That Old North Wind

When the north wind blows strong in Oriental for several days straight, you can get this:

When I arrived at the farmers' market this morning, I found a wet street. The parking lot where we set up (on the right in the photo) was still above water, but customers would be challenged to reach us.
Well, some customers. As you see above, people were happy to wade barefoot through deep water to get down Hodges Street.

They were mostly trying to get to The Bean. I'm sure you're scratching your pate and wondering, "Really? For a coffee shop?" The Bean is a local icon. Its faithful customers are lovingly called Beaniacs. Remember that Oriental is mostly populated by tenacious, intrepid sailors and retired Yankees. Neither group will allow a bit of wind tide to keep them from their morning routines!

In fact, these people came in their boat, tied up to a dock that's nearly submerged, hopped out of the boat, then waded in nearly-knee-deep water across Hodges Street, and arrived at The Bean so they could tell their adventurous tale of bravery to other crazy people.

This truck driver stopped, got out, chatted with us about the safety of driving through, and then attempted it. But teenaged car drivers plowed through in their low-slung sedans without flinching.
We needed a "No Wake" sign in our little parking lot.

Julia waded to The Bean at least three times in the morning. She's devoted.

The customers came. Sales weren't too bad! I think they came to stare at the flood waters, and while they were there they spent money as an aside. Julia noted that Orientalites will stay inside and not emerge for days, after a two-inch snow. But flooded streets are nothing to them. They've survived hurricanes overhead. What's a little north wind tide?