Walk on the Beach

On the yearly family vacation at the Outer Banks. We usually stay in the quiet still of the Southern end of Hatteras Island, but Hurricane Irene damaged all of the routes in in ways that we hope aren't permanent or crippling.

So, this year, we headed north to Duck. Duck is not our kind of town--more expensive, while being really packed in tightly. None of us quite understand why it's considered so fancy except for the exorbitant pricing. Yesterday, I saw a 4 oz. bag of pistachios for $8.99. One red pepper at the big grocery store? $2.99. Silly.

But it's still the Outer Banks. It's still the Atlantic. It's still fresh seafood and time with the family. So, we're gritting our teeth and having a lovely time.

The first day was overcast and a little drizzly, but if it's not outright pouring, there's no excuse to stay inside during vacation. So, Ma, Pa, and I headed out to the beach for a long walk to the pier.


Pelicans are out in full force travelling south in big groups. A big Noreaster was blowing on our first full day and the pelicans were mostly gliding.

Even the dunes want to extract a price from you in Duck. He he he.
Seriously, though, unexploded ordinance? Terrifying. We stayed on the beach. I'm hoping, though, that this is the length to which wildlife folks are now going to protect birds' and turtles' nests--scary signs to keep you out of breeding grounds.

The Core of Army Engineers builds piers that look an awful lot more stable than the piers on the rest of the island. So straight and solid.

Lots of cool stuff blown up on the beach by successive storms. . .