our better nature

If this post seems somehow faster or sparklier, don't worry, you're not imagining things. I got a new computer! Feel her purr. Happy Birthday to me . . .

Have you been wondering what Ocracoke is like in the winter? Well, it's kind of like this, only colder. My cisterns are full now, thank you very much. It's okay if you stop raining and blowing.

What I like about this weather, apart from the full cisterns and puddles to splash through, is the camaraderie it inspires. The power has even gone out a few times for extended stretches, and may do so again. The ferries didn't run today, and everyone seems to have a nonchalant we're-all-in-this-together attitude. All the people (and admittedly, there weren't many) I waited on tonight seemed upbeat and cheerful. Maybe that's because only optimists stayed for the fourth day of rain, with everyone else clearing out early? Human behavior: go figure.

To be fair, sometimes Ocracoke's winter weather is unbeatable: strings of 65 degree days, great beachcombing and joyful acrobatic dolphins riding the waves. Islanders who surf all year long are rewarded with epic waves. And this winter, Gaffer's Sports Pub will be open late and serving food, so people who arrive on the island after 7 pm can find something to eat. Look forward to it.