12.27- Paradise Cove Boat Ramp

Catfish "honor box" (under surveillance) at Paradise Cove Marina's boat ramp
(Click on image or here for full size)

Today I drove my visiting brother Fred around for a tour of Pamlico County.

Found this catfish drop-box for ramp fees at the Paradise Cove Marina boat ramp. I was surprised to see that the catfish itself is approved for use as a U.S. Postal Service delivery box (before it was modified, at least.)

Paradise Cove Marina expanded it's marina this year... The marina also boasts a fine bar / deck, open weekends during the season, and available for private parties.

Great place for a sunset and refreshments during the season... but remember to bring some DEET!

Small boat ramp, fee is $5.00.

Where is Paradise Cove Marina, NC?

View Larger Map

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10.21- Cranky Grannies vote, too!

Cranky Grannies for Obama
(click on picture or here for full size)

Just a reminder that "One-Stop" EARLY VOTING HAS BEGUN here in North Carolina.

I will be working the Oriental precinct polling location on November 4, election day, but hopefully everyone will have voted by then.

So far, almost 17% of the approximately 6,000 registered voters now living in Pamlico County have voted!

At poll-worker training last night we were told to expect plenty of E-day voters, however... looks like this won't be your standard less-than-50%-turnout kind of election.

REMEMBER VOTERS:

MARKING THE "STRAIGHT TICKET" CHOICE ON YOUR BALLOT
WILL NOT RESULT IN A VOTE FOR PRESIDENT!!!

YOU MUST VOTE A CHOICE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL SELECTION ON YOUR BALLOT for your vote to count in the Presidential race ...you can then ALSO select a "straight ticket" for North Carolina state candidates if you wish, but make sure you vote separately in the Presidential choice on your ballot.

(Write your NC state legislators if you think that is screwy... It is so by NC statute, and only the legislature can change it)

Also, if you wish to vote for JUDICIAL CANDIDATES, they WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN A STRAIGHT TICKET VOTE, for the logical reason that judicial races are non-partisan in NC... since judges don't run by party affiliation, the straight party ticket selection will not affect these races.


Oh, and McCain supporters please remember that I have previously posted a picture of a McCain yard-sign on October 3.

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10.20- "Day's Landing"

"Honor box" at the Days Landing boat ramp on Ball Creek.

Today I went out exploring the nearby Whortonsville and Florence areas of Pamlico County, looking for creek entrances for some possible kayaking.

I found these three camouflaged anglers taking their Carolina Skiff out at "Day's Landing" on Ball Creek, which runs into the Bay River near Florence.

Don't ask me why the anglers were all wearing camo... I cannot imagine that it fools any fish, and none of these guys had guns, so they weren't hunting... and anyway they have made no attempt to disguise their Carolina Skiff.

I will chalk it up to a general outdoorsman lifestyle, which I admittedly know little about except for an occasional trip to Bass Pro stores, where camo certainly appears in abundance.

This seems a good place to put in a kayak for a paddle around Ball Creek, Bonner Bay, Spring Creek and Long Creek.

... And from the looks of the sign, Day's Landing has not raised their ramp fee in some time!

Explore Ball Creek ("Day's Landing" is at the map marker), Bay River, Bonner Bay etc. on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

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10.7- Where are we again?

Town workers erect new banners - promoting Oriental as the Sailing Capitol of North Carolina - On Hodges Street

These banners promoting Oriental have been appearing at various strategic locations around town over the past couple of months.

Today a bunch more went up along Broad Street and Hodges Street, the main thoroughfares through town.

Apparently the Tourism Board found a good deal on the banners... I've noticed similar banners in other towns and cities. Must be something of a trend.

The crew was having a great time putting these signs up... the guy actually installing the signs was putting on a one-man show, cracking up the "ground crew" the entire time they were working their way down Hodges.

I think the signs look nice, with an attractive sailboat & gull motif, but I am getting a little worried about the explosion of Oriental's self-promotion signs that have sprouted up all summer long.

The Oriental History Museum has also been erecting "historical markers" around town also.

It's beginning to make me feel like I'm living in some sort of museum, with all the promotional vertical banners and the explanatory placards at every turn, just like the Smithsonian museums. Well, more about that later.

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10.3- Overlapping seasons

Signs in front of a Main Street residence indicate that shrimp season is now running into election season.

Fresh shrimp and candidates for elective office get equal billing in Ponce's yard.

While the message is clear on the Presidential ticket, the signs suggest possible household disagreement on the race for North Carolina House District 3; Norman Sanderson (R) is running against incumbent Alice Underhill (D) for the seat.

At least everyone can agree on the shrimp...

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9.24- "Slow No Wake"

A driver ignores the "No Wake Zone" sign posted at the Hodges Street causeway, which was inundated by rising "wind tide" waters as a continuing Nor'easter pushes Pamlico Sound waters all the way up into Raccoon Creek.
(click on picture or here for full size)

... But of course this is not an official town of Oriental sign...

These three notorious pranksters (identities obscured) were photographed in the vicinity of the sign soon after it appeared... one of them carrying a roll of duct tape...
(click on picture or here for full size)

















Sandy (on right) rescued the Farmer's Market signage from the rising waters covering the Farmer's Market area,
Melinda (left) and Sandy then stored the signs in the "Witts End" building, where they will be marginally safer from floating away...
(click on photo for full size)

Town Dock, also on the Hodges' St. causeway, was crowded not with boats, but with "street-gulls" who were enjoying undisturbed (mostly) access to the dock and to the 18 inches of water covering the roadway... Jack (the canine), who normally claims control of the centerline of Hodges St. by lying down on it, decided to let the gulls know just whose house they were in:

The seagulls adjusted to the unfamiliar sight of water-covered Hodges St. by gravitating towards the more familiar...

The mural on the side of the Garland Fulcher Seafood Market building... perhaps they were hoping some by-catch would be tossed from the "Brooke-Morgan"...

OK, here is the artsy shot of the day... You know it's artsy because it's monochrome... for full artsy effect, click on picture or here for full size:


Thanks to the Nor'easter, Capt. Ben didn't even need the dinghy to get out on the water today... the Dinghy Dock itself did the job nicely!

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9.02- Trees Trimmed & Cats Rescued

From 090208

While in New Bern, NC, running some "big city" errands (buying a book), I passed this bucket truck going over the Trent River.

It made me smile.

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