Ocracoke residents prepared for the wind and soundside flooding that was predicted to arrive with tropical depression #10. We got some rain, we have some puddles, but mostly we have blue skies and light winds. Better safe than sorry, though, and no one regrets securing boats or moving cars to higher ground. We had every reason to worry that 10 would turn into T.S. Irma and give us a beating.

We were lucky this time. And we're all watching the tragedy unfold in Texas, where Hurricane Harvey is still wreaking havoc. If you'd like to help Harvey victims, please consider making a donation to UMCOR (the United Methodist Committee on Relief), which is a great organization that gets excellent scores from charity watchdog organizations. If you donate to UMCOR through Ocracoke United Methodist Church, that also helps our little church (it counts toward their annual contribution to the diocese) and allows them to help out more people locally. Mail checks to OUMC, PO Box 278, Ocracoke, NC 27960 with "Harvey" in the memo line and 100% of the donation will go to UMCOR to aid hurricane victims in Texas.

Meanwhile, Irma has decided to bequeath her name to new Tropical Storm way out in the Eastern Atlantic. Too soon to tell, but we will be keeping a weather eye out on the tropics. It's still early days in hurricane season. 

But for today, blue skies abound! Go to the beach!