#OnThisDay: Berlin Airlift, 1948

When I read that today was the 76^th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift, I must admit my mind was a little short on details. One of the perks of writing this blog is that I get to study events in history and then share what I have learned.

Three of my last four blog posts have been light-hearted as I regaled you with details of my recent trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was a fun trip and I enjoyed sharing my memories and photographs with you; however, it is time for me to return to real life with my blog and other aspects of my life.

I learned a lot about the Berlin Airlift so I could blog about it today. If you, like me, were born after 1948, you maybe never studied mid-20^th century history when you were in school.

Background

At the Potsdam Conference at the end of World War II, it was agreed that Germany would be divided into four parts for the country’s transition into a post-war economy and government. The United States, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union were designated to occupy the four sectors. The city of Berlin, which sits in the center of Germany, was also divided into four sectors with the same plan for occupation.

The Russian sector covered the eastern half of Berlin and the other three countries split up the western half.

Under the plan, it was the responsibility of the Allied countries to support the German people in their designated sectors with food, medical supplies, and fuel until Germany could recover from its defeat in the war.

Berlin was in the middle of the Soviet-controlled sector of the country. In hindsight it is easy for me to see that this situation had trouble written all over it, but I must be reminded that the Soviet Union, France, Great Britain, and the United States were allies in World War II. That is difficult to get my mind around, since I grew up during the so-called “Cold War” of the 1950s and 1960s.

The straw that broke the camel’s back

The United States, Great Britain, and France introduced a new currency – the Deutschmark – in an effort to revive the German economy. The Soviet Union balked at the proposal because it wanted to continue to bring Germany to its knees.

In response to the monetary proposal made by the Western Allies, the Soviet Union imposed a blockade of Berlin on June 24, 1948 after giving the Western Allies just 24 hours’ notice.

It was on that day, 76 years ago today, that the roads and waterways into Berlin were closed to American, British, and French access.

The Soviets wanted to starve West Berliners and through the very threat of starvation wanted to force West Berliners into coming across to the Soviet side.

The blockade meant that the Western Allies could no longer bring supplies in via roads or the rivers. For a while, East and West Berliners could freely move from one sector to another. Many of them needed to travel into the opposing sector for jobs.

But in October 1948 new regulations prohibited free movement. Seventy-one roadblocks were set up and everyone wishing to cross into or out of the Soviet-occupied sector was searched.

The solution

The solution to the Soviet-imposed blockade was the Berlin Airlift. The Germans called it Luftbrücke which translates into English as “airbridge.”

I have found conflicting statistics about the Berlin Airlift, which lasted until the blockade was lifted on May 12, 1949. Allied planes were constantly landing around-the-clock at airfields in Berlin. One source said it was every three minutes, and another source said at its busiest a plane was landing every 45 seconds.

It was described as a constant noise, but it was a noise that reminded Berliners that they had not been abandoned by the United States, Great Britain, or France when the Soviet Union left them out to dry. They were not at the mercy of the Soviet Union.

It is said that the airlift brought more than food, medical supplies, and fuel into Berlin. Perhaps most importantly, it brought Berliners hope. The Berliners did not just sit idly by waiting for help. More than 10,000 of them worked at the airfields in various support positions to keep the airlift running as smoothly as possible.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created on April 4, 1949, which sent a strong message to the Soviet Union and, no doubt, prompted an end to the blockade five weeks later.

After the Berlin Airlift

West Germany was established as a democratic state two weeks after the end of the Berlin Airlift. Soon thereafter, East Germany was created.

For those of you too young to remember and who have not studied post-World War II world history, West Germany continued to exist as a free country and East Germany existed as a communist country until the reunification of Germany on October 3, 1990.

East Germany had to put a stop to East Germans fleeing to West Berlin. The Berlin Wall went up literally overnight on August 12, 1961 and encircled West Berlin until 1989. Overnight tens of thousands of West Berliners lost their jobs in East Berlin because the wall could not be crossed.

A small section of the Berlin Wall. Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash.

The Berlin Wall was a series of concentric barriers – a concrete wall with guard towers, anti-vehicle trenches, beds of nails and barbed wire. It was rare for anyone to successfully cross the wall. At least 171 people were killed trying to escape East Berlin.

The Berlin Wall. Photo by Tomas Val on Unsplash.

The tearing down of the Berlin Wall

Sign at “Checkpoint Charlie” in Berlin. Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash.

On November 9, 1989 the East German Community Party announced new policies regarding border crossings and the gates were opened.

People took picks and hammers and started tearing down the concrete wall. Bulldozers pushed down sections of the wall until it was gone.

After 44 years, Berlin once again became one city. And Germany was finally once again one sovereign country.

In conclusion

This is a condensed version of what happened and all sources do not agree on every date. If you wish to do your own research, there are many books that offer the details and idiosyncrasies of the airlift. Check the public library and the internet for a list of reputable sources.

Until my next blog post

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog today.

My next blog post will be on July 1. June just flew by!

I hope you have a good book to read – one that you don’t want to put down!

Value the time you have with friends and family.

Remember the people of Ukraine.

Janet

May 2024 – Not my usual month of reading!

I read bits and pieces of various books in May, but there were only two that I read from cover-to-cover or deserved a mention on my blog today. I went on a nice vacation and ended up not reading any of the books I took with me.

Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential, by Tiago Forte

*Building a Second Brain*, by Tiago Forte

I was intrigued by this book’s title after reading a reference to it in passing in a blog post. I was able to borrow it from the public library immediately.

If you’re like me, you feel like your brain is constantly overloaded. As a 71-year-old person trying to learn something new every day, honing my writing skills by reading what the “experts” recommend, and taking notes from the variety of history and other nonfiction books I read… whew! It just seems like too much for my brain to absorb and remember.

Building a Second Brain, by Tiago Forte gave me much to consider and some techniques to try. The “Second Brain” he is talking about is a digital way to record and store the things you wish you could remember. The method the author lays out that works for him is a tad more involved than I want to pursue at this stage of my life and my level of tech savvy, but I did pick up some helpful lessons and things I want to implement.

The book also talks about various apps, some of which I’ve looked for and others I haven’t gotten around to yet. Did you know there are apps that will automatically capture the things you highlight in an ebook? Learning that is probably my best takeaway from the book!

I was intrigued by the idea presented in the book about being able to capture all the lines I’ve highlighted in my Kindle books; however, as I pursued that it seemed no matter which route I took it was going to cost me. I looked into Readwise.io and Evernote.com. Readwise.io Lite is $5.59 per month. I’m not sure my limited budget wants to add that new expense. I need more information before I make that decision. Anytime a website says, “Get started for free,” I proceed with caution.

It was deeply instilled in me in high school to be ever-cautious to never ever, ever plagiarize. My high school term papers were probably nothing more than a string of quotes from my research sources because I was afraid to distill the information into any semblance of a summary. And heaven forbid I take my source material and have an independent thought!

As a writer now, I appreciate the laws and rules against plagiarism; however, the fear ingrained in me as a teenager has almost paralyzed me as an adult. When I take notes from a history or other nonfiction book, I tend to take meticulous notes because (1) due to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome I have memory problems and (2) if I ever want to quote from a book or even summarize it, I don’t want to plagiarize.

This book prompted me to start condensing the notes I’ve take from books about the craft and mechanics of writing and still have access to the original verbatim original notes I took. That was time well-spent.

One last point… As usual, I’m probably the last person on Earth to learn this: Did you know you can sign into your Amazon account and then go to read.amazon.com and see all the things you have highlighted in each of your Kindle books?

Outer Banks Mysteries & Seaside Stories, by Charles Harry Whedbee

*Outer Banks Mysteries & Seaside Stories*, by Charles Harry Whedlbee

This little book contains 15 stories from the Outer Banks and other coastal counties of North Carolina.

Here’s a sampling:

“The Dram Tree” is about a cypress tree that was in the harbor of Edenton, NC for hundreds of years. Every ship that came in would stop and a bottle of rum would be left at the tree. Every ship would pause by the tree as it left the harbor. A bottle of rum would be retrieved, and the crew would share a drink to fortify themselves for their voyage.

“The Gray Man of Hatteras” is about the apparition of an old man that has appeared to Coast Guardsmen and others. It is said he appears when a hurricane is approaching.

I enjoyed this book so much that I ordered a used copy of it and used copies of Mr. Whedbee’s other books.

Until my next blog post

I hope you have a good book to read.

Enjoy the simple pleasures in life.

Remember the people of Ukraine.

Janet

This Writer Needed a Change of Scenery — Part III

Between the piedmont of North Carolina and the Outer Banks there are many interesting places to visit. Here’s a sampling of the places my sister and I stopped to enjoy in the northeastern coastal plain on our way to and from the Outer Banks a month ago.

Somerset Place State Historic Site and Lake Phelps

On the way, we visited Somerset Place State Historic Site (https://historicsites.nc.gov/all-sites/somerset-place) again and ate a picnic lunch at Pettigrew State Park (https://www.ncparks.gov/state-parks/pettigrew-state-park) on Lake Phelps. Somerset Place is a restored plantation.

The plantation house was not open for tours on this trip, but we were more interested in seeing some of the slave buildings. The foundations of some of the buildings used by the Africans who were enslaved there in the 18^th and early 19^th centuries have been excavated. Several have been identified as buildings that were used by the slaves to prepare their midday and communal Sunday meals.

Excavated foundations of buildings at Somerset Place

There was also an on-site jail, stocks, and descriptions of the punishment meted out to some of the slaves who attempted to escape.

Below is a photo of a building called Old Sucky’s House. It is a reconstruction of one of the many dormitory-like structures at Somerset Place that housed as many of 26 people. Old Sucky Davis was known as a matriarch among the hundreds of slaves that were held at Somerset Place.

Old Sucky’s House (Reconstructed) at Somerset Place

Interior of Kitchen House at Somerset Place

Needless to say, Somerset Place was a somber first stop on our trip. If you want to learn more about this plantation, I highly recommend Somerset Homecoming: Recovering a Lost Heritage, by Dorothy Spruill Redford with Michael D’Orso.

Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge

Our next stop was the visitor center for Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge on the Scuppernong River in Columbia, NC. This is on the Inner Banks on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula in the northeastern part of the state. In case you are not familiar with the word “pocosin,” it is derived from a Native American word that means “swamp on a hill.”

The refuge has a sponge-like organic soil called peat. It varies in depth there from two inches to 12 feet, and it takes 100 years for one inch of peat to be created. Tree stumps four feet in diameter have been found there which indicates there was once a white cedar and cypress swamp forest there.

Peat can burn underground and even as it floats on water. Some peat fires here have burned for months on end. As one can imagine, it is difficult to extinguish such a fire. The pond pine and some other plants there depend on fire for their propagation. The heat from fire is necessary for the pond pine cones to release their seeds.

Interpretive Boardwalk at Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge

Wild irises were in bloom the day of our visit. More than 100,000 ducks, geese, and swans over-winter on the refuge. The refuge and surrounding area are home to an estimated 8,000 black bears. To learn more about the refuge, visit https://www.fws.gov/refuge/pocosin-lakes/about-us.

Wild Irises at Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge

On the way home, we visited Jarvisburg Historic Colored School, the Great Dismal Swamp Canal (https://dismalswampwelcomecenter.com/), Merchant’s Millpond State Park (https://www.ncparks.gov/state-parks/merchants-millpond-state-park), and Sylvan Heights Bird Park (https://www.shwpark.com/) – three places I’d never made time for before.

Jarvisburg Historic Colored School

First, we stopped at Jarvisburg Historic Colored School at Jarvisburg, NC. (Yes, that’s the official name. I’m not being disrespectful.) Established in 1868, the school building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Unfortunately, it was closed for restoration. (That was a recurring theme on our trip!)

Great Dismal Swamp

We saw just a miniscule part of the Great Dismal Swamp, a portion of which is in Virginia. It once covered a million square miles. The canal was created by slave labor in the 1700s. It is unimaginable the miserable work that was in the heat and humidity of northeastern North Carolina, not to mention the poisonous snakes, alligators, and mosquitoes.

Dismal Swamp Canal (a.k.a, Lake Drummond Canal)

Constructed about 1805, the canal is now part of the Intracoastal Waterway and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There were five boats and small yachts moored at the landing near the visitor center when we arrived. One was from Maine, one was from Toronto, and one was from Washington State.

Boats and small yachts moored at Great Dismal Swamp Canal Visitor Center

Across the canal is the Dismal Swamp State Park. It has a visitor center and walking trails. Exhibits in the visitor center include wildlife, early Native American, commercial logging in the swamp, and the swamp’s participation in the Underground Railroad during the American Civil War.

Dismal Swamp State Park entrance at canal drawbridge

Unfortunately, every acre of the Great Dismal Swamp has been logged at least once.

When we were leaving the walking trails on the other side of the drawbridge, we got to see a small vessel cross through. The canal traffic has right-of-way over pedestrians, but we were entertained by seeing both ends of the bridge rise while the middle section of it swung to the side.

Dismal Swamp Canal Drawbridge in Operation

Merchant’s Millpond State Park

Merchant’s Millpond State Park is just a few miles west of the Great Dismal Swamp Canal. There is a 19.5-foot dugout canoe from the 1800s on display in the visitor center.

View of Spanish Moss hanging on trees at Merchant’s Millpond State Park

Cypress trees at Merchant’s Millpond State Park

We thoroughly enjoyed walking on the trail there. It was quite something to see. The park includes 3,500 acres, the millpond, and Lassiter Swamp. We did not see any of the native alligators, but that’s okay.

Boat ramp at Merchant’s Millpond State Park

Sky and clouds reflected in water at Merchant’s Millpond State Park

Sylvan Heights Bird Park

The last destination on our trip before visiting a friend in the Raleigh area was Sylvan Heights Bird Park at Scotland Neck, NC. The Sylvan Heights Bird Park and adjacent Sylvan Heights Avian Breeding Center just might be North Carolina’s best keep secret! In today’s blog post I’m sharing just a small fraction of the photos I took at the park.

It was a perfect last stop on our trip home from the 120-mile string of barrier islands that form the outer coast of North Carolina. Here’s a bit of the history of the park and avian breeding center…

Mike and Ali Lubbock moved to the United States from England in 1981. They had extensive waterfowl knowledge and founded Sylvan Heights Waterfowl in the mountain town of Sylva, NC.

In 1989 the internationally-known aviculturist Lubbocks moved their entire collection and operation to Scotland Neck in northeastern North Carolina where they founded the Sylvan Heights Avian Breeding Center. Today, the center cares for more than 2,500 individual birds, including more than 1,000 hatchlings every year.

The center is an avicultural training site for biologists with an interest in conservation. Professionals from zoos from across the United States go there to learn advanced avian husbandry techniques.

Quoting from the website, “Sylvan Heights is home to breeding populations of some of the world’s rarest waterfowl. In some cases, fewer than 250 individuals of these species remain in the wild, and the collaborative captive breeding programs taking place here may be their last barrier against extinction.”

Himalayan Monal – The National Bird of Nepal

Sylvan Heights Bird Park opened in 2006. The park “seeks to advance conservation of waterfowl and wetlands, to act as a local educational resource for avian biology and wetlands ecology, and to serve as an international center for avicultural training and research.”

Guinea Turaco (Underneath side of its wings are bright red!)

Sylvan Heights has the largest collection of exotic and rare waterfowl in the world. It houses more than 3,000 birds representing 140 species. Together, the park and the breeding center form the world’s largest waterfowl collection and the second largest collection of birds in the country.

The Sylvan Heights Avian Breeding Center is not open to the public, due to the nature of its work, but the park is open year-round.

Wetland Bridge in Sylvan Heights Bird Park

Whew! This trip had been on my “bucket list” since before the Covid-19 pandemic. I needed a change of scenery, and this trip delivered! Each day held the promise of walking, enjoying the beauty of nature, peace and quiet, relaxation, and learning something new. What more could someone desire?

Are northeastern North Carolina and the Outer Banks now on YOUR bucket list?

Until my next blog post

In case you missed my two blog posts about that trip, here are the links: https://janetswritingblog.com/2024/05/27/this-writer-needed-a-change-of-scenery-part-i/ and https://janetswritingblog.com/2024/06/03/this-writer-needed-a-change-of-scenery-part-ii/.

Unfortunately, my publisher did not let me compile books of vintage postcards from either the piedmont or coastal plain of North Carolina because the company was not set up to market regional books, but don’t let that stop you from purchasing my vintage postcard book, The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Please look for it on Amazon!

I hope you have a good book to read.

Remember the people of Ukraine.

Janet

This Writer Needed a Change of Scenery — Part II

On the first Monday of each month I usually blog about some of the books I read the previous month. I will write about a couple of the books I read in May in my post on June 17.

Last Monday I blogged about visiting the northern end of the Outer Banks of North Carolina in mid-May. I failed to illustrate Jockey’s Ridge adequately, so here are a few photos to show you just a little of that massive sand dune.

Amateurs learning to hang glide at Jockey’s Ridge in spite of a control burn being conducted that day.

A view of a small portion of Jockey’s Ridge

Jockey’s Ridge State Park covers 427 acres. It is estimated that the dune contains 30 million tons of sand and has been there for 7,000 years. For more information, visit https://www.ncparks.gov/state-parks/jockeys-ridge-state-park.

The southern end of the Outer Banks

The rest of today’s post covers the sights on the southern part of those barrier islands.

I hope you will be inspired by my blog to add the Outer Banks to your “bucket list” as the 120-mile-long string of barrier islands is a natural treasure everyone should get to see at least once.

Enjoy the beautiful Bodie Island Lighthouse and adjoining boardwalk trail. https://www.nps.gov/caha/planyourvisit/bils.htm

Set aside time to hike in the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. https://www.fws.gov/refuge/pea-island

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge – View from hiking trail

Take advantage of beach access stops along the way to enjoy the sand, the churning Atlantic Ocean, and Pamlico Sound.

You might have to hike over a sand dune to get to the ocean!

Be sure to visit the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station in Rodanthe, established 150 years ago, to learn about the bravery of the men who risked their lives for decades to rescue sailors in distress along this “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” The video there is quite informative. For more information to help you plan your visit, this website gives details: https://chicamacomico.org/.

We tend to think of all of World War I taking place faraway in Europe and, indeed, most of it did; however, the Atlantic coast of the US was not immune to attack and the ramifications of sea warfare between Germany and England. Below is a photo of the roadside marker about the nearby sinking of a British tanker, Mirlo, by a German submarine. Coast Guardsmen stationed at Chicamacomico saved most of the tanker’s crew. If you want to read more about the rescue of the Mirlo, I recommend this website: https://www.ncpedia.org/mirlo-rescue.

World War I “Mirlo” Rescue Roadside Marker at Chicamacomico

Rodanthe was in the news again last week because another house fell into the ocean. According to the National Park Service, that’s the sixth privately-owned house to be claimed by the Atlantic in recent years. It makes one wonder why they were allowed to build houses there. Volunteers were sought the following day to clean up pieces of the house and its contents that had been strewn up and down the beach.

I took a picture of several houses the ocean is trying to claim on the beach at Buxton. This situation makes no sense to me.

Looks like some more houses on the Outer Banks are tempting fate!

Buxton is home to the glorious Hatteras Lighthouse – at 198.49 feet it is the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States. One word of caution, though: The Hatteras Lighthouse is undergoing two years of restoration and is currently encased in scaffolding.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse under restoration in May 2024

While it is closed, you can take virtual tour online at http://Cape Hatteras Light Station – Cape Hatteras National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov). Fortunately, I saw it at its original location before its historic move in 1999 to save it from the ocean. The visitor center is open and you can get close enough to take pictures of the lighthouse during the 18- to 24-month restoration.

The iconic black and white painted swirl just can be seen through the scaffolding, but you might want to wait and visit in the summer of 2026 to see it in all its beauty. If you like lighthouses, you’ll love this one!

(This month’s experience reminded us of our once-in-a-lifetime trip to New York City in the mid-1980s. We rode the Staten Island Ferry so we could see the Statue of Liberty even though it was being restored and was completely encased in scaffolding. We have a knack for seeing national landmarks during their restorations!)

If you go to Hatteras Island now, you can visit the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum. It has undergone a major remodel and was still closed when I was there on May 16-17. The grand re-opening was held on May 20, so I just missed getting to see the inside of it. Here’s the museum’s website: https://graveyardoftheatlantic.com/. Note that it is not open on weekends or state holidays.

Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum on Hatteras Island

Ocracoke Island

Storms along the Outer Banks wreak havoc with North Carolina Highway 12. Literally! The Department of Transportation constantly must remove sand from the highway, close it due to high water, and – occasionally – relocate the road.

A storm in April 2024 created all kinds of problems along NC-12. It had been restored to good condition down as far as Hatteras Village, but as of three weeks ago the portion on Ocracoke Island (http://First-timers Guide to Ocracoke Island – Visit Ocracoke NC) was still being worked on.

We had planned to take the free NC ferry from Hatteras Island to Ocracoke Island and the fee-supported NC ferry from Ocracoke to the mainland, but due to the one-lane traffic on part of Ocracoke Island we changed those plans and drove back up the Banks to Southern Shores and bridges to the mainland. (Here’s a important website, if you’re planning to use any of the 21 ferries operated by the NC Department of Transportation: https://www.ncdot.gov/travel-maps/ferry-tickets-services/routes/Pages/default.aspx.)

The Outer Banks of North Carolina are truly a national treasure. If you bemoan the fact that you must pay federal income tax, just remember that your hard-earned tax dollars help preserve miles and miles of the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

In fact, I’ve heard it suggested that if you resent paying income tax perhaps you should choose to think that all your tax dollars go to support the national parks, national seashores, and historic sites.

Look for the third and final installment of my blog series about my recent need for a change of scenery next week when I will tell you about the many points of interest we enjoyed on our way to and from the piedmont to the northeastern coastal plain of North Carolina. I think you are in for some surprises!

Until my next blog post

I hope you have a good book to read.

In case you missed the first part of my two-post blog series about the Outer Banks of North Carolina, here’s the link to my May 27, 2024 post: https://janetswritingblog.com/2024/05/27/this-writer-needed-a-change-of-scenery-part-i/.

Remember the people of Ukraine.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog! When you have a couple of minutes, I invite you to visit my website to see what I was doing prior to my trip and the types of writing I will continue to do: https://www.janetmorrisonbooks.com.

Janet

This Writer Needed a Change of Scenery – Part I

Not wanting to publicize online that I was going out-of-town, you probably did not know that I spent much of the second full week of May on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Having been there some 25 years ago, a return trip was on my and my sister’s “bucket lists.”

We packed so much into our trip that I decided to divide this “travelogue” into two parts. I will share Part II with you on Monday, June 3 and shift my usual “what I read last month” post to Monday, June 10.

Our departure was delayed by 24 hours by a storm that knocked out our electricity for 21 hours and took down literally hundreds of tree limbs in our yard. Yard clean up and some adjustments in our itinerary and reservations meant that we were exhausted when we finally left home, but the trip was salvaged. (And yard clean-up has continued since we returned home. Such is life when you live out in the country and have a yard full of large, old trees.)

The Outer Banks of North Carolina

The Outer Banks of North Carolina (often abbreviated as “OBX” these days) are truly a national natural treasure. They are a 120-mile-long string of barrier islands known as “The Graveyard of the Atlantic.”

Map showing locations of hundreds of shipwrecks along the Outer Banks – “Graveyard of the Atlantic”

Off Cape Hatteras is where the cold waters of the Labrador Stream collide with the warm water of the Gulf Stream. The clashing water and wind there constantly change to shape of the islands. It is said that the only constant on the Outer Banks is that they are constantly changing.

The massive sand dunes at Jockey’s Ridge are in a constant state of flux and shifts in height due to the wind. There’s a reason why the Wright Brothers decided to try out their “flying machine” there at Kitty Hawk in 1903. It seems like the wind never stops blowing.

To give you an example of the changes Mother Nature makes in the islands, the third (and present) Bodie (pronounced “body”) Island Lighthouse was completed in 1872 near the tip of Oregon Inlet. The lighthouse has never moved, but it is now two miles from the inlet! (https://www.nps.gov/caha/planyourvisit/bils.htm)

The northern end of the Outer Banks

We knew the northern end of the Outer Banks had been highly developed since we were last there, but it was worse than we anticipated. It’s unfortunate that vacationers and summer-only residents wanted all the conveniences of home. Whether they wanted that or not, that’s what they got.

North from Whalebone Junction to Corolla is wall-to-wall development. It’s a shame what has been built on such a fragile sliver of the coast. The Nags Head Woods Preserve (https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/nags-head-woods-ecological-preserve/

is still there protecting Jockey’s Ridge – the tallest living sand dunes in eastern United States. You can try your hand at learning to hang glide at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. (https://www.ncparks.gov/state-parks/jockeys-ridge-state-park)

There used to be miles of vacant land between Kitty Hawk and Duck and Corolla with the Spanish now-wild horses roaming freely. Now there’s a town called Southern Shores which runs into Duck which runs into Corolla. Multimillion dollar homes line NC Highway 12 and leave no vacant land.

The wild horses that have lived there for 400 years have now been corralled and fenced just north of Corolla for their own safety and one must pay a tour company big bucks to ride in a Hummer or a Jeep for a couple of hours in hopes of catching a glimpse of a few of those magnificent animals. We chose not to do that. We choose to remember them the way they used to be. Be sure and visit the gift shop of the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, Inc. (https://www.corollawildhorses.com/) where all proceeds support the maintenance and health of the wild horses.

At the north end of NC-12 there is a tiny parking lot. From there, one can hike and perhaps see some wild horses, but the lot was full when we were there.

We wanted to see the Currituck Beach Lighthouse again. (We love lighthouses!) Due to the growth of surrounding trees and the residential and commercial development in the last 25 years, the lighthouse at Corolla was more difficult to find than it was in the past. Nevertheless, we enjoyed seeing it one last time. (https://obcinc.org/currituck-beach-lighthouse/)

Meanwhile, traveling back south to Nags Head and Manteo…

Even if you aren’t interested in fishing, you might enjoy a stroll on Jennette’s Pier https://www.ncaquariums.com/jennettes-pier) at Nags Head. Associated with North Carolina Aquariums, this 1,000-foot-long concrete pier is a nice way to spend a few minutes or more. Fees are charged for fishing, but for $2.00 you can walk the pier and spend as much time as you like enjoying the views of the ocean and beach. The pier and its wooden predecessors have an interesting history.

We also enjoyed the North Carolina Aquarium (https://www.ncaquariums.com/roanoke-island) at Manteo on Roanoke Island. In the summer months there is a famous outdoor drama, “The Lost Colony” on Roanoke Island. That’s where North Carolina native Andy Griffith got his start in acting.

If you plan to visit the Outer Banks to see their stark beauty and leave some of the conveniences of home … well, at home, I recommend you spend two or three days on the northern banks if you must so you can visit the Wright Brothers National Memorial (https://www.nps.gov/wrbr/index.htm)

Wright Brothers Memorial, Kitty Hawk, NC

and the natural grandeur of Jockey’s Ridge,

the NC Aquarium,

and Jennette’s Pier,

but then leave the traffic and hubbub behind and drive south from Whalebone Junction into the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Welcome sign at Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Please read my June 3, 2024 blog post to learn about my favorite part of the Outer Banks – the peaceful, wild, and beautiful southern end.

Until my next blog post

I hope you have a good book to read.

Remember the people of Ukraine.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog! When you have a couple of minutes, I invite you to visit my website to see what I was doing prior to my trip and the types of writing I plan to continue to do: https://www.janetmorrisonbooks.com.

Janet

#OnThisDay: Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, 1775

I have blogged about today’s topic before. I try to always mention it near the anniversary date of the event because it is a little-known fact in US history. Indeed, it rarely gets mentioned even by the local journalists and reporters in the Mecklenburg County, North Carolina area today. (Of course, most of them moved here from other parts of the country and they are not aware of our local history.)

I don’t know that I can improve upon my Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence blog from 2022, so I am taking the liberty to quote from it today.

From my May 23, 2022 blog post, “Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, 1775”:

Today, my blog is about the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence in 1775 while present-day Cabarrus County was part of Mecklenburg County and its citizens played just as important a role in the declaration as anyone living in what is present-day Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.

Friday, May 20, 2022 was the 247^th anniversary of the signing of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence.

A recreation of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence

But what about the 1775 Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence?

I blogged about the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence on May 21, 2018. To refresh your memory, or to introduce you to the topic if you aren’t aware of it, the following nine paragraphs are reblogged from that post:

My immigrant ancestors were among the Scottish Presbyterian pioneers who settled old Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Years of discontent in the American colonies were piled on top of the anti-British Crown feelings they brought with them across the Atlantic.

Weary of unfair taxes imposed by the Crown and the discrimination they were subjected to as Presbyterians slowly brought the settlers to the boiling point. An example of the persecution these Presbyterians felt were the Vestry and Marriage Acts of 1769. Those acts fined Presbyterian ministers who dared to conduct marriage ceremonies. Only Anglican marriages were recognized by the government.

In May of 1771 a group of young men from the Rocky River Presbyterian Church congregation in the part of Mecklenburg County that later became Cabarrus County, disguised themselves by blackening their faces and under the cover of darkness ambushed a shipment of Royal munitions traveling north on the Great Wagon Road. The supplies were destined for Rowan County to put down the Regulator Movement.

Blowing up three wagons loaded with gunpowder and other supplies, the teens and young men who perpetrated the deed were declared outlaws by the Royal Governor and had to go into hiding until May 20, 1775 when all the citizens of Mecklenburg County were declared to be rebels against the British Crown.

On May 20, 1775, the citizens of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina declared themselves to be free and independent of the rule of Great Britain. It was a sober and sobering declaration not entered into lightly. Those American patriots meant business, and they knew the risks they were taking.

Archibald McCurdy, an Elder in Rocky River Presbyterian Church, heard the document read from the steps of the log courthouse in Charlotte. When he got home, he and his wife, Maggie, listed everyone they knew of who could be trusted in the coming fight for American independence.

No original copies of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence survive today. The local copy was lost in a house fire at the home of one of the signers. The copy taken to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia by Captain James Jack on horseback was also lost. Later, signers of the document recreated it from memory.

Nevertheless, those of us who were raised on stories of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence and the brave souls who risked their lives to sign it know that the document was real. The blood of the American patriots still flows in our veins and their spirit of freedom still beats in our hearts.

Don’t mess with our freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, or our freedom of assembly!

Until my next blog post

Just for the pleasure of it, read a good book.

Take time for friends and family.

Don’t forget the people of Ukraine.

Janet

Spring Sightings in North Carolina

I considered writing about the Jamestown, Virginia Colony today on the 417^th anniversary of its establishment, but I just could not muster enough interest in it this week to do the research necessary to blog about it. (You can thank me now or you can thank me later.)

I am taking the easy way out with my blog this week. Instead of researching the Jamestown Colony or waxing poetic about a book I’ve read, I have chosen to share with you some of the beauty of spring in my own yard.

Spring is by far my favorite season of the year because it follows the “dreaded winter.”

What’s not to love?

Until my next blog post

I hope you enjoy the gifts of spring or whatever season it is where you live. (I am well-aware that several of my readers live in Australia, and I don’t envy you of your transition into cold weather.)

I hope you have at least one good book to read this week.

Remember the people of Ukraine.

Janet

Books I Read in April 2024

As you will see from three of the four books I read last month, I chose to concentrate on my writing and historical research in April. Some of the following books might not pique your interest as a reader, but… you never know. I’ll start with the book that falls in a different category.

One Petal at a Time, by Joni Karen Caggiano

This is a book of poetry and prose written from the depths of pain and abuse. The writer bares her soul in her words earned from years of abuse by two alcoholic parents and further abuse from a male relative. It is difficult to read. I cannot identify with the horrors she writes about. I had a good life as a child and teen, and naively assumed everyone else lived in a calm, comfortable home with loving parents.

The silver lining in Ms. Caggiano’s book is that she eventually found love and has, as an adult, established a loving home for her own family. Others who have or are living in an abusive situation should find hope in Part 3 of this book and be inspired by her example, her statement of faith in God, and the fear that is no longer in her life. She is a retired nurse, a survivor, and an environmental advocate.

The book cover and interior are masterfully illustrated with the exquisite art of Francisco Bravo Cabrera, who is also known as Bodo Vespaciano. Through black line art he captures the essence of Ms. Caggiano’s words.

Historic Shallow Ford in Yadkin Valley: Crossroads Between East and West, by Marcia D. Phillips

The Shallow Ford on the Yadkin River in North Carolina plays a role in the historical novel I’m writing, so imagine my excitement when I discovered this book. It was published in 2022 by The History Press.

The Shallow Ford was a natural crossing of the river and was used by thousands of pioneers traveling on the Great Wagon Road and by armies during the American Revolution and the American Civil War. It was, no doubt, used by native Americans for thousands of years before the era of European settlement.

If you are interested in how the piedmont section of North Carolina was settled, then this book is for you. It mentions the various roads and how roads sprang up from the Great Wagon Road to lead to other parts of the state and adjoining states for commerce.

I was most interested in the first sixty percent of the book for its research value for my writing; however, the entire book gives a detailed look at the settlement, cultural development, and industrial development of the Yadkin Valley, which is more of less the area of present-day Davie, Yadkin, and Rowan counties for the purposes of this book.

The Yadkin River is one of the major rivers in North Carolina. It drains the area from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northwestern part of the state, through the lower piedmont – including where I live. At its confluence with the Uwharrie River it becomes the Pee Dee River, which is fed by the Rocky River and the Lumber River as it eventually flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Georgetown, South Carolina.

Written by “the keeper of the treasures in the Martin-Wall History Room at the Davie County Public Library,” the book is well-documented. In her work, Marcia D. Phillips had access to a wealth of local history sources as well as having the advantages of living in the area about which she wrote.

This book was a God-send for my research of the Shallow Ford of the Yadkin River.

In the Hollow of Your Hand: Slave Lullabies, collected and sung by Alice McGill, pictures by Michael Cummings; musical accompaniment on enclosed CD by Nancy Krebs

*In the Hollow of Your Hand: Slave Lullabies*,
collected by Alice McGill

This is a juvenile picture book that I happened upon at the public library in Charlotte while looking for documented American slavery songs as a part of my research for the historical novels I am writing.

Although it is classified as a Juvenile book, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The fact that it includes a musical CD with the author giving some narrative and singing the songs that have been passed down through the generations of her North Carolina family is the icing on the cake!

The book and CD include thirteen lullabies endemic to the families of slaves. Each lullaby is beautifully illustrated in the African-American tradition by the artwork of Michael Cummings. The banjo having its roots in the Africans who were brought to the American colonies and states as slaves, it is fitting that Nancy Krebs accompanies Alice McGill’s singing by playing the banjo.

There is pain, sorrow, familial separation, the threat of being sold to another slaveholder, and even death in these lullabies. If not for writers like Alice McGill, these wonderful nuggets from American history would be lost forever.

Painting the Past: A Guide for Writing Historical Fiction, by Meredith Allard.

My sister happened upon this book at the public library and brought it to my attention. It is a good book for someone beginning their journey as a writer of historical fiction and, at the same time, is a good book to remind a veteran historical fiction writer of why they do what they do.

Each chapter is introduced by a quote from a writer. I copied most of those quotes so I’ll have them as reminders when I question what I’m attempting to do as a writer.

The book talks about the joys and challenges faced by historical fiction writers, as well as our responsibilities. It addresses what constitutes historical fiction and how much leeway a writer has in sticking to the truth. A writer of historical fiction should always disclose what is fiction and what is fact.

The author talks about the importance of using trusted sources and how just because something is presented as a fact in a nonfiction book does not mean it is true. (That reminded me of something Sharyn McCrumb said in a speech I heard her make in Wilkes County, North Carolina many years ago. She said something like – and I must paraphrase here — some historical fiction is better-researched than some history books.)

The book addresses what historical fiction has in common with general fiction and how it differs. Lovers of historical fiction expect certain things in the novels they read, and it is incumbent upon the author to meet those expectations. If they don’t deliver, they lose all credibility.

I’ll close with a couple of quotes the author shared in her book. She quotes Guy Vanderhaeghe as follows: “History tells us what people do; historical fiction helps us imagine how they felt.”

And she quotes Isabel Allende as follows: “People have this nostalgic idea that the past was better, but the truth is most folks had very hard lives.”

Until my next blog post

I hope you always have a book that you can’t wait to get back to reading.

Appreciate friends and family.

Remember the people of Ukraine.

Janet

A Wake-Up Call for this Blogger

When I started Janet’s Writing Blog more than a decade ago, I didn’t know what I was doing. I had not read many blogs, but I thought I was ready to jump in and write my own after being prompted by my niece’s husband. Craig is much more tech savvy than I. He designed my website as it served me well for 20 years. His interests, time, and business responsibilities changed over the years, so in January 2023 my website was redesigned by Carolina Custom Designs.

My blog floundered for several years in the beginning as I tried to find my niche. I played around with how often to blog and how long a blog post should be. Things have gone more smoothly since I settled on posting every Monday.

I have slowly realized the potential my blog. In fact, I know I haven’t yet fully understood its potential.

It astounds me that people all over the world read my blog! In January 2024, for example, people in 36 countries read my blog.

I’m fortunate to live in the United States of America where I have freedom of speech and freedom to read anything I want.

I don’t want to run out of subject matter. I usually plan my blog post topics as much as a year in advance, but this year my editorial calendar just isn’t coming together like it has in the past.

Should I make some changes in my blog?

Last year was a busy year of getting my website redesigned; starting a newsletter in March; offering a free downloadable copy of my short story, “Slip Sliding Away” to everyone who subscribes to my newsletter; publishing a local history book, Harrisburg, Did You Know? Cabarrus History, Book 2; publishing my first ghost story, “Ghost of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse: An American Revolutionary War Ghost Story”; and, with my sister, Marie, published a cookbook, The Aunts in the Kitchen: Southern Family Recipes.

With all I had going on, I failed to keep expanding my editorial calendar. Having Covid in December, a health scare of a different nature at the same time which lapped over into January, and intermittent internet and telephone service for two weeks after a January 9 storm, I was in a mental fog until the first week in March. I do have the next four weekly blog posts planned and partially written; however, some weeks in the rest of 2024 need to be fleshed out.

More than 1,100 “follow” my blog, but most of them probably don’t read it every week. I try to keep in mind that although I have some loyal readers every week, there is always the chance (and hope!) that this will be the week when someone reads my blog for the first time. What can I write this week that will please my regular readers but also grab the attention of a first-time reader so much that they become a subscriber?

I don’t want to bore my loyal readers with references to my books, short stories, and website; however, I want that new reader to be aware of what I’ve written. It is a delicate balancing act.

What Ryan Lanz says a blogger should do

A list I keep in front of me as I plan my blog topics is Ryan Lanz’s “22 Ways to Impress a First-Time Blog Reader With Any Post.” Lanz sets the bar high! I don’t have Mr. Lanz’s permission to quote his list, but I’ll throw out several items on the list to give you an idea of what a blogger is challenged to do with every post:

“Tell them something they don’t know.”
“Tell them something they DO know.”
“Help them solve a problem.”

It only gets more challenging as you read the other 19 items on his list! The one that always trips me up is number 3. I have a feeling in my more than 13 years of blogging, I have probably never solved anyone’s problem! I just don’t see that as my responsibility.

My plan

The first months in a calendar year tend to prompt us into new beginnings and reflection. That’s what I will continue to do over the coming weeks, and I hope I’ll find enough topics of interest to keep blogging every Monday for the foreseeable future.

Stay tuned. Next week I will blog about the books I read in April.

Until my next blog post

I hope you have a good book to read.

If you are a blogger, you can probably identify with today’s post.

Don’t forget the people of Ukraine.

Remember to subscribe to my e-newsletter before the May issue if you want to learn about an on-going archaeological dig in North Carolina! Just visit https://www.janetmorrisonbooks.com and click on “Subscribe.” My thank-you gift to you is a downloadable copy of my historical short story, “Slip Sliding Away.”

Janet

What Are You Passionate About?

I am working my way through How to Write The Short Story, by Jack M. Bickham. As the title indicates, it is a book I expect to enhance my short story writing skills. However, the first 14 pages surprised me by offering self-inventory guidelines that I think anyone – not just writers – can benefit from practicing.

Mr. Bickham was the author of 75 novels and a host of books about the craft of writing.

It would not be fair to the current owner of Mr. Bickham’s copyright to the book for me to list all 10 steps in his guidelines for self-evaluation, but I’ll try to hit enough high spots to pique your interest even if you aren’t a writer.

Since I thought I could read this 200-page book in several days, imagine my surprise when I spent that amount of time working my way through the first 14 pages!

The root premise of How to Write The Short Story is that writers cannot write to their best form without knowing what they are passionate about deep down inside. The book systematically walks the reader through Mr. Bickham’s theory of how to do a thorough self-evaluation.

The secondary premise of the book is that once writers seriously go through this exercise and the remaining recommended steps in the book, they will be able to draw on their responses to write any story.

Mr. Bickham recommends jotting down on index cards (the book was published in 1994 when personal computers were still in their infancy) the reader’s responses to the series of questions he provides. He wants this information to be written in a form that can be accessed occasionally to remind yourself what makes you tick. Your responses might be added to or deleted as you live your life.

Mr. Bickham also strongly recommends that you not move on to the next step until you have completed the prior step. Even so, I don’t think I should take the liberty of listing all 10 steps. From the five steps I’m listing, you will get the jest of the exercise and perhaps be interested enough to look for the book.

Step 1

The first step in this self-evaluation is to write down 10 “things or ideas or places or actions that you feel very deeply about.” You might want to stop reading this blog post and do this step. You need to take your time and really think about what you feel deeply about. You might easily think of three to five things, but then it can take some thought to come up with the other five to seven ideas or places or actions. If taken seriously, this should prompt you to identify your core values.

Step 3

What are five ideas or concept in which you deeply believe? This is different from Step 1, but there will probably be some overlap.

Step 8

Write a paragraph about an event that brought you great sadness.

Step 9

Describe “a time and place that made you very angry.”

Step 10

Write about “a time and place that frightened you.”

I found this exercise helpful, did you?

If you are like me, it has been a long time – if ever – that you took the time to honestly address the above questions and requests.

Did you discover any surprises?

Since my last blog post

I have added several thousand words to the manuscript for The Heirloom after finding some historical information that was helpful and specific to the story. It was rewarding to put words on the page.

I visited Hart Square Village in Vale, North Carolina once again. I took a lot of pictures, learned about the composition of daubing used by the early settlers in the Catawba Valley, and learned about the best practices there today for the preservation of 200-year-old log structures. Again… useful for me to know as a writer of southern colonial American history.

Until my next blog post

Get back to that book you started reading but put aside.

Remember the people of Ukraine.

Janet

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