experiencing the shutdown while on an island that is mostly National Seashore...
We are on our annual two week vacation, and the impact of the shutdown is pretty evident (and somewhat surprising) here. Since there is no way to get to Ocracoke, NC except by ferry, we are at least lucky (or unlucky? one never wishes to leave this place) that the ferries are run by the state.
but...we are in a house across from the lighthouse - and that is closed. The beach here is entirely national seashore - 13 miles of it - and every entrance now has a blocking chain across the driveway. Note that there are never any staff in those lots - they are free, often just a few dozen spaces with a path across the dunes to the beach - but the beach essentially is closed. Any access to the sound side is also closed - they are reachable only by privately owned property (and there is none of that on the ocean side). Weird...
There is a large campground, and people there were given 48 hours to pack and leave. Vehicles that purchased the beach driving license - out of luck. No refund, no way to access. This is big fishing time - the island is usually loaded with fishermen - all out of luck.
Ocracoke is politically quite blue - I've read as high as 70%, and Obama stickers abound. The visitors tend to be another thing altogether, and we've already heard grumblings on walks and sitting at a restaurant of Obama-Dem blame.
This is going to seriously piss a lot of people off - and my fervent wish is that most of those pissed off people know exactly who to blame. Just from watching a very few snippets of MSM, the false equivalence doesn't help us at all, so I hope that the left wing voices shout loud and strong exactly what is going on here. And all of us here need to play our part, and set the record straight to those we know, those we come in contact with that have the wrong picture, Facebook, Twitter, making calls - whatever it takes.
Obama/the Dems need to hold on tight. We are on the correct side in this - the right wing needs to pay dearly for their antics.
Two for the road - leaving you with a view from an estuary we kayaked in yesterday. They can shut down the government, but can't shut down nature!
= new reply since forum marked as read
Bird group later on. I take too many pics when I am here!
I would wonder how you could be kept off the beach as a taxpayer. Especially this time of year. 
Great pix. Nothing like that commune with nature in these trying times.
It does look like it is charging out of the forest to fight with a stegosaurus 
The effects of the "Shut Down" on all of us in the ways one wouldn't always think of.
I have a Nephew who is a Park Ranger out in Oregon...Furloughed...and a Nephew who works in Boulder, Colorado for NOAA and he's furloughed after he and his wife just went through the floods there and she is four months pregnant (first child) and works for NOAA also.
Not Good. But it seems Repugs don't have any relatives or kids who work for the Government. How can that BE?
