Winter things I love: An entire beach absolutely to myself. Tundra swans. A sunny spot in the lee of the wind. My husband's rockfish/sweet potato stew. Down comforters. Running in Nags Head Woods. Hot baths. Boots, scarves and hats. Chai lattes. Cabs, Riojas and Cotes du Rhones. Ice-edged marsh. Bundled-up kiddies. Locating the missing mitten. Static shocks. Early dinners and bedtimes. Guilt-free inside days. Going to the movies. Dark mornings. Sand-boarding down Jockey's Ridge. Smart Wool socks. Fires. Crunchy steps through frosted morning grass. Uncrowded restaurants. The way a cold wind makes you feel so alive...
See? I'm not entirely a winter-phobe. I admit the season has its charms, and with enough intake of Vitamin D and exercise, I can get through the next eight weeks with my positive attitude intact...
What are you doing to survive winter? * I have found that the best way not to be daunted by cold weather is to get out there in it. The Outer Banks Running Club's Frostbite 5K on Saturday is one way to do that. Entry to the race pays your OBRC membership for the year, plus you get a club shirt. The race begins at Aviation Park across from First Flight High School. Cost is $35 for adults; youth prices are $15 and $5 (with or without shirt). See www.outerbanksrunningclub.org for more info or show up to register at Outer Banks Sports Club on Friday afternoon. * Running in the winter is only miserable for the first five minutes. After that it's quite energizing...
If indoor exercising is more your thing, there are some interesting selections on our By Day listings. Think Zumba and Water Aerobics at the Outer Banks Family YMCA; Cardio Happy Hour and Yoga Flow at Spa Koru; Pilates and Yoga at Good For You in Manteo. * By the way, Saturday is National Yoga Day, and Spa Koru in Avon is hosting a free class that day...
Here's another little nugget to help you navigate the winter season with grace: a yoga retreat called Body, Mind and Spirit Rejuvenation. It's actually next weekend (Jan. 29-30), but you should go ahead and register now. Local yogis Michelle Dorer, Janice Lane and Heather Vandermyde are hosting this one at a cool house in Duck, and it's a weekend full of yoga (for all levels), setting intentions and learning about the yogic lifestyle...
This weekend, Outer Banks Yoga in Kitty Hawk is hosting a Soul Collage Workshop from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The workshop will help you gain clarity and understanding about your life through the sacred art of collage. Cost is $40 and you can call (805) 423-4824 to register...
Two big names in music are coming to the Outer Banks this week. Legendary country-music singer and songwriter David Allan Coe is going to play at Kelly's in Nags Head on Friday. He'll hit the stage around 10 p.m., following an opening band. You can get tix in advance or the day of the show ($25) at Kelly's. Coe's checkered past and bad-ass attitude supposedly make for a raucous show...
On Saturday, John Brown Orchestra is coming to town for the Outer Banks Forum for the Performing Arts' January show. Grammy-nominated bassist, composer, educator and actor John Brown has performed across the globe with renowned artists. He's playing at First Flight High School Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. See www.outerbanksforum.org for ticket information...
Other nightlife highlights: Mojo Collins is hosting his birthday bash at Ocean Boulevard on Friday night. Go get yourself a martini and check out Mojo and friends. * Speaking of martinis, Kelly's still has its Manicures and Martinis event every Thursday. * This weekend, Beach Road Grill has Barryoke on Friday and Matt & Friends on Saturday. Matt McGuire will be playing to a happy crowd at Stripers in Manteo on Friday night...
If you're someone who gets through winter through creative endeavors, be sure to enter a piece of your artwork in the 33rd Annual Frank Stick Memorial Art Show. Entries are being accepted next week on January 25 and 26 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. at Glenn Eure's Ghost Fleet Gallery in Nags Head. You could win some of the $1,500 in cash prizes. This year there will also be a literary component to the show on February 10 at 6:30 p.m. Call Dare County Arts Council at (252) 473-5558 for info...
This sounds interesting: the Outer Banks Peace and Justice Interfaith Coalition Documentary Film Series is screening a film called Traces of the Trade at Kelly's on Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. The film follows Producer/Director Katrina Browne, who tells the story of her forefathers, the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history. Given the myth that the South is solely responsible for slavery, viewers will be surprised to learn that Browne's ancestors were Northerners. The film follows Browne and nine fellow family members on a remarkable journey that brings them face-to-face with the history and legacy of New England's hidden enterprise...
The Outer Banks Hospital is hosting a learning workshop called Eating for Life: Nutrition and the Cancer Connection at noon on Friday at the hospital's Cancer Resource Center. Karla Coughenour, MA, registered dietitian at the hospital, will lead the seminar and a complimentary lunch will be served. Call (252) 449-9184 to register...
Elizabethan Gardens is having a Sidewalk Sale on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Items from the Gift Shop and Green House will be on sale, and they'll offer free admission to the gardens during those four hours...
If you want to attend the Outer Banks Hospital's Flights of Fancy Gala next Saturday night (Jan. 29), you should go ahead and get your tickets now. The proceeds from the gala support the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other diseases on the Outer Banks. For information, contact (252) 449-9184.
If you're stressed about the upcoming days off school (January 21 and 24), keep in mind that the Outer Banks Family YMCA has its SOS Day Camp for ages 5 to 12 from 7:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. on school vacation days. Call (252) 449-8897 to register. * The N.C. Aquarium also has an Aquarium Day Camp for ages 8 to 12 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Call (252) 473-3494 to register...
That's all for now. Keep looking around the site, and make comments if you'd like. Stay warm!...
About the Author Molly Harrison
Molly Harrison is managing editor at OneBoat, publisher of OuterBanksThisWeek.com. She moved to Nags Head in 1994 and since then has made her living writing articles and creating publications about the people, places and culture of the Outer Banks.
