LIFE'S BETTER IN THE MOUNTAINS

Monday, October 26, 2009

The Beach in the Fall Part Three

While very disappointed with the excessive building along the coast of the Outer Banks, we were delighted to find that the Cape Hatteras National Seashore still provides miles of unspoiled beaches and marshes to explore. It is a place of wonder and beauty.

Here are some shots during respites from the rain.














The ocean attracts me like a magnet no matter what the weather. I think part of it is the ever-changing nature. While our mountains do indeed change their garb it is a slower process. The sea changes from minute to minute and I love it.



I was delighted and surprised to find (of all things) a persimmon tree. I recall gathering persimmons (or 'simmons as my grammy called them) and helping Grammy make persimmon bread and persimmon puddings. Every single year my brother would dare (I mean D-Double-Dog Dare) me to bite into one that wasn't quite ripe. And yes, every single year I did it knowing full well it would "turn your mouth inside out." (Hey, you can't just walk away from a D-Double-Dog-Dare, now can you?)




A sunrise on the ocean was a rare occurrence during our visit. The sky is red and predictably we had more rain that day.


Our trip to the Outer Banks was a good one, despite our disappointment in the over-developed shore and the rain. The place holds very special memories of earlier times and helps to ground us and to remember where we came from. Our next beach trip will more likely be to the Georgia Golden Isles, another special place.


Life was made more difficult for the leaf lookers (peepers) and everyone else when a major rockslide closed all lanes of Interstate 40, the major artery from western NC to the north. The landslide is in neighboring Haywood County just a few miles from the Tennessee border. All lanes will be closed for several days (to several weeks) until the slide is stabilized. After that the traffic will likely be re-routed on the east-bound lanes with one lane of traffic in each direction (if we're lucky). Makes travel much more difficult since there is hardly a reasonable detour.

Photograph from the Asheville Citizen-Times

The lookers are already struggling with a Blue Ridge Parkway closure. An unstable area has closed the BRP between Asheville and Mt. Pisgah at mile markers 399.7-401.1. This is a heavily traveled area in the fall and will likely be closed for months.
I hope your Monday starts on a good note and signals a good week for you no matter what you will be doing.

20 comments:

Vicki Lane said...

Wonderful pictures! Thank goodness for the protected bits of the coast where we can see what it should all look like.

The capture of the heron over the water is superb!

Jen said...

My husband and I have been wanting to go to the Outer Banks for years! I'm sad to hear of the development, but it's good to know there is protected shore that can still be enjoyed.

Hope the rock slide mess is cleared up soon!

Jen

Janet said...

We saw warnings of the road closure as soon as we approached Statesville yesterday on our way to Charlotte! Too scary...

Your beach photos are beautiful!

The Bug said...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE persimmon pudding! Mmm...

The very day we moved from Waynesville NC (in Haywood County) to Cincinnati in 1997 was the day there was the HUGE rock slide that shut down the interstate for quite some time. So we took our moving van up and down little mountain roads until we ended up at Newport TN & could get back on I-40. Fortunately my dad was a UPS driver & was in charge of the van - he did a great job!

D.K. Wall said...

Hope your info is correct - I am hearing weeks before anything is open on I-40. Very lonely driving home from Asheville last night.

P.S. - The parkway closure is not too bad. You can go 151 to Asheville. Plus, we hiked Mt Pisgah yesterday and there were not big crowds. Very odd for this time of year, but we loved it.

robin andrea said...

It's still quite beautiful there, as your photos show. It is amazing what we've done to our coastlines, on both shores, isn't it?

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Hi Carolyn, Be sure and read both George's and my blog today---about the rock slide. He got caught in the huge traffic jam coming to get me!!!!

I'm beginning to catch up on blogs today. It may take me a year! ha...
Love your beach pictures especially the sunrise.

I enjoyed reading about the Golden Girls. Did you buy new beds for them--or just clean the old ones???? My youngest son had a 'blankie' which he loved.. Nothing else would do... I could barely get that thing away from him to wash it.

Glad to be home!!!
Hugs,
Betsy

Cheryl said...

A beautiful place.......I too love the ocean, it makes one feel so small....

My brother would dare me every summer to eat sloes....like you I always did....what is it with brothers?? And why did we do it??

Janie said...

Great ocean photos! Sorry to hear about the road closure. That does sound like a mess.
Back when we lived in East Texas, we had a mare who loved persimmons. I assume she was smart enough to choose only the ripe ones...

Busy Bee Suz said...

These are fantastic photos...I love seeing all the birds and the sunrise.
I heard about that rock slide...quite a mess huh?
Take care, Suz

Anonymous said...

Hmm...I have never seen a rockfall. But then again, there is little rock around me in position to fall. Sounds exciting to an outsider.

KB said...

I love your photos of the Outer Banks. Thank goodness for the protected part of the seashore. It shows how important it is to set aside precious land from development.

Your photo of the sunrise over the ocean captivated me.

BTW, thanks for your suggestion about R carrying packs. We've thought about it but we worry about his elbow. Arthritis is almost inevitable as he ages so we've finally decided not to have him carry any extra weight. That's why he himself is so skinny!

Rudee said...

That rock slide is impressive. I hope nobody was hurt with this event.

I loved your pictures of the coast. Coastal Georgia will be beautiful, too. When my husband was at the federal training center, we stayed on St. Simons Island in September. The place was deserted and absolutely beautiful. You should enjoy a late summer trip there!

angela said...

I've always loved the Outer Banks, particularly Pea Island. It's wonderful to be out there and know there's no one else on the beach. It is sad that building happens so close to shore.

And I remember exactly where you're talking about on the BRP--used to hike around Black Balsam a bit. My mom and dad still live near there.

pat said...

even the coast has some fall colors! lovely pictures....

George said...

It's good that the Cape Hatteras National Seashore still provides a shore as the Good Lord made it. I really enjoyed your pictures.
We had a personal experience with the I-40 rock slide, but I didn't know about the problems on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Stephanie said...

Wow! Great photos, it looks so beautiful!

That is crazy about the rock slide!

Hope you are doing good!!

Jayne said...

What beautiful photos Carolyn. LOVE that sunrise!
Was also so sad to see the news about the rock slide, especially since it's the peak of leaf looking.

Twisted Fencepost said...

Due to growing up in the mountains of WV, I am also drawn to the ocean. It's so beautiful and peaceful and ever changing. But living in the Carolinas for the last 20 years, I now miss the mountains. It's time for a trip up north to visit them.
It's a shame about the rock slides blocking the road to the Autumn splendor.

Taradharma said...

beautiful photos. that rock slide is a doozy! Some day I hope to make it to NC - my nephew is a student at Warren Wilson college and is loving it.

I'd love to see the Biltmore Mansion, myself!