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HURRICANE DORIAN; Two Key Ingredients to Tracking the Storm

8/31/2019

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The Plymouth State track is a composite of the best models as of Sat. morning. Notice the shift east offshore.
If we believe that predicting where a hurricane will go should be easy, well, Hurricane Dorian should make a quick disbeliever of that idea for each of us.  Since Friday morning when the word down here in Florida was clearly doom and gloom up and down the state, by this morning the projections have shifted dramatically to the east and now suggest the eyewall will not cross the shoreline.  The cone of the strike zone has now even been lifted for part of the western section of the peninsula, so does that mean we're out of danger?  Absolutely not, but it does give an indication that the earlier discussed weakening of the Bermuda high to the north is soon to take place as the slowdown of the forward progress of Dorian allows the next continental weather system to enter the fray in the Southeast.  That is likely to produce a trough that will give more direction to the storm which is beginning to lose steering currents and could scoot Dorian further out to sea without directly hitting the United States at all.  There will be coastal damage, but it may not be the catastrophe many expected and frankly, I'll just credit that off to prayers being answered if it later proves to be the result.  But what now should we expect?

Some things I learned from an Old Salt at Nags Head many years ago play a major part in my commentary here, for there have been two factors which I find often apply to Atlantic hurricanes, particularly as they approach land.  First, they slow down and it's as if they have a mind of their own and know that once they cross the shore, they will begin to weaken  and they want to avoid that if they can.  They want to stay alive and the one way they can is to remain over water that is warm, for warm water is what provides the fuel for the storm.  Add to that the fact that the Gulf Stream continuously provides a source of very warm "storm fuel" from the Gulf of Mexico, running relatively near shore from the southern tip of Florida all the way to Cape Hatteras.  It provides a pretty good reason why so many hurricanes end up in that area like Dorian is now perhaps planning to do. All bets are off, however, when the Bermuda high stays strong and dominant all the way to shore, but that seems to be faltering right now.

So, if you find yourself in a location where the maps and models show the storm moving up the coast toward  that location, when can you feel safe and reasonably certain that the coast is clear.  And that brings me to factor two from the Old Salt.  We can feel safe and clear only after the storm passes the latitude of our location for, until then, if it turns toward the coast, we are a potential target. Remember, the earth is like a beach ball, so when it passes our latitude the natural spin adds to the force that moves it up and not down.  That's something worth remembering, kind of reminiscent of the phrase "don't count your chickens until they hatch."  Don't assume the hurricane will pass you by until it has.

Don't be worried, just be alert and stay prepared.  And if Dorian goes by here as they are now starting to indicate, the power might just stay on for a change and I'll keep on posting my storm updates early morning and late afternoon until the storm finally blows out to sea.  In the meantime, enjoy the Labor Day weekend.

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It's Not the Storm, It's the Aftermath That Makes Things Difficult

8/29/2019

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Will it be like Hurricane Irma two years ago?
We moved to rural Florida fifteen years ago.  Having lived in the city or suburban areas most of my life,  I found it refreshing and a joy each morning when I walked outside and there was no other human in sight. Now our neighbors are not far distant, but we are separated by a meadow and trees from the outside world and it is beautiful.  Having been through three significant hurricanes since moving here, however, I can tell you that our lifestyle does present problems when the trees fall, the creeks rise and the power goes out.  With Hurricane Dorian currently looking to come our way in the next few days, we might be looking at another such encounter as early as Labor Day.  If it becomes a significant storm event in our area, it will be number four and in my humble opinion that's at least one too may. But here is how it's likely to unfold.

The storm preparations are made while we also monitor the progress of the beast, hoping beyond hope that it turns and goes somewhere else or just dissipates.  Finally, when we know it is going to be serious and the weather starts to turn ugly, we head inside and hunker down, candles and battery lights at the ready and wait. We listen to the radio which is fully charged and learn that the impacts are almost here.  The wind picks up to a howl but the house is steady and secure when.....VOILA.......the power goes out.  Over the next six to eight hours in the dark we hear the thud of trees. the beating of heavy rain on our metal roof and the whistling wind and maybe a shudder or two to the structure. We worry about where the trees went but since we see no rain is coming through the roof that is a good sign.  We try to sleep, but to no avail and finally, the darkness starts to lighten to a gray and ugly day, but the wind is subsiding and the rain is as well, so we put on our high boots and venture outside.

Looking to the pasture, we see a lake that once was a meadow with the horses gathered by the gate as if to say they want entry to the barn.  We prepare their feed in the dark then let them into their stalls where they'll stay all day, but only after checking to see there are no mocassins in the stalls looking for a dry place.  Too much water on a horse's hoof for too long is the kiss of death, so until the pasture water recedes they will not be turned out, just walked around the higher grounds by the barn. 

I look down the easement/driveway and notice I can't see the roadway, meaning a few trees have blocked our exit. Before taking care of that, we brew a pot of coffee using a small portable stove and heat by sterno.  Never is bad coffee so good as when it is the only alternative you have to caffeine withdrawal.  We eat a packaged cereal bar with a banana and head down the drive to check the damage.  Part of the drive is under water but it doesn't matter, for no one is going anywhere today. The road out is also under water. We hold a small "old home week" at the roadway as other neighbors congregate and we compare notes about any damage which fortunately is not major.  But we know that we are on our own for probably a week for if you live in the country, you have no priority for any help other than self-help.  So, we pitch in together and "gitterdone."

The first two days aren't too bad, but by day three as the weather clears very hot and humid, irritability sets in.  Our only entertainment is radio and it is all about the storm which we really just want to forget.  In late afternoon, we take a dip bucket and fill it with water from our large filled cattle water trough with chlorine floater and take an Army-style field expedient bath. Out of sight from anyone, a quick strip, bucket of water over the head, lather up and get rid of the grime, then one, then a second bucket poured slowly washes the dirt and soap away.  Chlorine leaves a slight film on the body that isn't optimum, but believe me, at least we don't smell like a polecat, whatever that might be. And if we get a breeze at least we can sleep. Every jug or container  in the house that is empty was filled with water prior to the storm to use for flushing, washing hands or whatever one can think of requiring water.  We also have cases of bottle water available as well as a number of plastic jugs of spring water. They are conveniently found anywhere that water is used . 

After eight days of cereal bars, candy bars, canned meats and whatnot, it is really getting old, but at least we have coffee in the morning. And then, as if a miracle, one day the air conditioner comes back to life and things will quickly get better again.  After a shower, a change of clothes and a better outlook, it's off to the local barbeque joint for a country dinner. Who in the blazes wants to cook first thing after the lights come on and, besides, what is there to cook anyway? As soon as the grocery store is restocked, that will be a major trip.

So, you see, it is all doable yet it is also always dreaded. But it's rural life in Florida and we have to take the good with the bad.  I just hope Dorian decides to go somewhere else for I'm just not in the mood to deal with him or her or whatever it is meant to be.  By the way, who in the world picked a name like Dorian anyway? I prefer a Hazel or a Donna or any such name because I still call hurricanes a she.  Guess I'm just too old to change and frankly I don't want to. 

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Annie Eldridge: The Woman Behind the Man in My  Coastal Carolina Books

8/28/2019

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She awaits her husband's return from his travels on the water highways of Coastal Carolina. (Cover photo provided by Jim Feaster of PlanetRodanthe.com. Thank you, Jim)
When I completed my legacy book, "Summers at Old Nags Head," I fulfilled a goal I had for years to document for my family and posterity my experiences as a boy spending so much wonderful time on the then pristine shoreline with its small town charm and family values of the middle-twentieth century.  Once completed and published, however, I knew I didn't want to stop there, so I embarked on the ambitious challenge of writing a fictional book with a historical background of that glorious land much earlier following the tragedy we know as the Civil War.  One of my maternal great-grandfathers, John Allen Etheridge, was a soldier for the South in that conflict, ending his days of war in a prisoner of war (POW) camp before being freed to come home and settle on the beach and forget about it.   He was the inspiration to start the project, yet the story does not cover his life although there is a small amount of it providing a baseline to start.  That portion also includes my other maternal great-grandfather, the keeper of Bodie Island Light (1878-1906) in book 2.

Once I decided upon the lead character, I needed a supporting cast but it wasn't long after I got started that I recognized the need for a good woman to be the motivation behind the man.  Try as some of us do to think otherwise, the more it becomes as natural as the biology  behind it for us to recognize its value. In the case of Josh Eldridge, the main character, that special young woman would enter the story in his early days after release from the Union POW camp.  Josh had made his way back to Norfolk, on his way home to Currituck County, North Carolina from Point Lookout, Maryland and was working on the boats in Norfolk to get his life together again.  A man who will come to be a major part in his life will give him a chance and it was at this time that he wandered into the coffee shop in Norfolk where Annie Pickett  worked.  It was almost love at first sight for both parties and it would not be long before Annie would become his soulmate and Mrs. Eldridge.

As the story unfolds in the first volume of the series, "The Long Road Back," Annie is devoted to him and he to her. She reads and understands his moods, is his prime confidante in the important decisions of his life, and he never wants to look at another woman again.  As the story goes into book two, "The Long Road Forward," which will come out within a month, Annie helps him realize the things he is missing in life and why he needs to recognize them. The result is dramatic and, in addition to his success with a great partner in building a worthy transportation business as a captain of tugboats, he finds his faith as well and ministers to those needing spiritual upbringing in the tough life of the times as an Inner or Outer Banker.

As life goes on and Annie and Josh get a little older (remember life expectancy back then was only mid to late 50's so when you made it to forty you were middle aged), Annie decides that the hot summer and storms of the humid months mean she needs to change her style. She cuts her hair shorter to make things easier and she starts wearing  good working boots for outdoors with a skirt that is shorter, but still below the knee, for more utility in getting things done.  And it is in that demeanor that she is seen on the cover of the picture above which will grace the cover of Book 2 in the Coastal Carolina series, "The Long Road Forward."  Books one and two take the couple and their good friends the Weston's and the others in their group through 1884. With the years from 1865-1884 now covered, the final book which I will start soon, title yet to be determined, will take Josh Eldridge's story through to life's completion.  There is still a lot of action ahead, but I hope my good readers will complete both of the two first books before the finale comes out, probabll sometime in the upcoming winter season.  But first, a break for a few weeks to unwind and hopefully get through Florida hurricane season unscathed. 

CHECK OUT MY BOOKS HERE. JUST COPY AND PASTE TO YOUR BROWSER:
                        www.amazon.com/author/jamesdick

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Mid-August to Mid-October: Atlantic Hurricane Prime Time

8/27/2019

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The season for the big ones is cranking up right now. Are we prepared?
A small tropical storm named Dorian is right now starting its entry into the Eastern Caribbean and with it comes the prime period of hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin.  Beaches from Texas to Cape Cod need to especially keep their guard up since this is the time of year when the large storms called the Cape Verde hurricanes traditionally slowly begin their trek across the tropical Atlantic toward North America. They are hard to predict due to the rapidly changing climactic conditions which must fall in place perfectly, but know that they are always a potential to turn a wonderful summer into a nightmare if we find ourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.   And with the massive building in the coastal areas in recent decades, when they do strike, damage will be catastrophic if they reach major status before coming ashore.

Dorian, a small storm in terms of size, offers a great example to explain the many factors that impact these storms and determine what they will or won't do. On the one hand, since the storm is small, it can be quickly impacted by introduction of dry air which can inhibit development, but if the central core comes together really tight, it can pack a major wallop  in the area where it directly hits land. It must successfully navigate its way out of the dry Saharan air and since it is moving to the north-northwest, it must get by the high mountains of Hispaniola or it might just fizzle and die. If it survives, however, going over very warm Bahama waters could cause dramatic strengthening  but we just don't know at this time.

Likewise, the determination of where it will go once in Bahama waters appears right now to be somewhere in Florida, yet the directness and severity will be governed by the Bermuda high that it is trying to work around but which is also likely to expand more to the west.  It's all about timing, for if it starts skirting around the high first, it will move northwestward for a while, before turning more to the west.  That would favor a hit in the central region of the state. If the high instead dissipates on its western flank, the storm would likely head more in a north direction toward the Carolinas, just offshore of Florida. An early extension of the high would mean South Florida and then the Gulf would be open for mischief and its appearance in the very warm Gulf would likely mean major strengthening to impact areas from West Florida to Texas.

The closer it gets to the United States mainland, the more likely the forecast gets accurate but, and this is a big but, with Florida now so heavily populated, those in place when the call is made are likely not going to be able to get out of Dodge in time.  It brings back memories of Hurricane Irma two years ago which raked the long peninsula from one end to the other and many were stranded on the road.  Or if they made it out, they had a tough time getting back home later and had to worry about the likelihood of looting in neighborhoods where no one was home.

One thing is certain and it's that the storm will go somewhere and wherever that is, if it is strong, it will not be good for those where it hits. If it fizzles, many will just chalk it up as a false alarm and just forget about it, the worst thing we can do.  We have nearly two more months when hurricanes usually grow and move west this year, so keep your guard up until the coast is clear, sometimes that's as late as December, and then nor'easters can be just as frightening.  Don't complain, my friends, for it's the price we pay when we want to live near the sea.

I'll leave you with this. Many think if we make it to mid-October, we don't have to worry anymore. Well, the picture below, a before and after look at Oak Island, North Carolina in 1954, shows the fury of a hurricane striking land in mid-October.  As you can see by the picture before and after Hurricane Hazel brought its wrath to shore, all months of hurricane season should never be scoffed at.  Consider yourself warned.

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This island is now massively rebuilt. Hazel was the worst strike ever on North Carolina. What will happen the next time?
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REAL WISDOM: It's Much Greater Than This World

8/26/2019

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A heavenly sunrise can open your heart to much greater wisdom than earthly knowledge.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.  - James 3:17 (NLT)
 

What is real wisdom and how do we come by it?  I pondered that question yesterday morning and posted my comments on my Facebook Author Page but, after having read it, decided it was worth sharing on my website blog as well. Wisdom is important, but real wisdom adds such a great extra dimension that it can guide us to doing things and making decisions that we'd  likely not make without looking deeply at the subject. Hopefully, these comments might help others as they have me, for real wisdom opens us up to a new way of looking at success and accomplishment in life. It can help us far surpass any such achievements.


Many of us think of real wisdom as being the product of a good education and the experience we have gained with that education to make us wise in the things we do and how we do them. And there is some truth to that, but if we leave it to mere earthly things we are only getting a small part of it, for real wisdom takes earthly wisdom and adds to it spiritual wisdom which can only be gained through our fellowship with our Lord. To gain that fellowship we must believe in Him by faith and listen to what He tells us, for since He is all wise, all powerful and all knowing, He adds real truth on a heavenly scale to the much lesser wisdom of man.

If we limit ourselves to the influence of man, we are limiting ourselves to knowledge that is not all knowing and is highly inferior. For example, take an engineer who has studied extensively and has great earthly experience and uses it to build grand and large buildings that he knows in his earthly experience to be indestructible. Yet, like the story of the Titanic which sank, his building has huge shortfalls in grand disasters which always strike this earth, often with no knowledge they are coming. Had he gained God's wisdom to go with his earthly knowledge first, he likely would have constructed a grand and indestructible building that met God's specifications, not the specifications of mortal man who wanted to make not just a fair profit, but to get rich from that one project. When we see ourselves equal to or even wiser than God, bad things happen.

Being a mere mortal myself, I know the weaknesses that I hold just like that engineer, but I do try to open myself to God in a conversation of what I should do in all things. The more we do that, the better we become for we are gaining from His eternal wisdom that will never fail us. And I also know that there is no better place to seek His guidance and direction on such matters than by taking a long walk at sunrise along the Atlantic shore and talking with Him, for He always listens.  And while He might not answer my questions on the spot, He always provides something later which tells me what I want to know. It can be quickly received or considerably later, but He does answer as long as my question was sincere. Try it, you might be amazed at how wise over time you may become.


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SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: What if God Never Sent Us Jesus?

8/25/2019

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Without Jesus in our lives, would we have already destroyed ourselves?
We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.      - 1 John 5:19 (NLT)

We Christians well know that there are many humans on earth who scorn our beliefs.  We also know that the words of John in the Bible verse above are also true. Satan, the evil one, was thrown down to earth when he was banned from heaven above and given the freedom on earth to influence, deceive and gain control over those who he could fool.  And while he has been successful in accomplishing his destructive work against mankind in so many instances, there are those of us who have refused his bidding and have stood steadfastly by our Savior despite being tempted by so many weaknesses that we hold.

God gave us free will and He knows that we are often weak and foolish, but He also showed his abounding love for us when He gave us the Savior, who came to earth as a man to be a sacrifice for us.  By dying on the Cross as an innocent man, the only man who will ever be fully innocent on this earth, our forgiveness was given to us by Him at the moment He died on the Cross.  And the only thing required of us is to receive that forgiveness was to accept His most generous offer by believing in Him by faith and making the commitment to put Him first in our lives and live for Him.  Now He knows we will sometimes falter, but for those of us who do the utmost we can not to falter and  continue to keep our hearts open to His love and forgiveness, Salvation will be ours and we will escape the clutches of the evil one. The evil one hates that, for he works hard at his trade in sinfulness, knowing what will ultimately happen to him and wanting to take as many of us as he can with him. Why? Because he is, indeed, the evil one.

So, that leaves us with the question of what if Jesus never came to forgive us for our sins?  In such case, there would be nothing that could be done for us as we would surely falter by worshiping someone or something other than God and Our Savior.  And there would be no Holy Spirit living within us working to put us on the right path.  No, we would have no power to withstand the temptations and if you think this world is bad today, try to imagine it with nothing but evil running loose.  It's a scary thought but thankfully we don't have to worry. We don't have to worry because God did give us His Son as the ultimate sacrifice for our lives and with Him later came the Holy Spirit. So, why would anyone want to refuse the gift of Salvation and choose to live under Satan's evil edicts and his already determined fate?  Sorry, but I can't answer that question and I ask it as do you everyday.  I guess it's the wonderful disguises that he puts on himself to make him people believe whatever they see it to be: money, power, lust for things and/or the flesh and so many others. Don't be fooled, my friends, for it leads to permanent and everlasting suffering and death.

Choose well and live on for eternity in such grandeur and splendor that you'll never want anything else forever. It's your choice and your decision so choose well. Once life on this earth ends for us or upon the return of Christ for the second coming, it will be too late to change your choice.

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MAN VS NATURE: CONCRETE & STEEL VS WATER & SAND

8/24/2019

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In the end, Nature wins.
Those of you who, like me, grew up in the Christian church with Sunday school a big part of Sundays probably remember the song we used to sing about building your house on a rock, not sand.  These days, as a I watch beachfront communities become overbuilt with large steel and mortar structures and the impact they have on the access to the ocean and beach, I am amazed how so many just think the new is great.  They seem to think that man is so smart that he has the answer to everything as they forget, or never have been taught, about the dominion we humans were give over the earth but with a requirement to use it wisely and properly.  In all fairness, however, if you don't know anything else then I guess it seems like the way things should be, but I remember a time when we used to want to save and not pave over everything in the land and we children could create our own toys out of whatever we could find and could play all day long.  Maybe it was cowboys and Indians, cops and robbers, soldiers at war or in any way our imagination would direct us.  Those were the days, at least for me they were.

But what about the way the beach cottages were built? Well, they certainly couldn't be built on rock, but they could be built that didn't take away from the beauty of nature which all beaches had at one time. Sure they were built with wood instead of stronger concrete and steel, but the masterful construction made them both blend in with nature and amenable to dealing with what nature could throw at them.  Large, strong pilings driven much deeper than the ravages of the storm could reach, extra nails in heavy duty wooden shingles which didn't splinter and crack and the lock down old fashioned shutters that shut the interior tight from wind and rain were standard features.  Even more importantly, building was recommended on the highest locations on the beach where a natural gradual dune rose toward the surf with the ocean fronting side of the unit on the downward slope, significantly above the sand on those pilings.  Compare that with today's oceanfront with high rises and concrete everywhere and packed so tightly together that when the water does get through, it undercuts concrete and flows like rapids through the narrow openings available, increasing in force and pressure. 

Sure, some were foolish and built either too close to the shore or too low in the old days, but generally those were washed out over time and not rebuilt, as was not uncommon in the Kitty Hawk area where frankly the road was too close to the ocean even only twenty years after it was built. The old ones that lasted, however, some of which live on today were better planned.  And it was around the late 1970's as the boom was really getting into full swing that caution was thrown to the wind.  The result was the interior sand flats being built on as well with no concern for how excessive rainwater or overwash could naturally percolate into the soil quite rapidly. Today, there is no such escape valve and the result is frequently a toxic stew which ends up being pumped into the very ocean that beach property owners claim to have such reverence for.

There is no denying that I date myself, am getting old and show my personal bias in these remarks. But the one thing I can do is share the experiences that those of us who are getting older had, hoping that others can understand the simple pleasures we had as well. Our summer vacation didn't involve staying in cottages with game rooms, elevators, in ground swimming pools or even air conditioning.  No, it meant sitting up late at night with a deck of cards, staying out in the fresh air and playing physical games all day long, or figuring out how to make a needed buck (many of us didn't have allowances back then) by cleaning fish, helping the fishermen with their nets, or collecting bottles.  Child labor laws weren't such a big deal back then, so we might even help clean a cottage for rent, sweep driveways and porches after a northeaster or do other odd jobs. It gave us the funds we needed, not for fancy electronics or entry into high tech entertainment facilities. No, it gave us spending money for the snack bar and going to the skating rink, the center of attraction for its day. And when boys became teenagers, that facility was the drawing card for the girls of our age loved to skate and many a puppy love romance both began during, and ended at the end of the summer there.

There's also so much more. We could watch and help the local fishermen cast and retrieve their nets for fishing right in front of the cottages, always bringing home a bucket of fish for a wonderful breakfast. Or we could walk down the beach and cross the beach road to walk up Jockey's Ridge without facing wall to wall traffic on the roadway or having to be driven to a parking lot to make the climb. And those dunes were huge, looking like towering peaks back then instead of the pancakes they are today. Then there were the special dinners out at local establishments run by folks who spoke with the now disappearing local Elizabethan accent and served more than we could usually eat, not like a couple of shrimp and a dab of crab being called a meal. Finally, with no TV, the old small battery radios kept us up with the tunes of the day and we had wonderful discussions on the beach since we had never heard of a smart phone.   At the same time the dogs ran free and so did the children who, if they were lucky, might even get a ride up Jockey's Ridge in an old Army surplus Willys jeep. Not that was a real treat.  Plus, there was nary a serious  incident or a kidnapping, for on a small town and local beach, people looked out for each other.

"Summers at Old Nags Head" can never be like that again and I suppose that's just natural. But the joys and pleasures they brought to us are something everyone should be able to experience and I guess that's why I write about them, hoping that I can show in words what can no longer be shown any other way. Thank the Lord for the good fortune that he gave me in my earlier days.

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Nags Head oceanfront 1950, looking from the Nags Header south to the fishing pier.
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The rectangular building to the right of the fishing pier was the Nags Head Recreation Center, where the girls were. (Circa early 1950's)
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COROLLA WILD HORSES: Wild Things and Selfish Mankind Don't Mix Well

8/20/2019

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Joaquin the Wild Stallion: Death by Barbed Wire: How sad and how stupid. (Photo Corolla Wild Horse Fund)
Another beautiful wild Spanish horse becomes entangled in barbed wire and, unable to extricate himself, thrashes about in pain before being found and thankfully taken out of his misery.  Immediately thereafter, the cries of anguish come from well meaning animal enthusiasts seeking someone to blame.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the easy target, since they installed the wire as a property boundary line, obviously not thinking about the impact of barbed wire on horses that were legally free to roam the area.  And if you've ever seen the movie, "War Horse," it very vividly displays what barbed wire can do to a frightened horse.

Spanish horses have lived freely on the Outer Banks ever since the days of the pirates and Spanish galleons plying their trade along the Atlantic seaboard. Many likely came ashore during a major storm that wrecked their transport, seeking a safe place to live. They are found in places from Florida to Maryland and have been a symbol of what things were like in the days of little if any human interface on Assateague Island to the north, on north Bodie Island and Ocracoke Island in North Carolina, in South Carolina and even in parts of Florida.  But as time goes by, and man ends their real ability to truly be wild and free, conflict between these beautiful but wild equestrian creatures  and man is inevitable.  They can be protected by law, but if they remain in close contact with humans in rapidly developing coastal regions, various dangerous and often deadly interactions will occur, mostly to the animals because of things done by man. Using barbed wire fencing adjacent to where the horses are free to roam is just one of the ways that happens, but it is not the problem.  It is merely a symptom of the problem and until that is recognized the carnage will continue. 

Oh, the next tragedy might be another horse being hit by a four wheel drive vehicle going too fast or without lights as darkness approaches, or it could be from a panicked horse hitting another guywire (a recent occurrence) or because of someone thinking it was cute to let his dog bark up close at the horses. It might even be, innocently enough, a herd of horses trotting over a beach dune and crushing someone underfoot lying on a blanket which the horses didn't see. But, sooner or later, it will be a tragic accident like the latter example where man is the loser and when that happens, the horse will, of course, bear the blame and pay the price.  I've seen it too many times down here in Florida with alligators. Although not a sympathetic creature like the horse, alligators feed in fresh water bodies of water where there is thick growth near the shore.  Sometimes stupid people wade there or parents allow their unsupervised children to do so and  ..... a person becomes a meal.  The alligator is immediately tracked and killed doing what he has done for centuries.  What's worse, often the problem in a local area was precipitated by someone feeding the alligator in a nearby pond. When alligators lose their natural reluctance to approach people, bad things happen and they can happen very fast.

So, what is the answer to the problem of man's unwillingness to invade the up close personal spaces of a wild horse or any wild protected creature?  Well, the best one I can find is shown by the experience of the Assateague National Seashore in both Maryland and Virginia.  Assateague Island does allow tourists to swim in the ocean and enjoy the beach during the day and occasionally we might see a Chincoteague pony show himself on the dune overlooking the ocean. But there is no permanent residence allowed on the island and that is idyllic for wild ponies.  They are to be looked at from afar not frightened by people up close or motor vehicles driving too fast and there are no guywires or barbed wire to harm them, just a body of water separating their island from the inhabited town of Chincoteague, where some of the young ponies are auctioned off every year.  Similar circumstances can be found on Cumberland Island, Georgia, only those are not Spanish horses.  They, like the Spanish ponies of Assateague, however, do run free and only Mother Nature sometimes causes any untimely death.

As Corolla is sure to grow, the conflict will be more frequent and likely more severe. It's time to look at whether man really wants to enjoy the ponies and keep them safe or just turn them into a tourist trap bonanza that will lessen human sensitivity toward them.  Both can be done, but it won't work the way things have in the past since people do stupid things and horses are flight animals. There must be a clear separation of the two or the day will come when the politicians will say, enough of the ponies and their homes will be lost.  I say this as a man who is married to an equestrian with many horses. We used to live in a suburban area approved for horses but, over time, the push for more people and more communities forced us to move farther out in the country where sometime in the future the same plight will face us again. Hopefully, I will meet my Maker before that day arrives.face the same plight.  Don't think it won't happen in Corolla? Don't kid yourself, it happens everywhere. After all, I could have never dreamed in my younger days that I could drive from Kitty Hawk to our family cottage at the twelve mile post and never even be able to see or smell the sea.

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MONDAY: A Day to be Bright with Cheers, Not Gloom and Sneers

8/19/2019

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Even if it's not sunny, keep it sunny in your heart
Some people will reject you, just because you shine too bright for them. But that's okay, just keep shining.       - Author Unknown

I awoke this morning to another gloomy day outside. We've been through a long spell of dreary looking days lately and I must admit it's very easy to let them get you down if you allow it.  But what does that accomplish and how does it make you feel? Well, when you accomplish nothing you generally feel lousy so, come on, throw off the self-pity with the frown or sneer on our faces and do something positive. Seeing that simple quotation above and the beautiful picture of the sunshine made me realize that being cheerful and filled with joy has nothing to do with the weather, it's all a matter of attitude. And when you add to that the Spirit of the Living God in our hearts, we should never think of being gloomy again.

Yes, sometimes we get too much rain and yes, sometimes it is lack of rain instead. But we should allow no such things to change the countenance that we display as we go about our lives for it will only bring us down if we do.  Life is short and we know not when our time is done, so why in the world would we waste our precious moments here on things that do us no good. Just be glad that we are alive and capable of so many good things if we keep our frame of reference on the right things.  When we do, we look better, we feel better, and those around us enjoy having us around instead of thinking here comes that old grouch who always complains about everything.  None of us in our hearts wants to be looked at in that way. So buck up, cheer up and just decide that all is good and soon we will realize that it is. The only thing holding us back is our silly selves.

In thinking about such things, I am reminded of meeting a really old man years ago who was taking a brisk walk and stopping to speak to those he passed on the street everyday. I had no idea what his actual age was, thinking he was maybe in his mid-eighties but learned that he was ninety-eight, going on ninety-nine. He was amazing, always smiling and cheerful and I asked him his secret.  He looked at me with a smile, pondered for a moment and then spoke.

"I am the way I am for I look at every day of life as a new adventure.  What can I do better that I've done before?  What new thing can I master that I've never tried? And then I set goals for myself, goals that were attainable but took some effort and attention. Like my current and last goal, to live to be one hundred. I suppose when I reach it, notice I didn't say if, I will probably then shoot for one hundred and five and come up with something new to tackle that will help me to keep pushing myself. Of course, I always try to eat a sensible diet, but not regimented, and I drink one beer every evening. But perhaps the biggest thing I've done for long life is turning over all my troubles to God, for I know He has the answers and I surely don't and I that if he is agreeable to my goals and plans they will be achieved. And if not? Who cares because I'll be with Him and receiving His tender loving care while looking down at all the fools on earth who just don't get it."

Words to the wise. And that wonderful gentleman did make his goal of living one hundred years, then dying one month later. God bless his soul.  Now smile and don't worry, be happy. It will ease your life as well. That wonderful man was right.

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SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: Can There Be Peace in the Valley on Earth?

8/18/2019

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Can there be lasting peace in the valley or anywhere on earth?
I am tired and weary but I must toil on,  Till the Lord come to call me away.
where the morning is bright and the Lamb is the light, And the night is as fair as the day.
REFRAIN: There'll be peace in the valley for me some day, There'll be peace in the valley for me. I pray no more sorrow and sadness or trouble will be, There'll be peace in the valley for me.
     - First verse and refrain, Peace in the Valley (by Thomas Dorsey, 1937)


Almost anyone who grew up in the Christian faith can remember singing Peace in the Valley. This beautiful spiritual song of faith was often sung in my church and at church camp during vespers in the summer.  I can remember attending a service on the side of a mountain in Virginia as the sun set over the Shenandoah Valley and how the words impacted me while looking down on that beautiful scene not too unlike the picture above.  Many don't realize it, but Peace in the Valley was sung before an audience of fifty-five million by Elvis Presley on his third and final appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1957 and the Negro spiritual's popularity soared.  Today it is no longer so popular as times change, but I can remember when I heard it or sang it I thought about the state of the world we live in.  It begs the question: Can there be a lasting peace on this place of valleys, mountains, plains and oceans we call earth? Sadly, the answer is a resounding no when we consider the frailty and weakness of mankind in carrying out daily life, for there is always someone or maybe even a nation that wants more and more and gives less and less and conflict then inevitably becomes the result.

We must face the truth. Each of us, members of the human race, are all sinners and we just can't help ourselves.  The lust for power, riches, physical gratification and so much more is strong and it requires greater strength from within us to overcome.  Some will and many won't and because of the condition of the human race the struggle will continue.  With the Evil One always lurking around us, looking for a weakness to exploit, there will always be many who will succumb to his temptations and falter and that will cause conflict  and strife in the "Valley of Life."  Satan is smooth in his deception, casting himself in ways that make him seem desirable and when we falter, we fail to realize that his interest is not in helping us, but in destroying us just as he knows he will ultimately be destroyed.  That pain and destruction means the world will never have total peace for peace requires it to exist both externally and internally in our lives. Now those of us who find belief through faith can conquer it, but we can't conquer it for others since the decision to follow God is an individual one.  We can inform others and try and show them a better way, but ultimately it is their decision.

Having said all of this, we shouldn't be discouraged but instead remember that Christ Jesus is coming back and when He returns it will be to rule the world for one thousand years.  We know not when this will happen, but the Bible tells us when the Archangel Gabriel sounds his horn, Jesus will appear and return to earth on a great white horse. When that happens, his rule will begin and there will indeed be peace in the "Valley" we call earth.  All who departed this life before His arrival and believed by faith in Him will inherit the kingdom as well as all who are living at the time with the same belief. If the commitment was made to live for Him and put Him first in our lives, then Salvation will be ours.  Sadly, for those who refused to accept His forgiveness which was granted on the Cross as He breathed out his last brief the time to commit will be gone. Each of us can determine in our own hearts what that will mean but it won't be a good prospect. I for one know the answer in my own heart and want to be with Him. It's your choice and your decision, so please choose wisely.
                                                                                   
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Jesus will return to rule the earth for 1000 years.
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    ABOUT ME

    Hi, I'm James, a writer who studies nature,  animals and all things created by God. I also write from time to time about what I think God expects of us.  I would love to hear your thoughts on these subjects. I hope you enjoy my comments.

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