Kill Devil Hills, Outer Banks, North Carolina
When we arrived at our vacation rental in Kill Devil Hills Friday evening we brought in our luggage and then walked straight down to the beach. Before we even got over the dune or saw any waves, grandson Finn spotted a little crab on the walkway, perfectly disguised in the sand.
Standing out on the beach was a sculpture someone had left. I’m guessing the 26 stands for 2026 but I can’t decipher the other bits. Katie couldn’t make sense of it, either.
I spent a lot of time watching three willets hanging out somewhat close to me. The lighting wasn’t great, it being evening and cloudy with the outer bands of Hurricane Isaias over us. The sea was relatively calm, but a day and a half later there would be some impressive waves here.
The woods are never solitary — they are full of whispering, beckoning, friendly life. But the sea is a mighty soul, forever moaning of some great, unshareable sorrow, which shuts it up into itself for all eternity. We can never pierce its infinite mystery — we may only wander, awed and spellbound, on the outer fringe of it. The woods call to us with a hundred voices, but the sea has one only — a mighty voice that drowns our souls in its majestic music.
~ Lucy Maud Montgomery
(Anne’s House of Dreams)
It felt so good being by the sea again. There’s something about that salt in the air and the sound of the waves that is so healing. I slept very well that night.
That storm stirred up a lot! Glad you had a good visit.
Mother Nature expresses a lot of her moods with the way she moves those ocean waves.
How I miss not being water-side!! I totally get the quote, too — enjoy your stay. There’s something so healing about salt and water and waves, isn’t there?
For so many years I could take for granted the gift of living by the sea and now missing it is still a terrible ache. This was a quick getaway, but I’m so glad I went and had a good dose of healing. Thanks for stopping by, Debbie! It’s always nice to hear from you and I hope you get some time by the water soon!
What a fun long holiday weekend you spent Barbara. Finn had good eyesight spotting that crab, with only its eyes protruding from the sand. Funny about that spiked sculpture; I initially thought it was a Sea Urchin. I’ve only seen photos of them, so I had no idea how big it might be. Well, it was clever of someone anyway. I’ve never seen a Willet, so I enjoyed seeing yours. I know you miss the sea, so this was a perfect getaway for you. You were lucky you got some walks and photos taken before Hurricane Isaias got too ambitious with the water making it dangerous to be on the shoreline.
Finn was so excited about that crab. 🙂 I wonder if the artist was trying to create a sea urchin – it does look like one. I guess those stiff, straight rods are a type of seaweed or kelp. (I did some research.) The wrack line was covered with them and I imagine they were stirred up and snapped off in the storm, and then washed up on shore. Somebody had a lot of fun using them for art! I’d say this mound of sand was about a foot high and the rods added maybe another foot. I’ve only seen willets twice before in Connecticut, during the pandemic, so it was a treat seeing these three.
I can imagine Finn’s face seeing those two eyes in the sand. 🙂 Oh, this beach art was rather big then … I didn’t know if you had zoomed in or not. What a fun project to leave there for everyone to enjoy. I wonder if the willets regularly live there or were blown off course from the hurricane somehow?
It was big enough to catch my eye from a distance and made me curious enough to walk down the beach to investigate. Didn’t have to zoom in. If only the birds would let me come that close! Apparently willets can be found on the Outer Banks of North Carolina year round, though some do migrate.
It was a fun find on your beach stroll. I see – well it was your lucky day since they took their time strolling about so you could see and photograph them.
🍀- good luck, indeed.
I don’t think that I’ve ever visited the ocean in October. It looks delightful this time of year.
Even when I lived in New England I always enjoyed visiting the ocean in the off-season, with fewer people around and more shorebirds to see.
Nothing like a beach vacation – so good for the soul! The salt air has a taste of magic in it I believe. I always sleep well after a day at the beach.
I agree with you 100%!
Glad you got to enjoy a vacation with your family. I hope the hurricane didn’t have any major impact on you.
Huge waves on Sunday and drizzle for two days – we were lucky to miss all the tornado warnings they were having back at home.
Love ❤️ the sea urchin! Perhaps a puppy dog was assisting. I see paw prints.
Happy for you, Barbara, that you once again have been able to visit the seaside. Sweet! 🥰
I noticed the paw prints, too, and was pleased to see that the urchin had not been peed on. 😉 It was a wonderful way to arrive at the seashore once again that evening. 💙
🤣😂🤣