Bodie Island Light: Great-granddaddy Gallop was the Keeper for 26 years.
As I boy I was one of the luckiest kids ever. I had the good fortune of having a mother who was a North Carolina Outer Banker and a father who loved those Outer Banks where she was born. They met while he was interning and she was studying nursing at Bellevue Hospital in New York City in the Depression and fell in love. The result was their marriage, the birth of three children and their planning and building a wonderful summer home in Old Nags Head in the late 1940s. It was a place where I spent my summers annually, basking in the beauty, the fun and sometimes the hard work that came with beach life in that beautiful spot on the Atlantic shore. Now finally, I have put my thoughts and memories of those "Glory Days" on paper and I am in the final stages of finalizing this book of my experiences.
"Summers at Old Nags Head: Boyhood Glory Days of the 1950s and '60s" tells my story of those wonderful years. It was a simpler time, a less crowded time and a time when dogs could roam free and Willys jeeps had limitless access to the sandy beaches. Cottage owners and those who came to rent cottages nearby each summer became friends, looking forward to seeing each other every summer and creating close bonds. Little boys could imagine what it was like to be Blackbeard the Pirate or even leading an Army coming ashore in combat. A run down the big dunes of Jockey's Ridge always meant a fall when little legs couldn't keep up with speed and gravity and those green tree frogs would always tickle when washing off the sand and salt in the outdoor shower.
Nobody locked doors, everyone kept eyes on all of the children and it was a time of joy, relaxation and plain and simple fun. We didn't need fancy gadgets like I-phones and four-wheelers for kids, just a sand shovel and maybe one of those old metal trucks could keep us occupied for hours. If we had neither, a piece of shingle would do and we could design highway masterpieces in the sand, Army troop emplacements for toy soldiers or beach houses using sea oat stalks for stilts. We were only limited by our imagination which was endless. And all the seafood you could handle was available by helping the local commercial fishermen and crabbers bring in their catch right on the beach or in the sound. That was always pleasing to Mom. And there is oh, so much more in the coming book.
Writing this book has been a true labor of love, with stories about heroic Outer Bankers as well as family stories, the history of the area and a look at the way things used to be. It's still beautiful but, compared to those glory days, it can never match those less stressful, more relaxing times. It was truly "Happy Days" at the beach. So. if you love the more remote and rustic beaches like the Outer Banks used to be in those good old days, then pull up a chair and get yourself a copy when it comes out real soon. It will be a great summer read while enjoying a beautiful day at the beach, a perfect combination.
COMING SOON ON AMAZON KINDLE AND PRIME: "Summers at Old Nags Head: Boyhood Glory Days of the 1950s and '60s. These are memories that deserve to be shared. I'll keep you posted at Facebook.com/northflorida writer and on this website and blog.
"Summers at Old Nags Head: Boyhood Glory Days of the 1950s and '60s" tells my story of those wonderful years. It was a simpler time, a less crowded time and a time when dogs could roam free and Willys jeeps had limitless access to the sandy beaches. Cottage owners and those who came to rent cottages nearby each summer became friends, looking forward to seeing each other every summer and creating close bonds. Little boys could imagine what it was like to be Blackbeard the Pirate or even leading an Army coming ashore in combat. A run down the big dunes of Jockey's Ridge always meant a fall when little legs couldn't keep up with speed and gravity and those green tree frogs would always tickle when washing off the sand and salt in the outdoor shower.
Nobody locked doors, everyone kept eyes on all of the children and it was a time of joy, relaxation and plain and simple fun. We didn't need fancy gadgets like I-phones and four-wheelers for kids, just a sand shovel and maybe one of those old metal trucks could keep us occupied for hours. If we had neither, a piece of shingle would do and we could design highway masterpieces in the sand, Army troop emplacements for toy soldiers or beach houses using sea oat stalks for stilts. We were only limited by our imagination which was endless. And all the seafood you could handle was available by helping the local commercial fishermen and crabbers bring in their catch right on the beach or in the sound. That was always pleasing to Mom. And there is oh, so much more in the coming book.
Writing this book has been a true labor of love, with stories about heroic Outer Bankers as well as family stories, the history of the area and a look at the way things used to be. It's still beautiful but, compared to those glory days, it can never match those less stressful, more relaxing times. It was truly "Happy Days" at the beach. So. if you love the more remote and rustic beaches like the Outer Banks used to be in those good old days, then pull up a chair and get yourself a copy when it comes out real soon. It will be a great summer read while enjoying a beautiful day at the beach, a perfect combination.
COMING SOON ON AMAZON KINDLE AND PRIME: "Summers at Old Nags Head: Boyhood Glory Days of the 1950s and '60s. These are memories that deserve to be shared. I'll keep you posted at Facebook.com/northflorida writer and on this website and blog.
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