So here we are at the end of August, 2010, with the sun setting over Currituck Sound. What a beautiful sunset it was. Sherry went down to the Ocean today, while I stayed in the camper and did paper work. I got 6 months of data entry done. Quite a feat for me, really. Next time permits, I will finish up the year, and begin on the next task at hand.
So here is our camp site on the edge of the sea mammal/sea turtle grave yard, in the scrub dunes of Corolla.
We were never able to definitively determine what this large bone is, but it appears to be the flipper of a large marine mammal, possibly a whale, or maybe a manatee.
Here are the remains of a very large sea turtle (type unknown). Notice the barnacles attached to the top of the shell. A very old turtle indeed.
Here is a propose skull. There were several of these lying about in the grave yard.
This is a shot of the sound I took during our set-up. It is a beautiful body of water. Kids were all over the place around the basin, chicken-necking for crab and fishing for perch.
The Whalehead Club Boat House and the Curituck Light in the background.

A Beautiful morning on the Outer Banks.

Today we will have mostly sunny skies with Highs in the lower 90'sF. and Lows in the lower 70'sF. Relative Humidity is at 92% (we are after all right on the Ocean), and our dew point stands at 67F. The Barometric Pressure is steady at 30.19 which is good, seeing Hurricane Earl is just off of the Tuirks & Caicos Islands and coming our way.

Blue and I were up early this morning to get some shots of the sunrise, and hopefully some good shore birds. We got a shot or two of some sanderlings, but they are a boring bird, as you can see them on just about any day, on any ocean beach on the continent. A willet or two, and many laughing gulls, herring gulls, and the occasional pelican was the extent of our sightings. There are many birds here in the dunes (scrub is what we would refer to it as in Florida), but I am unable to scope them, as they are small and elusive.

It is an interesting area of the Island we are camping in. The Wildlife Fund has a sea mammal & sea turtle burial ground here. We are in fact, siting directly adjacent to it. It is no more than part of the scrub/dune, very nondescript, and marked only with small placards. I suppose this is to keep the general public at bay. In this "burial ground" the authorities dump the remains of mammals and turtles which wash up on the beach. They are not buried, just laid out and marked. These remains are easily spotted and are pretty much identifiable. There are great loggerhead turtles, porpoises, and whale bones scattered about. We found this quite by accident last evening. Today it is my intention to photograph some of the remains. I'll post them this evening.

Once I returned from my walk on the beach, Sherry called Capt.Bill (who is much on the mend) to check in this morning. The good Captain and Ms. Emmy are off today to run their errand, and continue with the busy business of life. He sounded much improved as he battles through these difficulties.

Capt.Bill expressed his opinion that we need to immediately evacuate the Island, and head back to Maryland. He was quite a bit disturbed by the prospect of Sherry being caught on the Island during a Hurricane. I assured him that I would get his little girl home safely and, after checking the weather and the festival management would report to him our decision. The last thing we want is Capt.Bill fretting about our well being.

I have checked the NOAA web site for Earl, and it looks as if he will be showing up here on Friday, if at all. Most likely, we will set up today, sell tomorrow, and depart tomorrow night. This will put us home on Thursday midday, time enough to batten down the hatches.

Sherry has just returned from her walk on the beach. The Blue Dog is beat! First a walk with me, and than a walk with Sherry.She will sleep well today. I am off now, I must begin the distasteful business of book work. This will indeed be a painful day of tax forms and data entry. Oh well. My worst day here with Sherry and The Blue Dog, is far and away better than my best day in my past job life. I am blessed.