Kitty’s retirement this year let us hold off on vacation until October--the perfect time at the beach. We ferried over to spend four days on Ocracoke Island (with guidance from friends Fess Winstead and his wife Jennifer at Blue Heron Realty). Just laid back--lived by no schedule other than impulse.

The pace is just right in the fall on the island. Traffic has died down. The locals are relaxing after the tourist season. The mosquitos are nearly absent. We left on the Thursday ferry. They quit running the ferry on Friday as Sandy headed up the coast toward us. Ah, perfect timing.

Click here to see photos.