12.27- Paradise Cove Boat Ramp

Catfish "honor box" (under surveillance) at Paradise Cove Marina's boat ramp
(Click on image or here for full size)

Today I drove my visiting brother Fred around for a tour of Pamlico County.

Found this catfish drop-box for ramp fees at the Paradise Cove Marina boat ramp. I was surprised to see that the catfish itself is approved for use as a U.S. Postal Service delivery box (before it was modified, at least.)

Paradise Cove Marina expanded it's marina this year... The marina also boasts a fine bar / deck, open weekends during the season, and available for private parties.

Great place for a sunset and refreshments during the season... but remember to bring some DEET!

Small boat ramp, fee is $5.00.

Where is Paradise Cove Marina, NC?

View Larger Map

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12.25- Belgian Beer & Tamalada

(Click on image or here for full size)
Belgian beers help fuel a late-night "Tamalada"

Today my brother, a couple of friends and I held a small, late-night "tamalada" to assemble holiday tamales.

Masa dough was spread on corn husks, shredded pork or bean and jalapeno filling was added to the center, the husks rolled to cover the filling with dough, and the completed tamales stacked in the steamer and steamed. Here is a neat painting of a tamalada by Carmen Lomas Garza (ours was on a slightly smaller scale.)

The above photo was taken during a break in the assembling, when my brother and I broke out some of the fine Belgian beers we had brought back to Oriental from DC.

Can't get these beers round here... Both beers are from the "Brasserie Dupont" brewery. The one on the left is named "Avec les Bons Voeux," a blonde or trippel, and on the right "Moinette," a brune or dubbel.

Ran out of masa dough (because ran out of pork lard) about 3:00 AM, and finished cooking the last of the tamales at about 5:00 AM. They mostly turned out purty darn good, if you ask me.

Happy Winter Festivities!

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12.24- Rainbow and Tamales

Rainbow over Academy Street

This afternoon I took a break from making tamales, and found this rainbow right outside the front door.

It was over in a few minutes, which was just as well, as I had to get back to cooking.

To see more about my tamale making today, visit "The Dinghy Dock."

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12.23- Roadtrip Oasis

A Lorenzo Ghiglieri bronze statue stands in front of "The Oasis at Lakewood Landing"

Today a friend and I drove from Oriental, NC to Washington D.C. to fetch my brother back to Oriental for a holiday visit.


On the way, after a long stretch of country driving towards I-95, we came upon "The Oasis," a gas store with a Dunkin' Donuts.

It was time for a break, and the donuts were calling to me, so we pulled over.

It was a nice, clean, well-lighted and roomy place, with friendly service and all the goodies you would expect at a roadside Oasis.

The most extraordinary thing about the place is "The Emperor" Statue out front, featured in the above photo...

It is an impressive bronze sculpture by world-renown artist Lorenzo Ghiglieri. Ghiglieri's works include "the 'Official American Bald Eagle' in bronze, silver, and gold, now on display at the White House and part of their permanent collection." (see Ghiglieri website, below)

The Lion's front paw rests on a rock bearing the following inscription:



(Click on image or here for full size)
“ 'THE EMPOROR' [20 ][2004]

"I AM THE EMEROR OF THE LAND – MY KINGDOM IS NOW AFRICA – AND RULE THE LAND FROM OKAVANGA TO KENYA AND HAVE BECOME A SYMBOL {in Bible Histo} FOR KING RICHARD THE LION HEARTED

"-Lorenzo Ghiglieri"

You can learn more about Ghalieri (and see photos of him with the Pope, Michael Jackson, the King of Spain, Luciano Pavarotti and others who own his artworks) at the Lorenzo Ghiglieri website, which includes a photograph of the above statue.

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12.22- Land & Sea Cycles

Eclectica on the porch of "Land & Sea Cycles," a store in the old Central Hotel at Hodges St. & Broad St.
(Click on picture or here for full size)

Today brings blue skies and cooler air after several rainy gray, but warmer, days here in oriental.

Need to do some last minute Christmas/Channukah shopping? Try "Land & Sea Cycles" in the old village at the intersection of Hodges St. and Broad St. Plenty of the unusual here.

How about a two-tailed dragon candle-holder ? (the dragon is a symbol of Oriental, of course.)

Located in the old "Central Hotel" building (as the sign says, circa 1903), this place adds a lot of color to the primary intersection in Oriental, Broad St. (NC Hwy. 55) and Hodges St.

Sorry, not much time for discussion of Central Hotel history, as I have been busy on tamales and tomorrow will be driving to Washington D.C. to pick up my older brother who is coming down here for the holidays... More later.

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12.21- Tamales

Holiday spread at Capt. Ray's

Capt. Ray held a holiday party at his home in "The village," the old part of Oriental, this evening.

Today's picture features my own contribution, San Antonio style tamales.

I lived in S.A. for twenty years, and tamales are an integral part of the season there.

Last year, my first Christmas in Oriental, I went without tamales. I had gotten used to purchasing tamales at some of S.A.'s many tamale houses during the holidays, and there is nowhere to buy them in down-east North Carolina, so this year I decided to make some myself.

I have made about five dozen so far... I plan on making about 12 dozen or more before Dec. 25. Pictured above are some from my second trial batch.

My only previous tamale-making experience has been at a couple of tamaladas when there were six or more women supervising, all of whom had years and decades of tamale-making experience.

Even though I had no Abuelas to show me the way this time (and no tamale stores) I decided to try and make some on my own...

Good consumer reviews so far, albeit from Yankee and down-east N.C. gringos, for what that is worth. So far only two folks have pulled the "Gerald Ford" - trying to eat the tamale without first removing the corn husk.

Besides liking this second batch myself (first batch of two dozen, not so much) I was also pleased at very enthusiastic reviews from a Southwest expatriate gringa from Arizona.

She was all smiles at having ANY tamales for Christmas season, and to boot said mine were quite delicious... Very much appreciated compliment from one of the few folks around here who are familiar with the Norteno/border region style of tamale.

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12.20- "Sugar's" - (Skywatch Friday is prior post, below)

"Sugar's"

Today I went to Havelock to run some errands, and snapped this from the car.

This is, one must suppose, a bar.

I'm always curious about bars with no windows (adds some suspense for first-time patrons opening the door)... but I have yet to visit this one, so I can't tell you much.

"Sugar's" is located across the road from the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point, which helps explain the bulldog with a helmet. Military bases always have windowless bars across the street in my experience.

From Oriental it is a twelve mile drive and a ferry ride away. I have previously featured the Cherry Point - Minnesott Beach ferry in my post of 11.17.08.

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12.19- SkyWatch Friday - Scow-Schooner "Nina"

Capt. Dayton Trubee of the "Nina," a gaff-rigged scow-shooner, climbs the mizzen-mast ratlines with First Mate Ingrid Code at the helm as they cruised Oriental Harbor looking for a good spot to drop the hook

This beauty ("Nina," homeport Baltimore MD) came into Oriental Harbor near sunset this evening.


I was going to do a bit of research and write something up discussing this type of boat here on ONCDP, but my first Google revealed that the story of this very boat herself (including an explanation of the Australian flag atop her mainmast) is already online:


I highly recommend reading the TownDock.Net "Shipping News" article about "Nina" when she was here in Oriental almost four years ago... very interesting story... Read the 2005 TownDock.Net story here

Since then, in 2007, Nina had some work done at the de Rouville Boat Shop in NJ.

Also in 2007, the Nina's First Mate, Ingrid Code, has also written this article in Wooden Boat about another schooneer, "Steadfast."

Also, SEE SOME MORE OF MY PICTURES OF "NINA" at my other blog, "The Dinghy Dock."

HAPPY SWF EVERYONE!
I look forward to seeing the other Skywatch pictures from around the world on the other SWF sites listed at:


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12.18- In the trenches

Workers trenching and laying communications cable along Midyette St.

A crew was out laying cable in the misty rain on Midyette St. today... also a Bay River Sewer crew was working on a manhole nearby (more distant trucks).

The crews were pretty busy, so I did not find out any info on what they are doing... I'll ride by tomorrow and see if I can find out.

Also today the Pelicans were out again in full force (see yesterday's post)... So I decided to take some video to capture their frenetic feeding on the Neuse River just outside the Oriental Harbor breakwater:

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12.17- Diving Pelican

A Brown Pelican begins its dive for a fish in the Neuse River

(Click on image above or here for full size)

My favorite animal subject is featured again today... the Brown Pelican. There were about six pelicans hunting over the Neuse near the South Avenue waterfront today, trailed by a few free-booting seagulls. Below is the rest of the dive:

(Click on image above or here for full size)


(Click on image above or here for full size)

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12.16- Raccoon Creek & Hodges St. Causeway

A Great Blue Heron stands near the edge of Raccoon Creek

A gray misty day here in Oriental.

The portion of Raccoon Creek in today's photo is separated by the Hodges' Street causeway from the navigable area of the creek where sailboats tie up at Town Dock and Oriental Marina & Inn and shrimp boat/trawlers tie up alongside the Town's two fish-houses, Point Pride Seafood (on the left) and Garland Fulcher Seafood (right).

The causeway is partially obscured by reeds at the other end of the water in today's photo, but you can see part of the wooden railing along the street.

Originally, Hodges Street ended at the northwest bank of Raccoon Creek (on the right side of today's photo.)

In 1908, the John L. Roper Lumber Company (which owned a large lumber mill across town) offered to supply the Town with the required materials if the Town would build a

"bridge across Raccoon Creek at the foot of Hodges St. and... get a right of way from the foot of said bridge on the East side of the creek out to Factory Street."
Minutes of Board of Commissioners of Town of Oriental, February 4, 1908)

The property over which such road would pass was at that time owned by the Oriental Manufacturing Company, and had been the site of lumber mills and manufacturing operations.

The Bank of Oriental foreclosed on the Oriental Manufacturing Company property, and sold it to H.A. Stephens by a February 6, 1911 deed which specifically reserved an easement for:

"... a strip on the Northernmost end of said land running from Hodges St. to a point on Wall St. the Southern line of which is forty feet distant & parallel with the present Bridge walk across said Raccoon Creek from Hodges St. to said Wall St."

(this is the earliest recordation of the easement, and earliest reference to any causeway across Raccoon Creek so far found in Pamlico County land records... no original easement has yet been found)

At some point the Town replaced the "Bridge walk" across the creek with a road-bearing causeway, allowing vehicular traffic across the creek, but blocking water and water traffic.

Before the causeway blocked water traffic, boats could come up the creek as far as Main Street, which also traverses the creek, and is where I stood to take today's picture. Town co-founder Louis B. Midyette built the road now known as Main St. across the creek some time prior to 1898 (some 1898 deeds for properties between Factory St. and Raccoon Creek describe land as bordering on the "New Road built by L.B. Midyette.)

Boats could come up to a store on the bank of the creek just opposite of where the heron appears in today's picture (just out of camera shot on the left.) L.B. Midyette was an owner and co-owner of the store for awhile.

There has been some discussion removing the Main St. crossing over the creek, and possibly re-engineering the Hodges St. causeway to return the creek to its more natural state as an actual flowing creek...

Many folks don't even realize the bodies of water east of Hodges are the now-blocked remnants of Raccoon Creek. Many refer to the bodies of water between Hodges and Main and east of Main as the "Duck Ponds," which I think is an unfortunate nick-name in that it devalues the waters' actual status as the artificially-blockaded Raccoon Creek.

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12.15- "And now for something we hope you'll really like"

A hungry squirrel approaches an ear of corn attached to the top of a pole

Yes, my photo today is of a squirrel... The ubiquitous, dirty, annoying squirrel.

And what squirrel doesn't like corn?

Problem is (for the squirrel), this corn is not just on the end of a pole... it is on the end of a pivoting pole:

I noticed this contraption spinning around on the side of the tree at the intersection of Second Avenue and Mildred Street here in Oriental and stopped to see what it could be...

This ingenious device not only tortures squirrels, but also provides humans with about the only amusing squirrel scenes I have ever encountered (not involving a moose, that is.) A squirrel will climb up to reach the corn, but the weight of the squirrel causes the pole to rotate around... the squirrel must then leap off or scramble back up the spinning platform to enjoy whatever kernels it was able to get and keep during the process:

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12.13- Spirit of Christmas & Luminaries, Part Three

Luminaries along Hodges Street at the close of Oriental's Spirit of Christmas celebration
(Click on image or here for full size)

This year's Oriental Spirit of Christmas celebration concluded today with a host of activities that included the Spirit of Christmas street parade and the post-parade luminary-illuminated streets.

FOR MANY MORE PICTURES OF SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES AND LUMINARIES,
SEE MY POST FOR TODAY AT "THE DINGHY DOCK"

12.12- Spirit of Christmas Boat Parade

A sailboat decorated with lighted forestay and backstay follows a lighted power boat in the Spirit of Christmas nighttime Boat Parade

(Click on image or here for full size)

After sunset today, a fleet of lighted and decorated boats paraded from Whittaker Creek to Oriental Marker No. 3 and back, as spectators watched from Lou-Mac Park and the South Avenue waterfront.

It was a bit difficult to capture the boats on camera as they passed about a half-mile away out in the Neuse River, but I like how the above time exposure shot shows the motion of the boat in the squiggly trails left by each of its many lights hanging along the forestay and backstay(check out the full size version to see the squigglies) They remind me of a seismograph output, or the medical monitors on the hibernation pods in "2001 Space Odyssey."

I have for the past few days been indulging in not quite sticking to the "Photo" (singular) part of the "City Daily Photo" concept, and I was tempted to do so again today...

But I must really stop that: that is why I have another blogsite, after all.

So, you can see more photos of tonight's Boat Parade, decorated boats, caroling crowd, and lighting of the "Spirit of Christmas Star" at my other blog, "The Dinghy Dock.""

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12.11- Luminary assembly, Part Two

A few of the 3000+ fully assembled luminaries lining the floors of the Town Hall

Volunteers this afternoon assembled the 3000+ luminaries that will line Oriental streets for the Spirit of Christmas Parade coming up on Saturday.

I was not able to get pictures of the assembly in progress today, but all afternoon volunteers filled little plastic bags with sand from a 4 ton pile, placed the sandbags in the pre-folded luminary bags, and inserted the pre-lighted candles. (See Luminary Assembly, Part One in second prior post below, or click here)

Below you can see the meeting room at Town Hall filled with the assembled luminaries (undergoing final inspection by three young volunteers who helped make them)... The bags also overflowed into the Town Hall garage:

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12.10- Above the fog

The outriggers of a trawler peak out above the fog on Raccoon Creek

Fog covered many waterways today, including the Neuse River, Oriental harbor and nearby creeks.

As warm (70+ degrees F) air soaked with moisture (97% humidity) moved over cooler water, fog formed... such fog is called "advection fog."

I went to the top of the Hwy. 55 bridge for this shot... It was about 4:00 PM, and I was standing about 50 feet above the water, just about the limit of the surrounding fog below.

I could barely make out the harbor's breakwater and the Neuse River beyond that was invisible, completely covered in fog.

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12.09- Luminary assembly, Part One

Candles for luminaries are "pre-lighted" on the lawn of the Toucan Bar in preparation for the "Spirit of Christmas" parade

Oriental's annual "Spirit of Christmas" parade is coming up on December 13. That means it's time to assemble the 3000 luminaries (little paper bag lanterns) that will line Oriental's streets for the parade.


Parade Elf Lori Wagoner supervised the process, which this year took place at the Toucan Bar on the grounds of Oriental Marina & Inn.

The first step in the assembly process was to fold 3000 bags and "pre-light" 3000 candles.

The candles were each lit and allowed to burn a few minutes before being blown out and put back in their boxes.

This makes it easier to light the thousands of candles once they are in their bags and in place along the streets.

While the candle lighting took place out on the lawn, other volunteers folded the bags on the deck and inside the Toucan bar.

Parade Elf Lori Wagoner displays the "Bag Folding 101" instructional poster
(Click on picture or here for full size)

Folding the tops of the bags down provides some structural rigidity to the luminaries. The army of volunteer bag folders enjoyed some beverages and fun company during the arduous task:

The next steps will be performed another day... filling little sandbags, placing the sandbags in the paper bags, placing the candles in the bags, and lining up the finished luminaries for delivery.

You can follow the whole process right here over the next few days.

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12.08- Lee's Landing

A fisherman prepares to pull his boat onto its trailer at the Lee's Landing Wildlife Ramp

Lee's Landing is yet another place you can put your boat in the water in Pamlico County.

This landing is a North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Public Boat Ramp (aka "Wildlife Ramp") location, so there is no fee to use the boat ramp here.

Lee's Landing is on upper Broad Creek, which runs into the Neuse River, and is not far from the "big city" of New Bern, NC:

View Larger Map

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12.07- Thirty Seven Cents per Gallon

Gas pumps in front of moribund Texaco station on Florence Road

Way out in Pamlico County, on Florence Road, stands this old Texaco gas station.

The pumps indicate 37 cents per gallon... they must have last been set in 1971 or 72.

While the station and store are no longer open for business, the pumps, lube containers and other artifacts have been kept in good shape and are on display out front, while a collection of old soda bottles decorate the front window sills: See more photos of this Texaco on my other blog, The Dinghy Dock.

This property is owned by a member of the Day family, which family also owns the nearby "Day's Landing," featured in my prior post of October 20.

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12.06- Village music (Skywatch Friday is prior post, below)

A band plays in Oriental's old village, next to the Fulcher Seafood Market store on the corner of Hodges Street and South Water Street

I wish I knew the name of this band... I think it was "Hot Buttered" something or other...

They were a vast improvement over the usual "wedding bands" that play around here (you know... everyone's favorite 50's, 60's, etc. pop tunes, from "Ride Sally Ride" to "Sweet Home Alabama")

I guess these guys might be called a "jam-band," whatever that means. The songs, instruments, lyrics and arrangements were far from the usual rock'n'roll standards bands that play the wedding receptions and Tiki Bar throughout the spring and summer.

This is the first live outdoor music since the contentious "noise ordinance" Town Board meeting of earlier in the week (See post of Dec. 2, below)

No word yet on any complaints. I sure had none for this band.

[12/09 Update: today's Pamlico News weekly newspaper reports complaints were made... the paper reports three different complaints, but doesn't make clear whether they all came from the same source or from different homes]

In any case, no rioting in the streets... just good music, a warm fire, and dozens of Christmas trees on the corner lot.

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12.05- Celestial alignment - Skywatch Friday

The Moon, Venus and Jupiter in alignment

My "Skywatch Friday" photo this week comes from the night of December 1, 2008.

The waxing crescent Moon flew past Venus and Jupiter tonight (in the picture, Venus and Jupiter are seen through the tree... Venus is the second brightest object in the sky, with Jupiter the third)

This is apparently an astronomical rarity.

The steeple in the foreground belongs to the new Bethany Christian Church in the nearby burg of Arapahoe, NC.

The new church replaces one that burned down on June 25 of 2007.

You can see the story of Bethany Church's corporeal destruction and inspiring rebirth at their blog site.

I had a hard time balancing between the very bright moon and the relatively dimmer (but still bright to the naked eye) Venus and Jupiter... Some pictures showed the moon better, more like the crisp crescent it was, but Venus and Jupiter were just too dim in those shots. I picked this picture because the planets show up well, even though the moon as a consequence is overexposed.

It was an awesome sight, particularly out in the country away from the few towns around here.

HAPPY SWF EVERYONE!
I look forward to seeing the other Skywatch pictures from around the world on the other SWF sites listed at:


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12.04- "Whoa!"

A horse obeys the sign hanging on her barn

I found this scene on "Teach's Cove Road," which runs the spit of land between Smith's Creek and Green's Creek to Dewey Point, right across the creek from Oriental.

The road is named for Captain Edward Teach, AKA "Blackbeard" the pirate.

Notorious buccaneer and frequent North Carolina resident Blackbeard,
pictured with his trademark lighted fuses protruding from beneath his hat

Legend has it that Blackbeard would occasionally camp out the peninsula "for relaxation," and that he buried some treasure below a now-vanished tree on the point:

"Teach's Oak is located almost at the water's edge on a peninsula farm lying between the Neuse River and two creeks, Smith and Green. Large and ancient, and now gnarled and bent, the old tree was many years ago named after the infamous freebooter. Local tradition avers that Blackbeard posted a sentinel in its branches. There is evidence that the area has been dug up in the search for buried treasure, but none has been found."

- Blackbeard the Pirate - A Reappraisal of His Life and Times, Robert E. Lee (Blair, 1974), p. 172

The location of "Teach's Oak" and Oriental are shown on the map below:


View Larger Map

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12.03- Otter vs. Boxer

A dog faces off with a North American River Otter in a drainage ditch along Kershaw Road

As I was driving along Kershaw Road between Arapahoe and Oriental, I saw two dogs running into the middle of the road ahead... as I slowed down and got closer, I saw a North American River Otter leaping around in the road between the dogs.

The otter ran off the road into the drainage ditch, with the two dogs on its' tail.

As I pulled over, a man came walking across the road from his home (obviously where the dogs and otter had come from) carrying a seven-foot long metal pole.

I got out of the car with my camera and started shooting... by this time the otter was in its' element, while the boxer and another dog were hesitant to step in the water, not knowing where the submerged otter was exactly.

The dogs would run back and forth along the water until the submerged otter lunged up from a hiding place under the water, snapping at the dogs faces... The dogs would jump back, the otter re-submerge, and the whole thing repeated. It kinda reminded me of the Trash Monster in Star Wars. (See posting on my other blog, "The Dinghy Dock" for additional photographs)

At one point, the boxer was scanning the water for the otter, with its front paw in the water... The dog gave a sudden yelp and leaped back, obviously having been bitten on the paw.

The man with the pole came up, and I thought he might use the pole to nudge his dogs away so the otter could escape... It would certainly have been foolish to try to get in between the animals.

Instead of using the pole to break up the dogs, however, the man raised it above his head and brought the pole down full force towards the otter's head! He missed, but I was flabbergasted, and a little fearful for myself and the nearby parked car.

The man tried a second time to hit the otter with the pole, but he slipped and landed rump-first in the mud next to the water... A little divine justice?

At that point the man's wife came walking across the road with a shotgun, saying "what do you want me to do with this? I don't know how to use this, you better come get it."

OK, I thought, time to move the car and get a little removed from the shotgun.

I jumped in the car, drove about 50 feet along the shoulder, then looked back to see the man shooting into the woods. His wife handed him a second shell, he loaded and fired again towards the woods, this time farther away...

(See posting on my other blog, "The Dinghy Dock" for additional photographs)

His wife handed the man a third shell, but he did not shoot again...

The dogs meanwhile were running around the ditch and edge of the woods looking for the otter, apparently with no luck. Hopefully the otter escaped unharmed.

I'm not sure why the man wanted to kill that otter... He had a shotgun and a tracheotomy, though, so I decided against trying to ask him anything about it.

Otters do not seem to be known as farm pests, though they will eat small birds (including, I suppose, small chickens) and their cousins the weasels are widely regarded as farm pests.

Could be he wanted the otter pelt, which might explain why he tried braining the creature before shooting at it.

Maybe it was just afternoon entertainment.

Anyway, I was glad to see that the otter at least made it off into the woods.

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12.02- Bring the Noise!

[January 6, 2009 update: Click here for photo & coverage of noise ordinance discussion at Jan. 6 Town Board]


Oriental Mayor Bill Sage's gavel rests (for the moment) on the table at the Oriental Town Board of Commissioners meeting

Tonight's agenda for the Oriental Town Board of Commissioners meeting included discussion of possible revisions to the Town's "Noise Ordinance."

This is a contentious issue at the moment... Mayor Bill Sage pointed out that he had never brought a gavel to a Town Board meeting before, but had dug it out for this one.

The existing noise ordinance has been in place for decades, perhaps a hundred years (I will have to check), and relies on squishy subjective language that prohibits noises that are "annoying" to a "reasonable person" in the circumstances.

The meeting is is the culmination of an increasing number of complaints to Town police about the volume of live music at the "Tiki Bar," an outdoor deck with bar at the Oriental Marina & Inn on Raccoon Creek, and at a couple of other locations in town.

Some of the Commissioners are now proposing that the Town adopt a more modern "objective" noise ordinance that sets maximum levels in decibel measurements...

Click here to read more about it, and see additional pictures from the meeting on my other blog, "The Dinghy Dock."

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12.01- Look Out for Dog in Road!

An Oriental resident takes his dog for a walk along South Avenue

Golf carts and unleashed dogs are both common sights here in Oriental.

Dogs are not required to be leashed (unless they become "nuissance dogs" under a new ordinance passed this past year), and golf carts have been accepted street vehicles for a long time (and are now "legal" under recent state law and local Oriental ordinance, also passed this past year.)

I'm pretty sure I know who this guy is... I see him often with his golf cart and his dog... but since I am not 100% positive of his name, I'm not gonna say.

[Update... It is John Bond, one of the hosts of the annual Watermelon Feast, featured in this post here From August 11, 2008]

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11.30 - Belted Kingfisher

A male Belted Kingfisher perches on a mainmast spreader at Oriental Harbor Marina

"The only kingfisher in most of North America," according to the National Geographic Field Giude. "Common and conspicuous along rivers and brooks, ponds and lakes, estuaries..."

"Call is a loud, dry rattle"... The bird's call was what whaat brought my attention to its' presence, but I would describe it more as a repetitive chittering.

I have seen these birds hovering near the mouth of Whittaker Creek, but not gotten a picture before today.

Kingrishers "hover over water or watch from low perches, then plunge headfirst to catch a fish."

Very cool. Now added to my photographic life-list.

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11.22- Gale warning

Two red triangular pennants fly at the Oriental Harbor Marina flag mast

Two red pennants means "gale warning"... This means winds from 34 to 48 knots (39 to 54 miles per hour or 63 to 69 kmh) are predicted.

The Oriental Harbor Marina flag mast is visible from most places in the harbor, and from the bridge over Smiths Creek...

If you are thinking about going boating, it is a good idea to glance at the OHM flag mast first... One red pennant indicates a "small craft advisory," which is either 15 or 20 knots, I can't recall. Red square flags with a black square in the middle mean "hurricane warning"... I haven't yet seen those flags at the OHM.

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11.21- Cheap Gas

A man rides his bicycle up Broad Street (NC Hwy. 55) past the "Town and Country" grocery store, where gasoline has just dropped below $2.00 per gallon

I rode my bike up to Town and Country to buy a Coke from the machines outside when an employee came out to change the price sign.

As she was flipping the numbers, several folks asked what the new price was going to be, and cheered when they learned it was just now breaking the $2.00 level.

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11.19- Snow flurries

A cloud moving out over the Neuse River drops snow near Smiths Creek and Oriental Harbor

Early snow in Oriental! As predicted, snow flurries moved through the area today. Each flurry was very brief, but I experienced three or four separate flurries during the day.

It really is snow, and not rain! In the picture below, the small white dots are snowflakes being lit up by the camera flash:

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11.18- Doin' the Ditch...

Vessels moving south on the Intracoastal Waterway near Swansboro, NC

I took this picture from the third floor balcony of a new home being built just south of Swansboro, NC.

The house fronts on "the Ditch"... the 1,090 mile long Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, a series of natural and man-made (or altered) protected waterways running from Portsmouth, VA ("Mile 0") to Key West, FL.

There was a continuous stream of sailboats and stinkpots running in front of the house all day, as the weather was nice, and has been kinda nasty the past few days. Folks who had to lay up for weather are now cruising to make up time.

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11.17- Minnesott Beach Ferry

Minnesott Beach-Cherry Point ferry

This is the ferry that crosses the Neuse River between Minnesott Beach and Cherry Point. Minnessot Beach is 12 miles from Oriental, and is the nearest place you can cross the river without your own boat, particularly if you are driving a car or truck.

The ferry is seen here from the Minnesott Beach side, framed between pilings at the ferry port on this side of the river.

The ferry leaves from each side of the river every 30 minutes or hour (depending on time of day) and the ride takes about 15 to 20 minutes. The ride is free.

The ferry doesn't run in high winds, storms, or heavy fog...

If the ferry isn't running because of any of the above, you have to decide whether it is best to wait out the weather, or drive all the way up the river to New Bern, cross the river bridge, then drive down the other side of the river ... it takes about an hour or so of driving.

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11.15- Tow time

A newly-anchored itinerant sailor with a motor-dinghy gives a tow to another itinerant in her two-armstrong powered "Dink"

I met this young woman at the Dinghy Dock today as I was riding by.

She had come ashore to go grocery shopping, leaving her "old man" on their sailboat at anchor out in the harbor (not in camera shot above).

She had rowed ashore in a "Dink" dinghy.

When she returned to the Dinghy Dock after a couple of hours, she found the winds had grown fairly stiff... about 15 to 20 knots... out of the Southwest.

(Notice two of the anchored sailboats in the picture are pointing straight into the fresh breeze... the third/middle sailboat, flying Netherlands flag, is not pointing into the wind only because she is aground)

Finding it impossible to row the light dinghy straight into the wind far enough to reach her boat, the woman had been embayed for at least an hour before I showed up.

As we were chatting, another sailboat came into the harbor and began trying to anchor.

We watched as her captain dropped anchor, hoping he would dinghy ashore soon and maybe be able to help the woman return to her boat. The anchor dragged, and the sailboat drifted towards another anchored boat. The guy weighed anchor, motored around, and tried again. Anchor dragged again. Guy weighed, moved and dropped the hook yet again.

By this time, another woman had walked up to the Dinghy Dock, introduced herself, and explained she was waiting for the guy out there trying to anchor to come pick her up.

By this time there were four of us watching this guy try to anchor... Watching someone struggle with anchoring, particularly in a Southerly or Southwesterly blow, is considered better-than-TV entertainment in Oriental.

After the guy dropped anchor again, we saw him finally lowering his dinghy from the stern davits into the water. Great, we all thought... one woman was waiting for the guy to come take her to his boat, the other woman was hoping the guy could tow her dinghy back to her boat, and myself and another guy were watching all the drama with great interest.

The guy got in his dinghy, hauled in the painter, and started motoring... away from the dinghy dock! Where is he going, the watching crowd wondered in chorus, while at the same time noticing that the guy's sailboat was swinging awfully near it's anchored neighbor.

The guy motored his dinghy about a hundred feet ahead of his sailboat on the starboard side, then stood up in the dinghy.

"He's dropping a second hook" we all said, again in chorus.

So the guy dropped his second anchor from the dinghy, motored back to his sailboat, went aboard and hauled in his hawsers to satisfaction, neatly pulling his sailboat away from the threatened neighbor.

He then came ashore, and happily gave the stranded rower a tow back to her "old man" just as the sun set.

Another exciting 90 minute drama at Oriental anchorage!

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11.09- It takes a village to build a boat

Bob Miller (reaching into boat) gets some help in an early stage of building his Core Sound 17 sailboat

The Oriental version of a barn-raising is of course a boat-building.

Bob Miller is building a "Core Sound 17" sailboat in his garage. The boat was designed by "B&B Yacht Designs," located in nearby Vandemere. See the B&B webpage for this boat here.

Bob had cut out the various parts of the hull using 1/4 inch plywood, and needed some extra hands to hold the pieces in place while he "stitched" them together with copper wire... See the picture below for a better view of the stitches (they look like knots every six inches or so) on the bow and hull:

In the future, the seams will be glued together and the stitches removed... this is typically referred to as "stitch and glue" boat building.

I will follow the progress of Bob's boatbuilding, and update here.

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11.08 - "Merry Mary" Tartan 34

George Duffie sails "Merry Mary," his 30-year old Tartan 34' Classic, on her port tack in a brisk southerly breeze on the Neuse River
(Click on picture or here for full size)

"Merry Mary" (above) is a common sight out on the Neuse... Owners George and Mary Duffie live here in Oriental. George often races her, and has a few wins.

Approaching the camera on her starboard tack is "Pirogue," a Cape Dory 33...

Here is a better view of "Pirogue" after she passed within about 30 yards of me in the Bauer 10 Dinghy during my sail today... (Notice there is no-one at the helm!) :

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