$700.00
I Love Sand is an original oil painting by Debra Keirce. The art measures 11″ x 14″ with the frame measuring 13″ x 16″, frame included.
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There's nothing like digging your toes into a sandy beach on a hot day, in my humble opinion. But do you ever think about how much that sand has changed over the centuries?
The Outer Banks are not anchored to offshore coral reefs like some other barrier islands. That is why major storms result in significant beach erosion. In fact, entire islands have appeared and major land masses have disappeared due to the whims of passing storms. Hatteras Island was cut in half on September 18, 2003 when Hurricane Isabel washed a 2,000 foot wide and 15 foot deep channel (now called Isabel Inlet) right through Hatteras Village on the southern end of the island. It was refilled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, by dredging sand. But in 2011, Hurricane Irene cut the inlet and the island was cut in half again. Access to Hatteras was by boat only from August to October, until a temporary bridge could be built.
Another interesting fact about the sand is that it is constantly shifting with the tides. The Ocean Pursuit shipwreck happened near the Oregon Inlet in early 2020. I have been fascinated, watching the ship be covered and then uncovered by the shifting sands. Ultimately, the wreck is being reclaimed by the earth, but it is not uncommon for the ship to be sunken in the sand completely, and then exposed to a few feet below the decking, in just a few weeks.
Because the shoreline is always changing, wildlife must adapt as well. It's not unusual for an island to see an increase in an animal species after a storm. For example, rabbits or snakes might escape to higher ground when the waters recede and when things settle, you may find them on the island, and wonder how they got there.
