Farewell to Ocracoke...

Yesterday I took my last early morning walk on the beach.

These photos were all taken before the sun rose .

This is a photo of the sea oats in the dawn.

When I was taking this photo of the beach there was no one, nothing

on any side of me. It was completely void of human life or human

misgivings. I am always in awe, but on this morning I was

humbled.

Some child must have left this on the beach the night before.

It was all alone, tipped as it appears. I couldn't resist

to capture this innocence of child's play.

This sand castle was still intact from the flowing of the

tide. My walk was at low tide yesterday something I

watch carefully here...the tides, the moon phases,

the joy of life.

I leave this afternoon and will board a train in Newport

News tomorrow taking me back to the Midwest where

work calls me home.

Until then, farewell to my beloved Island and a thank you

to Philip for making the summer enchanting as always.

Getting ready to say goodbye...

Click here for article.

The time has come to start saying goodbye and packing up, yet I am still enjoying each one of these last few days. The weekend was for reading and friends.

This morning was an early morning scud out in Philip's boat. It was beautiful in the harbor as the sun was coming up and still cool breezes before the heat of the day.
We had breakfast with Jude at the Castle as her guests and a tour as well. The history of the Castle is colorful built by an eccentric man, Sam Jones.


My studio finally looks like 'home'. There are books and notes and bracelets and electronic cords strung all over. I have loved working in Mad Mag's studio all summer...I think she is my muse, at least while I am here.

So my next two posts might be a bit sad as I pull away from my Ocracoke life to resume the other.

Enjoy the article and build community wherever you are.

Looking up!

Taking a shower outdoors is one of the many pleasures of living on Ocracoke. When I first visited years ago, I shared a rental house with several girlfriends. With the heat and the humidity, the bathroom was always steamy and damp. I found the outdoor shower a few days later and moved into it. I couldn't get anyone to do so, but that was great as I had it all to myself. There was a small shelf for shampoo and conditioner and a bar of soap.

Philip has the best outdoor shower of all. It is large and roomy with a stained glass window so showering at night is like being in a fairy land. The picture is the view looking up for the morning shower.

This is one of the hardest adjustments of moving back to Indiana. I do so miss this shower. However, building an outdoor shower in Indiana would probably be impractical with six months of snow!

I found this quote earlier this week in my readings and wanted to share it as well! In the meantime, happy showering!


Must we always teach our children with books? Let them look at the mountains and the stars up above. Let them look at the beauty of the waters and the trees and flowers on earth. They will then begin to think, and to think is the beginning of a real education.
- David Polis

Who are we really?

Dear Friends,

Early this morning a friend of mine from Indiana sent me a sampling of her new Blog. It is an inside look of her thoughts, activities and how she is moving through life.

I wrote back and told her that it really got me thinking about my Blog and where i go with it and how I want you, the reader, to experience it with me.

I don't think of my Blog as a diary, although I do think of my columns as such. My Blog is a brief glimpse into my soul or even my recipe book. I find it comforting, amusing, and quite bold on my part that folks want to read these inner thoughts. But then again, on Facebook, we share the minutest details of our daily life including grams of fiber for our breakfast (OK, really stretching on that one) to serious topics of illness and death.

I find that each day, when available, I need this daily fix of comedy, drama and soapbox material from Facebook.

I also think that sharing the color of life, in small pieces, is what my Blog is all about as well. I have the good fortune of traveling and living different life styles along the way. It is fun for me to share outdoor showers, biking through villages when on Ocracoke as well as snowstorms in Indiana or moonlight on the moors of England and Ireland.

So, I will continue to write about observing small vignettes of life, while once in a while trumpeting the views of Paris from the Eiffel Tower.

Thank you for listening, for reading, for finding my blog an integral part of your journey.

Lou Ann

Happy Birthday, Philip

Birthdays are magical days and today I wish Philip a Happy Birthday. We stayed out late last night out in the yard on the sleeping bag watching for shooting stars. It was even cool enough for me to wrap the sleeping bag around me. The sky was crystal clear as we watched the Big Dipper take a bow for the evening and Cassiopeia rise to glory.

There is something so enchanting about just watching the stars late at night. It is humbling and magnificent all at the same time. We shared stories of birthdays come and gone. I love telling about my children's birthdays on the farm and watching the stars there as well for the summer birthdays of Adam and Aaron. We would all fall asleep out on the blankets as the shooting stars canopied our dreams.

Abe's birthday comes in the heart of winter for skating and sledding and playing cards into the wee hours of the morning.

So, happy birthday, Philip, may all your wishes come true.

This week's column...Sittin' on the Pizer...

       Just click on the link:    Sittin' on the Pizer...

Just another day at the grocery!

I have to admit I do not miss driving a car here on Ocracoke. I ride my bike everywhere I go, along with my hobo bag slung over my shoulder. My camera is often in that bag as well. I usually frequent the Community Store every day for grocery shopping, finding out the news and gossip and just spending some time at the harbor. Sundae and Rob have a shop on the water and I often sit around and visit on their porch as well. I prop my bike up on the old fence as I meander around. I thought it looked beautiful in the morning light one day this week, so here is my means of transportation. Should I just sell the old Jeep???

"Caleb's Crossing"

NPR interview with Geraldine Brooks

I just finished reading Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks. It took me a few reads to actually get into the story, but once I crossed the line, there was no turning back.

I loved the research and the history surrounding the story. It is based on facts that Geraldine uncovered and the motivation for this story.

My book club, and my hometown, read "March" for which Ms. Brooks won a Pulitzer prize.

The above interview was excellent. I would love to hear any comments on the book as well. If you have read either book, please drop me a note.

This week's column on Alice Bell, an Ocracoke treasure!

Alice Bell, an Ocracoke treasure! (just click on the link!)

A writer friend of mine in England recently posted that she does not even open her computer on the weekends. I have tried this for a few weekends in a row now, and I find it very refreshing  I hope I can continue this habit. It makes getting back to work on Monday morning busy, but fun to catch up on all the news, yet letting my weekend speak of reading and friends and enjoying each moment of life!!

Enjoy this week's article on Ocracoke's Alice Bell. I loved meeting her!

Birthday morning at the radio station!

This photo was taken this morning at the radio station during my shift! Clayton, my boss, took the photo. Notice I am sitting at the recording board, but I am not recording. I am getting a little closer though! Come on it and say 'hi' if you are drifting about Ocracoke this morning or afternoon. Oh, and don't forget Bawdy stories tonight at the Deep Water Theatre with Sundae and Marcy. The show starts at 9:00...certainly a busy birthday day!

The Ocracoke Lighthouse

Yesterday was my first day to open up the Ocracoke Lighthouse. Last year it was closed for repair, but this year we are once again open to visitors. I am honored to be part of the staff telling stories and regaling tales of shipwrecks and hurricanes as tourists (and locals) stand inside the cool base. The Ocracoke Lighthouse was built in 1823 for $11,359 dollars which also included the Lighthouse keepers cottage. The keeper did more than light the lamps, he was also responsible for the repair and painting of the lighthouse (whitewashed outside walls), the cottage, and the garden and livestock. The job was physically exhausting, but the keeper must have known all his life how important the job was to all the ships that pass in the night.

When there are no visitors in the lighthouse I love singing as the music echoes off the brick walls. I also feel great reverence for those who have come before me and the heroic jobs that were done.

So, if you are on Ocracoke on Wednesday afternoon, stop on in, and I will answer questions and share stories of the Ocracoke Lighthouse.

The above art is by Philip. It is an original watercolor of the lighthouse. This summer he has been painting and selling his art. His small stand is set up next to the clam-filled sandy lane. He also has artwork of Howard Street, the Aleta (the mail boat from long ago), ships and scenes of the sea!

Thanks for checking in on the blog. I appreciate your interest and comments!

Early morning Scud

The morning was so beautiful and calm before the waves of Tropical Storm Bret swing around, that we decided to take Philip's boat out into the sound, Blackbeard's decapitating area! I said it would be great to take a 'spin' around the harbor, but was nicely corrected into saying that it would be a 'scud' around the harbor.

The morning was lovely with barely a breeze. Philip's boat is an old Ocracoke tradition and one of the last surviving wooden Carolina skiffs. He has restored it and the boat waits patiently tied up at the dock waiting for the Captain or other family members to take a scud!

It was a beautiful morning leaving all the chores behind us.

This week's column on the blooming Cereus!

The weather here has been so gorgeous with doors and windows wide open and fresh salty air just flows through the cottage.

The weekend was lazy after a full week of performances and writing. We lazed about on the front porch reading, spent time with family and friends, enjoy Sunday supper at the Jolly Roger listening to Molasses Creek with the sun glinting and gleaming off of Silver Lake. It was a sweet stroll home down Howard Street just as dusk was appearing.

Today, back to work, somewhat. Laundry to hang out, volunteering at OPS, posters around the village for the Bawdy Show on Friday night!

Attached is this week's column about the night-blooming Cereus! I just loved that evening. Just click on the link.

Hope all is well in your part of the world, in mine the sun is shining in and out.



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