Posts by WB Magazine
Beyond Reality
Examine a lone blossom, a blue hydrangea set off by a bold orange background, captured at a moment in time. The flower is showing a few signs of age — minuscule brown spots on a few petals, a piece of leaf turning from bright to fading green. It is at least twice the size of…
Read MoreDuck Hunt on Dead Man’s Bay
It was cold and dark just before dawn and the sleet came in waves from a howling northwest wind. We were crawling through a layer of slick ice toward the Simmons skiff tossing in a soup of whitecaps, moored at the end of the pier. I could see the freezing water churning and lapping on…
Read MoreBoutique Meat
Agriculture and agribusiness drive the North Carolina economy. It is the number one industry in the state, employing as much as one-fifth of the workforce. NC State University cites the economic impact as topping $103 billion. Just one to two generations ago, before the widespread proliferation of big box stores, it was common for people…
Read MoreOur Captain
This is the story of a Wrightsville shrimper who carried on a love affair with his family, with the sea, and with his grandson. He has been described as “larger than life.” “I am forever grateful for our special memories,” his daughter Hayden said at his celebration of life service in November 2023. “He started us…
Read MoreThe Seaside Park Hotel
On many a long-ago bright summer day, folks in Wilmington with time off from work headed for a shady, scenic spot along Bradley Creek and Wrightsville Sound. Not to Airlie Gardens, which did not exist in the early 1880s, but to the Seaside Park Hotel and its grounds. Even in the colonial days, shady groves…
Read MoreAzalea Festival Artwork Revealed
Each year, the president of the Azalea Festival chooses an artist to create the official artwork of the festival. The tradition of selecting local artists to produce works that reflect Wilmington and the event began in 1987. Sharon Jones was selected as the artist for the 2024 Azalea Festival. “The Azalea Festival means so much…
Read MoreGreen Spaces
Local businesses are creatively incorporating plants into commercial spaces, making them the focus of their interior design. The employee café at MegaCorp Logistics features giant moss wall panels, The Coastal Succulent + Design retail shop is like walking into a canopy of greenery, Evolve Companies has an 8-foot gorilla topiary and at The Green House…
Read MoreMy Thoughts
My photo this month came out of our Business of Distinction feature we do at least once a year. This year we decided to look at how greenery is being used in the commercial setting. I believe the Green Spaces feature will inspire ideas for gifts and for your own living and work environments. During…
Read MoreThe U.S. Coast Guard Mounted Patrol
In the long and honorable service of the United States Coast Guard, there was a unique assignment during World War II. Although a maritime service, it provided armed, horseback-mounted patrols along the nation’s coasts, including North Carolina’s beaches and barrier islands. Smith Island, now Bald Head Island, and Oak Island saw especially active patrols. Imagine…
Read MoreTeaching Young Sailors
High school sailing spans the country, broken into seven districts. The South Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association (SAISA) governs high school and collegiate regattas in a region that includes the Virgin Islands, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and North Carolina. Each year, there is a SAISA district sailing championship that leads to the national championship. Local…
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