Out of the back of the ferry, I watch a pair of sea hawks gliding on the airstream of the boat. Above them, the first blue sky in five days. While I did not expect to have such an eventful week, filled with howling winds and a battery of rain causing the Hatteras Dunes, I could think of no better way to spend a week of celebration with the woman I love.
I suppose that after five years as a couple, I should expect nothing less than the unexpected, which makes for a wonderfully rich and diverse life. I came to this vacation with great anticipation of spending the week writing, both on our manuscript and for this blog, creating some fun videos and finding some ways to get my coaching practice off the ground. And of course, all of this would be done on a gorgeous porch overlooking the ocean waves or on the sound depending on what we fancied at that particular moment.
Silence of the Sound
At the beginning of the week, we were perfectly on course to see this through as the first day we were there, we spent the entire day relaxing watching the sound mirror an infinitely blue sky. We also had the much-needed opportunity to allow every spec of tension to be washed away by the sound of the surf.
After three days of relaxing and exploring the neighboring island of Occacroke, the remnants of Ida rolled in. Then the fun began. We both agreed that, despite the warnings, it was worth staying put, even amidst pouring rain and gusting winds.
In between the periods of rain, I couldn’t help but to step out onto the porch and revel at the sight of the enormous waves. In preparation, we scurried to the grocery store and got all the nessacery provisions for the rest of the week which included ample chocolate and beverage. Since the house we were in was situated on the northern tip of Hatteras where there is little more land than 200 feet between sea and sound, Megan found higher ground for our rental van in hopes of keeping it from being washed away. Alas, by Thursday morning a break in the dunes to the north of us was causing flooding to the “safer” area where we left the vehicle. At the same time, the local taxi had stopped running, causing Megan to trek out on foot to save the van. Thursday evening, the clouds broke briefly and we were able to enjoy the setting sun cast amazing tones on the nearby clouds.
By Saturday, the day we were originally supposed to leave, I was beginning to feel a bit of cabin fever and since the area near the house looked relatively clear, we decided to venture out for lunch. About a quarter mile up the road, we found ourselves treading through a river six inches deep covering the width of the road. Having perused our options (those limited few that were open and dry) we turned our sea-fairing van around and headed for a hole-in-the-wall on the edge of Hatteras Village, before the worst of the flooding.
Flooding in Hatteras
Perhaps, however, the greatest adventure started this morning as we packed the van at 5 AM to catch the ferry alongside other evacuees. Yet again we found ourselves wading through flooding roads with six or more inches of water but this time the already low riding van was weighed down by brimming luggage and two dogs in addition to my wheelchair. As we found our way through the deepest waters, we noticed the electricity dim in the van as the battery light went on and a faint waft of smoke rose from the hood. Thankfully, however, we made it to the ferry with only a minor panic. Once in line to board, Megan asked some people from an adjacent car what to if our car died. To our amazement the couple that we spoke with are adopting a boy with CP and are exploring the possibilities of moving to Raleigh. After a great conversation, we all boarded safely and are on our way home. What a great anniversary!
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