Christmas With Cleve

My friend and yours, Lewis “Cleve” Murray is quarantined for Christmas. Join me in wishing this Outer Banks Icon a Merry Christmas.

Send Christmas cards, photos of yourself and Cleve, and memories to him @ Peak Resources — ATTN: Lewis “Cleve” Murray
430 W. Health Center Drive
Nags Head, NC 27959

Cleve with a mess of fish he was fixin’ to fry up.

I’m writing this today because my friend Cleve has had some health issues sideline him during this danged pandemic. It took a global pandemic to slow this man down. He moved into a local place for folks that need a little help getting around over the past summer.

Every summer afternoon he used to stop by my house. My kids always lit up, as if Christmas had arrived. Lewis “Cleve” Murray would always stop by on his way home from his sister’s store in Duck to drop off paychecks. But the kids didn’t care about that.

“Dad,” they screamed, “Mister Cleve is here! You think he brought us anything?”

“Well, I don’t know,” I’d reply. “Open the door, let the man in — it’s hot outside.”

They always knew when Cleve was here. His old Ford F-150 was unmistakable. He drove around with a great big turquoise…