Storm over Nag's Head.
"I can't believe you remember the NAMES in that comic book" my lovely wife remarks. We're waiting for the drama to begin. Forty-five years later [if the rain holds off], I'm actually going to see 'The Lost Colony.' The story is bittersweet as it opens to Native American life on Roanoke Island before any settlers arrive. If you know the history you know the ending. Sadly, the murder of a local chief seems to settle the colonists' fate. The first settlers simply vanished.
We had sunny weather for the first half of the week and our children and their significant others played on the beach with us. After they left and we had the place to ourselves came the rains and reminiscences.
When I was almost thirteen and the rain was continuous, my Uncle suggested we drive down highway 12 and ride the ferry to Ocracoke Island. My wife and I decide to follow in the family tradtion so we pack a lunch and drive down this amazing stretch of thin terra firma between the Atlantic and the sound. We cross the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge, an engineering marvel that impressed my NASA engineer Father. "That thing will not be crossing the channel in ten years! The sand is MOVING!!!" Dad knew his stuff! As we crossed the bridge we saw dredging rigs hard at work keeping the channel open UNDER the high arch of the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge.
We decide to head straight for the ferry and ride over. We'll explore Ocracoke and make our way back North at a relaxed pace. We arrive at the ferry as a storm does. We spend a soggy afternoon on Ocracoke and I enjoy some memories.
Ocracoke Ferry.
Ocracoke Ferry. Notice the dog in the pickup.
Ocracoke Ferry. Rain and salt spray.
The Ocracoke Light.
The Hatteras Light.
We arrive at the Hatteras Light as the setting sun peeks under the clouds. The light was saved from falling into the ocean by Expert Housemovers Company. Expert Housemovers recently moved the American Farm at the Frontier Culture Museum which wa a piece of cake compared to the lighthouse. The hydraulic jacks and creeper track that had to be built for the Hatteras light would certainly have impressed Dad!
The Hatteras Light has to be the most photographed lighthouse on the Carolina Coast. After I took a few photos I watched a stream of people all trying to get a photo of the lighthouse. The lady after me admitted she was going to Photoshop a better sky in! By the time we made it to Bodie Island light it was too dark for me to get a photo.
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