Seagull Says: Sassier than the surf and twice as unpredictable.

🌊 TODAY’S TIDE (Weather + Surf Report)

• 🌞 Thursday Weather
  Partly cloudy this morning with a chance (30%) that the skies throw a little shade—er, shower-this afternoon. High of 82°, with a smooth S breeze around 7 mph to keep your beach towel flapping. Humidity's hanging in at 77%, like a clingy ex.

  Tonight? Cloudy vibes continue with a low of 73° and 88% humidity to gently steam your evening plans. Winds from the SSW at 5–10 mph.

• 🏄‍♂️ Surf Report
  It’s flatter than a seagull’s sense of boundaries. The ocean’s basically a giant saltwater slip-n-slide today—no real swell to speak of. Maybe, maybe a ripple around low tide if you squint and manifest it. Bring your patience or a paddleboard; either way, don’t expect a thrill ride.

📰 HEADLINES + CHATTER

Pecking through the headlines so you don’t have to.

• 🚧 Bridge Drama: Now With Fewer Political Tantrums
  After sitting in grant purgatory thanks to a certain someone's red hat detour, federal funds are finally unlocked for the Alligator River bridge replacement and a Pea Island study. Translation: maybe—just maybe—we’ll stop playing bumper cars on U.S. 64 and N.C. 12 every time it rains sideways. The new fixed-span bridge (bless) is set to open in 2029. Until then, plan on a few more detours and a whole lot of honking.

• 🎓 Ocracoke Student Soars Thanks to Honeycutts
  Mariah Temple, UNC sophomore and Ocracoke alum, just scored big with a continued scholarship from Greg and Eden Honeycutt—aka the couple that’s done more for OBX than a case of cold Cheerwine on a summer day. If you didn’t already adore them for Ocean Atlantic Rentals or that whole YMCA thing, this scholarship fund is one more reason to put them on the local legend list.

• 💰 Dare County Approves $141M Budget: No Fireworks, Just Funds
  The Dare County Board of Commissioners passed their new budget with barely a squawk—unless you count tax rates that now come with more decimal points than a college math exam. Highlights include raises for county workers, more money for emergency services, and a few fire departments getting just enough extra cash to upgrade from duct tape to zip ties.

• 🐟 Local Fish House Levels Up: Cold Rooms + Big Cuts
  Jeffrey’s Seafood in Hatteras just opened a shiny new facility and it’s the real deal—vacuum sealers, shrimp sorters, and a fish-slicing room cold enough to keep the gossip fresh. This is local seafood getting the five-star treatment before it lands on your plate. Bonus: you can peep the crew at work through a giant glass window, like the world’s most delicious aquarium.

• 🏅 40 Years of County Grit Gets a Pin
  Three Dare County employees just got service pins for sticking it out for 10 or 20 years—no small feat when your job involves public service on an island where hurricane season is a personality trait. Shoutout to Jessica Nonnenmocher (10 years), Leigh George (20 years), and William Davis (10 years) for showing up, suiting up, and not quitting for beachier gigs.

🎟️ THURSDAY EVENTS

Because your beach towel deserves a social life, too.

• 🧘‍♀️ Dynamic Flow Fitness
  📍Duck Town Park, Duck | 7:30–8:15 AM
  Start your day stretching, sweating, and silently judging how early everyone else managed to show up.

• 🧘 Yoga in the Park
  📍Corolla | 7:30–8:30 AM
  If you’ve ever wanted to hold Warrior II while seagulls heckle from above, this is your moment.

• 🏄 Stand-Up Paddleboard Yoga
  📍Ride the Wind Surf Shop, Ocracoke | 8:30 AM
  Yoga + balance + open water = what could possibly go wrong? BYO core strength.

• 🏛️ Porch Talks
  📍Ocracoke Preservation Society, Ocracoke | 1:00 PM
  Like TED Talks, but saltier and with better porch vibes. Learn something, then wander off enlightened.

• 🍷 Acoustic Sunset Wine Down
  📍Sanctuary Vineyards, Jarvisburg | 5:30–8:30 PM
  Wine, music, and sunset views—this is your sign to stop pretending you’re going to be productive after 5.

• 🎸 Live Music with DC Duo
  📍Mike Dianna’s Grill Room, Corolla | 6:00 PM
  Eat, drink, groove, repeat. We hear their set pairs well with seafood and summer nostalgia.

• 🎨 Mermaid Musings Paint & Sip
  📍Stripers Bar and Grille, Manteo | 6:00–8:00 PM
  Get artsy while sipping something stronger than your willpower. No actual mermaids were consulted.

• 🎶 Concert on the Green
  📍Duck Town Park, Duck | 6:30 PM
  Pack a blanket, bring your people, and enjoy live tunes with a backdrop of ducks and vibes.

• 🎯 Cornhole League
  📍The Pioneer Theater, Manteo | 6:30 PM
  Toss bags. Make friends. Pretend it’s a sport (because it is, if you believe hard enough).

• 🎭 The Lost Colony
  📍Manteo | 8:30 PM
  An epic outdoor drama under the stars—spoiler alert: they’re still lost. Iconic every time.

• 🛍️ Dowdy Park Summer Farmers Market
  📍Nags Head | Dates vary – Not today, but worth noting
  Skip it today, but go mark your calendars. Thursdays are gonna smell like fresh basil and kettle corn.

• 👟 OBX Running Company 5K
  📍Kitty Hawk | Not today, but July 10 is your next shot
  You missed this morning’s dash, but your redemption arc starts now. Get those running shoes ready.

📍THE BEAK OF APPROVAL

🍩Proof Bakery – Baked goods worth betraying your beach bod for.
This Kill Devil Hills gem is where carbs meet cult status. Whether you're grabbing a croissant the size of your head or a loaf of sourdough that could change your weekend plans, Proof keeps things flaky in all the right ways.

📍3105 N. Croatan Hwy, Kill Devil Hills

Bonus: They sell out faster than a soundfront Airbnb on July 4th weekend. Go early, or prepare to sulk.

🚨 CRIME + SAFETY CORNER

Because the only thing more chaotic than beach traffic is beach people.

• 🐻 Bear vs. Bumper in Jarvisburg
  A single-vehicle crash on Caratoke Highway turned into a wildlife standoff when a bear showed up uninvited. Yes, a bear. No word on whether the bear used its blinker, but the car definitely didn’t win. Drivers: if it’s big, fuzzy, and doesn’t pay taxes, it has the right of way.

• 🛺 Kids on Golf Carts? Read This Before You Roll
  Thinking of loading up your little ones on the golf cart and cruising through town like it’s a parade float? Hold up. North Carolina has laws about kids, car seats, and carts—and Duck isn’t ducking around. Read the rules here before your joyride turns into a joy-fine. Because nothing says “vacay buzzkill” like explaining a ticket to grandma.

⛱️ VACAY OR STAY

🏡 FOR SALE: Plot Twist in the Maritime Forest

No house? No problem. This rare semi-soundfront lot in Kitty Hawk's North Dogwood Trail is just begging for your dream home—or at least a killer screened porch situation. Nestled deep in the maritime forest (read: no thru-traffic, no chaos), this 0.64-acre slice comes with sound views, serenity, and the chance to finally tell people, “Yeah, we built.”

📍292 N Dogwood Trl, Kitty Hawk | $379,000

Bonus: Comes with optional access to Southern Shores Civic Association perks like kayak launches, picnic spots, and one seriously underrated beach park. Your future house will thank you.

🌊 VACAY: The Coop – Coastal Cluckin’ Bliss in Duck

This tiny home might be called The Coop, but there’s nothing chicken about its charm. Tucked in a quiet Duck neighborhood just three minutes from the beach, this 1-bed nest is perfect for couples who’d rather chase sunsets than channel surf (no TV, folks—on purpose). With cool AC, beach access, and serious peace-and-quiet energy, it’s the simple stay you didn’t know you needed.

📍The Coop | Duck, NC

Bonus: No roosters, just rest. And maybe some Wi-Fi if you have to check your email (but like… don’t).

🕵️‍♀️ HEARD AROUND, IN, OVER, or UNDER THE DUNES

People keep asking if we’re joking. We wish we were. But nope—this is just OBX life: salty, slightly chaotic, and always under seagull surveillance.

• 🧴 “I just use tanning oil as bug spray. The gnats hate shine.” We cannot confirm effectiveness, but we can confirm the smell was… strong.

• 🚲 A tourist tried to ride an e-bike into the surf because “it’s electric, it should be fine.” Spoiler alert: it was not fine. It was sparks, panic, and one soggy backpack.

🔗 QUICK LINKS

• ⛴️Ferry Schedule – You can’t teleport to the Outer Banks (yet), so here’s how to float your way here the old-fashioned way.

• 🐾OBX SPCA Pet of the Week (more like every 10 days): Zeus, the cat, though he appears to be eating well, could use a fur-ever home to have more play time and extra lovin’! Sidenote from Zeus, he prefers a home with a well-stocked pantry. 😽

• 🌊Live Surf Cams – For “checking the surf,” but really just spying on beach traffic and seeing who already claimed your favorite spot.

• 💬Submit a Tip or Event – Got a hot lead, weird sighting, or something the seagulls should be squawking about? Slide it our way.

🧂FINAL PEEP FROM THE PERCH

If you liked what you read, forward it. If you didn’t, blame the wind. See ya tomorrow, squawkers.

Sign up. Stay salty. Be nosy.