Aerial Photos of S. Nags Head page on website

I added a new page of aerial photos to my website tonight. Check it out at:


Aerial Photos of Outer Banks Feb. 6, 2005

Aerial South Nags Head shots

Took a little jaunt up and down the beach in 16 Juliet (our plane) today to check out the beach erosion views from up there. Boy the first impression when you see all that surf is wow! What big waves and for so far out! The by now famous house KuKoos Nest is featured in a couple of these shots. Other shots are from further north along other areas in S. Nags Head.

Seagull Drive and KuKoos Nest- it's still hangin' in there!



A wider view of the area:



An area a little further north:



A close up I found interesting. Look at how these brisk north, northeast winds of the last few weeks have blown the sand over the walkway to this house. And there's good news! Not ALL of that expensive Currituck clay hauled to the beach truck by truck has washed away. These few piles appear untouched by this week's storm! Of course they WERE half a mile from the watersedge last week-- just kidding!

Surfside Drive (RIP) S. Nags Head

Surfside Drive is completely gone now. I must admit that I don't know for sure if the town of Nags Head rebuilt it in any form, solid or sand. But I believe there had been some access provided along the beach front for those homes which used to be on the westside of Surfside. When these pics were taken on Feb. 5, there is no more room for a road of any sort. I guess if you are a renter in the area, you better make sure you purchase your beach driving permit!

This is looking north:



This is looking south along the beachfront south of Surfside:

Movie clips from S. Nags Head

I uploaded a couple of short movie clips of the overwash at South Nags Head. These are definitely only for broadband watchers. They do take a couple of minutes to download. Enjoy!


South Nags Head Movie Clips

More South Nags Head damage...

Went back today to see what happened overnight. Yesterday where there was an entire dune and a newly built board walkway over it, today there was nothing! The KuKoos Nest of yesterday is probably not long for this world unless this relentless pounding stops soon. It sports a new "condemned" sign posted by the town of Nags Head since it's septic system is now in the sea. I remember going to this spot the week after Isabel and this house was being painted and I remember thinking that it was a waste of good money, unless the then owners were trying to unload it quickly on some unsuspecting victim. I have lived here too long to consider anything south of Whalebone Junction desirable.

Today at the KuKoos Nest: Look at yesterday's pics and you will see the once standing board walkway in the foreground.



And the view is even more profound on the other side of Nest, as this is the rubble of that board walk, or some other one. Watch your step!



This is the way Seagull Drive looks today. Yesterday there was a meager attempt to stave off further erosion with a hastily built mini berm and a newly installed sandfence. Check yesterday's pics against this one.

More of the erosion in South Nags Head

A few more pics of the South Nags Head area follow. These were taken today at just after high tide. It does seem that most of the expensive and expansive berm hauled in from Currituck county now resides on the ocean floor, definitely not on the beach.
Wouldn't you just love to rent this house? It's called Kooky's Nest!



This is the new face of Seagull Drive around MP 21 at the south end of Nags Head.



This is the "seagull" guarding his namesake, Seagull Drive, in S. Nags Head.



And this is known as Camelot! Camelot Drive, S. Nags Head. Idyllic, isn't it?

Signs of beach erosion

I rode down to South Nags Head today to see what devastation the ocean had wrought. It always seems wierd to me in a way that we over here on Roanoke Island hardly know there is any destructive weather occurring on the beach but once over there it seems the entire slight sliver of the Outer Banks will be swallowed up by all that power. What became most amusing were the signs posted to warn one of the impending doom. Couldn't you figure it out on your own?





Ah duh? and there's more:

Friday afternoon...

and it is very cold here on the Outer Banks. I've spent too much of my day looking at webcams throughout Florida and the Caribbean. It's driving me crazy. I think some of you out there dream about the Outer Banks when you are not here, wishing you could be here no matter the season. I think if you were actually here in the midst of winter in a nor'easter you would probably think twice about wishing you were here, but I understand the sentiment. So what do we do at a time like this when you really can't just get up and go to your favorite place? You surround yourself with memorabilia of the places you love and try your damnest to simulate the experience. For me it's island music and neon pink glowing flamingoes, and tropical drinks, and beach pix on the computer screen. How about you? Comments are easy to make here. Just click the "comments" button at the bottom of the column and scroll down til you see the "Post a comment". You can post as anonymous if you want. I don't mind. Or join as a member and get a screen name.

Oh and PS... I've just decided I WANT an infinity edge pool!

Current beach nourishment project on OB

I went out yesterday to check out the current beach nourishment happenings on the beach at Nags Head. It was very cold and windy, so the shots are from the truck-pardon the quality. The "sand" is being hauled in by the dumptruck load from a borrow pit in upper Currituck. It is really mostly clay, definitely not pretty white sand, as it does not come from a beach! I have read the rationale is to use the heavier clay based material to keep it there longer. Good luck! The trucks transit thru the parking area of the little cottages south of Jeanette's Pier and back out onto the beach over a clay packed road. They dump their load there and this bulldozer pushes it up into this temporary mountain. Then 4 wheel drive vehicles come to the mountain and get loaded up then transit down the beach to the current working area and deposit their load next in line. The method seems to include being a "dune" area about 15 feet high and about that wide, then sloping in out to the existing beach, or what's left of it.
We are in for some heavy winds this weekend and next as well. I guess time will tell if this stop gap measure has any meaning. Personally I don't care for it. Although it does provide some bit of protection for those structures in danger of upending into the sea, it IS ugly, and nasty. I don't really think I'd want to spend my vacation hiking over such a dune to the tiny little natural beach that may or may not be there on the other side. It remains to be seen if the visting public will vote with their pocketbooks and move to another area for rentals after seeing this mess this summer.

And while we are on "values" of land...

A few days ago we had the occasion to meet some friends for dinner in Nags Head, and we were discussing the Outer Banks and the appreciation in property values. My husband was telling our friends of the time his granddaddy was offered the chance to buy a tract of land that extended sea to sea starting about at the north Kitty Hawk town line and going to about the Wright Memorial. The price was $400. Granddaddy Will actually had the money, but just could not bring himself to sink his very hard earned dollars into such an inhospitable piece of deserted, bleak sand. Nobody wanted it. It was just a burden to have to pay the taxes on it. So he declined the offer. Hindsight! Granddaddy Will would be turning over in his grave if he could see the tax bill on that much land today!

Couple of new web cams

I found a couple of new web cams while surfing around this a.m. Of course, my favorites all involve Caribbean and Bahamian views, but these two might be of interest to those of you hungry for the Outer Banks. The first is down at Cape Hatteras somewhere.

Cape Hatteras surf cam
This second one is labeled Nags Head, but is in reality in Kill Devil Hills, NC, at the Ramada Inn, around MP 9.5.

Nags Head surf cam

Dare County re-evaluation

Well, all property owners in Dare County should by now have received their re-evaluation notices. Now that the shouts and cries and sharp epitaphs of disbelief have died down, we can get about truly analyzing how this affects each of us. In our personal portfolio of real estate holdings in Dare County, we saw a wide variety of upswings, ranging from a low of about 2 times to a high of over 8 times the previous valuation. The lows were on the improved properties with rental homes on them. The highs were on the larger tracts of unimproved land. In general vacant lots in already platted subdivisions went up about 6 times. The county has published its "revenue neutral" rate at 22 cents, meaning that if the commissioners adopt a 2005 tax rate of no more than 22 cents the overall county budget will receive no more money than last year. However, no one has yet mentioned the other components of the tax bill that could have a far bigger impact on the bottom line of the tax paid. Those are the rates paid for fire districts and sanitation in the unincorporated areas and the municipal rates for those pieces located in a town. No mention has been made publically that I have seen as to proposed rates on these items. For instance last year, we paid 7 cents and 16 cents respectively for fire and sanitation. Unless these rates drop down to 2.8 and 6.4 cents the average taxpayer will pay more. I sincerely doubt that the commissioners will adopt a rate of less than a whole cent number, so we probably can expect to pay 3 and 7 cents, which will increase taxes. Also for the municipalities which I am familiar with, those being Southern Shores (previously at 20 cents) and Kitty Hawk (previously at 38 cents) those budgets will be set individually by each town, and their rates remain to be seen. It should be interesting to see if this is used as an opportunity to increase revenue anyway, and blame it on the "whole cent" thing.
Personally we will definitely pay more tax next year, because the pieces we own rose more than the 2.47 average. I suppose one should be glad that a solid outperforming investment was made. One thing is for sure, there are many more millionaires in Dare County now, at least on paper. They were here all along, but now they know it.

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.