3 21 13 Thursday

Ocracoke Island N.C.

Kind of an inside, catch up day. Spent the morning beach combing, but it has turned cloudy and cooler. They don't have rocks on the beaches, but some of the broken pieces of shell, that have been wind blown and smoothed, are quite interesting. I know that one cannot have too many rocks. Does it follow that you cannot have too many shell pieces???

The island has a resident population of wild horses that date back to the Spanish in 1524. They remained wild until the road was built down the length of the island in the 1950s. They were a nuisance for the residents trying to grow gardens, flowers or crops. Just like deer, they would come to town where all the tasty stuff was growing and help themselves. In the 1940s the Boy Scout troop here was the only mounted equestrian troop in the country. Now,the herd is fenced and is fed and cared for to maintain breeding stock and the blood line.

It has been fun for me looking around the grocery stores on the trip. So many regional items and just things I'd never seen before. I'd heard of the vinegar based, South Carolina BBQ sauce, but had never tried it. I've tried several brands and it's quite tasty.....Who knew that Spam came it so many flavors??

and how should I prepare a 10lb package of fresh, split, pigs feet. (If I were so inclined,(which I'm not.))... I must say that we have had some wonderful seafood. Fresh shrimp, and scallops are available at the local grocery stores as well as all manner of local fresh fish... In my world of seafood, fresh is everything.

We're off tomorrow to Cape Hatteras Jay