Happy Birthday, America!
And Ocracoke did not disappoint. The evening of July 3rd was hoppin’! Tommy Hutcherson of WOVV 90.1 FM deejayed down by the NPS boat docks, and Philip Howard led the annual square dance gala to the tunes of Molasses Creek at the Community Square!
And then the fireworks show put everyone in a patriotic mood! As the booms erupted into colorful circles and sizzled to the ground, the melodies of John Phillip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever” and Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” were being ever-so-softly hummed, adding the patriotic and feel-good mood of the evening. The rain even held off more than anticipated, so we were able to enjoy the grand finale without becoming drenched! Once the fireworks ended everyone headed back to their shelters, turning Highway 12, British Cemetery Road, and Back Road into something similar to what one might see on the Capital Beltway during rush hour.
Thanks to the rain, the morning of July 4th was crazy humid. But that didn’t stop visitors and residents from driving to the Pony Pasture to meet Jobelle! 560 people turned up to meet the newest member of the Ocracoke herd of wild ponies!
The heat and humidity also didn’t deter those who entered the sand sculpture contest and other beach-goers from enjoying the festivities! Stephanie, Sam, and I biked to the Lifeguard Beach to observe the sandy fun, and sandy fun we had! Contestants created sea creatures which included baby sea turtles, an octopus, a starfish, an otter, some dolphins, and a large loggerhead sea turtle! Other contestants created Blackbeard’s Booty, a sundial, an airplane, an Ocracoke logo, and a great, great wall with shrubbery!
After checking out the sand sculptures, the three of us headed back into the village to “oooh” and “aaah” over the classic cars on display in front of the Pony Island Motel. The first one in line was a burn-your-retina yellow Chevrolet, which I absolutely loved, followed by classic cars painted in more subtle colors. There was a pale yellow Ford Mustang, which was in beautiful condition, as well as some Chevrolets and a huuuuuge military-type truck. As much as I enjoy the back-up camera and Bluetooth technology in my vehicle, there’s something really alluring/romantic about classic cars that continues to draw people.
I learned from Sam that in order to honk the horn on those classic cars you pull the silver wheel. And here I was thinking the steering wheel had the silver wheel just to be fancy. At one point I made a comment about how nice the big steering wheels look. Sam replied, “They had to be big since there wasn’t power-steering.” Oh, the things I don’t think about and then feel foolish for not realizing. At Ocracoke's Independence Day celebration you can have fun and learn something!
More photos below!
