(Photo by Claudia Boehm)
*** Find the special link in our newsletter and click on it to be entered in a drawing for a Cd of your choice from Soundside Records. When you click on the link, it will bring up an email to Soundside Records . . . simply type in your name and address in the body of the newsletter, and we will let you know at our next blog if you are the winner! ***
On Ocracoke Island
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The last two weeks we have had a good bit of warm weather interspersed with blustery squalls. The Cafe Atlantic served its last brunch of the year and went into hibernation until next April (last chance for their fabulous crab cakes in 2006!). This Tuesday, Ocracoke residents braved a rainy day to cast their votes at the Ocracoke Community Center. About a third of Ocracoke's residents filled out their ballots. Tuesday night, gusty winds swept the village while folks huddled around TVs watching the elections unfold.
During the night, the storm drove the seas up to the base of the dunes and whipped up foam and sand until the morning light unveiled a beach full of tide pools and bubbly sea meringue.
After the storm some visitors and villagers rush to the beach to see what treasures mother nature might have uncovered. North of the Pony Pen walkover the tides have further excavated the remains of a wreck. Amy Howard and her host sister Claudia (from Germany) also discovered a small sea turtle that met its end during the night.
Fiddler Dave and Lachlan carefully excavate the wreck (Photo by Claudia Boehm)
Soundside Records Sending Out Holiday, Album Catalog
Soundside Records is just about to go to press with our small but richly fortified fall catalog. If you would like to receive a hard copy in the mail, but are unsure if you are on our snail mail list, email us and submit your mailing information. We are currently running a holiday special online and through the mail: Buy 3 Cds, get a 4th one free! Perfect for stuffing your family's waders at Christmastime!
Off Ocracoke Island
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Gary and Kitty Workshops in the Mountains
Gary of Molasses Creek just returned from a week at the Campbell Folk School in Brasstown where he took a Naturalist Workshop with instructor Liz Domingue. Each day the class hiked 3-6 miles, exploring the ecology and biology of the Appalachian Mountains. At the end of the week Gary determined that the calories burned in hiking didn't quite balance out the fabulous food served by the Folk School.
Kitty spent the same week in Cullowhee, NC at a teacher renewal seminar entitled Women of the Blues. The course uncovered the history of the blues "from the green hills of Africa to the bright lights of the big cities."
Gerald Hampton: Mando-Man
If you haven’t had the pleasure yet, we want you to meet our frequently featured guest, Gerald Hampton, of Franklinville NC. For the past several years, Gerald has been performing many road shows, and at the Ocrafolk Festival, with Molasses Creek. He is a terrific mandolin player, and has written and recorded several of his instrumental tunes (“Feeding the Ponies”, “Category 2”, and “Ehringhaus Blues”) on our albums. When not picking, Gerald teaches technical drawing at Randolph Community College in Asheboro NC and works on repairing friends' instruments at his wood shop.
Outer Banks Marathon
The first annual Outer Banks Marathon is coming up this Sunday in Kitty Hawk, NC. The 4000 runner entry limit has been reached. . . now we are just waiting for the starting gun. In addition to the main event, there is also a half marathon and a fun run. The races finish up at Manteo High School, and from there folks travel to the downtown and over the bridge to Festival Park for the post race celebration. Molasses Creek will be performing from 12:15 to 1:30 and will be joined by Gerald Hampton and Stan Brown.
