New Year's Eve, This is winter?

Mind you I am not complaining! Sixty degrees plus today, what a joy. The wind has died down and the water was beautifully calm and flat for this sunset pic at the Manteo Airport 12-31-04.

Twas the day before Christmas...

and all through the stores on the OBX the shoppers were out in mass. I've never seen so many last minute shoppers, myself included.
Last night headed over the bridge to the beach, the scene was very wierd, almost surreal. The fog was so thick you could hardly see that there was an end to the bridge. But looking straight up, the nearly full moon was shining brightly overhead. Out over the ocean, you could see the Big Dipper among many other stars. But just to the south over Pea Island the lightning was flashing in a massive cloud bank lighting up the sky ever so often. It was quite an unusual sight.
It looks like no snow for us on Christmas, as it is not quite cold enough. Today it is very windy from the north, and cloudy. The ocean is a tempest. Santa better hold on that sleigh tight tonight and watch for cross winds!

Just a dusting of snow last night

We had just a dusting of snow last night but oh, that wind! It gusted as high as 32 knots at the Manteo airport during the wee hours of early morning, all the way snowing sideways. What stuck was fine and dry and drifted easily. The ocean was very angry and a cloud bank hung out there over the water for half the day even though the sun was shining on land. The differential in the air/water temperature created a mist/fog over the water that was spooky looking. I did not venture out in the subfreezing winds to get that picture from the beach since I'm about 3/4 sick, but this one from my deck gives you an idea. I did sent my other half out to the beach for a quick pic. Down to low twenties again tonight, before rising to over 60 again on Wednesday, THEN the weather stations are hinting at SNOW for Christmas day! No wonder we are all sick!

Wright Brother's Day

Today was the 101st anniversary of powered flight and was celebrated at the Wright Brothers Monument in Kill Devil Hills, NC. The crowds were much, much smaller this year than last when we even played host to the President and entourage. The flyover was much smaller too, consisting of only the local Coast Guard planes and a quad of F-15's from Oceana. The weather was much nicer this year, as it was not raining, but still a bit nippy. There probably would not have been enough wind this year either to sail that homemade bird. Some pics are here:

101st First Flight Celebration

A new Outer Banks Christmas page is up now

I had the opportunity this morning while the weather was still clear and bright, sunny, to get a few more Christmas photos to add to my collection for a new web page featuring An Outer Banks Christmas 04. Most of these are taken in and around Manteo, my hometown, but we do Christmas right! Check it out at:

An Outer Banks Christmas 04

Nice this morning, rainy this afternoon

This morning was the perfect morning as the temperature soared to 65 degrees and the sun shone brightly before the rain front moved in. Here it is December 9th and the weather is so mild. I absolutely love it. It's hard to get to thinking about a winter vacation in a tropic destination with weather at home like this.

Manteo's children receive free internet service

Manteo became the first town in America where all its school age children receive free wireless internet service, thanks to Andy Griffith, Charter Communications, IBM, and Seamark foods, as well as other contributors. As long as the child remains in school, the internet service is free. IBM also partnered with the group to provide a free computer to any child who does not have one, as long as they remain in school. On December 3, Andy Griffith and wife, Cindy, presented the gift to the children at the kickoff of Manteo's Christmas celebration. The festivities included a tree lighting on the Manteo waterfront, decorated boats in the harbor, a yule log fire in the street, caroling presented by actors garbed in Elizabethan period costumes, and as a part of "Manteo's First Friday" night all downtown merchants remained open late for the revellers to peruse their wares. Several hundred folks turned out for the celebration. Some photos are on my website, and followed by a page of pix from the Manteo Christmas parade held on Dec. 4.

Manteo Christmas Celebration

Manteo Christmas Parade

Old Coast Guard station to be preserved

In last Thursday's Coastland Times, it was reported that the old Coast Guard station at Oregon Inlet will now be preserved. The station had fallen into ruin over the last decade mostly because of litigation over its ownership. When abandoned more than ten years ago, the heirs of the original family which owned the land claimed that the land should revert to them. What ensued was a lengthy court battle between the Etheridge family and Dare County, with the county ultimately prevailing. The County has since turned the property over to the Coastal Studies Institute to be used as campus for students of marine studies. The State legislature has recently approved a grant of 1.198 million dollars to restore the facility. The existing station will be restored to near its original state. The dormitory facilities will be replaced with a new modern building to house students. These pictures were taken early this spring.

What a storm last night!

Last night it seemed like it rained and blew hard most of the night. It was still raining this morning early. A little later in the day the sun came out and warmed up the air. The mist rising off the wet earth and decks looked like smoke. The ocean is stormy today. The east wind of yesterday has the rollers coming in strong and tall. One lone surfer to be was trying his luck in this mess, but he was unable to even paddle out through the strong surf.

They're STILL shopping!

There's still not a single parking space to be had at the Tanger Outlet Mall today either. I still did not brave it, but went for a short walk on the beach instead! It is windy from the east and the ocean is a bit rialed up today, and the clouds are rolling in, but at least it warmed back up to around 60 degrees. Many, many footprints on the sands today from all the visitors here this week. I guess not all of them were shopping. Maybe they couldn't find a parking place either.

Thanksgiving Day, 2004

Woke up to rainy and very blustry skies, but it soon turned out to be sunny, very warm, and slightly windy. It was a high temp of about 70 degrees today, and there were people on the beach in swimsuits! Many of the "cottages" are full of people and it seems to be very busy down here this year. I'm sure I'll see them all tomorrow morning at 5:30 at Belk or the Outlet Mall shopping!

Cloudy but warm

It is the day before Thanksgiving and the roads down here are once again packed. There seem to be many visitors in town for the Holiday. This morning we woke up to heavy fog over the ocean but it soon burned off and became gloriously sunny and warm. This afternoon the clouds have rolled in again, and the wind has started. Predicted gusts up to 50 mph tonight!

The beach and the beautiful weather

Today dawned a little gray but quickly cleared up. We are having superb weather on the Outer Banks right now. It is in the sixties and to be in the seventies by Wednesday. A little rain on the way, but we need it. Right now it is sunny and warm with little wind. A quick look at the beach this morning before work--it was gorgeous. You can tell by the amount of footprints on it that it was enjoyed by many over the weekend.

Treasures from the sea

Yesterday I spent a while on the beach at Southern Shores since the weather has been so warm and beautiful. The sky was alternating between cloudy and partly sunny and created a beautiful show of light when the sun peaked through the clouds at times.

I was amazed at the number of skate egg cases washed up on the shore. We used to call them Devil's Pocketbooks when I was little. The sea was pretty calm and the pelicans were diving and feeding, then soaring on that gentle current of air just above the water's surface. There were lots of shells washed up also. Their color, texture, and variety always catch my attention.


Even those of us who live here should take time out to walk the beach and marvel at nature's bounty occasionally.

ANOTHER new stoplight!

The great state of NC in all its infinite wisdom has decided to spend tons of money to provide the Tanger Outlet Mall in Nags Head with a new road cut complete with stop light. This has to be the most expensive stop light in the town, because it required the state to build a bridge over wetlands and install a massive drainage system in order to pave over the area, which forever has been a large drainage ditch in the middle of the mall. Apparently the two road cuts into the mall at either end of the parking area have become too dangerous recently with the increasing traffic. Just this past summer both driveways were limited to a right turn exit only, making a mess out of traffic that wanted/needed to go back north on the bypass. So the solution was to fill in the wetlands in the middle of the mall property and build a new road cut over it, and add a new stop light. Guess who owns the property on the east side of the bypass at that light? WINGS! Look for yet another huge Wings store coming to a corner near you! I used to know how many stoplights there were between Manteo and Southern Shores. I think it was 27, but now there are at least 3 or 4 more. I lost count. So much for a "bypass"!
Pix of the new road cut and light follow.

When to abandon a street?

That is the question being considering at tomorrow's meeting of the Nags Head Commissioners concerning Surfside Drive in south Nags Head. The northeaster' of Oct. 23-34 left the road destroyed and in worse condition than it was after Hurricane Isabel. There are 14 homes which have their only access from Surfside Drive. Most of Nags Head's commissioners believe that it is foolish to repair the road when there is no dune left to protect it. Once the formal declaration of abandonment is issued, the property on the oceanside of the homes fronting Surfside vests in those property owners. They will then have to find their own way of granting easements to one another to access the properties in the middle of the block. According to the Coastal Area Management Act files, the erosion rate in that area is between 7 and 10 feet per year.
The following photo shows Surfside Drive after Hurricane Isabel in Sept. 2003.

Winter is coming

I have a feeling today was one of the very last pretty days on the Outer Banks for this year. It turned out to be 65 degrees and no wind. Later in the day it got to be hazy and moist, a precursor of things to come tomorrow and Friday night into Saturday. I love it when it is this warm this late into the season. It is not always this way. Some years we have had freezing nights before the first of November, and others not until around Thanksgiving, which seems to be the case this year.
Although this week seems to have been fairly quiet, we have had visitors here in record numbers later into the season than ever before that I can remember. I wonder if this place will become more and more year round as the years go by.

Windy and cool today

Another northeast wind is upon us. Temperature is 54 but it feels much colder. Tonight is to be the coldest night so far this fall. I don't know how much more the beaches can take this winter. Someone recently asked me if this weather is unusual and were we having more rough ocean days this year. The answer is no. This is fairly typical for late Oct. early Nov. Also spring time. There's usually two really brisk several-days-long northeasters' a year, if not more. I've been watching houses fall into the ocean in south Nags Head for two and a half decades now. I've seen complete lots lost and taken off the property tax records. I've seen the lots behind those lost as well. This may well be the year of the "third" row oceanfront losses.

Another new Wings store is coming

Yet another new Wings store is coming to Nags Head. At the most recent Nags Head town commission meeting a new 15000+ foot store was approved for construction. It belongs to the same group (I. G. Holdings) which owns all the other Wings in this area. The town has been trying to get some kind of consensus together to change the zoning/planning rules to keep these types of stores from being built, or at least to make them look a little better, but did not get the rules in place soon enough to stop this one. A whole new class of law practice has sprung forth from this type of construction and the growing opposition to such. Property rights attorneys are the new hot thing in the legal profession.
I have yet to learn exactly where this large store will be, but as soon as I do, I'll post the location.

Election day

I was reviewing the sample ballot in the newspaper today. I know, I should have been paying attention much earlier in the political season, but I finally got around to it, and was actually surprised to learn that there is only one contested county commission race in Dare County this time around. In my opinion it is a slam dunk for the incumbent, so that means no change at all in the board for next season with the exception of Mac coming back on representing Hatteras. I guess you could say that means "Politics as usual". I was reading the profiles of the two candidates running against each other, and I could not tell a whole lot of difference in either. What did strike me is that they both are FOR everything! Sometimes that means being on both sides of the fence. Not a very good way to get anything accomplished in my opinion.
There will be some tough issues coming up in the next couple of years. Beach nourishment, population increases, re-evaluation of property values for taxation, "affordable" housing, new schools, traffic concerns. It should be interesting to watch this board at work and see if they can indeed stay on both sides of the fence. There is no making everyone happy!

Kitty Hawk Road overwash

We rode up to Kitty Hawk yesterday afternoon to check out the overwash situation. When we were there about 5 pm, the road was scraped clean and passable, but the tide was not high. By the time we left the tide was rolling back in, and overwashing the road once again. The surfers were out in mass. A few pix at:

Surfers and Beach Road

Where's the sun?

Boy am I ready to see the sun again! The weather is windy, cool, and cloudy, and the ocean is very rough. The massive low pressure system sitting off the east coast just seems to not want to move. The beach is taking a beating. There are many places where the high tide comes right up to the base of the dune and you can't walk on the beach. From what I saw on the weather sites this am, this will hang around thru Wednesday. I am definitely looking forward to the return of the calm warm fall weather.

Dreary day here today

The weather is dreary and I stayed home today. No news from the Outer Banks to report today. I think the whole world is consumed with baseball, and I just don't see the attraction. So I can't join in the major discussions happening out there right now.
Even the Coastland Times was boring today. No intriguing headlines caught my eye. The most interesting thing was continued arguing over the Slash Creek Condos having received some significant state approval to move ahead.
Oh well, tomorrow's Friday, and another day. Maybe with more news!

Baum House is gone!

Yesterday we turned down Baum Street in Kill Devil Hills, and were shocked to see the old Baum estate home on the oceanfront just about reduced to a pile of rubble! That happened quickly! The property just closed its sale to its new owners on October 14th. They are a local builder and someone from Pennsylvania. According to the story in the Coastland Times, the buyers had been denied a permit to demolish the structure four times. The article also said that the buyers were interested in trying to work something out with the town to preserve the structure, but eventually decided that the tone the town had taken was hostile and sought only to delay them. Payback for the town's attitude was mentioned as the reason for going ahead with the teardown.
While a great deal of our income is derived from the real estate and building industry, I was appalled at this situation. I believe both parties to be seriously at fault, and the worse part is that this injustice is totally irreversable now. History is gone.

Rain today, Manteo busy!

Today is raining and dreary here on the Outer Banks, but we do need the rain actually. It has been very dry for several weeks. The dogwood trees in my yard are getting colorful with their leaves and berries turning red. The days have been just slightly nippy and the nights a little cool but nothing to complain about. Manteo was SO crowded today! I guess even in the off season, rainy, cloudy weather brings the touring public over to shop and site see away from the beach. It appears to be a very good year for the merchants of the downtown Manteo area. There are more neat little shops there now than ever. One night in the late summer we went downtown in the evening after dinner just to walk around, and were amazed at the number of people there just milling around. There were two musical groups playing at eating establishments close to each other. It was interesting just to sit on the bench in front of the courthouse and people watch. What a different time it is in my little town!

Rental season is over

Well, our rental season is over, and so now we get to rest some. I must say again I've been amazed at the amount of traffic still here on the roads. I'm coming to realize that more and more this is a product of an increasing year round population. That is evident by the lines in the grocery stores even in the winter, by the traffic on the bypass, by the unbearable line at the DMV, by the long, long court news columns in the newpaper! Not all those moving here are "desirable" upstanding citizens. It is evident in the increasing tax burden residents face for building more schools to educate the new residents. It is evident in the search for vacant land. We must face the fact that we no longer live in a small town.

Today is a beautiful day on the Outer Banks...

It is classic fall weather here today with the temp about 75-78 degrees and mostly bright blue sky. The leaves are just getting a hit of color. I have been surprised by the amount of traffic still here for this late in the season. I guess it goes to show how long I've been watching the population here grow, and the touring public added to that. We no longer live in a small town. In some ways that's good, some ways bad.

Back from vacation

It's been a while since I've had a chance to write any entries into this log, since I have been out of the country for most of August and part of September. We finally got to take that vacation of our own after seeing to the many guests we've had here on the Outer Banks. Unfortunately hurricane season has haunted us at every turn and we are just plain weary of it. Not only for worrying about our homes here and the potential threat to them, but to our many, many friends we have in Florida. Of course our vacation travels took us south, right into the path of several of these storms. We have seen many sobering things and reminders of the power of a hurricane's fury in the past month. My heart is heavy for the many who have suffered damage at the hands of Charley, Frances, and Ivan.
The sheer force of the storm surge and its ensuing devastation along the Florida/Alabama coastline is truly unbelievable and heartbreaking. While we did not see the devastation along the Panhandle first hand, we have seen pictures and can definitely empathize with the good folks who live there.

We survived another Saturday...

Well we survived another Saturday! Saturdays are the days we go up to the rentals to check out the places between renters. We go with cleaning supplies and paintbrushes in hand to paint out all those little handprints left on the walls! We go with all sorts of tools as we never know what type of problem we will encounter. We go with brooms, rakes, leaf blowers, lawn mowers. We go with assorted newly washed matteras pads, hot mats, baths mats, that were collected and rotated last weekend. We spend a great deal of effort to keep our rental homes looking their best. We are the on call 24 hour maintenance crew!
I have never seen so much traffic as was down here last week. It must have been the single biggest week for cottage and motel rentals. True we had a storm and some other unfavorable beach days which usually drive tourists to the roads in search of entertainment, but this seemed above that! We crept along "french fry alley" at a snail's pace in the middle of the week, thinking there must be a wreck holding up traffic. After a business stop at the bank which took about an hour, the roads were still clogged, traffic creeping by. We opted for the beach road for a while, but that was just as busy. We finally made it to the Good Life Gourmet to have a LATE lunch only to stand and wait, and wait. I'm happy for the merchants, but boy will I be glad to see September!
The weather turned unusually cool after the hurricane, with overnight lows in the lower 60's. With a strong north wind a couple of days, the beach was not a comfortable place. We drew up in the Avalon Pier parking lot to view the water and the waves were crashing the bottom of the pier, now after the hurricane. The sandblasting was so bad we had to back the truck away from the front row. We laughed at the tourists parking across the street, hauling out their beach chairs and coolers, trekking over to the beach only to find it totally unsuitable to sit down on. Score one more for the merchants as they slunk back over the hill to go shopping.
Tomorrow promises beach weather will return, along with those higher A/C bills.