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.

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.