Outer Banks North Carollina

“Celebrate your success and stand strong when adversity hits, for when the storm clouds come in, the eagles soar while the small birds take cover”

The islands around Cape Lookout are known to have bothersome raccoons so I thought I would outsmart them by camping on Shackelford Banks which has no trees, therefore, no raccoons.    My plan would have worked to perfection if it wasn't for the lightening storms that frequented me all three nights.  Shackelford Banks does have some scrub bushes, but they are essentially no taller than me so I tried to stay hunkered down most of the time.   The storms on the third night were as intense as anything I have ever encountered and actually turned my 5 day trip into a 4 day trip.  This was the view I woke to the final morning.   I had to pack up quick in order to kayak the three miles with the tide.  

Humor of the day - A noted heart surgeon was having a formal party. Shortly before the guests were to begin arriving he was told that all the bathrooms were backed up and not flushing. Quickly he called a 24 hour plumber listed in the phone book. The plumber arrived quickly and within 15 minutes told the surgeon that all was well. He gave his bill to the heart surgeon and the surgeon exclaimed, "$900! You were only here 15 minutes! I'm a heart surgeon and even I can't charge that much"! The plumber quietly replied, “Neither could I when I was a heart surgeon".

Kayaking through the Outer Banks - Cape Lookout

"Those who would find solitude must not be afraid to stand alone." -- William Deresiewicz

This is the first year in a long time that I have not been able to make it to the beach.  So on this rainy day, I thought I would go back through my archives and post a few pictures I took last year kayaking through the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  I reached the coast on Friday Night, but I had about a 4 mile paddle out to Shackleford Banks so I decided to get a hotel for the night and head out first thing the next morning.   It was a great day to be paddling other than the fact that the tide was against me.  I reached the island and right away I saw one of the wild horses.   Shackleford Banks is home to about 100 wild horses.  About 400 years ago when settlers were heading to America, some would wreck in the shallow shoals of the Outer Banks.  The horses were often thrown over to try and lessen the weight and fortunately, some were able to swim ashore and survive the arid climate.  Shackleford Banks is about 9 miles long and tends to be the preferred island of the horses in the area.   The National Park Service tries to not manage the herd other than making sure the population stays a little over 100 horses, at which point they will put a few horses up for adoption.

Kayaking through the tidal channels was a pure pleasure.  I enjoyed floating around a corner and having the horses and birds around the next bend, neither of which giving you much attention.   The was is so shallow that boats can not get into the channels so it felt like I had the area all to myself.  

Todays Humor - Three old men are sittin' in their kayaks fishing a cove on a quiet Sunday morning when a funeral procession drives by. One of the old men takes off his hat & puts it over his heart. The procession winds its way around the cove and disappears over a hill. The old man puts his hat back on and continues fishing. One of the other old timers says "Geeze Ed, that was a thoughtful thing to do." Ed replies "It was the least I could do after 49 years of marriage." -Unknown Author