We'll Meet On That Beautiful Shore

And that's exactly how I like it. I wrote about my 1st and 2nd Homecoming experiences here, and there's something very comforting in knowing before we got on the boat that 2016 would be pretty much the same as 2014 and 2012. People don't make the pilgrimage to Portsmouth hoping for change. Portsmouth abides. 

Homecoming: NPS will meet us at the docks and carry our potluck contributions to the food tent, Melissa will be there to open the P.O. and postmark letters, volunteers will pass out the free annual Homecoming pins, houses will be open for exploring, Connie's going to lead the hymns, the church will be full of song and there'll be Amazing Grace in the Sweet By and By, Ken will preach a mini-sermon for "Throw Out the Lifeline," Ann will take the group photo, the church bells will ring, we'll all recite the Pledge of Allegiance, Friends of Portsmouth Island will thank the Park Service, the Park Service will thank Friends of Portsmouth Island, everyone will thank Dave Frum, Ivey will pray, Connie will sing "Marion's Song" about returning to her island home where nothing ever changes, David will share the history of Portsmouth Island, the descendants of Portsmouth families will stand and be applauded, the food ladies will set up the groaning boards and pour the tea, the dinner line will be amazingly long, but it will move fast, and like the loaves and fishes, there will be plenty of food. So. Much. Food. 

And then there'll be more visiting in the houses, school, and Lifesaving Station. We always save the best for last, and visit Henry Pigott's perfect little cottage on our way back to the dock.

Each Homecoming is the same, just like we like it, and each is unique. For my family, this was the first year that Caroline came with Mariah and me. Caroline is a senior at Ocracoke School, and couldn't remember ever being at Portsmouth Village. "You were four or five when you were here," I told her. "I have pictures." But still she doubts. This was also the first time that we've come by private boat (with our friends Jeramy, Jeanie, and Annelise) instead of with the Austins. This year, I bought Mariah a t-shirt. Little changes make each trip memorable. 

There are always a few new faces, of course, and also some that couldn't make it. Families grow and shrink. Last Homecoming, the church was closed due to hurricane damage; this year, little Luke Gallaher of Ocracoke was baptized there by the Rev. Richard Bryant. Babies and children make Portsmouth feel alive.

And, of course, there's the weather! Everyone talks about the weather like they're required to, observing whether it's better or worse than years past. This Homecoming was breezy and chilly and overcast, but it didn't rain and there was nary a mosquito. (Mosquitoes are a big topic of conversation, even when they're not around. During his history talk, David Quinn said his granddaddy claimed to have killed a mosquito so big it had a tick on it!) I took bug spray and didn't use it. I also took sunscreen and didn't use it, but should have. Cloudy skies are deceiving. I wished I had another layer of clothing, and then the sun came out just as the day was winding down. Pure bliss.

This year, Cape Lookout National Seashore is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and 2016 is also the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. Superintendent Pat Kenney told us that on March 10, 1966, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the legislation to create Cape Lookout National Seashore, he said "... the clear water and the warm sandy beaches of our coastline are our Nation's real treasure, but... this kind of a treasure is not always secure. The question that many times faces us is: Will it be owned by a handful of the wealthy people, or will we preserve it for the pleasure of every American?"

I'm not sure the Austins have enough boats and time to get every American to Portsmouth, but the 450 (at least!) of us there on Saturday were grateful for the wisdom and progressive thinking of North Carolinians who pushed for Cape Lookout and Portsmouth Village to be preserved for us and our children. 

See you in 2018!

Find out more about Friends of Portsmouth Island here. You can go to Portsmouth anytime – call the Austins at 252-928-4361.

Click on any photo below to enlarge it, then you can scroll through them all by clicking the "next" button in the upper right corner. Enjoy!