August 1, 2021 – A Snowbird's Life Through the Lens

I don’t know if getting to see the wild ponies at Assateague Island was exactly a bucket list thing for me, I’m not sure I even knew about them until I lived in Maryland. And for 30 years or more I gnashed my teeth when I saw the pictures of the round-up, when the ponies are herded across the water and then some are sold. The monies collected are used to fund the fire department, if I am remembering that correctly. I never seemed to see an announcement of the round-up ahead of time, only after I’d missed it. My friend was stationed in VA with the Air Force years ago and he says he always wanted to go there and never did either. For some reason the GPS said it couldn’t give us directions, so I just drove south from where we were staying and counted on seeing signs. And it worked!

This was all the view I expected to see. Ponies off in the distance.

This is why I love my 18-400 lens so much. I’m ready for anything.

I’m also ready when ponies suddenly cross the road from the opposite side and surprise me.

By this time the traffic had been held up as they wandered across, and cars were pulled off the road in each direction so people could watch.

We watched for quite a while and then moved on, but when we headed back in this direction these ponies were still grazing in this same spot.

They made such a pretty sight. And they completely ignored the people jostling for position to take their pictures. But people kept some distance at least, possibly because of the signs that warn that ponies bite and kick!

Of course this foal captured my attention.

I don’t know if I ever read Misty of Chincoteague or not, or if I ever bought it for my daughter, but I bought a copy for myself in the gift shop at the state park yesterday. I am in my second childhood after all…