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Another One Goes Down

I’ve been watching houses wash into the ocean for years, and it’s always an experience of power. Nothing is permanent near the surf zone. Back in the 70’s and 80’s , I lived in north Rodanthe for over 10 glorious years. Some of the best times of my life were spent there. Storms and shifting sands are a constant. The wind and waves, quite literally shape this place. And nothing stands in the way.

My good friend Joe Kierzkowski will usually give me a call when something of significance is happening. He got me at 4AM when the Bonner Bridge fell down in 1990. And this Sunday, at a more respectable hour, he phoned about a house that was beginning to lean into the ocean.

Denise and I got there just as high tide was peaking, and sure enough we were witnessing a big one ready to go down. The McMansion was built on a very dynamic beach only 5 or 6 years ago, complete with pool, jacuzzi and numerous other amenities. I wondered how many flat screen tv’s were inside. And here before our very eyes it’s all going into the ocean. Imagine that!

Every now and then, we could hear the sound of splitting lumber. At one point there was a loud crack when a wave hit. Then the building dropped to one side, another splitting sound and it leaned further. And finally dropping completely off the pilings, and resting on the beach…. all with 10 seconds.

Last night the building survived the following high tide, and is becoming quite a tourist attraction.

My Date with Tropical Storm Hanna

Like most residents of the Outer Banks, I keep an eye on tropical weather system development. This isn’t only due to to survival, but also because I relish these storms as photographic subjects. Recently, Hanna was no exception. Once again, we were fortunate to avoid a direct hit. My sister in Raleigh had more wind and rain than we did.

As the storm moved inland up into the piedmont region, we saw large seas and swirling clouds. Strong westerlies brought some minor flooding from the Pamlico Sound. By mid afternoon the skies brightened as my wife and I watched a dark band of rain move eastward over the ocean. The swells cleaned up, and remained strong. I went to work shooting beachscapes on Pea Island, accompanied by Denise.

Later that afternoon, the clouds and lighting conditions were setting up for another go. I returned to Pea Island for the end of the day. The ocean and sky were spectacular. After lots of exposures and experimenting with different shots that day, I felt pretty good.

Weather Phenomena

The initial days of August on Hatteras Island, we experienced many short-lived thunder storms, almost daily. In the routine of digital photo editing, more than once I found myself not trusting my surge protector, shutting the computer system down and pulling the plugs.

Early Sunday morning the 10th, I awoke and gazed out on the Pamlico Sound from my bedroom window. There I saw an ominous frontal system approaching. One cloud had a spike hanging from the bottom, and in a matter of minutes there was a slender waterspout spinning down to the water. It was however very brief, as I drove my truck north to follow its progress. As suddenly as it appeared, it vanished.

The storm clouds remained, and I drove around looking for dramatic images. I do this a lot spontaneously. Sometimes it pays off. Most of the time, it doesn’t. I pulled into an area locally known as the “Rodanthe Creek”. This is a place where much of the commercial fishing activity has taken place over the years. With the passage of time this usage has dwindled significantly. For years, I considered “the creek” to be a center of cultural activity. Most of the fish houses, where the daily catches came in, are gone. Now there is only one left, and it is utilized very little. I used to love taking pictures there, and today I made some shots that made me nostalgic. I could almost feel the excitement and activity of days gone by. Today I was glad to see a shrimp boat tied up to the dock.

A short time later the weather cleared, only to have another heavy squall come down from the north, slightly offshore. I headed over ramp 23 to access the beach. There was a dramatic wall of rain moving south, and blowing a gale. With the adverse conditions, I couldn’t get out of my vehicle. I rolled down the window, took a quick shot. As I pressed the shutter a second time, a vehicle unexpectedly passed right in front of my picture. My initial reaction was that this “accidental tourist” ruined my beach scape.

I rolled up the window, and sat in my truck. The wind and rain intensified. Suddenly lightning bolts were striking all around me. Foolishly, I had a false sense of security in my truck. Then the hail stones began pelting the beach. That’s when I decided to head back home. It was just another day at the office.

To see my waterspout shots from 2005, follow this link.

http://outer-banks.com/halminski/waterspouts.cfm

Carey’s Garden

Last Spring my best friend, Robin, had several of us over for dinner and drinks. It’s not at all unusual to be socializing in this special house. Now the only thing different is that Robin’s wife, Carey, is no longer with us, as she once was. Carey, a dear friend to many, passed away last August after a 2 year battle with cancer. Carey was many things…. a devoted Family Nurse Practitioner, caregiver, wife, friend, gardener, not to mention her ability to bring people together…. celebrating life.

That Spring day as we gathered, the setting sun emitted a wondrous light, I thought about shooting a beautiful landscape out on the beach. But as I stood in that yard with my friend April, the landscape magically appeared in Carey’s garden….. where she had nurtured it for so many years. Despite her absence, as its caretaker for several months, the garden took on a beautiful and breathtaking quality. Splotches of color burst out in floral displays. There’s a turtle, a dog and some whimsical snails gracing the block wall that she built. Even the chair under a magnificent eucalyptus tree that she planted, invited one to sit and admire this creation.

In her memory, a scholarship fund was established to help those islanders that endeavor to follow Carey’s care giving path. At a recent fund raiser attended by hundreds in our community, this image of Carey’s Garden brought in a high bid of $400. After the auction many expressed an interest in having their own print of Carey’s Garden. Due to this demand, I am offering limited edition, signed copies for $200, of which $100 will be donated to the scholarship fund. All prints are made using archival paper and ink. Matting, shipping and sales tax when applicable are extra.

My Friend David

In 1985 there was a photographer visiting the Outer Banks named David Harvey. He was working on a story for National Geographic Magazine, a publication that for me was a great photographic inspiration.

One of the first stories circulating about him was concerning Hurricane Gloria bearing down on the coast. It was a category 5 storm with winds in the range of 150 miles an hour. After seeing nearly EVERYONE evacuating Hatteras Island, I decided to go myself. To this day, it’s the only storm that ever made me leave the island.

Of course, David and writer Charlie Cobb decided that in the interest of journalism, they would ride it out, but that’s another story. I must say that I was very impressed, and really wanted to meet him.

That day came, and we were both on a foggy beach at Cape Point. There was a commercial fishing crew with a haul seine rig, and I was in awe just looking at the photography equipment in his vehicle. At the time, I could barely afford the film and processing for my own work. He was kind enough to invite me along on his shooting for the rest of the day. We went to Hatteras Village where we saw some other commercial fishermen, including Outer Banks legend, Captain Ernal Foster.

He must have “worked” on that assignment for 2 years off and on. I showed him some places that were special to me, and a few of those shots were published in the article that came out in the October 1987 issue. That made me feel good.

With his travels continuing around the globe shooting and teaching, he always comes back to the Outer Banks.