Hi from HI and Damn You Sandy

We had a wonderful couple of weeks on Hatteras Island with great weather and time with friends. We had several beach days when I got to do some fishing while Nanc did a lot if reading and sunning. 

A beautiful day with high clouds that stayed off shore while we soaked up the fall sun.

For several years Tom and Georgie have come to HI in the fall. They rent a beach front cabin at the Outer Banks Motel that is not available in the summer.  When I say beach front I mean so close to the ocean you can fish from the deck at high tide.  Here they are with Nanc doing that life's a beach thing.

So true!!

The fishing picked up a bit when I got these two nice blues.  I love fishing here because you never know what is on the line when you get a hit.  This is the first time we ate the blues, which many people say are strong, but Nanc found a recipe for a great citrus marinade and we found them to be very tasty.

A sure sign that things are changing on HI is that there is now entertainment at a couple local restaurants. The music starts at eight or nine in the evening.  Years ago nothing would have been open this late, much less just starting at that time. Above is Rory singing some of our favorites. 

Another great feature of HI is the chance to see the sun rise over the Atlantic and then set across the Pamlico Sound.  You can almost hear the hissing as the sun goes down into the sound.

Tom, Georgie, Jim and Nanc at the Breakwater where we went to see that sunset. It was great getting to spend a week with friends. As always, seeing friends on the road is one of the best things about our lifestyle.

As I write this we have left HI and are sitting 100 miles inland while waiting for Hurricane Sandy to pass.  I guess there is a reason Cape Hatteras High School teams are known as the Hurricanes.  In addition to the chance of flooding and high winds, another big concern was that Highway 12 would be washed out and we would be stuck.  This is the new inlet I wrote about in the last entry.  Some of the locals we talked to were worried the temporary bridge would be wiped out, meaning we would be stuck until it was repaired.  Based on past experience we decided it was better to be safe than sorry. 

We drove through some of Sandy's far outer bands of rain and had a little wind, but the trip was uneventful.  If Highway 12 survives we plan to return after she passes.

 

NOTE TO RVERS!!!!!!!

I found an iPhone app called What County that uses the GPS to tell you what county you are in.  This can be very helpful when listening to weather warnings.