Dog Days Relief (Please) 08/11/07

 A cage-rattling line of thunderstorms came through town during the night last night, the likes of which we haven't seen in quite some time. I was driving home on Goodman Road fairly late last night after seeing BLT's hilarious performance of Nunsense. Debris was flying through the air and there was a constant rumble of the storm a comin'. It held off thankfully but when it finally hit, it hung around ALL night! I expected to wake up this morning to some cooler, fresher air-but nooo-August and its dependable dog days of summer will be with us just a little while longer.
I've read a lot of blogs this week, most of them real estate related, and I'm extremely impressed with the thoughtful insights offered up to the masses with a genuine dose of generosity. I'm not sure if I'll be capable of offering up anything of merit to readers other than to close friends and next of kin. Self-promotion doesn't come naturally to me. My comfort zone lies outside the box for the most part so I will trudge forward with this exercise. Already I am more plugged in to the community, keeping my eyes and ears open for news and happenings. And in this age of text messaging, the act of writing an unabridged piece of anything feels a bit daunting. Next blog I want to write about why I will continue to prioritize my focus as a buyer's agent. For me personally, it makes perfect sense.
I've attached a couple good reads. The first is the lead story from this week's State Port Pilot about our very own Cape Fear River Pilots, a coveted but perilous occupation that you pretty much have to be born into. And even if you have the right bloodline, the apprenticeship takes years, the hours are long, and the pay?..........I've heard rumor it's WELL into six figures. We see the Pilot boat pass the Southport Waterfront on daily basis and rarely stop to think about their responsibility in bringing these huge ships to Port and back. Does everyone already know that the Pilot on duty pulls up beside the incoming ship out at the sea buoy, another Pilot climbs a rope ladder up the side of the mammoth ship, and then takes over the helm from the ship's captain and guides her all the way to the Port of Wilmington. The same thing happens in reverse after the ship unloads and heads back out to sea. Only eight all-local Captains share in the duty of providing safe passage to ALL ship traffic. Salute!
The second link is a blog I randomly picked out of the many I read this week. It's analogy-focused and I'm always a sucker for creative analogies. For now I'll keep sending the best of what I'm reading, that is until the market picks up and I'm just too darn busy to do this.
VB