much threat but the grim reaper and the teenagers dressed as teenagers would cause anyone to think twice about holding back. I dutifully handed out my treats, making sure I addressed each and ever costume and I enjoyed every minute of it. I hope I appeased the trick or treaters and find no eggs on my house and no toilet paper in my trees. I cant wait for next year

daylight saving time, day two

Daylight Saving Time was first suggested by Benjamin Franklin in 1784, in an essay, "An Economical Project." The idea was first advocated seriously by London builder William Willett (1857-1915) in the pamphlet, “Waste of Daylight” (1907). Daylight Saving Time has been used in the U.S. and in many European countries since World War I. It was adopted at that time to conserve fuel needed to produce electric power. Today we continue the practice of adjusting our clocks to the season and I guess with the cost of fuel these days it continues to “make sense” but as I laid in my bed at 4am looking at the red display on my alarm clock it did not seem like that great an ideal. It will be a month before I shake off the early morning awakening. The dogs are oblivious to the change. Their noses were on the side of my bed as soon as they heard me stir. The girl dog, Trip whimpered for her morning meal at what is her normal time to eat, 20 minutes after I awake. It’s hard to tell her that it’s now 5am not 6am. Well I’m off to continue my day. I will purposefully stay awake longer tonight and allow myself no naps during the day. By April my internal clock will be firmly set to Eastern Standard Time.

Afternoon looking towards Nags Head

nice end to a nice day

outer banks fall

Yesterday was wet and cool. I had to wear shoes and a light jacket; no long paints till I have no other choice!! I love this type of weather. To me it is so much more interesting than a sunny calm day. There is no way to photograph the layers of clouds as they move independently of each other, or the feel of a biting wind and tiny drops of rain as it hits the skin. It’s just so invigorating!

I took photos of folks fishing from a bridge on the causeway to Manteo. They were bundled against the elements but they were out there. Weather does not stop a determined sportsperson!!

Today the wind is to continue but the sun will be out. That old sun completely changes the ambiance.

hitting the floor running

This past few weeks has given me a full understanding of the term hitting the floor running. This is the first time in some time that I have had more than a very few moments to sit down and write. Mom had her bypass surgery this past Wednesday and with pre-op testing and surprise last minute Dr. appointments she has kept me busy. As of 5am today she was doing very well.
I have also been busy helping my Albanian neighbor prepare to move. Although she speaks very good English some folks have difficulty understanding her and she still has difficulty with some of the nuances of the English language so she is dependent on her friends to help her not get taken advantage of. Of course this is not the first friend I helped move in the past few weeks, some dear friends and neighbors of mine left for Texas the end of last month. I will dearly miss all my friends. The holidays will not be the same, we spent them together like family. Well the sun is coming up and I’m off to help a friend pack. It’s amazing how much you can get into a U-Haul

how many photos can I post at a time

lets stop at 6

this last month

*A lot has happened in the last month. There have been 3 hurricanes, Katrina and Rita affected people in my family and Ophelia brushed the area I live in. Gas went from $2.19 a gallon to $3.29 a gallon and back down to $2.89. (Oil company profits by the way don’t seem to have been affected in a negative way by the storms). The Supreme Court justice died and a new one was confirmed in his place. President Bush apologized for something (!!). My mother was found to have blocked coronary arteries and scheduled to have a 5 vessel bypass, and just to add a little sunshine, my youngest son advanced from a yellow belt in tae-kwon-do to a yellow with 2 green stripes belt. So I took a 3 day trip to the mountains.

bunnies and apples

A rabbit greated me at my camper and the apples made me want to make pie!

*This Wednesday I escaped the Outer Banks and went to the VA mountains. I spent Thursday in Floyd enjoying the company of friends. We had a long lunch at the natural food store after which we strolled the building looking at the work of local artists. Then we drove around the country side. Friday morning before I left for home I strolled the road from my friend’s home to my camper taking in the beauty of the area. Sometimes just a brief change of scenery is all it takes to clear the head.

Geese

*Its fall here on the Outer Banks, the air is cool in the morning, the call of geese and their V formation are sure sign of a change in the seasons. Looking up one can see northern geese that are flying south, they stop in our marshes and water ways to rest and feed. They will be joined by other types of migrating birds as the season progresses. The Outer Banks is an important stop for these travelers.

In the fall the air becomes more still, and as the summer populations (human and nonhuman) departs there is a return to quiet, as the fall progresses into winter this quiet will become deeper to the point where sometime in February we on the Outer Banks start looking forward to the return of the noise but for now the quiet is welcome

the beach on the sound side during Ophelia 

The sound during Ophelia, this is the barrier Islands at work. While its victory at sea on the ocean side the sound is relatively calm

 

again the ocean 

the ocean thanks to Ophelia 

the flowers love the storm 

my street 

Well its been awhile, been caught up in the everyday activities that seem to never end but hurricane Ophelia brings me back to the word processor.

Things in Kill Devil Hills aren�t that bad. Take a look at the Weather Channel and check out Jim Cantory. I am located on the part of the Outer Banks he is covering. The weather we are getting at this time is no worse than a winter storm. Once the storm gets a little further up the coast we should start seeing a little more wind and rain and possible some flooding. I do feel for the folks south of me, they are getting pounded.

 

A photo can say much. It can say that it's a nice day with a few pinkish-purple clouds on the horizon. What a picture can't tell you is how the wind feels on my skin or how the rustling trees or the singing birds sound, it can't express the smell of the air. Today is a beautiful Labor day on the Outer Banks. Today is the first day of the fall season. The visitors will be thinning out, the traffic will become less hectic, the temperature more tolerable. Labor day marks the beginning of my favorite time of year on the Outer Banks.

This has been one hell of a week. Katrina hitting the gulf coast hit close to home with me, luckily my siblings evacuated the areas they lived in and all are safe.

*My brother and his wife are unsure of the state of their property they live in Jefferson parish just south of New Orleans and own a camp near Myrtle Grove, La. They have no ideal what is going on near their home, there have been mixed reports, it’s either there or not they won’t know until they are able to get back. The house in Myrtle Grove is most likely gone. They may have very little left of 25 years of hard work. These people are the American dream. My brother came from a dirt poor family and his wife came from a middle class family. He is an electrician and she is a hair stylist. No one gave them anything, their family’s could not afford too, everything they had they worked for. I feel bad for them and wish them the best.

My sisters are fine. My sister who lived in Biloxi had only just move there and owned no property she will be fine. I don’t think she knows where she is going but she has always been a roamer at heart. My sister in Pensacola had no damage at all.

Because of the hurricane I’m having trouble getting in touch with folks down there, as I have said in e-mails call me if your hear anything and I will be in touch if I hear anything!

*I’ve been trying not to comment on the behavior of some of the folks who live in NO. I will say this much: there is no way when something like this happens that emergency folks or the government can be expected to be there the next hour or the next day. I live on the coast and the powers that be clearly say that if you stay you must accept responsibility for yourself and your family. It is understood that EMS will not go into an unsafe environment. It is understood that it may be days before you can expect food and water deliveries. I saw one comment from FEMA that said they did not expect the lawlessness that transpired in New Orleans. People, no matter how poor, have to accept responsibility for their actions. I hope the folks that were seen looting TV’s and jewelry are arrested. There is a law down there that says you can’t do that! I hope we all learn from this. My god it’s the “War of the Worlds” movie in real life!! Well that’s my soap box and I’m getting off of it now.

* Another piece of bad news Chief Justice William Rehnquist has died. I was rooting for him. He will be missed.

I heard from my sister-in-law last night, she and my brother are fine. They are in Mississippi, have no electricity and no supplies but thanks to a friend they have a roof over their heads and thanks to perfect strangers something to eat. They were starved for information about what was going on near where they lived and thanks to technology I was able to look up what was available on the internet and relay the information to her over the phone. It will be a while before they are able to return home. My sister-in-law said if all is gone they won’t be staying. After 25 years in the New Orleans area the storms may have won.

I have heard from two of my three siblings who live along the gulf coast. Both are safe. My brother and his wife have still to check in. I’m confident they are safe but are not able to call due to loss of service. I feel for them and their neighbors. They live in Jefferson parish on the west bank. I only hope the news I see out of New Orleans is true and that their home is one of the “dry” ones.

Katrina

My brother and his wife live in Harvey La. Harvey is about a 15 minute drive from down town New Orleans. I have a sister who recently moved to Biloxi MS and one who lives in Pensacola FL. Each of these places is in the path of hurricane Katrina. My mother was able to get in touch with my brother; he and his wife have decided to go to Florida. We haven't heard from the sisters but they are bright people and I sure they know to get out of harms way.

This storm is big with maximum winds of 160 miles an hour, I would not be surprised if it lost some energy before it hit the coast but the storm wind isn't the only concern heavy rain and wave action are of great concern. I have seen fierce storms approach the coast and as soon as they hit the shallow waters and fizzle out but this one is very close to shore and shows little signs of weakening. It would take a lot for me to evacuate my home in fact I have only left for one storm and I regretted going but if Katrina were heading here I would pack my car and get my butt out of Dodge!

Good luck to all the folks being impacted by this storm.

Whirlwinds

At 5:30pm today I was getting the plants off the steps and moving them out of the way so the boys could move a couch from house next door to my living room. My neighbors are selling their house and moving to Texas, they don’t want to take their furniture (it would cost almost as much to ship as it would to buy new) so they are selling what they can, I bought the couch. The problem is this thing is a sleeper sofa and with son #2 out of commission and son #3 very busy with school and other activities I needed to enlist someone to help son #1 move the thing and that enlistee could only help this Thursday afternoon. I made arrangement to move it on Thursday (today).

At 6pm I started to get a little nervous. No one was here, I’d already talked to the neighbors telling them I would be getting the couch today, and I had to pick up my #3 son from tae-kwan-do at 6:45pm and no one was here yet. At 6:05pm I called the boys father, explained my situation and asked him if he would pick up son #3 and then I waited.

At 6:10 the enlistee arrived with a buddy but no #1 son. The enlistee and his buddy said no problem lets just move the couch. They proceeded to pick that thing up and walk it over to my house, at that moment my #1 son with his own enlistee pulls in to the yard smiles and says ”you guys are doing a great job” at which I said to him “you guys can move the futon” so we had two young men in their 20’s moving a sleeper sofa and two other young men in their 20”s moving a futon and in less than 10 minutes it over, the furniture was moved and they were standing in my front yard with a futon in the back of a van deciding where they were going next. By 6:30 pm they were gone and I was thinking what a freaking whirlwind.

I am not a patient person. When I want something done I want it done. When I was younger and in better shape I would have tried to move that furniture myself (not a wise thing to do but I would have tried) these days my lower back and knees just cant take the abuse anymore and I must rely more on others and accept that a few minutes hear or there really doesn’t matter. Much of my life seems to be a whirlwind but things always seem to work out. The couch was moved, I was able to pick my #3 son up, dinner was on time and all was as it should be.

end of a quiet day

I think one of every parent worst nightmares is a call from an anonymous caller telling them their child had been in an accident well that’s what happened yesterday to me. I guess there is always calm before the storm.

It seems my #2 son was taking a friend home, the traffic was stop and go on the bypass so they decided to turn on to the beach road. The bypass is a 5 lane highway, two lanes heading north and 2 lanes heading south with one turning lane in the middle. He moved over to the turning lane not realizing that traffic had stopped to let a car cross. The crossing car and my son’s car met in the middle. Well my sons car was totaled the other car was badly damaged. My son had to be assisted by EMS out of the car; from there he spent over 3 hours on a back board. After diagnostic testing he was cleared of serious injury but he did end up with some bad contusions and a broken clavicle (collar bone). Every one else walked away with just contusions.

I hate the bypass in the summertime especially on the weekends. This accident happened because people tried to help someone cross the road. The officer who investigated the accident said this happens all the time, people trying to do something nice not realizing how dangerous it can be. I’ve stopped to let cars cross before but I won’t again. I feel bad that those people have to wait but I would rather they wait then be in an accident.

As I sit looking out my window I see the live oak next to the deck rustle in a gentle wind as a squirrel hops from a limb on to the railing and up the pergola. From my window I see children speed by on their skate boards and bikes with towels wrapped around their shoulders. Most likely they are on their way to the sound or pool to escape the heat. Cars go slowly by, their drivers intent on getting somewhere. I look out my window and allow my mind to wander as music quietly serenades me. I am alone in the house enjoying the serenity that comes with aloneness, even the dogs are laying quietly at my feet. At this moment in time life could not be better

Wright Memoral Bridge 0745am(ish) Saturday 

Every Saturday and Sunday morning during the summer over a 100,000 people leave the Outer Banks after spending some or all of their vacation here and every Saturday and Sunday afternoon they are replaced with over a 100,000 new visitors. By 10am the traffic will become so thick leaving that for many it will seem like rush hour traffic in the city they are from. Many will remember that the week before as they were coming on the beach they were faced with the same traffic jam. For most people the traffic coming and going is a small inconvenience, they want to enjoy the sun and wide open public beaches the Outer Banks has to offer.

I�m not a fan of the tourists but with out them economically the Outer Banks would be a much different place. The outer banks has no industry, no farming and because the Outer Banks is constantly changed by wind and ocean, very little commercial fishing. With out tourism this would a bleak place so like it or not I am thankful to the visitors for coming. I hope they have a good time here and a safe trip home.
 

*The weather channel and my front porch thermometer both say its nearly 80 degrees out side but with the humidity at only 60% for the first time in a long time I was able to sit on the pouch with the dogs and enjoy a cup of coffee.

*According to Netscape’s what’s new a radio station in Kentucky , WUKY-91.3 FM cancelled Garrison Keillor's "The Writer's Almanac" radio show because it had the word "breast" in it now in all fairness the radio station cancelled the cancellation but only after people objected. We live in a strange country. I love it but it’s strange.

*Went to Doug Thompson’s blog the Blueridge Muse http://www.blueridgemuse.com/ from there I went on an adventure in cyberspace looking for the video he did on 911. The one he had link to would not down load on my computer but looking for one that would was well worth the effort. The video is a very well made montage of the first few hours of 9-11. I found it by putting “world trade center Doug Thompson” in the search box.

*Well I’m off. Have to get dressed and take mom out to get some early morning diagnostic testing done.

home away from home on the hill 

My where has the summer gone? Summer does not officially end until around September 21^st but in less than two weeks my youngest goes back to school and for many the return of school means the end of summer.

It has been a hot one this summer, hotter than most I think and as I sit here dreading the heat of the day I look forward to the cool autumn nights. Here at the beach we will continue to have hot days clear into October but the nights and mornings will be very pleasant. Of course we will have to deal with the storms. We seem to get most of our hurricanes the end of August and into September. It’s not uncommon for the kids to miss at least a few days the first few weeks of school.

Even though it is ungodly hot I can tell by the shadows cast by the trees in my back yard that fall is near. This is the time of year to plant one more hill of cucumbers. The first of September I will plant a little lettuce and maybe some peas. The pansies will be in the stores soon, they offer a variety of color and will some times last until summer. I must say I love the fall on the Outer Banks.

cow meet dog  

I just got back from a week by myself in the Virginia mountains, well I should say my dog and I spent a week in the mountains. This is a picture of Zeke and the cows #2 this time they were a lot closer and I don�t think he quite knew what to make of them.