Fittingly, a gooseneck lamp curves over Walter “Brother” Gaskill’s marvelous, meticulous workspace, where he carves purple gallinules and red-breasted mergansers for collectors and competitions. The chisels, knives, spokeshaves — to “true it down” — sanders, and calipers that he uses on his decoys are arranged in a foam organizer. Dozens of bird bills dangle from nails, so that Gaskill can study their features, like the wartlike bumps near the mouth of a Ross’s goose. Or he can sit outside beneath the scuppernong arbor and watch the real things paddle around a natural habitat he created. When it comes to decoys, details matter.
Gaskill and other decoy carvers will sell their creations at the Core Sound Decoy Festival on December 3 and 4. Learn more at decoyguild.com.
On a remote island, a family of storytellers preserves local lore and neighborly traditions, beginning with one iconic thoroughfare.
From the expanses of needlerush at Cedar Island to the lush spartina feathering the shores of Bodie and Roanoke islands, our salt marshes are the threshold to a watery world — the heartbeat of our coastal ecosystem.
From remote beaches to sunsets that dazzle before they sink into the sound, here’s where to splash, dine, and cast a line in this Outer Banks town.
Amid planning seafood spreads for friends and family, our recipe developer finds isolation and inspiration Down East.
