Up Front

It has been a year or so since I sold my rowboat and stopped depending on the tide chart we publish in the back of each issue, but doing therapy in the water for my healing arm has me using it daily again. The dropping tide rips where I swim off Waynick Boulevard, so catching the rising tide is important. I’m “swimming” for exercise but mainly working to reestablish my arm’s range of motion. My goal is to get that arm straight up to the noon position, not to mention fully functional again. Part of my routine includes floating on my back making saltwater angels instead of snow angels.

I have a history with snow angels, having lived in the middle of the Boone/Blowing Rock/Foscoe triangle for close to two decades. Our coast sees a taste of fall color every year, but nothing like the show the mountains display in October. This issue holds some ideas for a quick trip to Boone. I long to return to my favorite spot in the High Country, having not been there since January, just prior to my arm injury.

During my younger years in the mountains, working a music event at the once famous Hub Pub Club, I met one of our Wilmington notables, Charlie Daniels, when his song the “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” was all the rage. Daniels died from a hemorrhagic stroke on July 6th this year. I also had the pleasure of watching local celebrity Meadowlark Lemon play tricked-out basketball with the Harlem Globetrotters many years ago with my father. They combined humor and great athleticism in a pro sport unlike anything since, all done to the whistling tune of “Sweet Georgia Brown.” Another notable resident, the great Althea Gibson, was an answer on a recent Jeopardy episode. You will want to check our other notable citizens to learn which U.S. president also lived in our fair city.

This issue, we have a fish tale for you, our first piece of fiction written by 92-year-old George Clark. Our team is quite fond of George. Over the last 20 years, he may have been in our magazine more than any other Wrightsville Beach resident outside of our Social Seens pages. A former state senator, an attorney, incredible fisherman and an endearing person, George has a lot to say. He also may very well hold the distinction of being our biggest fan.

Enjoy the elbow room, ample parking spaces, and the stunning sunsets this time of year holds.

Love, joy and PEACE to all!

— Pat Bradford