Adieu Finisterre

      Uncle Jack and Mrs. U.J. fled the unseasonable heat and humidity of Bawlmer a couple of days ago and are presently ensconced in their former home on James Street in South Nags Head where the temperature has dropped precipitously into the low 80's after a front passed through last evening. This morning's walk on the beach was totally delightful.
      The neighborhood is not quite the same as it was the last time they were here in April.  Conspicuously absent is the oceanfront house known originally as Finisterre and more recently as Sal de Mer.  When they bought their house in 1994 Finisterre occupied the beachfront lot on the south side of James Street with one other house between it and us.  At that time it was protected by a substantial dune at least 30 feet wide.  A smaller 1950 vintage flat-top across the street was similarly situated.
      Subsequent northeasters chopped away at the dune, narrowing it substantially before the arrival of Hurricane Dennis in 1999 which obliterated the flat-top and did some serious damage to Finisterre as well.  The owner gamely put it back together and tried to replace the vanished dune with huge sandbags as well as a the bulldozed faux dune pictured below (which disappeared in the next storm).
     Uncle Jack is not sure of the exact sequence of events but at some time between Dennis and Isabel (or perhaps after Isabel in September 2003) Finisterre changed hands and the new owner renamed the battered house Sal de Mer.  In any case Isabel really did a number on the unlucky building, tearing off the front deck, sending the brick fireplace crashing to the beach and washing away the driveway and parking slab.
      The new owner struggled to stay ahead of Mother Nature's depredations but after subsequent storms kept tearing up the place, necessitating expensive repairs every year, he threw in the towel a year or so ago and the very silly bank that held the large loan on the place had to take it back.  They put it up for auction  but  apparently couldn't find anybody foolish enough to buy it.  And now it is gone.  Was it moved in one piece or was it torn down?  Stay tuned while Uncle Jack investigates.
       Uncle Jack chatted a number of times with the last owner of Sal de Mer, a very nice man who dearly loved his house. Apparently nobody told him when he bought it that it had already been moved back 90 feet from its original location and that the house across the street had  been destroyed in a storm years earlier.  Such is the allure of living oceanfront that it might not have made any difference even he had dealt with an honest real estate agent.

                                                    Finisterre's front deck after Isabel.

Finisterre post-Isabel.  Note new steps replacing wrecked deck.  They, too, washed away after a later storm along with the huge faux dune and the sandbags beneath it. Mother Nature is relentless.

                                        Sal de Mer last February, looking very vulnerable.

With Sal de Mer gone this house (right in front of Uncle Jack's old house) takes pride of place as the only oceanfront house on James Street.  A dubious distinction but it comes with a terrific view and a much wider beach.


 .