A Different Kind of Easter

In normal years on Ocracoke the community gathers at the beach for an Easter Sunrise Service held jointly by the United Methodist and the Lifesaving Assembly of God churches, the only two churches on the island.  Since the beach runs from southwest to northeast, the ocean forms the perfect backdrop for the Easter sunrise to come up out of the sea as the service proceeds.

This year there were two problems:  first of all, the beach parking lot is still being used as the storage-prior-to-removal place for continuing refuse collection from Hurricane Dorian.  The parking lot is not open legally and, even if it were, it is filled with collected refuse that is on its way to some off-island land fill.  The second problem is the coronavirus.  Even if we could gather at the beach, the dangers of public assemble have made that fail to be an option for this season.

Easter Sunrise 2019.

The solution?  A drive-in sunrise service in the parking lot of the store!  Before 6:30 the lot was filled with rows of cars reminiscent of the drive-in theatre.  We missed the first row, so we could not see the masked leaders well spread out on the porch of the store.  Our tiny community radio station, WOVV, broadcast the service live so we could listen on the radio in the car.  It was a welcome and memorable community non-gathering!

Easter Sunrise Amidst COVID-19.

The remainder of the day was very beautiful indeed.  With the temperature at seventy we walked around the house, entertained by the beauty of our blooming Siberian Iris and glorying in the beginning appearance of baby figs on our fig trees.

Baby figs on the way!

If the plumber gets here tomorrow for one final day of work, we will be free to start moving full scale back into the house this week!