Sunday, October 17, 2021

An Eastern Shore Respite

While I started writing about our trip on my other blog I think this second post is mostly about the beautiful outdoors that can so easily cleanse the mind and stretch the muscles and if you are smart, stimulate the lungs. With all the stress in the world, there is nothing better than a quiet and steady drift along shallow waters on the protected side of the Eastern Shore.


It is not too difficult to find a place to put in.  There are long beaches and even park docks that make it easy.  We have packed a light lunch and drinks and cushions...no rain gear as the sky looks kind.


There are others that are out and about in the sheltered marsh.  Younger but not necessarily wiser.  The nice part is that you can get closer to the wildlife and keep a distance from the tame life.




And you can check out the abstract artwork!


We got to watch a good variety of seabirds.  There were even some wild mammals in the marsh.


If as a child, you read the children's book "Misty of Chincoteague" you fell in love with these wild ponies and then read the whole series.  Where did they come from?  How can they live here?  "Several legends are told regarding the origins of the Chincoteague ponies; the most popular holds that they descend from survivors of wrecked Spanish galleons off the Virginia coast. It is more likely that they descend from stock released on the island by 17th-century colonists looking to escape livestock laws and taxes on the mainland."  according to Wikipedia.  Inbreeding became a problem and humans introduced other genes to assure survival.

OK, put on more sunscreen and in the next post we can glide along the shallows and come to a striking and dramatic private beach that we were able to use for lunch.

8 comments:

  1. Beautiful pictures on a beautiful sunny day. The ponies are a surprise, and a delight to see. I thought horses are only wild out west.

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  2. How marvelous that you can take us along. The ponies are a treat, and the single pelican amidst the gulls is a charmer too. What a wonderful part of the world you live in.

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  3. Quietly paddling along the shore can give you many interesting things to watch.

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  4. I am sure that it is a most satisfying place to be and thing to do in that place.

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  5. Great series of images. One of my wife's sisters lives in Virginia, and a few years ago we went there for a wedding, and spent a few days exploring the Chincoteague area and enjoyed it immensely. The range of wildlife was quite stunning, and it was easy to get away from the crowds.

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  6. It's such a beautiful place, thank you for sharing it with us.

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  7. Such a delightful account with photos!

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Glad to hear from you once again. I really like these visits. Come sit on this log and tell me what you are thinking.