Summer visitors to Ocracoke often imagine that Ocracoke in the winter is dead, deserted, and dismal. Shops and restaurants are mostly closed, there are no performances at Deepwater Theater, Park Service interpretive programs are suspended, and the ocean is too cold for swimming.

All of that is true, but there is plenty to do for those of us who live here. It is a time for pot luck dinners and other get-togethers for family and friends. I still play poker every Friday night. School basketball games draw large crowds. The churches and other non-profit organizations offer spaghetti suppers, bake sales, and movie nights. Gaffer's pub hosts periodic Trivia Nights and a Thursday night local Jazz Ensemble.

We walk on the beach, visit neighbors, and join friends for parties and other social events. Some of us play bridge, make quilts, draw, read, learn a new language, or build boats.

Of course, many of us work all winter: school teachers, hunting guides, grocery store clerks, carpenters, plumbers, preachers, and others. About 150 children attend school. Shop owners may take time off for trips and other off-island adventures but there is always planning and other winter responsibilities (cleaning windows & shelves; repairing and maintaining buildings; ordering new merchandise; e.g.). Officers and members of island organizations still hold regular meetings, plan events, raise funds, and contribute to the well-being of the community.

Life on the island, even in the dead of winter, is full and rewarding. It is anything but dull. 

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the "Joe Bell" flower. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012112.htm.

A couple of days ago I was wandering around Ocracoke and remembered having seen a piece of island history lying in an out-of-the-way corner of land. I walked down a path to the secluded spot and snapped this photo:














I am wondering how many of our readers can identify this scrap of rusted metal. If you think you know what it is, please post your comment (even if someone else has already figured it out). You might even want to share any stories of your encounters with these objects many years ago. I will add my comments sometime next week.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the "Joe Bell" flower. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012112.htm.

Last week Lou Ann and I had the good fortune of spending a relaxing afternoon in Pamlico Sound on board the Schooner Windfall II. Captain Rob and his son Emmet were going out just to enjoy a beautiful January day, and they invited us to join them. They even brought out their brass cannon and saluted the day for us! Below are a few photos:

Philip & Lou Ann
Capt. Rob Blowing His Conch Horn

Emmet Hoisting the Fisherman Sail

Lou Ann Happy to be on the Water

Lou Ann at the Helm














http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012112.htm , our latest Ocracoke Newsletter.

Yesterday's post was timely, and a tad ironic.

Just a few hours after posting "Shells on the Pavement" I had an opportunity to join friends for a walk on the beach. Fran & Phil are from Memphis, and they mentioned that they needed to take their rental car to Jimmy's Garage to get a flat tire fixed.

You guessed it -- they had run over a broken clam shell on Highway 12, and it was embedded between the treads, causing a not-so-slow leak. Here is a photo:


















Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the "Joe Bell" flower. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012112.htm.

I don't travel off the island often, but on Sunday I carried Lou Ann to Newport News, VA to catch the train to Indiana. On the way to the Hatteras ferry (and, of course, on the way back) I was reminded of the cleverness of our seagulls.

Highway 12, in places, is littered with broken shells, mostly clam shells and a few scallop shells. The sections of road most littered are close to the sound. The gulls pluck the tasty bivalves from the shallow soundside waters, carry them high above the road, and drop them. They break easily.

The gulls then fly down to the highway and enjoy their meals. Traffic is light in the winter, so this strategy works well.

Before the highway was built, the gulls dropped their clams and scallops on the hard-packed ocean beach, but they soon learned to use the road. Be wary! If you are driving NC 12 and see broken shells, avoid them if you can. Many a local tire has been cut that way.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the "Joe Bell" flower. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012112.htm.

I carried Lou Ann to the train yesterday. We have had such a wonderful time this winter. We spent holidays together, traveled some, visited family & friends, and spent a relaxing month on the island. We had friends over, cooked together, read books in front of the fire, gazed at the stars, sailed in Pamlico Sound, and walked miles on the beach.


















The good news is that Lou Ann will be back.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the "Joe Bell" flower. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012112.htm.

Not long ago Lou Ann and I were taking a late afternoon bike ride around the village, and noticed several sea buoys. I'm not sure why the buoys were lying on the grass near the NPS docks (across the street from the Visitors Center). I am guessing the Coast Guard put them there for routine maintenance. There was one green can buoy, and two red buoys, including the Number 4 Nun buoy I am standing beside.



Some nautical advice my father taught me: "Red to the Right when Returning!" Also, port wine is red...and "port" has four letters, just like "left." Ships have red running lights on the port side, and green lights on the starboard side.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the "Joe Bell" flower. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012112.htm.

Photograph by Harris & Ewing, c1920Josephus Daniels (1862-1948) served as Secretary of the Navy under President Woodrow Wilson during World War I. Daniels was born in Washington, NC during the Civil War. When he was two years old his family moved to Ocracoke to escape the skirmishes that periodically erupted as Confederate and Union troops battled for Washington, eventually resulting in a massive fire that destroyed many downtown businesses and homes.

Daniels lived in a modest wood frame house (now gone) across the street from where the Community Store parking lot is located today. His father, a Union sympathizer, was shot and killed by a Confederate sniper on a voyage across Pamlico Sound. After the war his mother moved her family to Wilson, N.C.

When Franklin Roosevelt was elected President, he appointed Daniels Ambassador to Mexico. At the end of his term of service Daniels returned to North Carolina where he resumed his primary career as owner and editor of the Raleigh News and Observer.

Look for a more complete biography of Josephus Daniels in an upcoming Ocracoke Newsletter.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Ocracoke Joe Bell flowers. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012112.htm.

My father was a multi-talented man. When my brother and I were youngsters he cut our hair, re-soled our shoes, built an addition on our house, repaired the plumbing and electric wiring when needed, installed new brake shoes on the car...whatever needed to be done. When he had something heavy to sew (a canvas hammock, ripped blue jeans, a duffel bag) he would get out his "pam."

Only later in life did I realize that this leather device had probably belonged to his father; maybe had even been passed down from his grandfather. It was a popular tool among sailors and sail makers. This "sewing palm" as it is usually called, is made of leather, and designed to be strapped around the hand. A metal "thimble" is embedded in the section that covers the base of the thumb. With the aid of the "pam" you can push a heavy needle through several layers of heavy canvas.



My father's pam is old, and the leather is brittle, but it is a small reminder of Ocracoke's days of sailing vessels and seafaring traditions.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Ocracoke Joe Bell flowers. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012112.htm.

Many of our readers will have already heard that, beginning February 15 of this year, the National Park Service will be requiring a special permit to drive on the beach in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, including on Ocracoke Island. The regulation is described as an attempt to balance environmental concerns with recreational access to the beaches. Some details have yet to be worked out, but the latest information is available here (click on "The Final Rule").

If you plan on driving on the beach please become familiar with the regulation and the details in order to avoid problems.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Ocracoke Joe Bell flowers. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012112.htm.

In the last few years two historic homes on Howard Street have changed hands. The good news is that they are both being restored.

A few days ago I had an opportunity to look inside the Irving & Elsie Garrish house which is now owned by Bob & Kathy Phillips. Tom Pahl and his crew have done a wonderful job repairing, repainting, and restoring the interior, rebuilding the front porch, and returning the exterior to its original clapboard siding.

The other old house I call "Uncle Stanley's." In the 1950s my grandmother's brother, Stanley O'Neal, lived there. (In the book, "Ocracoke Walking Tour," you can see a photo of me sitting between Uncle Stanley and my Uncle Marvin on the front porch.) John and Elizabeth Rinaldi, the new owners, are committed to maintaing this historic home, which was built ca. 1883. Last weekend they were on the island to watch as a crew from Washington, NC raised the house to help protect it from storm tides.

Below are a few photos Lou Ann took during the house raising.



Historic Marker on the Porch





Cribbing under the Addition
Orphaned Steps

Preparing to Raise the Main House

Chimney Foundation with Oyster Shells Imbedded in Mortar
Almost There



The New Look

Last week Blanche joined Monroe Gaskill, his mother Della, Lou Ann, and me for dinner. Lou Ann fixed chicken and dumplings, corn pudding, and a large salad. She also baked an apple pie. Della brought one of her famous fig cakes.

We sat around the kitchen table eating, chatting, laughing, and telling stories for five hours! No one even got up from the table until after 11 o'clock! It was a wonderful visit.

On their way to leave Blanche & Della stopped for Lou Ann to snap a photo.














Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Ocracoke Joe Bell flowers. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012112.htm.

As many of our readers know, Ocracoke youth have been passionate about basketball for many years. About 40-50 years ago a small concrete court was laid down behind the school. In the mid-1970s a somewhat larger concrete court replaced the earlier one that was cracked and broken. I can't remember exactly when the indoor gymnasium was added to the schoolhouse, but even then the ball court was smaller than regulation size.

This past fall a brand new gym with a regulation-size ball court was dedicated.

I know this is slightly dated information, especially for those of you who keep up with Ocracoke Island events on Facebook and Twitter, but I want to share some exciting island news.

On Friday both the girls' basketball team and the boy's team scored unprecedented wins over their arch-rival, Hatteras. Because Ocracoke School is so small (presently about 150 students in grades K-12) games are seldom fair competition, especially against much larger schools. It has been many years since the Ocracoke "Dolphins" have prevailed against the Hatteras "Hurricanes." The double win on Friday, in fact, was the very first time both teams have ever defeated Hatteras.

The girls maintained a commanding lead throughout the game, winning 56-32. The boys' game was much closer from beginning to end. The Dolphins were ahead, 23-22 at halftime. By the 4th period, with only 4 and a half minutes remaining, the score was tied at 34 points. From then on the Dolphins pulled ahead steadily, securing a 49-37 win.

Congratulations to all of the players, coaches, and fans for an exciting and historic Ocracoke Island basketball game!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the "Joe Bell" flower. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012112.htm.

Several days ago Lou Ann took a few photos at or near sunset. Below are three -- one taken at the beach, looking toward "South Point," the second one taken from "Jack's Dock" where the Ocracoke Working Watermen's Exhibit is located, and the last one taken from the NPS docks, shortly before the lighthouse light came on.

















In the winter, when the sun sets farther south, the western side of the village becomes a starkly silhouetted scene dominated by the lighthouse. It is quite impressive.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the "Joe Bell" flower. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012112.htm.

Every now and then a visitor to Ocracoke will notice a cast iron decoy in an islander's outbuilding, yard, or porch. Most people think that is a curiosity. Why would anyone want an iron decoy? they might ask. After all, an iron decoy won't float. Decoys should be made of wood (the old fashioned kind), canvas over a wire frame (another traditional decoy design), or hollow plastic (like more recent decoys).
Here is a photo of a traditional Ocracoke Island cast iron decoy. These were not decorative items. They were actually used for hunting waterfowl. Scroll down to read how these decoys were used.












Cast iron decoys were employed on sinkboxes (weighted, partially submerged, floating hunting blinds). Sinkboxes were camouflaged with reeds and branches. Floating decoys were arranged in the vicinity of the sinkbox. When the hunter entered the sinkbox, and placed his cast iron decoys on the deck of the blind, the box would sink until it floated almost level with the water, affording the hunter with a relatively dry enclosure that kept him hidden from ducks and geese.

Use of sinkboxes was banned in the United States with the passage of the Migratory Bird Act of 1918. Some Ocracoke hunting guides use a legal modification of the floating sinkbox -- a stationary "curtain blind" whose sides can be raised and lowered according to the ebb and flow of the tide in order to keep the hunter dry, but well concealed just at the water level. Cast iron decoys are not used on curtain blinds.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Ocracoke Joe Bell Flowers. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012112.htm.

John Williams purchased one half of Ocracoke Island in September of 1759. As late as the twentieth century it was said that you could still see John Williams' shell pile near where the Thurston House Bed & Breakfast is today.

Nearly everyone on Ocracoke has a shell pile, mostly of clam shells. Sometimes the shells are placed around the base of fig trees and other vegetation. The shells might also be used to harden a sandy lane, or line a drain field for a septic system. But mostly they are just tossed into a pile in the yard.

This is a photo of one of my shell piles:














Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Ocracoke Joe Bell flowers. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012112.htm.

It's that time again. We have just published our latest Ocracoke Newsletter, the story of Joe Bell and the beautiful red and yellow flowers that bear his name on the Outer Banks. You can read the story here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012112.htm.

Family Bibles often contain valuable genealogical and historical information. Unfortunately, many Ocracoke Island documents, including Bibles, were destroyed when hurricane flood waters inundated homes. Blanche remembers neighbors, including my grandparents, digging holes in their yards after the 1944 storm and burying water soaked papers and books.

Some important documents have survived, however. Below is an image from the Bible of Ocracoke's Job & Eliza Bradley Howard Wahab family. Job and Eliza, as well as several of their 15 children, are buried in the George Howard cemetery on British Cemetery Road.


















Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Ocracoke and the "Lost" Colony. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112111.htm.

That is the title of a small book published in 1885. I am not exactly sure how my copy came into my possession, but it was clearly a school textbook used by my Uncle Evans (1905-1923), for his name is written several times on both the front and back pages.

In addition to his name, several poems are inscribed on blank pages. Inside the front cover is this verse: "Remember me in friendship, remember me in love, remember it was your dear little sweetheart who wrote this in your book."

Clearly, the poem in the book is a personalized version of the popular "Friendship Album" poem which I discovered on the Internet: "Remember me in Friendship, Remember me in Love, Remember me, Dear [          ], When we both meet up above."

There is another hand-written poem in the book: "Think of me in the morning, think of me in the night, think of me dear darling and don't forget to write."

Uncle Evans left Ocracoke in 1922, when he was only 17 years old. He died of pneumonia just a few months later, in Philadelphia. We will never know what might have come of his teenage romance.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Ocracoke and the "Lost" Colony. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112111.htm.

...that's the title of a book by David Yeadon, published in 1984, but now out of print. Chapter 15 is titled "Ocracoke Island, The Goodliest Land." I thought our readers would enjoy this paragraph from p. 138:

"This is a mellow little place (I've always wanted to use the word 'mellifluous' in some context, and it's just about right here). White cottages slumber under the generous shade of live oaks, loblollies, and cedars; sandy paths meander through the 'old village'; cozy hotels and inns promise simple comforts through the summer days and evenings; small restaurants are redolent with the aromas of she-crab soup, oyster stew, Ocracoke clam chowder, broiled fish from the charter boats, crabcakes, and big pink shrimp full of sea tang and that special sweetness only found in fresh seafood."

To be sure, Ocracoke has changed some in more than a quarter of a century, but Yeadon's assessment of Ocracoke is basically as true today as it was in 1984. It is good to be reminded of that.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Ocracoke and the "Lost" Colony. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112111.htm.