There's 'something eternal' about N.C. summers

I got suckered into doing one of those Facebook "7 books in 7 days" things. OK, "suckered" is probably too strong; after all, I enthusiastically dove in to it. Books are a passion of mine.

One of the books I chose to highlight is Tim McLaurin's Keeper of the Moon, which is a memoir about his own life growing up around Fayetteville. Seriously, if you haven't read it -- WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

In reflecting on this book, I was reminded of one of my favorite passages ever from any piece of literature. And it's also so timely as we are now in the throes of summer. Yes, it's pretty much ungodly hot these days, but I appreciate that McLaurin could appreciate Carolina summers. To wit:

If indeed there exists a physical heaven, I hope it is patterned after North Carolina between the summer hours of six and eight a.m. The haunting call of doves, leaves jeweled with dew, the glint of sun in oak branches, robins and roosters in duet, fog -- something eternal exists in those minutes that a person carries in memory for life.

God, I love that so much.

This also has me reminiscing about other quintessential "Carolina Summer" things. Here are a few that we've discussed over the years here. Enjoy!

Remembering the Fort Fisher Hermit

Back when the bright lights hit the lake

Are we losing beach music?

The winds of change and the Sunset Beach bridge

Eat your heart out at the Seafood Festival

'The Lost Colony' is thriving

Biltmore is state's top historic attraction

Asheville's Biltmore Estate is the state's top historic attraction, according to Carolina Publishing Associates' annual survey.

Following Biltmore on the list were Fort Macon in Atlantic Beach, the N.C. Zoo in Asheboro, the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh and Fort Fisher at Kure Beach.

Remembering the Fort Fisher Hermit

I can remember a class trip to Fort Fisher/Kure Beach in eighth grade or so (that would've been, oh, 1988 or '89) when the adults on the trip were swapping tales about once spotting the Fort Fisher Hermit, Robert E. Harrill.

Harrill, according to Carolina Beach Today, lived in a bunker and lived off the land, eating plants and animals.

The N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher will be showing the documentary, "The Fort Fisher Hermit: The Life & Death of Robert E. Harrill," May 31 (3 p.m.) and June 13 (8 a.m.).

The movie "explores this unique individual through a series of interviews, photographs and vintage film footage.

“We are ecstatic over the amount of visual documentation that has been collected” said Scott Davis, one of the forces behind the movie. “Robert Harrill has to be the most photographed homeless person in history,” added Bryan Mahoney.

(Image of Harrill from Carolina Beach Today)