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This year there have been more complaints to the Harbormaster than ever before.
Something should be done to reverse this trend. You can help. If you are running a boat,
look back sometimes to see what is happening in your wake. You may be causing more than
you think. Those of you who wish to report an offending boat need only to take the boat
number and call the Harbormaster at 247-4074. He will follow up on it.
_________ oOo
BEACH TREATS
One of the things that make the summer nice is the presence of extended family
members on the beach. Some of the grandchildren who come back year after year have be
come very familiar to us and it's fun to see how they have grown over the winter. Just
watching them enjoy the waves and the sand reinforces our contentment with life here in
Pine Knoll Shores.
The thing about the beach is that it is never the same two days in a row! Some days
have seen high tides which smooth the beach almost to the dune. Other days there is a
ridge to negotiate before you reach the water. The ghost crabs are out in greater number
than ever. There are big holes where they live and small holes where they have foraged
for food just about everywhere.
Some mornings there are a dozen turrets that Polly Collins has made for us, still
standing bravely before the waves. Sometimes there is an elaborate castle, replete with
out buildings. When we saw the sun bather in her bikini, and the next day a lobster,
a porpoise and a fish sculptured in the sand we were determined to find the artist.
Turns out he is the 8 year-old grandson of Millie and Frank Herbst. His name is Johnny
McDermott and he was visiting here from Kennesaw, Georgia! Thank you, Johnny! [Johnny
had another distinction. He was the first victim of man-of-war sting this year. So there
is that, too].
One morning, as we walked the beach, we came upon a huge sculpture rising out of the
sand in front of the Wright cottage. It was at least five feet at its widest point and
rose a foot and a half out of the sand. The protruding eyes made it immediately recogniz
able as a ghost crab. We set about identifying the sculptor. [It didn't take long once
Dick Perkins got on the job]!
Turns out we have a visiting artist staying in the Wright cottage for a couple of
weeks. His name is Trip Park and he's a journalism student at UNC in Chapel Hill. He
is on vacation now with his family from Ithaca, New York. Trip's main interest is edi
torial cartoons and he showed us a couple of them he has prepared for the Daily Tarheel,
the university paper. This summer he interned at the Chapel Hill Newspaper and worked
with their editorial cartoonist.
Trip told us he has been doing sand sculptures since he was a little kid. He started
by making sketches in the sand. For this one, he said, he dicJi'tneed a model. He set
about the task just above the high water mark and, although it was threatened once by
high water he was able to keep it off with a makeshift bulkhead. Two hours later it was
done!
He finds his damp sand about six inches below the surface and molds his figure about
twice as high as the finished product because it settles so much. He would like to have
raised up the claws as the ghost crab does so often but, of course, the sand is not solid
enough to stand unsupported. Each joint of the legs was outlined with black spray paint
and this is one of the features that made it look so real. The open mouth helped, too.
Hope you saw it before the kids and the waves did it in!
We look forward to seeing more of Trip's work, both on the beach and in the news
papers. Many thanks to him and his charming family who made us welcome.
oOo