From Fields to Shining Sea

~ rabbitpatchdiary.com

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Once again. the rabbit patch is full of morning shine.  Yesterdays’ clouds are nowhere in sight.  The first rays of sunlight lay in long, golden slants and makes the place look holy.  Of course, there is standing water in the usual places and the breeze that moves through the sycamores, has a chill to it. The rain stopped, so the roof doesn’t leak anymore.  Hopefully that will get repaired today.

Mama and Daddy are visiting with my sister, Connie at her beach house in Ocracoke.  Mikes’ mom, Miss Louise is there too. Yesterday, when I called, everyone had settled in.  Daddy was watching a movie, Mike and Connie were working on a jigsaw puzzle and Mama and Miss Louise were working on word puzzles.  This painted a cozy picture for me.  All was well and it made me happy.

 Ocracoke is a small island off the N.C. coast.  It is a quaint and lovely place with candy shops and ice cream sold out the back doors of small cottages.  Once, when I was there, I met a lady who made dresses and had them hanging on her front porch, to sell.  Vendors sell cold , tropical drinks or hotdogs in Ocracoke.  People walk or bike to get around the village circle and so if you  are prone to rushing, you may be in a bind right when you get  off the ferry-which is the only way you will get there.  Of course, my family will be fishing.  Connie and her husband Mike, catch enough fish to feed a small army, everytime they fish.  They needn’t exaggerate the size of their fish, either.  The fish are huge specimens and reeling them in, has got to be as hard as digging a ditch, I think.

The long time residents of Ocracoke speak in a brogue with all sorts of phrases not heard anywhere else.  They pronounce words as they see fit.  There are wild horses on the island and the beaches are never crowded.   There are no “chain stores”  but there is a general store that sells groceries -and bait. There are plenty of restaurants run by locals and worth bragging about.  Ocracoke seems further away from the mainland, than just a few hours.  Our  Connie is “at home ” on her beloved island.

I have not seen Lyla in two weeks now.  Jenny said she loved watching the storm yesterday.  The “laughing river” spilt in to the streets, but without causing serious threats in the historical neighborhood- and the wind blew with might, in gusts.  They watched from their porch , the same place that Lyla saw her first rainbow.  To say that “I miss her”, is putting it lightly.  I have to wonder, what she is saying now, what is her current fancy and what new thing has she learned to do.

Back at the rabbit patch, the roof needs fixing and the yard needs mowing. Woodland birds are singing while they dash about finding all sorts of seeds scattered by yesterdays’ storm.  The only fish here, are in creeks and ponds, often hidden in the woods.  Young boys will battle briers, redbugs and poison ivy just to catch a small fish . . .and the horses abide in quiet pastures. The breeze here, does not smell of salt, but of cedar, pine and wild flowers.  Instead of an ocean view, I look at fields  and woods from my porch.  There are so many beautiful ways to live a life, I think.

Dear Diary,  How lovely this world is, with its’ oceans,  ponds and laughing rivers -with its’ wild and tame horses.  No matter where I go, there is something to be glad about and people to love are every where!

 

24 thoughts on “From Fields to Shining Sea”

  4. Thank you for sharing about Ocracoke Island. I watched a documentary about it a while back. It sounds wonderful. As you know, my husband and I are starting to think about settling out that way in a few years. Your posts make it real and make it sound inviting. Do you like living in NC? Are you a NC native or have you lived in other places? Any recommendations for places that are rural but have decent services in the TN/NC/GA mountains area? I have a friend in TN who just loves it and a sister in law in N. GA. Any input I can get from folks in the area is so welcome as it is scary to think about moving but I feel eventually we must. Thanks so much for any thoughts you might share!

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    1. My pick would be around Charlottesville Virginia-culture and so much natural beauty, I used to spend a good deal of time there-yes I have traveled some, but Charlottesville and the many surrounding towns are hands down my favorites. I am a NC native. Also, you should check out a blogger, Anne Mehrling-she lives in the NC mnts and is such a lovely person. Ocracoke is wonderful, but takes a lot of gumption to live there. You must ferry to get your groceries, Also the electricity goes out often-my sis loves it though! plz update on your research of a new home-and best wishes! I know about fear-such a real bummer!

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  5. Thank you so much for your response. Ocracoke sounds like a wonderful place to visit though! I am a little leery of living on the Atlantic Coast because of the storms, so the coast would be a place to visit and vacation. I will definitely check out Mehrling Muse and research Charlottesville. Thanks again!

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  7. As always, I inhaled every word and image of this post, but my favorite line was this, “what new thing has she learned to do,” because it captured one of the things I love most about being a grandmother; and I find it’s true even with the tow who are young adults making their way in the world.

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  8. My sister & her husband (he’s originally from Hertford, NC) have a beach home in old Nags Head. When we visit, we enjoy making a day trip down to Ocracoke, The island is beautiful, the people are lovely & it feels like a whole different world where everything slows down. Kinda remote, though, for living all year ’round.

    Your blog is amazing – you remind me of my precious Mama who played the violin in the Norfolk Symphony until she married my Papa (& had 5 kids!) Blessings as you fix up your home & find a smaller cottage (where you can prop up your feet a bit more??)

    grace, peace & hope – Virginia 🙂

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    1. Hello Virginia and welcome to the rabbit patch- I love Hertford! My daughter and her family live about 20 minutes from there in Elizabeth City. I go to Nags Head in the summer. What a precious thing to be compared to your mother-i have 5 children too! Thank you for your best wishes in my new endeavor! I think we could be “fast friends”!

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      1. I agree – Kindred spirits!! My sis & her husband spent 12 years in Elizabeth City before moving to Williamsburg in 1992. I visited them often so have warm memories (my other sis & her husband lived there in the late 1990’s so it’s a double whammy!) Can’t believe you have 5 children -!!!!! -you have my utmost respect & awe. (I am still a bookish spinster….there just never seems enough time for all the books i want to read, so, how to fit dating in? you see the dilemma?) 🙂 Blessings!

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