Right around dusk every night, we can count on seeing some kind of wildlife in the Outer Banks, including the occasional gray fox. Last weekend I caught a gray fox on video roaming around while a bird dive-bombed it from behind.  Unfortunately, it was not very close but I was able to sneak a picture of this beautiful animal as he (or she) walked by. ...

Chances are you have run across these delicious looking berries while visiting the Outer Banks.  They look so good, but are they safe to eat?  Absolutely! We have been picking black raspberries in Corolla for years, starting as early as May.  Each year we find more plants, although some years the fruit is larger than others. If you go black raspberry picking in the Outer Banks, be careful of the sharp thorns as you reach for the fruit.  You should also watch for ticks, as we have come across both adult and nymph ticks throughout the brush.  And finally, "leaves of three, let it be."  Be sure you don't brush against any poison ivy as you pick this wond...

Most of the locals in our neighborhood stayed during Hurricane Earl, for better or for worse.  To keep themselves occupied they walked to the main road and watched the visitors trying to evacuate as instructed.  From what I understand, it took hours to get only a few sections down.  They also watched the waves from the stairway, amazed at the 8 to 10 foot heights. My neighbor stayed up until about 1 a.m. before she turned the lights off and went to bed.  She said the rain sounded like someone was drilling the sides of the walls while the rain blew hard for hours.  Although she wasn’t afraid, she was very anxious for it all to end. This morning we went ...

What are those things biting you in the water in the Outer Banks?  They are tiny larvae known as megalops.  These little biting critters are in the final larval stage of crabs and are only a millimeter wide.  However, you aren’t feeling bites in your bathing suit, but the claws of the baby crabs instead! Today there were a few hours of slightly warmer water temperatures in the Outer Banks.  For weeks the Outer Banks water has fluctuated from somewhat warm to freezing due to a continued upwelling.  So having the opportunity for a brief but warmer swim caused great excitement for me and the kids. We ran to the water, shivered briefly and dove in.  Cold! ...