I headed out early this morning – driving down to Ocracoke Island where Blackbeard the Pirate met his end.  According to the stories handed down about this notorious pirate, Blackbeard had a long beard that nearly covered his face.  To confound his enemies, he would stick cannon fuses under his hat, and lighting them during battle.   Already tall and striking of appearance, he would add to his menacing demeanor by wearing a crimson coat with bandoleers full of pistols and knives crossed on his chest, and two sharp swords at his waist.  The mere sight of him was enough to make most of his victims surrender without a fight.   Folks that surrendered peacefully would have their valuables taken from them and be allowed to sail away with their lives.  Folks that resisted were marooned and their ships were burnt. 

Blackbeard – whose given name was apparently Edward Teach or Thatch (historians differ) -- began his pirating career sometime after 1713.  His flagship was a 14-gun, richly laden French slaveship called Concorde that he captured in the Carribean and renamed Queen Anne's Revenge.  At the height of his activities, Blackbeard blockaded the port of Charleston, S.C. for a week in May of 1718. One week later, his flagship was lost at Beaufort Inlet. Blackbeard’s reign of piracy came to an end in November 1718.  Governor Alexander Spotswood of Virginia sent a Royal Navy contingent to North Carolina, where Blackbeard was killed in a bloody battle at Ocracoke Inlet on November 22, 1718.   The mighty pirate Blackbeard received  five musketball wounds and more than 20 sword lacerations before dying.    
 

The drive through Pea Island Wildlife refuge and down through Cape Hatteras was lovely.  Shore birds were plentiful and their antics were hilarious to watch.  I saw brown pelicans flying overhead, seagulls bathing in sandy puddles beside the road, and a white egret stalked along a sand dune searching for breakfast.  It was cloudy overhead, but not actively raining, and the wind whistled merrily over the roof of the car as the long grasses and low scrub of the sand dunes bent beneath the breeze and waves chopped up the waters of the sound and sprayed against the boats moored at the pier. 

I reached the ferry landing at last and got online.  Unsure what to do next, I stopped in the little shop next door and inquired about a fee for the ferry.  To my delight, I found out it was free, and the kind gentleman loaded me up with information about Ocracoke and ferry schedules. 
The ride to the island was marvelous.  The wind was so cold I had to put on scarf and gloves, but there were so many photo opportunities with all the gulls flying around and above the ferry and all the ships and buoys around us, not to mention the picturesque shoreline.  Once we reached the island, I drove down to see the wild ponies – now watched over by the National Park Service, and then had a relaxing lunch at a great local spot called Jason’s Restaurant.  The kind waitress gave me directions to the lighthouse, which I photographed, and then I spent a few minutes taking pictures of the sailboats before stopping at the visitor’s center to pick up some more folklore books about the Outer Banks.  A quick trip to the beach to collect sea shells and picture a wilder time long ago when Blackbeard’s ship – the Adventure – was forced ashore by Maynard’s two sloops.  The pirate was lured aboard Lieutenant Maynard’s ship – Ranger – where most of the crew were hiding below decks.  In a terrific battle between Maynard and Blackbeard, the pirate was killed and beheaded.  According to legend, Blackbeard’s ghost can sometimes still be seen walking the shores of the island at dusk, carrying a lantern as he searches for his head.    
 

On my way back to Southern Shores, I stopped at Cape Hatteras lighthouse to take pictures and walk along the beach.  Then I drove home through a gorgeous sunset.  What a beautiful way to end the day!