Today is the Vernal Equinox, the first day of Spring. Today, day and night are of equal length (Equinox = equal night). This phenomenon is the result of the tilt of the earth's axis (in the southern hemisphere today is the first day of autumn).

Ocracoke life often revolves around the seasons. For the last few days island businesses have been getting ready for another influx of visitors. Village Craftsmen opened for 2013 on Saturday. We have added a number of new items, and as always, everything is hand made in the United States. Stop in to see what's new whenever you are next walking down Howard Street. We would love to see you and we're sure you will enjoy your stroll down our sandy lane.

Happy Spring to all of our readers!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a video of Philip Howard telling the story of the fascinating wreck of the Black Squall in 1861. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032113.htm.

Quilting has a long tradition on Ocracoke. The Needle and Thread Club continues to meet on the island, often making quilts to raise funds for local non-profit organizations.

My Aunt Tressie Quilting in Her Home, ca. 1955










One of the most popular quilts on the island was (and still is) the Ocracoke Cracker Quilt. The Ocracoke Cracker Quilt is a variation of a traditional design -- three rectangles forming a square, surrounded by four triangles. By proper use of color the traditional (non-Ocracoke) pattern stands out, as you can see in the photo below:

Cracker Quilt Pattern









You can see another image of a traditional Cracker Quilt here:
http://quilting.about.com/od/quiltblocklotto/ss/cracker_block.htm.

Some have speculated that the name, Cracker Quilt, was adopted because the pattern resembled the popular British "Christmas Cracker," a cardboard tube wrapped in festive paper and containing a small prize. When pulled in opposite directions by two people, usually at the Christmas dinner table, the tube split open with a snap, or "crack."




























 Ocracokers, in their typically unconventional manner, adapted the Cracker Quilt in several ways. Instead of three rectangles, they used four, all of different colors. According to island tradition, one rectangle is always red. Also, the four triangles are often the same color. As a result, the design no longer looks like a Christmas Cracker, though the name persists.

The pattern is unique -- the Ocracoke Island Cracker Quilt:

Ocracoke Cracker Quilt by Amy Howard

















Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a seven minute video of Philip Howard relating the story of the April, 1861 wreck of the Black Squall on Ocracoke Island. You can listen to it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032113.htm. 

This month our Ocracoke Newsletter is a video. In February island resident and professional videographer, John Rogers, made a seven minute recording of me telling the story of the 1861 wreck of the two-masted sailing vessel Black Squall. The ship was sailing from Cuba to New York City with an exotic cargo when it was driven ashore on Ocracoke Island by gale force winds. To listen to this fascinating story click here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032113.htm. I hope you enjoy this piece of Ocracoke Island history.

Live oaks are considered by many to be the most impressive trees on Ocracoke Island. At least six of these majestic trees qualify for membership in the Live Oak Society. Three reside on Howard Street, two at Springer's Point, and one at Old Hammock.

Mary Ruth Live Oak on Howard St.

















You can read more about Ocracoke's live oaks, why they qualify to belong to the Live Oak Society, and how to find them, by going to our Ocracoke Newsletter: www.villagecraftsmen.com/news122908.htm.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the unique "Ocracoke Greeting." You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news022113.htm.

About 200 years ago there lived on Ocracoke Island a fisherman of indeterminate provenance. He was a reclusive figure, preferring to live in a small hut made of driftwood and bullrushes about 5-6 miles from the village. No one remembers his given name, but folks called him "Old Quawk" because, they said, he "quawked" like an old night heron.

Old Quawk was a fisherman, often venturing out into Pamlico Sound in his sail skiff when cautious islanders stayed in port waiting for more propitious weather.

On this date, March 16, many years past, Old Quawk made his last voyage into Pamlico Sound. Storm clouds were piling up in the darkening sky. Legend has it that Old Quawk defiantly disregarded the warnings of other islanders, raised his clenched fist to the heavens and dared the gods to thwart him, then set out in his sail skiff. A frightful gale churned the Sound into a wild turbulence and swamped Old Quawk's tiny craft. Neither Old Quawk nor his boat were ever found.

For many years Ocracoke fishermen refused to go out in their boats on March 16. Even today it's best to be prudent on Old Quawk's Day. There's no telling what the weather gods will dish out on March 16.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the unique "Ocracoke Greeting." You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news022113.htm. 

Not long ago I was walking along the beach when I spied something orange caught in the sea oats on the dunes. I was pretty sure it was a balloon, so I walked up to retrieve it. Balloons can be dangerous to sea life. Turtles, birds, and fish often mistake balloons for jellyfish, and die after ingesting them.

It turned out that the balloon was a promotional item, and it was still inflated. I made a photo of it:














Of course, I have no idea when, where, or how this balloon "escaped." But it originated in central Georgia.

Ocracoke is fortunate to not have much litter wash up on our beaches. I can usually walk miles along the shore without ever seeing any trash.

It is always a good idea to keep control of balloons near the ocean or sound. Once let loose they can travel for miles. And if you see balloons on the beach or in the water, we would appreciate it if you would pick them up and discard them where they won't endanger wild life. Many thanks!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the unique "Ocracoke Greeting." You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news022113.htm. 

Today is Pi Day. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159 (hence March 14, or 3/14 being designated Pi Day).

According to the official Pi Day web site (http://www.piday.org/) "Pi has been calculated to over one trillion digits beyond its decimal point. As an irrational and transcendental number, it will continue infinitely without repetition or pattern."

There is something fascinating about a number (the ratio of a perfectly rational structure -- the simple circle) that goes on forever. I am no mathematician, but maybe one reason I find Pi so fascinating is that Ocracoke is in many ways as unusual and quirky as Pi...islanders are at times "irrational" and "transcendental" and it's sometimes difficult to see a pattern in their unconventional lifestyles and behaviors.

Happy Pi Day!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the unique "Ocracoke Greeting." You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news022113.htm. 

Although Village Craftsmen joined Facebook more than a year ago, we hadn't been very regular about posting there. That all changed at the end of January this year. For the last month and a half we have been posting photos, links, and island observations nearly every day. Click on the link to the right to see what we've been up to lately.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the unique "Ocracoke Greeting." You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news022113.htm. 

It's mid-March and another season is upon us. Beginning this Friday, March 15, we will be resuming our popular Ghost & History Walks.

Join us Tuesdays and Fridays at Village Craftsmen on Howard Street at 7:30 pm. You will have an opportunity to explore the village for an hour and a half while being entertained with stories of island ghosts, hurricanes & shipwrecks, and creepy local legends. You will visit the graves of some of Ocracoke's founding families and learn some of our unique island history.

Tours end after dark on Howard Street, surrounded by ancient live oaks, moss-covered wooden fences, and long-departed sea captains, preachers, and sailors.

Adults & Teenagers -- $12; Children -- $6; Under 6 years old -- Free. Tours are limited. Reservations are highly recommend (call 252-928-6300 during normal business hours).

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the unique "Ocracoke Greeting." You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news022113.htm. 

Click on the photo below for information about a Heritage Crafts Class about commercial crabbing on Ocracoke, taught by island native Rex O'Neal. This is an opportunity that may never come again!


















Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the unique "Ocracoke Greeting." You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news022113.htm. 

Several days ago a reader asked about United States Life Saving uniforms. Surfmen did not get uniforms until 1889. This is what Ralph Shanks & Wick York report in their excellent book The U.S. Life-Saving Service, Heroes, Rescues and Architecture of the Early Coast Guard:

"...[In the early days,] the good-hearted surfmen sometimes tried to create their own uniforms. Lacking an official uniform these surfmen decided to clothe themselves in a uniform of their own design. Unfortunately, fashion design was not their strong point and some bizarre uniforms resulted. To overcome such problems, the USLSS had a standardized uniform designed for its surfmen and keepers and required that they be worn....however 'no appropriation [was] available to defray the cost (of the uniform) and therefore the men [were] obliged to purchase their own outfits.'....

"Actually there were two sets of uniforms. For the keeper there was a formal dark blue uniform of woolen cloth or flannel with a double-breasted coat and two vertical rows of gilt buttons. There was a vest and pea-jacket type overcoat for heavy weather. The hat was also dark blue with a black leather bill. Some hats had the logo with a life-ring crossed by an oar and a boathook, while on other hats 'USLSS' appeared. The surfmen wore a similar coat, but it was single-breasted with plain buttons. On the surfmen's right sleeve just below the shoulder was the Service emblem and on the left sleeve just below the shoulder was the surfman's rank number. A turtleneck pullover sweater with the station name was sometimes worn by keeper and surfmen alike. The surfman's cap was the same as the keeper's except that the wording 'U.S. Life-Saving Service' appeared alone. Surfmen also had a work uniform consisting of a sailor-style jumper and overalls, sometimes called 'summer whites.' The work uniform appears most frequently in old photos of drills and was worn regularly. The work uniform included a white hat with a short, usually upturned brim encircling the hat (the hat was a standard Spanish-American War era U.S. Navy sailor's hat). In foul weather, both keepers and surfmen wore a 'storm suit.' The storm suit was of brown rubber cloth or duck cotton, with the station name on the breast. The southwester hat was black, typically with the station name and 'LSS' on it. Long black, southwester type foul weather coats were worn as part of the storm suit. Hip boots and life jackets were worn when appropriate."

Kitty Hawk USLSS Crew, 1900














Unidentified Keeper & Crew (in Summer Whites)











Standard Storm Suit













Follow this link for more photos and information from the United States Coast Guard:
http://www.uscg.mil/history/uscghist/USLSS_Uniform_Photos.asp.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the unique "Ocracoke Greeting." You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news022113.htm.  

Several days ago I published a post about the tally board, an important piece of equipment used by the US Life Savers. In that post I mentioned firing a projectile from shore to a stricken vessel. The Life Savers used a specially designed small bronze cannon, called a Lyle Gun, to fire the 17 pound projectile.

The Lyle Gun

















The 185 pound cannon was invented by West Point graduate, Captain David A. Lyle, in 1878. It was still being used in rescues as late as 1962. Captain Lyle was justly proud of his invention that helped save the lives of thousands of shipwrecked sailors and passengers. He called his invention "a labor of love."

The Lyle Gun is one of only a very few guns specifically designed to save lives, rather than to take lives. 

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the unique "Ocracoke Greeting." You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news022113.htm. 

I know I've posted a recipe for Ocracoke Island clam chowder in the past, but I've been hankering for some again recently, so I am posting another recipe. This is how my Aunt Leevella made her chowder:

1 quart clams (medium ground or chopped)
3 medium potatoes, cubed small
1 onion cut fine
2 slices salt pork (cut in cubes)
2 quarts water
salt to taste

Fry out pork til brown. Add clams and onion and water. Cook about 1 1/2 hours, then add potatoes; cook another 1 1/2 hours on very low heat.

It's good some!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the unique "Ocracoke Greeting." You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news022113.htm. 

We had a winter storm yesterday. The wind was blowing 25-35 mph, and there was flooding on Hatteras Island. Ferries did not run for much of the day because of high winds. 

Fifty-one years ago today "The Great Atlantic Coast Storm of 1962" struck the Outer Banks. David Stick, in his 1986 book, "The Ash Wednesday Storm" (the local name for this late winter northeaster), describes it as a "horrifying experience."

As Stick relates in his preface, the storm "struck almost without warning early in the morning...with devastating results. Through five successive high tides over a period of two and a half days the massive waves, fetching from far out in the Atlantic, pounded against the fragile dunes and beaches and surged across the low barrier islands."




















I believe Stick's book is out of print, but its first hand accounts of this powerful storm, along with photographs (from 1962 by Aycock Brown, and from 1986 by WalterV. Gresham III) are dramatic reminders of the power of Mother Nature.

Maybe your local library can get you a copy.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the unique "Ocracoke Greeting." You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news022113.htm. 

In the 18th and 19th centuries North Carolina settlers built log canoes (or "kunners") that were larger and more sophisticated than Native American canoes. Kunners were typically made from cypress trees. Sometimes two (or even three) logs were split down the middle and joined together with planks. The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort has a twenty foot kunner built in Hyde County in the 1870s.

You can view the vessel at the Museum, or see a photograph here:
http://www.ncmaritimehistory.org/hiver_2.htm

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the unique "Ocracoke Greeting." You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news022113.htm. 

The warm waters of the Gulf Stream meet the cold waters of the Labrador Current at Cape Hatteras. Diamond Shoals extends for about 25 miles southeast from the Cape. When the two currents collide the white water often resembles diamonds (http://iwitness.abc11.com/Media/View/655312).

From the earliest days of European settlement in North America this area was recognized as very dangerous to shipping. The waters near Cape Hatteras have come to be known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" because of the numerous shipwrecks there. Tradition has it that Alexander Hamilton was the first to use this term, in 1773. Hamilton also advocated for constructing a lighthouse at the Cape to warn captains of the dangers of approaching too near the shoals [editorial note: please see my comment for a clarification].

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the unique "Ocracoke Greeting." You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news022113.htm. 

Sad songs were popular on Ocracoke Island years ago. I remember sitting with family, singing many of these songs. Favorites included:

• Put My Little Shoes Away
• The Letter Edged in Black
• The Little Rosewood Casket
• Babes in the Woods
• Sitting Along in an Old Rocking Chair

Not long ago I heard the last song on a radio program (A Prairie Home Companion). You can follow this link to hear Eddy Arnold singing "Sitting Along in an Old Rocking Chair," one of my dad's favorites: http://www.musictory.com/music/Eddy+Arnold/Rocking+Alone+In+An+Old+Rocking+Chair

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the unique"Ocracoke Greeting." You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news022113.htm.

"Ocreecoke, sir; we've arrived at Ocreecoke!"

I can still hear Danny Garrish reciting that line in the original production of A Tale of Blackbeard, a musical written by Julia Howard in the 1970s, and performed for a number of summers on the island (in the old school recreation hall [now the Topless Oyster Restaurant], and on the porch of the Community Store). Danny portrayed the cook aboard Blackbeard's ship, and stole the show when he sang "Ocracoke Cutie."

It is not unusual to hear native islanders talk about "Ocreecoke" (the accent is always on the first syllable, a long "O," of course). I've never heard our beloved island called "Ahcracoke," but that's how it's pronounced on the following web site (the page may not load properly in Firefox, but it will in IE):

http://www.pronouncehow.com/english/ocracoke_pronunciation

As Captain Rob said (tongue in cheek, of course), "Did you realize we've all been mispronouncing 'Ocracoke'????"

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the unique "Ocracoke Greeting." You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news022113.htm. 

A reader recently asked me to post some of my favorite books, so here goes:

Alton Ballance's Ocracokers continues to be one of the best introductions to Ocracoke. Written by a native islander with a degree in journalism, this book includes history, stories, personal anecdotes, and reflections about island life.

Ann Ehringhaus's Ocracoke Portrait is a wonderful compilation of Ann's photographs and quotations from residents and visitors that capture the spirit of the island.

To Ocracoke! by Fred Mallison is a delightfully written, entertaining, and engaging account of visiting Ocracoke in the 1930s. It is currently out of print, but I understand the Ocracoke Preservation Society is negotiating to have it reprinted.

I recommend three books on the United States Life Saving Service: Ship Ashore!, The U.S. Lifesavers of Coastal North Carolina; The U.S. Life Saving Service, Heroes, Rescues and Architecture of the Early Coast Guard; and Fire on the Beach, Recovering the Lost Story of Richard Etheridge and the Pea Island Lifesavers.

For the history of Blackbeard you can't go wrong with Robert E. Lee's Blackbeard the Pirate, a Reappraisal of His Life and Times, and Kevin Duffus's The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate.

Jack Dudley's coffee table book, Ocracoke Album, has an excellent collection of vintage photographs and accompanying text.

My own book, Digging up Uncle Evans, is a compilation of "History, Ghost Tales, & Stories from Ocracoke Island"

There are, of course, many other excellent books about Ocracoke and the Outer Banks. Some concentrate on history, some on stories, others on wildlife and the environment.

The reader also asked about my personal reading choices. I generally prefer to read non-fiction. Subjects often include science (e.g. The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene, The Cooperative Gene, by Mark Ridley, The Greatest Show on Earth by Richard Dawkins, How the Mind Works by Stephen Pinker, Hallucinations by Oliver Sachs, A First-Rate Madness by Nassir Ghaemi, and Guns, Germs, and Steel, by Jared Diamond), religion (e.g. Why I Am Not a Muslim by Ibn Warraq and Did Jesus Exist by Bart Ehrman), history (e.g. The Great Hunger, Ireland 1845-1849 by Cecil Woodham-Smith and The Big Oyster by Mark Kurlansky) and some biography (e.g. The Secret Life of Houdini by William Kalush and Larry Sloman).

I have also recently read (or re-read) several classics: Great Expectations, Jane Eyre, The Trial, Metamorphosis, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Treasure Island, Moby Dick, and War and Peace.

Maybe some of our readers would like to share their favorite books. Please leave a comment if you would.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the unique"Ocracoke Greeting." You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news022113.htm.

Emmet Temple has lived on Ocracoke all of his life. He is now a high school senior in Winston-Salem at the North Carolina School of the Arts studying acting. I recently learned that Emmet has a starring role in a short video on YouTube. I thought our readers would enjoy seeing this video featuring one of Ocracoke Island's promising young adults. Emmet plays Phil. You will see him first at 34 seconds, hugging the young lady.



Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the unique "Ocracoke Greeting." You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news022113.htm.