Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Telephones, Gypsy Wagon, & Fig Cake

Recently I've received several questions that I'll answer briefly here:
  • When did the telephone arrive on the island and where was the switchboard operator's office?
Ocracokers got their first telephones in 1956. There was no local switchboard. All calls were routed by radio tower (basically a ship to shore radio system) to the mainland. Maybe I'll write more about telephones in a future Ocracoke Newsletter.
  • Can you tell us a bit about the gypsy wagon behind the Village Craftsmen?
I built the gypsy wagon about 20-25 years ago. It is fitted out like a camper inside, but it hasn't been on the road in many years. Don't ask why I built it. It would be like asking an artist why she paints a picture, or asking a musician why he writes a song.
  • How about a picture of one of the classic fig cakes?
If I can remember, the next time I bake a fig cake I'll take a photo. For my money, there's nothing tastier than an Ocracoke Island fig cake!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the second half of my father's short journal. I call it Remembering Growing up on Ocracoke. You can read it here.

4 comments:

  1. Reggie10:42 AM

    Ditto on the fig cake. The first one I tasted was at the OPS Wassail party last Dec. and I think David had made it. Little did I know how special it was to Ocracoke, since it was my second day there. I got some fig preserves from Della before I left in April so I could make more. Yum.

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  2. Reggie10:45 AM

    Oh, by the way, the fig cake was how I originally found this journal. I was searching a recipe for an Ocracoke fig cake, and there it was on your site. Nice recipe and find.

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  3. Marcy Desulis5:52 PM

    I purchased several jars of fig preserves last Fall while in Ocracoke, but haven't done anything with them yet. Would they still be good? Nothing better than an Ocracoke fig cake!!!
    Marcy Desulis

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  4. Marcy, as long as the seal is intact the fig preserves will last for years. Go for it! Make that fig cake and enjoy every tasty bite. Or you might want to share a few slices with your neighbors.

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