This is a newly grown acorn on a Northern Red Oak. The color of red can be noted in the twig with leaf stems nearby.

The acorn is considered to be egg-shaped, but, I think that is debatable. It is 5/8 inch to 1-1/8 inch long. It has a cap that is reddish-brown. The cap has tightly over lapping scales.

This paper discusses acorn development which is rather interesting when realizing if one is going to cut down trees, there needs to be acorns to grow new trees. This is everything you wanted to know about acorn development but were afraid to ask.

Northern red oak begins flowering at approximately age 25 (click here) but doesn’t reach maximum flower production until age 50 - 200 years. Flowers are incomplete and imperfect. Incomplete flowers lack one or more of the four basic floral parts such as petals, sepals, carpels and stamens (Raven et al. 1992). An imperfect flower contains only stamens or carpels but not both. Each oak flower contains either male or female structures. Northern red oak is monoecious (Sander 1990, Raven et al. 1992) which means that both the staminate (male) and pistillate (female) flowers occur upon the same tree. Cecich (1992) reported research by Irgens-Moller (1955) that the genus Quercus is capable of self fertilizing, but that Jovanovic et al. (1971) could not reproduce the same results....

The Washington State DNR wants citizens to realize the dangers of a Cascadian earthquake. It is serious.

August 27, 2019

The Washington state Department of Natural Resources (click here) on Tuesday, Aug. 27, released simulated models of what a large tsunami caused by a Cascadia earthquake would look like and how waves could impact local communities, including Bellingham.

“We know tsunamis will hit our state. It’s a question of when, not if, which means we need to prepare now. Our hope is that these stark videos drive home the need for communities to take action to become more secure and resilient,” Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz said in a release announcing the videos.

According to the release, DNR scientists developed the simulation videos to show what tsunamis triggered by a 9.0 earthquake on the Cascadia Subduction Zone might look like — showing the estimated height and speed of waves when they reach communities minutes after the quake....

The bark of the Northern Red Oak has a lot of character. It is also very hard at times.

It is dark grey to blackish with rough, deep furrows that have scaly ridges 

This particular tree is aged and is at Harvard University. (click here)

The habitat is moist, loamy, sandy, rocky and clay soils. They are often found in pure stands of this species.

The Northern Red Oak also has a red under bark. It is best seen in the twigs which who the red color. This is a spring twig with three buds, two at the top and one at the first node from the top.

The Midwest is still a disaster.

September 6, 2019

By Jessie Higgins

Evansville - A mountain of rotting soybeans in Missouri (click here) caught fire in July -- and continues to burn.

The huge pile started to rot after being soaked during historic spring flooding that hit northern Missouri, western Iowa and Nebraska, said Patrick Burke, a spokesman for Gavilon, a Nebraska-based company that owns a grain elevator on the property near Rock Port.

"With all that pressure on the decaying beans, it started to heat up," Burke said. "Then, we had a week straight of 100- to 110-degree days. So, essentially, it just combusted."

It is common for grain elevators to store soybeans -- and other grains -- in large outdoor piles, Burke said.

This pile caught fire in mid-July, and crews have been unable to extinguish the blaze for a number of reasons, Burke said.

When the fire started, much of the surrounding area still was underwater, and the roads were impassable, making it impossible for fire crews to reach the site, Burke said.

"Our only access to the facility for a while was by air boat," he said....

The leaves are elliptical with seven to eleven shallow wavy lobes and a few irregular bristle-tipped teeth.

It has a main vein in the center of the leaf where a stem extends to the twig. There are branching veins off the main vein into each lobe. Usually dull green above and dull light green beneath with hairs along the midvein. It turns brown or dark red in the autumn/fall. Leaves are clustered at the end of the twig.

Shorebirds, waterfowl, clams, shrimp, and fish are some of the many animals that live in the Yaquina estuary.

The Yaquina Estuary and Its Inhabitants (click here)

August 21, 2019
By Erin Ross

The Yaquina Estuary is one of the only places on the Oregon coast where native oysters can thrive.

Most of the West Coast’s estuary habitat has vanished, (click here) according to a new study, the most thorough of its kind. The mapping project found that, today, less than 15% of historic estuaries remain along the Washington, Oregon and California coastlines.

Estuaries form where fresh water from rivers and streams meets the salt water of the ocean. They take the form of salt marshes, tidal forests, beaches and steep river mouths. They are among the most productive and diverse ecosystems on Earth. Estuaries are also among the most endangered habitats on the planet. The study found that, at one point, salt marshes covered roughly 2,800 square miles of the West Coast. That’s an area larger than the state of Delaware. But today, that number has been reduced by more than 85%. Other research indicates rising seas caused by climate change could soon drown much of the little estuary habitat that remains.

Laura Brophy, an estuary ecologist at the Institute for Applied Ecology in Corvallis, Oregon, is one of the study’s authors. She said humans are responsible for the disappearing ecosystem.

“When Europeans arrived in this area they began doing the alterations that have caused the loss of the wetlands,” Brophy said....

Quercus rubra L.

Northern Red Oak

Sometimes if is called the Gray Oak. It is a large tree between 60 to 90 feet tall. The Northern Red Oak has a rounded crown and stout spreading branches.

It has a diameter of one to two and a half feet.

It is a great shade tree and handsome street tree. It grows quickly for an oak, endures cold, holds up under city conditions and transplants very well.

It is often a sought after lumber tree. The thickness of the trunk and branches are used for railroad cross ties, marine moorings and fence posts, besides the usual flooring and furniture. The Northern Red Oak is an indcator species in the Maple-Basswood forest.

 It's Sunday Night

September 8, 2019
by J. D. Morris

Firefighters (click here) continued to battle blazes across Northern California forests Sunday, with the largest mostly uncontrolled and growing.

The Walker Fire had expanded to 38,049 acres and was 5% contained Sunday morning, according to the U.S. Forest Service. It is burning in the Plumas National Forest, about 11 miles east of Taylorsville (Plumas County), and is California’s largest wildfire of the year so far.

The cause is under investigation.


38,000 Acres    The Red Bank Fire in Tehama County has charred 8,838 acres west of Red Bluff.

Tony Orlando & Dawn - Tie A Yellow Ribbon (click here for official website of Tony Orlando - thank you)

"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" by Tony Orlando and Dawn (click here for an appearance website - the team is still together - thank you)

I'm comin' home, I've done my time

Now I've got to know what is and isn't mine

If you received my letter telling you I'd soon be free

Then you'll know just what to do

If you still want me, if you still want me

Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree

It's been three long years, do you still want me?

If I don't see a ribbon round the ole oak tree

I'll stay on the bus, forget about us, put the blame on me

If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree

Bus driver, please look for me

'Cause I couldn't bear to see what I might see

I'm really still in prison and my love, she holds the key

A simple yellow ribbon's what I need to set me free

And I wrote and told her please

Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree

It's been…

Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree

It's been three long years, do you still want me? (still want me)
If I don't see a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree
I'll stay on the bus, forget about us, put the blame on me
If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree

Now the whole damn bus is cheerin' and I can't believe I see
A hundred yellow ribbons 'round the ole oak tree
I'm comin' home, umm-hmm

(Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)
(Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)
(Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)

(Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)
(Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)
(Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)

(Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)

(Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree)          

The Republicans are do nothing crackpots.

Senator Blunt is comfortable in his Washington office easy chair. He believes Trump is on the right path with the USA border, Afghanistan, sound science and dead Americans.

Evidently, Senator Blunt believes in armed camps of Americans both in Afghanistan and the USA. He states in the USA it is mental health that is the problem, but, in Afghanistan it is war. In both cases, it is the bullet that is the winner. How many years have Republicans cried mental health issues while there are continually shrinking number of mental health beds and innocent mentally healthy Americans continue to die? Dylann Roof received the death sentence not a life in a mental health facility. James Holmes is serving a life sentence without parole and not in a mental health facility. So, for the murderers that have lived through police assault to stop their rampages and/or investigation to find the murderer; they have been tried and never found to be mentally ill. USA MASS MURDERERS ARE NOT IN FACILITIES FOR THE CRIMINALLY INSANE.

Bullets have no conscience and neither do Republicans.

He thinks the border wall is an excellent deterrent to preventing illegal border crossing. He states this while he says there are ONLY 15 people out of 100 have legitimate reasons to cross the border into the USA. He highlights that those seeking asylum will wait in Mexico for their chance in court rather than disappearing into the USA. I can't imagine a judge providing a chance at citizenship if an ankle monitor were removed. 

He believes the sharpy "thing" just needs to be left alone. He does not support sound science and believes a president has the knowledge to challenge science and place Americans in danger.

Senator Blunt also has no comments about health care.

Serval cat spotted in Santa Fe National Forest, lured into capture with rotisserie chicken.

If harassing a National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama was to prove his competency Trump hasn't accomplished the task of his paranoia.

This is troubling news. Alabama was never going to be damaged by a deadly severe hurricane. There were a few computer lines that showed Dorian going into Alabama. There is much more than a computer line that goes into weather prediction.

This website reasonably discusses weather (click here), including the place where direct solar rays fall.

l. Solar Distance
2. Laditudinal Location
3. Air Pressure
4. Water Presence

There is an entirely different language used by meteorologists to illustrate what the weather is doing. One particular word is "wind shear." That has an impact on hurricanes.

National Weather Service Glossary (click here)

This glossary contains information on more than 2000 terms, phrases and abbreviations used by the NWS. Many of these terms and abbreviations are used by NWS forecasters to communicate between each other and have been in use for many years and before many NWS products were directly available to the public. It is the purpose of this glossary to aid the general public in better understanding NWS products.

Each one of those terms carries a clear understanding to what impacts weather. Weather prediction is not simple and when it comes to the USA National Weather Service, there is another word in the glossary, POPULATION EFFECTED.

The women and men that work for the National Weather Service always have in mind that their predictions effect the population of the USA. They also realize when weather prediction is made it carries with it expenses in using USA assets to protect people and their property. That also means a deep respect for people like Mayors, Governors and the National Guard. The decisions about predictions of the National Weather Service carries a great deal of brevity and the CORRECTNESS is vital.

When Dorian first raised concerns for landfall of the USA it was still uncertain, hence, the computer models were mostly the same but in that sameness, there were models that were all over the place. It is the JOB of CLEAR THINKING EXPERTS to sift through ALL the information, including the direct rays of the sun, and make their best prediction. When those factors were brought together, regardless of some computer models, Alabama did not fall into the "Cone of Uncertainty."

I stop to reflect on the correctness of the prediction of the National Weather Service and it did a remarkable job ONCE AGAIN.

President Trump is wrong. Very wrong. His wild ideas of where the prediction should have fallen are typical of his shoot from the hip attitude. I sometimes write about my observations, but, I do have credentials and training. I do not have the lab information the National Weather Service has and will NEVER claim to know what they know. I raise questions, not statements. I raise questions because I am not absolutely sure about those observations and statements. I can only hope to match the prediction ability of the National Weather Service. I am also anxious to save as many lives as possible and I do not hold back in commenting when that comment is not being heard otherwise.

The map President Trump showed with a marker to include Alabama was irresponsible. It was in retrospect to reality and served absolutely no purpose. The National Weather Service was clearly correct in their assessments, even when some of the directions of Dorian were a surprise. They incorporated the new information and went forward PROTECTING AS MANY LIVES POSSIBLE AND PRUDENTLY ADVISING GOVERNMENT DECISIONS MAKERS THAT WOULD DEPLOY ASSETS AVAILABLE TO THEM.

The weather happens to every one of us every day. It can be fun to talk about the weather. But, the talk has to stop when it highly insults the process of the National Weather Service and their very, very WISE predictions.

The country needs to realize it has one of the best predictions centers in the world. There is no reason to doubt their predictions. It is important that status stay intact to the future of the country.

September 6, 2019
By Seth Borenstein and Kevin Freking
Washington — A federal agency (click here) reversed course Friday on the question of whether President Donald Trump tweeted stale information about Hurricane Dorian potentially hitting Alabama, upsetting meteorologists around the country.

On Sunday, Trump had warned that Alabama, along with the Carolinas and Georgia, was "most likely to be hit (much) harder than anticipated."

The National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama, tweeted in response: "Alabama will NOT see any impacts from #Dorian. We repeat, no impacts from Hurricane #Dorian will be felt across Alabama. The system will remain too far east."             

Trump's sanity is in question.

The 25th Amendment only takes a majority regardless of the "Acting" status of so many leading the Executive Branch offices. That means if there are only three confirmed members to the President's Cabinet, two will be a majority.

There must be some degree of intolerance in the Cabinet when leadership has been winnowed by Trump to only a few. That is not a competent administration.

Section 4.

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

By Sonam Sheth

President Donald Trump's aides and confidants (click here) are growing more and more worried about his mental state after days of erratic behavior, wild outbursts, and bizarre fixations.

"No one knows what to expect from him anymore," one former White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations about the president, told Insider.

They added: "His mood changes from one minute to the next based on some headline or tweet, and the next thing you know his entire schedule gets tossed out the window because he's losing his s---."

The president's advisers are particularly worried about his stubborn refusal to acknowledge that a tweet he sent over the weekend claiming that Alabama was going to be hit by Hurricane Dorian was false. They believe that his frustration is compounded by stress about the 2020 election and the economy's recent downturn.

"People are used to the president saying things that aren't true, but this Alabama stuff is another story," the former official said. "This was the president sending out patently false information about a national-emergency situation as it was unfolding."...               

Americans are STILL waiting for an improved quality of life and the ABILITY to accumulate wealth.

August 21, 2019
By Danial Uria

Aug. 21 - The total amount of household debt in the United States (click here) has grown for the 20th consecutive quarter and student loans have become the most prevalent type of "severely derogatory" debt, new statistics show.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York said in its quarterly report household debt climbed by nearly $200 billion in the second quarter, to nearly $14 trillion.

Not only has rising student debt become the most defaulted, the New York Fed classified the spike over the last few years as "stunning."

"The outstanding severely derogatory balance is comprised of 35 percent defaulted student loans, which have grown stunningly since 2012," the report states.

The New York Fed defines "severely derogatory" as any kind of delinquent loan -- along with repossession, foreclosure or charge off -- meaning the lender has removed a debt from its books....

Since 2011, the cost of living has been 2.3 percent. This year it will be between 1.8 and 2.1 percent.

Starting in mid-2018, the long-awaited pick-up in wage growth seems to have arrived. In January 2019, wages grew by 3.2% year-over-year, up from the general 2.6-2.8% range wage growth had been hovering from mid-2016 to mid-2018.

Cost of living affects everyone, not just seniors. That means the wage increase in 2018-2019 is significantly lower when realizing the cost of living has been by 2.3 percent.

Therefore, 3.2 - 2.3 = 0.9 percent. The ACTUAL wage increase in the USA was LESS THAN ONE PERCENT. I don't see the poor and working poor at all improving their quality of life.

September 6, 2019
By Gina Heeb

American companies slashed thousands of jobs last month (click here) because of the yearlong trade dispute between the Trump administration and China, according to a new report.

Employers announced plans to cut 10,488 positions throughout August because of "trade difficulties," the staffing firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said in a monthly release on Thursday.

The report appeared to highlight lower confidence among investors and employers who expected a slowdown in demand for products and services, said Andrew Challenger, the vice president of Challenger, Gray & Christmas...

Is a month in prison and a fine of $20 thousand fine a deterrent?

September 6, 2019
By Raechal Shewfelt 

Felicity Huffman will spend a month in prison (click here) for her part in the college admissions scandal, if federal prosecutors have their way.

They filed a court document Friday asking that Huffman also face a year of supervised release and pay a $20,000 fine.

“Her efforts weren’t driven by need or desperation, but by a sense of entitlement, or at least moral cluelessness, facilitated by wealth and insularity,” prosecutors argued in the filing, per NBC News....

Students of poor and working poor parents have the opportunity to be used by for profit higher education.

September 6, 2019
By Aarthi Swaminathan

Democrats are criticizing new rules (click here) by the Department of Education (DOE) that will tighten how students of defunct for-profit colleges can claim debt relief.

The rules — set to come into effect on July 1, 2020 — could cut off more students who have attended for-profit colleges shut down and would then be eligible to have their student loans cancelled.

“When shady for-profit colleges cheat students, those students are entitled to get their student loans cancelled,” U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) tweeted on Wednesday. “That’s the law. I’m disgusted that [Education Secretary Betsy DeVos] is making it harder for defrauded students to have their loans discharged.”

Warren, who has called for a broad cancellation of student debt, previously called DeVos “the worst Secretary of Education we’ve seen.”

Experts in the field argued that the DOE’s latest move demonstrated how DeVos consistently pandered to the interests of for-profit colleges....

The Bahamians are stating their government failed them. I think the failure of humanity is obvious when it comes to island nations facing down these storms. I want to know if the USA turned down the opportunity to save lives. Why weren't USA transports deployed to evacuate people from these islands? These islands are allies and it appears to me there was gross neglect of USA responsibility.

I am certain there has to be treaties that exist, including those of humanitarian doctrines that were violated. This is the second time for the USA. Puerto Rico was the first island territory completely neglected and the deaths were in the thousands. It is something that needs to be examined.

I do believe there are still missing persons. That will be the case in the islands hit by Dorian. People get washed away in these storms. The missing need to be included in the death count as well.

The land that is underwater now may not surface again. The erosion during the storm and sea level rise may have removed any land. Geography has changed.

I thought Guiliani was too quiet.

If Guiliani is a facilitator to Trump's coercion of Ukraine's government he is also acting against NATO (click here). Ukraine is engaged in a conflict with Russia, an enemy of the USA and NATO. If Guiliani is using the power of the USA to carry out a political directive and disregarding the USA's national security, that is treason. What does he think he is doing? I am not surprised, but, if Guiliani is manipulating the Ukraine government he is in very deep trouble. He is not on USA soil anymore.

The facts about Hunter Biden is well known. I think it is up to Hunter Biden and his lawyer(s) to bring this forward to end the inflammatory plans of Trump. Ukraine needs the monies already appropriated by Congress. Petty politics is getting in the way. The corruption in Ukraine is well known. This is not new.

When Ukraine was transitioning to a relationship with Europe, the corruption was a very big issue and it was high on the agenda to end it.

Hunter Biden should not remain in shadows created by Guiliani. Guiliani is a snake, if he can serve the devil he will. I think Hunter needs to speak out about this and be as transparent as he can considering he was serving as a member of the board of a private company. Hunter needs to call out Guilinai and Trump and demand the monies the USA appropriated to Ukraine to be sent immediately. I think Hunter is the only one that can do this successfully. It is a matter of national security. An exclusive interview would help to reverse Trump's hideous and Un-American plans. I am quite confident the son of Joe Biden is more than competent to do this and clear this up once and for all.

July 22, 2019
By Michael Kranish and David L. Stern

Washington — When Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. (click here) traveled to Kiev , Ukraine, on Sunday for a series of meetings with the country’s leaders, one of the issues on his agenda was to encourage a more aggressive fight against Ukraine’s rampant corruption and stronger efforts to rein in the power of its oligarchs.

But the credibility of the vice president’s anticorruption message may have been undermined by the association of his son, Hunter Biden, with one of Ukraine’s largest natural gas companies, Burisma Holdings, and with its owner, Mykola Zlochevsky, who was Ukraine’s ecology minister under former President Viktor F. Yanukovych before he was forced into exile.

Hunter Biden, 45, a former Washington lobbyist, joined the Burisma board in April 2014. That month, as part of an investigation into money laundering, British officials froze London bank accounts containing $23 million that allegedly belonged to Mr. Zlochevsky....

The locals never wanted the golf course, but, Trump promised the moon and Scotland bought it.

By Glenn Campbell

Donald Trump came to Scotland (click here) to build the world’s greatest golf course on spectacular sand dunes on the Aberdeenshire coast.

He fought and won the planning rights to do so - bulldozing his way through environmental objections with the bold promise of a £1bn investment and thousands of jobs.

In pursuit of his vision, he clashed with politicians, nature lovers and even his own neighbours. In Scotland they’ve been hitting back at Mr Trump for more than a decade....

It was a unique and beautiful place on Earth.

June 28, 2019

The construction of the course has severely affected the dunes at Menie Estate

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) (click here) recommended the area be removed from the list, claiming construction of the course had severely affected the dunes at the Trump International Golf Course at Menie Estate, classed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Sally Thomas, SNH’s director of People and Nature, said: “The denotification of SSSIs is unusual. 

“However, in this case we have found there is no longer a reason to protect the dunes at Menie as they do not include enough of the special, natural features for which they were designated.

“Most of the time, development can take place without damaging important natural features, but this was not the case in this instance.”

The Trump Organisation called the move a “stitch-up” and said they had spent millions on the care, protection and maintenance of the SSSI area....

GM is a career, not just a job.

Mary Barra, the current CEO of GM and first woman CEO of a major auto manufacturer; started her career with GM as a fender inspector (click here) Her eduction is interesting, but, it includes a degree from Kettering (click here) located in Michigan.

The point is GM is a place where careers happen. Even a line worker can make a career of hourly labor and do well all the way to retirement. Flint workers need to consider applying for a job at GM. The jobs are under demand so don't take no for an answer. Continue to be interested and reapply when necessary, usually every six months. I don't know if files are kept past that. In the meantime, finish high school or get a GED and then consider study beyond high school.

Beginning of the Application Process (click here)

Our world-class hourly production and skilled trades employees (click here) are setting a new standard for modern manufacturing in a stimulating, fast-paced environment. They combine commitment and teamwork to consistently deliver more to our customers. With training resources and advanced technologies at their fingertips, their hard work and precision are forging the future of automotive excellence.


August 31, 2019

Last month, General Motors pushed out the old and welcomed the new by closing its Davison Road CCA facility and cutting the ribbon on a new ACDelco and GM Genuine Parts processing center in Burton. It shows GM’s commitment to the state it calls home and offers opportunities to area workers.

This latest GM venture in Michigan (click here) is three times the size of the warehouse it replaces, and MLive reports that it will employ more than 800 hourly and salaried members of staff. As of right now, about 700 of the employees came from Davison Road, represented by UAW Local 651, and an additional 150 moved north from a former facility in West Chester, Ohio.

Instead of building new cars or their components, team members here work with parts from subsidiaries and other facilities and then push them out to smaller distribution centers before they arrive at dealership service centers for repair work or modifications. Considering that Flint is the base for the General Motors Customer Care and Aftersales division, it’s an ideal location for a hub of this type. GM was also founded in Flint over 100 years ago and operated here before moving to Detroit.

According to MLive, this $65 million investment is GM’s largest in the United States for more than 40 years. The sprawling warehouse covers 1.1 million square feet, and the automaker estimates that employees will ship out up to 120 million parts a year to the rest of the country.

It’s encouraging to see General Motors invest more money in its American infrastructure. Who knows, the next time your car needs work the replacement parts might come to you via Flint, Michigan.

Flint, Michigan also has an assembly plant.

February 5, 2019
By Ron Fonger

Flint - General Motors (click here) says it’s bringing 1,000 new jobs to Flint Assembly to help build new heavy-duty pickup trucks.

GM spokeswoman Kathryn Teer confirmed the announcement Tuesday, Feb. 5, in an email to MLive-The Flint Journal.

Reuters reported that the company will give priority in hiring to GM workers who were laid off elsewhere.

It is an icon for North Carolina.

The outer banks have several lighthouses. The lighthouses are Bodie Island, Currituck Beach, Oak Island and the famous Cape Hatteras Lighthouse that was moved from an eroding base from the ocean about 15 years ago or so. There are others less famous.

Just by mentioning (click here) Ocracoke Island to coastal Carolinians, the southern section of North Carolina's Cape Hatteras National Seashore, you may get a history lesson of shipwrecks, buccaneer treachery and the Golden Age of Pirates. The tales of Edward Teach would fill a chapter of this coastal island's history book. Teach, the infamous Blackbeard, was feared by all who sailed the seas. Known to be "kin to the devil", Teach spent his final years on Ocracoke Island at what is now known as Teach's Hole.

Ocracoke Inlet was the only deep water entrance to Pamlico Sound and its shifting sands claimed one of its first vessels in 1585. The Diamond Shoals have destroyed so many ships, the area has been named Graveyard of the Atlantic. By the early 1800s, increased maritime traffic begged for a new navigational beacon as the original wooden lighthouse was burnt by a lightning fire.

Today, the Ocracoke Lighthouse, dating back to 1823, is North Carolina's oldest operating lighthouse. It's no wonder that the 75 foot tower is still intact once it's known the foundation base is 12 feet thick. Lighthouse walls are solid brick, measuring five feet thick at the bottom, tapering to two feet at the top. A concerted effort, made up of the National Parks Service, the U.S. Coast Guard and the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, protects, maintains and preserves this National Historic Landmark.