Nags Head Beach
Sunrise dolphins sway through the waves,
Tiny Sanderling skitters in and out of the waves, pecking at the sand and somehow never getting caught in the oncoming spray,
Enormous Pelicans soar in formation, suddenly diving for a treat only they can see.
Nags Head Woods Preserve
Pine needle cushioned forest trail, barely two miles off the beach,
melds into sand dunes, thick and shifting beneath our feet.
Marshlands of thick green, trail under and around a board walk path,
While turtles quietly sun.
The three interconnecting trails are no more than four miles total, but feel like different worlds.
Bodie Island Light House
The lighthouse is closed for climbing today, in the midspring pre-tourist season. It stands as sentinel in the thick, low, clouds and spattering; briefly pouring rain.
A long boardwalk trails through the marshlands and overlooks the lighthouse.
Cattails and marsh grasses grow thick and tall over tiny scattered islands.
The Great Egret slowly wades at the shore, interested only in his own investigation, ignoring my camera as well as the gaggle of students who soon follow me onto the platform.
Rambling ... 