Beach, Rain, Ferry, and Mainland

Lightning and thunder briefly awakened us on Ocracoke Thursday night. We awakened to a bright morning, perfect for a walk along the beach at the National Seashore. We picked up a few shell, stuck our toes into the cold Atlantic, and tossed bits of bread to the sea gulls as they swooped, curved, and deftly snatched the bits before they hit the ground.

After leisurely watching the ten o'clock ferry slip into and out of the Silver Pond Marina, we packed up and planned to walk up the street to a little cafe when a deluge of rain changed our plans. When it did not stop, we dashed through it to the car and drove. Although a little damp, we enjoyed our delicious soft shell crab sandwich on ciabatta bread with prosciutto and fresh garnishes. The home chips and coleslaw were also excellent.
We took our reserved place in line for the Cedar Island Ferry and pulled out of dock at one. We were where we could enjoy the breezes and the view from the car. We reclined our seats and the ride lulled us into a little afternoon siesta. We disembarked at 3:30, returned to Hwy 12 and headed toward Havelock through marsh land and sparsely settled areas. When we passed part of Cherry Point Marine Station, we knew we were close to our motel.

We were blessed by the sight of a Dairy Queen. Klep pulled in, got our blizzards, and we were soon at a very new, very nice Holiday Inn Express. Some sort of model air plane flying thing was going on out back, so Klep walked down to watch. Today we have gardens on the agenda and then we have to make a decision about where we will head next.