imperfect perfection

We as humans have this need for perfection.  Everything has to be perfect; the perfect life, perfect house, perfect job, perfect look, perfect everything.  Even something as simple as a shell on the beach, we all want the “perfect” shell.  When in reality the most beautiful shells are not the “perfect” shells but the imperfect ones.  Such beauty surround these shells and the lives they endure.

This beautiful shell was one of many that was over looked on my morning walks only because it was imperfect in eyes of the many, but to me it is imperfect perfection!

walk with me

 

Come walk with me to the sound.
And never let me go…

 

12 days…….never let me go away again.

life is wonderful

life is wonderful

I was sitting here in the new frozen tundra with inches of ice on the ground with many inches of snow on top of that and dreaming; dreaming of the outer banks.  It is not that I do not like my life here, nor  am I not happy, “Life is wonderful”.  I am thankful to have been able to make traveling to the Outer Banks a priority in my life.   

 I have written about this before, but I have always felt a deep connection to the Outer Banks; well this past year I found out why.   I am distantly related to many of the people from the Outer Banks.  Many of the names you see all over the Banks…well I bet I am  related somehow.  We always knew we had family that came from an area close to the Outer Banks before moving north to Ohio, and after hearing the statement “we’re all related somehow”  got me to searching my NC family further.  And I’ll be darn…it lead me to the place I love, the place I have dreamed about since before I even came here.  Pretty wild! 

Life is wonderful!!!!

Above image taken in December 2010 of the winter grasses on the dunes at Salvo, NC

most unique sunrises at Rodanthe this fall

streaked red sunrise in Rodanthe

 

I was inspired to post about what I thought was unique sunrises in rodanthe this fall after I was reading through my comments on Flickr this am. This prompted me to check out anothers images and saw a sunrise very similar to mine, so I checked out the date, just days after we left.  Yet another fire red streaked sunrise!  WOW!  How incredible.  We had two of what I thought were very unique and beautiful sunrises; I only made this assumption since I had never seen any like this before.   

I wonder what causes sunrises like this?  They say “red sky in morning sailors take warning”  but we had no storms while we were there.  Well I guess they had a  Nor’easter a week or two after we left.  But our first red streaked sunrise was October the 12th and then the next show wasn’t until the 17th. How courious!

What ever the cause it was beautiful!!   

I have a few of my images and I appoligise for the quality not being my norm.  I was so excited, I did not run back to the beach house for the tripod so all the images we hand held.  I have the progression from beginning to end.

shot as I am running to the shore

moments after I got to the shore line

as the color was fading east the intensity picked up south

color fading south

all the streaks and fire red gone

streaked sunrise from October 12, 2010 Rodanthe

So until I learn the scientific cause of these beautiful and impressive sunrises I will just say…WOW! 

Sit with me and enjoy the sunset at Pea Island NWR

Peaceful Place, Pea Island NWR

Peaceful Place to sit, relax and watch the birds in the North Pond at Pea Island NWR.  My favorite time to be there is right before sunset, a calm feeling is always present at this time of day. 

In October the birds that visit here for the winter had yet to arrive in great numbers.  In a couple of weeks there would be thousands and thousands of Snow Geese here for the winter, let alone the tundra swans, and countless ducks that stay at the Pea Island NWR throughout the winter.   What a sight that must be!

I am looking forward to our December trip to seeing and hopefully photographing many of the different winter birds for the first time!

Got to love a good storm

Avalon Pier today

The pier is in need of a new flag!  But Damn doesn’t the ocean look great!!!!!!

Sniff, sniff, sniff…maybe I will catch another one.

http://www.avalonpier.com/wavecam.html

calling me home

she calls me home

Calling me home

No matter what is going on at home, at work or in my life; as soon as I arrive at the OBX and taste that salt air the troubles all fades away.  It is difficult for me to articulate in text, but as the image title states, it is “calling me home”.    All the wrongs are made, maybe not right but put in perspective, all the troubles are examined for merit, all that is sad is given their time to heal, all that hurts is comforted by the ocean and sand.   Maybe it is the rhythm of the ocean, or the salt in the air you breath, or the sand that smooths your skin; whatever, however it achieves its  magic on me I will never know. 

I wait patiently to taste the salt, feel the ocean breeze on my skin and walk on the sand.  The deep embedded desire to be there, and the absolute comfort and feeling of home from the moment I arrive is difficult to explain.

All I do know is that it always feels as it is calling me home.

 

Image from Sanderling NC, just north of Duck, NC  the norther edge of Dare Co. Line.  Taken last spring.

Foggy drive to Rodanthe

Driving down to Rodanthe was both beautiful yet I was a bit apprehensive.  I was unsure as to what to expect, especially after seeing South Nags Head.  There was a layer of fog that at times was so dense it was difficult to see much more than a little bit in front of the car.  I tell you what going across the Bonner Bridge was eerie yet Oh’ so neat!!!   

Driving across the Bonner Bridge in the fog

There is a difference between my hubby and I, serious difference, when It comes to seeing the beauty around us.  He is satisfied with just seeing it, I am not satisfied with just seeing it, “I have to photograph it”, I have to experience it”, “ I have to be in the middle of it” and “I have to be immersed in it”.  Case in point, the fog, Oh dear God the beautiful  fog then you have to dew……..   Driving south through Pea Island all the thousands or millions of spider webs were covered in dew, you could see this as you were driving.  Hubby satisfied in seeing it, me wanting to stop, photograph it be in it….no photos, he was on a mission to drive to Rodanthe.  Oh well, the differences, we would have gotten there, at least be sundown! Hehe  

fog over the dunes as we drove down Highway 12

The highway dept were hard at work try, and I say trying to keep the ocean back off of Highway 12, but it is a losing battle.  We drove on the new moved over to the west S curve area of the road and saw the changed view of driving into Rodanthe.  A view without Serendipity House; a view I have not seen this since I was here in the 70’s.   

Highway 12 heading to Rodanthe, something is missing

heading through the S curves, without Serendipity to great you

The never-ending battle Highway 12-vs-Nature, I bet nature will win.

Green Lantern Light, the First house as you enter or leave Rodanthe now.

The north end of Rodanthe is still a mess but not like South Nags Head.  Rodanthe has gotten a lot of it cleaned up, which is very good.  We stopped to check out Green Lantern Light to see how it endured the hammering of the many Nor’easters’.  It looked like it took a good beating and needed some much-needed upkeep, but all in all it wasn’t too bad.   We are staying there in the fall, so I am hoping it won’t be too bad.    

It was quite interesting to talk to one of the locals, well he said he wasn’t really a local, he only lived there over 30 years, and learned about history of the area and the storms over the winter.  He was very interesting and funnier than crap.   

I have included son of the photos coming into Rodanthe driving South on Highway 12 and the area around Green Lantern Light, showing the over wash from the ocean.  Also, there are a couple of photos of Serendipity as we drove by.  She has been restored and is now rentable.  Maybe Mom will get a chance to rent her yet!  

Serendipity in her new place, WOW they have really reworked her!

Here is the images from Green Lantern Light  

Green Lantern Light

   

NE view

Looking north you can see the wash

another North, northwest view more of the over wash

In the background you can see Highway 12 and the over wash from the winter nor’easters that pounded the OBX.  

  

Unforunately it was a foggy morning, so you are not getting a good clear image.  I really played with the contrast to try to get the best I could to wash the fog out so you would be able to see the over wash.  It came close to being complete ocean to sound.  

Closest house behind

In the left corner you can see the over wash that went under the house.  Now you realize this went up the beach over the dunes (actually took out the dunes) across highway 12, over the dunes or removed the dunes in front of GLL across the property under it and through and over the empty lot to the next house.     

looking south, so much extra sand...

Some of these were just beautiful!

Looking ocean view, you see the houses that were just south of Serendipity.  Now just hanging on.  What we were told is the one on the south end by the acess is ready for renters.  But Some of the others are still in limbo.  If I just would win the lottery, pick them up and move them.  On a medics salary that would be the only way.   

East view ocean across highway 12

Now basically oceanfront.  No houses between it and the ocean, just highway 12.   

Fall house

We will see what it is like to stay at the north end of Rodanthe, when you have the ocean to the east, Pea Island Wildlife Refuge to the North, the sound to the west, and all the that make the OBX what it is around us!

Borrowed Time

Borrowed Time, originally uploaded by Sismoon.

nothing is lasting,
nothing stays forever,
so come and sit on my porch
as we are here on borrowed time.

View towards the remaining beachfront houses at the North end of Rodanthe from the house Green Lantern Light. This house is across Highway 12 from the ocean and was across from where Serendipity used to sit.
We had to stop and check it out and the area around it. I was amazed how far the over wash went towards the sound. Simply amazing! This end of Rondanthe is still trying to pick up the pieces of storm after storm from the winter Nor’eastern’s. Many of the oceanfront houses here at the north end are still not able to be occupied. But this one is across highway 12 and is now the first house you see, and we will be here in the fall.

Our neighbors to the north is the Pea Island Wildlife Refuge. Can it get any better than that! Now if I can just get my hubby to trade the car for a good telephoto lens I’ll be set!!!!!

yes they are Sea Potato’s

"Sea Potato" Echinocardium cordatum