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A kayaker takes their inflatable vessel on a tour of Greens Creek.

Temps near 90 today. But it’ll be the last time it’s that warm for a while. Tomorrow in the mid 80s, and then near 80 for the rest of the week.

The week’s lower temperatures are accompanied by rain; 50% or more all week:

Sw winds at 10-15mph. Some thunderstorms “may be severe this afternoon.”

If you’re looking for a quiet way to spend your stormy afternoon, The Village Gallery’s August artist of the month is two-for-one: creative couple Janet & David Jaworski.

On display – her paintings and his photography. You can check out the work of several other artists as well. The Gallery is open until 5p today.

Find out more of what’s happening in town in What’s Happening.

2:09p Honey Magpie plays tonight at the Village Brewery. If you were in town for the 2017 Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival, you might remember them playing from a residential porch next to the River Neuse Suites… where a wedding was taking place.

Both the wedding march, and Honey Magpie’s rendition of Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow could be heard as the bride walked down the aisle.

No word on whether any of Carol King’s hits feature in tonight’s lineup, but you can catch the band in the beer garden starting about 5p.

And if you’re wondering, yes, dear reader, there will be an Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival in 2021. The lineup is set and ready for October 8-10.

8:10a After an overcast morning, a partly sunny should emerge. Clammy high near 90, a 40% chance of afternoon showers. Sunday about the same, but a degree or two warmer, and a 70% chance of precip.

• Neuse River Marine Forecast
• Pamlico Sound Marine Forecast
• TownDock Weather Radar

7:33a Today gets an acronym. CDOY.

Clamiest Day Of the Year.

Humidity (right now) in Oriental is 89%. Cherry Point measures 93%. We may as well be a fish.

CDOY may not be literally true (it hit 90% earlier this week), but by the harbor, the air seems thicker than ever. TownDock crew had a difficult time keeping fog off a camera lens.

2:25p Tonight from 5-7p is an exhibit opening at Artworks. Wine. Cheese. You’re invited. Here’s some of what you’ll see:


(click photo for larger view)

You’ll see the wine & cheese too. The exhibit showcases 29 artists from across the United States, working in 17 different mediums. More info here.

9:26a For almost August, it almost feels coolish by the harbor this morning. That won’t be the case this afternoon.

High mid 90s today, with Heat Index values reaching near 110. It cools down to mid 80s highs for the weekend.

On the Neuse 10-15 knots today & Saturday, 5-10 Sunday.

9:22a Town feels like summer.

The older groups of the Children’s Theater Summer Workshops share what they’ve learned, tonight at 7p at the Old Theater.

At the brewery a weekend of music. Tonight Barefoot Wade from 6-8p, Friday night HoffnFinch (aka Mark Hoff & Scott Finch), Saturday Honey Magpie.

Friday night Artworks August Exhibit debuts, with a wine & cheese party from 5-7p. Saturday night is “Date Night Paint Night” at Artworks.

It’s all in What’s Happening.

Today we get to dry out… sunny and near 90. Saturday cools to the mid 80s, still with clear skies.

Nothing going on in the tropics right now, but we are approaching the busy part of the tropical storm season.

3:21p There is a SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH in effect until 9p tonight, for most of eastern North Carolina, including Pamlico County.

10:12a There’s a new charter boat in town… and this time it isn’t a sailboat. It’s a trawler, a Monk 36. TownDock crew went for a voyage with Jim Edwards, who showed us how to handle the helm:

More info about the Monk 36 is at bowtosternboating.com.

3:48p Bunky, it’s time you put some points on the board. A frozen pizza just ain’t gonna do it. Time to venture just a tad outside your normal zone.

It just might be time for Date Night Paint Night.

It’s this Saturday evening, July 31, 7-9p at Artworks in Oriental. You and your date get all art supplies provided. You even get a glass of wine (it helps).

You and your date collaborate to create a painting. An Artworks artist will guide you (no experience required). Be brave and click here.

8:57a Invest 90, at the Georgia/SC coast, is about outta gas. There had been a concern the potential storm system could redevelop when/if it returned out to sea, but this morning the National Hurricane Center is dismissing that, stating: “Significant redevelopment of this system is not expected. Formation chance through 5 days…low…near 0 percent.

8:40a That big orange cable being installed on Hodges Street… is fiber optic cable, for Spectrum. The crew at work this morning:

While the fiber cable is several inches across, the actual fiber part is tiny, at its core. The rest is to protect the cable.

So, is town about to get faster net? Not really – but indirectly, kinda sorta. Where it is run, the fiber optic cable acts as a backbone around town. The connection to a home or business is still coaxial cable. While stated speeds may not change, an improved backbone should make speeds more reliable. Spectrum offers up to 1 Gbps (1000 Mbps) to homes and businesses in Oriental.

2:24p TownDock often talks with Keith Bruno of Endurance Seafood about fishing. This time we talk fishing… but also a bit deeper. We talk about fish stocks and this year’s short Flounder season.

The short season Keith is referring to is from Sept 1 – 14 (recreational) and Oct 1 – 19 (for commercial). The 2020 season was 46 days for recreational fishermen. The 19 day season was the same for commercial fishermen in 2020.

By comparison, in 2018 the commercial flounder season was 11 months.

According to the NC Dept Of Environmental Quality, the shorter seasons are part of an effort to reach the the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan’s goal to “end overfishing within two years and rebuild the stock to achieve sustainable harvest within 10 years.”

10:32a It’s not an otter. Reader John Kaplan writes in:

This isn’t the first time a gator has been spotted in Pierce Creek. The last time TownDock was notified of a large reptile in that area was in August of 2020, by creek resident John Rahm.

Though associated with more geographically southern states, alligators do call North Carolina home. “Coastal NC is considered the northern extent of their range,” according to NC Wildlife Resources Commission, “and pose little threat to human safety if left alone.”

8:53a Near 90 today through Friday. S winds around 10mph. There’s a minuscule chance of rain today (only 20%) but tomorrow it rises to 60%.

On the Neuse, Sw winds at 5-10 kt. On the Sound, they’re 10-15 kt with gusts 15-20 kt.

• Neuse River Marine Forecast
• Pamlico Sound Marine Forecast
• TownDock Weather Radar

3:10p We’ve had some summer temperature extremes lately. From the Oriental Weather Station:

click image for larger view

Daily highs near 90 are forecast for the coming week.

Invest 90 is a low pressure system off Florida… it has a 50% chance of developing into a tropical depression. If it does the northern coast of Florida would be in for wind and rain… any impact to our area would be at most peripheral.

This Saturday night is Date Night at Artworks. What’s that? Read on…

7:59a Poker on the water. For Charity. Sponsored by Oriental’s three sailing clubs, the Charity Dinghy Poker Run is today. Buy a hand (or three) starting at 9:30a at the Tiki Bar, then hit the creeks at 11a to collect your cards. There’s food, silent and live auctions, and more.

Proceeds benefit youth sailing. Like these young sailors coming into Oriental Harbor on Friday:

Ben Casey photo.

The Parrotheads are coming. It’s a race/cruise/on-the-water-party coming from New Bern. Both town docks – at Hodges St and near Oriental Marina & Inn – have been reserved by the regatta for 24 hours.

Sunny and high near 90, with light winds becoming east at 10 mph this afternoon.

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Neuse River Marine Forecast
• Pamlico Sound Marine Forecast
• Neuse River at Oriental Water Level Gauge
• TownDock streams NOAA Weather Radio Online

4:55p Saturday is the Dinghy Poker Run. NYRA (Neuse Yacht Racing Association) brings the Parrothead Regatta, sailing from New Bern to Oriental.

Tonight Randall Whorton is at New Village Brewery, Rick Huff @ the Red Rooster.

It’s all in What’s Happening.

12:18p The not-so-likely potential storm is now being more closely followed… it is Invest 90:

(click image for larger view)

NHC states: “…environmental conditions appear marginally conductive for some additional development during the next couple of days while the system drifts offshore of the southeastern United States.”

• Formation chance through 5 days…low…30 percent.

The next storm name on deck is Fred.

12:01p As of today 50% of Pamlico County has received the first dose of vaccine (47% both doses).

8:38a A low pressure system is off the GA/SC coast, that has a small chance of becoming tropical storm. Even if it were to happen, it’s initial movement would be east & offshore.

8:14a We’re getting a bit of a thermal break today and Saturday… forecast high just into the mid 80s.

Light 5-10 knot northeast winds on the Neuse today, becoming east Saturday.

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Neuse River Marine Forecast
• Pamlico Sound Marine Forecast
• TownDock Weather Radar

9:04a There was a haze hanging over the water this morning. While not unusual along the coast, this haze was different; there was no water vapor with it. Sunrise looked a little strange this morning.

The haze is actually smoke, blown across the continent from fires on the west coast. It is affecting almost all of North Carolina. So much so that the NC Department of Air Quality has issued a Code Orange warning for most of the state. Orange means the air outside is ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups.’

Those groups are “children, active people, older adults, and those with heart or lung disease (like asthma).” State guidelines suggest these people “limit prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors.”

Near 90 today, with light winds this morning becoming east at 10-15 mph this afternoon.