From Fields to Shining Sea | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: Please join me in welcoming Author Michele Rhem, who presents us with her poignant memoirs of the Rabbit Patch, where her diaries weave tales of a simpler, expressive life lost to many, but gathered together in her most familiar environs - the Rabbit Patch.

    Once again. the rabbit patch is full of morning shine. Yesterdays' clouds are nowhere in sight. The first rays of sunlight lay in long, golden slants and makes the place look holy. Of course, there is standing water in the usual places and the breeze that moves through the sycamores, has a chill to it. The rain stopped, so the roof doesn't leak anymore. Hopefully that will get repaired today.

    Mama and Daddy are visiting with my sister, Connie at her beach house in Ocracoke. Mikes' mom, Miss Louise is there too. Yesterday, when I called, everyone had settled in. Daddy was watching a movie, Mike and Connie were working on a jigsaw puzzle and Mama and Miss Louise were working on word puzzles. This painted a cozy picture for me. All was well and it made me happy.

    Ocracoke is a small island off the N.C. coast. It is a quaint and lovely place with candy shops and ice cream sold out the back doors of small cottages. Once, when I was there, I met a lady who made dresses and had them hanging on her front porch, to sell. Vendors sell cold , tropical drinks or hotdogs in Ocracoke. People walk or bike to get around the village circle and so if you are prone to rushing, you may be in a bind right when you get off the ferry-which is the only way you will get there. Of course, my family will be fishing. Connie and her husband Mike, catch enough fish to feed a small army, every time they fish. They needn't exaggerate the size of their fish, either. The fish are huge specimens and reeling them in, has got to be as hard as digging a ditch, I think.

    The long time residents of Ocracoke speak in a brogue with all sorts of phrases not heard anywhere else. They pronounce words as they see fit. There are wild horses on the island and the beaches are never crowded. There are no "chain stores" but there is a general store that sells groceries -and bait. There are plenty of restaurants run by locals and worth bragging about. Ocracoke seems further away from the mainland, than just a few hours. Our Connie is "at home " on her beloved island.

    I have not seen Lyla in two weeks now. Jenny said she loved watching the storm yesterday. The "laughing river" spilt in to the streets, but without causing serious threats in the historical neighborhood- and the wind blew with might, in gusts. They watched from their porch , the same place that Lyla saw her first rainbow. To say that "I miss her", is putting it lightly. I have to wonder, what she is saying now, what is her current fancy and what new thing has she learned to do.

    Back at the rabbit patch, the roof needs fixing and the yard needs mowing. Woodland birds are singing while they dash about finding all sorts of seeds scattered by yesterdays' storm. The only fish here, are in creeks and ponds, often hidden in the woods. Young boys will battle briers, red bugs and poison ivy just to catch a small fish . . .and the horses abide in quiet pastures. The breeze here, does not smell of salt, but of cedar, pine and wild flowers. Instead of an ocean view, I look at fields and woods from my porch. There are so many beautiful ways to live a life, I think.

    Dear Diary, How lovely this world is, with its' oceans, ponds and laughing rivers -with its' wild and tame horses. No matter where I go, there is something to be glad about and people to love are every where!