This morning my rain gauge showed 2 ½ inches of overnight rainfall. Despite that, with Memorial Day here, we’ve officially begun our high season for tourism. The rain from Tropical Depression Bonnie, will likely continue off and on over the next few days. Today is a washout, but yesterday was gorgeous with pleasant ocean breezes. We peddled bikes to the Rodanthe Pier to check things out before the downpour.
Out on the pier, folks were enjoying the sunny sea breeze.
Looking south, it didn’t look like a typical Memorial Day Weekend.
With rain in the forecast, beach goers weren’t packed in as they’d normally be.
The end of the pier isn’t out nearly as far as it used to be. It’s been destroyed continuously by storms and rebuilt multiple times.
In the Summer, there’s nothing like hanging out at the pier. Many of the same people return year after year, building memories along the way.
I noticed the dramatic sky shaping up, courtesy of Tropical Depression Bonnie. The clouds are always beautiful, yet at the same time so ominous.
I have a fondness for that pier, too. This is from my book (Lyrics and Poems from the Shenandoah) and I thought I’d add this here for any interested readers of your awesome photoblog. I hope you enjoy!
Rodanthe Pier – by Robert Foster
Standing on Rodanthe pier
Surrounded by the sea
What care, have I, as morning’s fire
Aroused the willets free
Resting, here, well past the breakers
Dawn regales her hues
As pelicans begin the day
A plover skims the dunes
Breathing deep the brackish breezes
Blending on the air
With fragrances of briny pine
I savor, scents, so rare
The ocean with its constant might
?Can pound upon her furious
And laughing gulls, despite it’s fact
Must find this structure curious
The crashing waves, their constant roar
Melt to a distant din
My worries, once, that loomed so large
Seem small, to my chagrin…
Soon enough, I’ll wander on
And I’ll begin the day
But all the worries once possessed
No longer, hold their fray
At rest, in peace, without a word
Lord help me hold this view
That if I walk alone today
My trials are so few