POST 515 - DAY 309 / 52: RODANTHE, OUTER BANKS, N.C.

A look back a few weeks to reflect on the destruction of Hurricane IRENE on RODANTHE, OUTER BANKS.

Arriving two months after the event, I walked in on the final "clean-up" phase.

SR 12 was still lined with trash removed from water damaged properties...this process continued until a couple days ago, when further deposit of trash on SR 12 was prohibited.

Heavy equipment, such as front loaders, clam shell bucket cranes, and trash hauling trucks have removed the majority of trash from SR 12.

Left behind are roadside ditches and berms - including some vacant lots sitting behind the ditches, containing small items not recoverable with the heavy equipment.

This is the clean-up which I have taken upon myself.

I have volunteered to "Police" (clean) SR 12 in the three villages of RODANTHE, WAVE, and SALVO.

Much of SR 12 has been policed already by businesses and home owners. A much larger portion has not been cleaned...mostly bordering properties apparently owned by absentees.

These sections are my objective.

Yesterday I policed the portion pictured above and in the pic below.

Much of what I find is pictured below...piles of trash thrown into the roadside drainage ditch, apparently household "garbage", along with myriads of "litter", often wind-blown into bushes and yards some distance from the roadway.

To reach this garbage, I don boots, rain gear, thick rubber gloves with long cuffs...get on my hands ans knees and dig in.

Not that I expect or desire participation from others, I chuckle at folks sitting on high balconies sipping beverages... watching me retrieve garbage from the filthy ditch in their front yard...I wonder what they must be thinking...

Not that it makes a whit of difference. As with my walk, removing an eyesore from their lofty perch is my silent way of trying to set an example...I feel good at my efforts...what others think is not my problem.

It rained ... the wind kept blowing my plastic bag shut as I tried to fill it...My Jeans got filthy and smell awful. I am not comfy using HAPPY CLAM's washing machine, so this evening I heat up some water in SPIA's teakettle and hand wash my clothes.

Tomorrow, I will be back on SR 12. Only 3.70 more miles to go.

Chatted with my younger Sister, Carol, this afternoon. She wished me Happy Thanksgiving...I had no idea tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I will take a few moments, however, to reflect on some of what I have for which to give thanks. I know many who would gladly trade places with me - if only they could.

Carol is in a Nursing Home under 24-hour care in DEKALB, ILLINOIS. Among other serious ailments, Carol is well on her road of suffering from Parkinson's Disease...her recent room mate, also afflicted with Parkinson's, lost her battle a few days ago.

One reason I chose my current route to the St LAWRENCE RIVER then West across the top of America back to my Vancouver, B.C. starting point, was to make my way to DEKALB. Carol and I are in near daily communication after many years of near estrangement.

I am somewhat of a challenge for Carol to hang in there...Carol is my challenge to continue my walk...not too fast, however...don't wish to make it too easy for her...another example I try to make: have my very long range goal, knowing full well reaching that goal is the sum of striving for and reaching the goal set for today.

Some have asked me: ...what is the most important moment of your walk?...to which I truthfully reply: ...this one...sitting here, chatting with you.

Since Carol had reminded me that tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I walked to the local Convenience Store (LIBERTY Convenience Store) to pick out a treat...was late, not much left to choose from, but did come home (back to SPIA) with a bag of miniature chocolate donuts.

En-route, rain clouds once again closed in overhead nearly blocking out this evening's Sunset...almost, but not quite. The weather front, moving in from the North West, brought plummeting temperatures and high winds. SPIA is rocking on her ruined springs and cold is seeping in around the door and the three over-head hatches.

Half way home, the clouds burst open rinsing me off pretty good before I popped into SPIA's crookie door...crookie because in the California Redwoods, someone bent SPIA's door trying to break in...the door held, but is permanently badly bent. I sealed up the top and bottom gaps with thick adhesive-backed foam insulation strips. So far, it has worked OK.

...and so it goes...Happy Turkey Day, as Cri use to say.

I am uploading a video I shot a couple weeks ago of the Atlantic Ocean Surf doing it's level best to undermine the many RODANTHE Beach Homes now sitting a ways off shore. I have been told that not long ago, it was quite a walk from these homes to the beach.

The video reminds me to say HELLO to Phyllis and Ann Marie, whom I met at that spot.....HI, you two !

Video upload ran for 10 hours and did NOT upload...must find a solution as I wish to share videos from time to time.