Antone Aquino's Presepio

Antone and Margaret Aquino of Carolina Shores, NC, have a phenomenal presepio in their Carolina Room. “Presepio” is Italian for what we know as a nativity scene, crib or creche. In 1980 in Peabody, Massachusetts, while recuperating from surgery, Antone began to build the presepio, modelled after one his grandfather built around 1930, from scrap lumber. The first figurines were purchased at “dime” stores.

In 1982 Antone mounted the cave section on 40″ radius quarter circle plywood. He added the pink palace and the first tier of houses below the palace. In 1983 and 1984 Antone added the inn which is white with a red roof and the Victorian house. The latter is modelled after the home in which he and his wife Margaret lived in Salem, Massachusetts. That year the Aquinos purchased their first Fontanini figures in 4 1/2-inch mode. Now there are 65 Fontanini figures.

The “hill” section and the market (orange) were constructed in 1988. Floor space was added on the hill in 1993.

In 1994 Margaret and Antone retired to Carolina Shores. Both professional musicians, they purchased their home specifically because it would accomodate their grand piano and the presepio.

Antone added a store to the inn and space on the hill in 2003. Each year he adds features such as a wall and a rail fence.

The palace and most of the other buildings were built using cedar shakes. Some detail work is material purchased at modelling shops. “Glass” for windows is waxed paper between sheets of translucent “Contact” shelf-lining. The cedar shakes are covered first with Gesso and then painted with acrylic colors.

To see this presepio with almost 100 figures, contact the Aquinos at 579-0816. Reaching their home is very easy.

Since June 2008 I have been collecting mollusks at one spot on the Eastern point of Sunset Beach. Most of them are in seaweed or seadrift. Instructions for finding shells are on my website at http://okeefes.org/Barrier_Islands/Sunset_Beach/Shells/Sunset_Beach_Shells..htm I can assure you that finding these shells is easy. I have many physical challenges and was out of commission completely for three of those months. If I could find 183 species, you also can. Please understand that many of them are microshells. I have photos of many of them on this webpage: http://okeefes.org/Mollusks/Photos_in_Phylogenetic_Order/Photos_in_Phylogenetic_Order.htm

Last Wednesday, December 2, we had a powerful storm. In the two days afterwards I found hundreds of Channeled Duckclams, Raeta plicatella, and Disk Dosinia, Dosinia discus.

However, I found two new species. My 182nd species is the Smooth Duckclam, Anatina anatina. It is very similar to the Channeled Duckclam but has flat ridges.

My 183rd species is the Eastern Melampus, Melampus bidentatus. It is 2.5 mm long

Eastern Melampus

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