"When I think of all the fools I've been, it's a wonder that I've sailed this many miles." -Guy Clark

Friday, November 13, 2009

stormy weather

Down in one of my favorite places for a few days, the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I used to come down here a lot to fish and relax but now I'm down here to see the storm that has been hanging off the coast for a couple of days.
Above in the Bonner Bridge which connects the upper banks - Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head - with Hatteras Island. There were low, ominous clouds hanging over Oregon Inlet when we drove across yesterday. This storm has given us constantly changing skies. One minute it will be dark and cloudy, then sunny, then pouring rain. A lot of wind and big waves are constant.

The dunes had been breached just north of Mirlo Beach at the north end of Rodanthe (on Hatteras Island). I heard that the original breach had occurred during a weather event a couple of weeks ago. Waves were taking advantage of the breach, pouring over the sand bags (and this was at low tide). Last I heard the road was closed indefinitely because of all the sand and water.
Water, still a couple of hours before the late afternoon high tide, was streaming down the beach access area.
There is the Nags Head pier with the surf eating away at the dunes. I wonder if those dune fences are still there. This storm most likely be around for five or six high tides. Each high tide does a little damage, leaving the shoreline more vulnerable for the next high tide. (I just heard somebody in the office say they were watching The Weather Channel and the low is still off Hatteras. When will it go away?)
And for some reason the sea foam was blowing around the corner of this oceanfront house coating the deck. It almost looked like snow.
I'll probably be around here for another day, but hope to get home for some nice sailing weather Sunday.

steve

ps - Looking over this post I just noticed there is almost no color in the photographs. But that's the way it is down here right now. All the color seems to have taken away by the storm.

ps ps - So I call home to tell the wife I'll be down here one more day. She's not there but my daughter is......

me: Can you tell Mom I need to be down here one more day?

daughter: (after long pause) You're not here? I mean seriously, you're gone?

me: Yes, I've been gone for a couple of days.

daughter: Really?

me: Yes.

daughter: Well.....I've been busy, you know.....

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