The 21st day of the third month of the year of the Camellia

PONY TRACKS

Who was it that once said....."You can never go back home"

Well, I didn't. But visited a spot this past weekend that will never be the same. Chincoteague and Assateague Islands in Virginia are about to explode with a tourist influx like they could have never imagined.

This is the downtown Chincoteague and it is a sleepy little Virginia coastal village. It explodes with the Pony Penning and the beach during the summer, but most of the year it is just that----Sleepy!

I had gone to Maryland to drop off some framed images at a gallery in Towson, and then on to stay at my son's home overnight on Friday. Saturday I went to my lighthouse (well not really) in North Wildwood NJ. I dropped off a framed piece with them for a drawing to raise money for the light. They invited me to two shows, one in July and one in Oct. So all my NJ buds, hope to see you then.

I took the ferry from Cape May to Lewis, De. Then down to Chincoteague and Assateague in Virginia. I'm dizzy just writing it. Then back to SC on Saturday.

Drove 1300+ miles, and the old green beast did just fine. That is my Ford Explorer (98) with over 303,000 miles. I think I am going to keep it till it becomes an antique. Let's see that would be 25 years if I am not mistaken. That would put us out to 2023----God I should live that long. To my friends in MD, sorry but just no time to stop off along the way. Next time.

They are building a new bridge across the sound (I guess they call it that). It looks just like they are have recreated the Bay Bridge complex without the tunnel! Huge! And it makes the whole area just terribly accessible. Afraid that here comes the wine sipping and croisant crunching crowd.

A great number of the shops and restaurants have not fared well with the winter on the one hand and the economy on the other. I guess the bridge will help their economy a whole bunch. A lot of boarded up places. Four of the usually better restaurants were still open but. "The Village" restaurant------------the best on the Island---------had only about 50% of a full house. Food is fantastic there.

Of course the wildlife sanctuary on Assateague is still there. Interestingly it is called the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island. It's got to be a goverment thing!The Lighthouse needs to be repainted. But the biggest surprise of all was the beach. Most of it has been trucked in. Northeasters and erosion has taken out roads, parking lots, buildings, showers, and bathrooms. All need to undergo reconstruction. Too bad, but nature can be brutal.




All in all just a little sad to see all that which has gone on and is gone. This is still one of the best places on the east coast to visit-----so go get, it before it really is gone.

Of course there were the usual suspects hanging out like this blue heron. Also a few black and shoverler ducks. But all and all the wildlife numbers were down---just the time of year I suspect.


Hardly saw any ponies, but did see lots of pony tracks on the roads in the sanctuary. I want you all to notice just how well behaved these ponies are. The park rangers designate just where the ponies can leave their tracks and its just amazing how they comply. It's all quite civilized out there.