After an early morning workout and breakfast, I took a walk on the beach before heading to Assateague Island National Seashore where I would camp for the next 2 nights. The MD portion of the island is all State Park and National Seashore, so there is no real development. At the visitor’s center I became a foster parent of a wild pony. Once on the island, I set up camp, had lunch on the beach, took a nice late afternoon bike ride to check out more ponies, and after dinner bundled up in my tent to read after dark as it was cold!
dunes at Ocean City
dune crossings are the only legal way through
looking north
looking sough towards boardwalk
crab’s-eye view
he was having a little trouble flying into the wind
he decides to give it another try
while his buddies stay put
you lookin’ at me?
bird prints in wet sand
general ocean/beach scene
surprised the birds didn’t eat him up
well thank you!
one way of sunbathing
boogie boarders head into the surf
not much in the way of waves
my new friend
aarrrggghhhh…this must be where the pirates park
ponies! ponies!
I picked out Patricia Irene because she was born on my nephew’s birthday. She has 7 siblings!
Pony names go to the winning bidder on ebay auctions.
crossing Sinepuxent Bay to Assateague Island
Once across, there they are! yay! poop was everywhere :)
they have no fear of humans, and full run of the island
ok, ponies, ponies, ponies, ponies!
mares are put on contraceptives, but Carol’s Girl, the mother of the foal I fostered has a baby each year anyway
driving to my campsite I came across a band in one of the lots
and they decided to come see me
this one had a cough
they continued on their way
but I had to wait for them to clear the road before I could pass
the stallions poop on top of the poop piles, they got quite big!
here come some more
just don’t harm my car!
so I made it to my camp lot. I have a walk-in site
what I thought was 2 cyclists coming towards me…
turns out to be 2 more ponies!
still furry from winter
they went right past me
and on their way
boardwalk to campsites
all set up! I didn’t realize I was not on sand, just on the other side of the bushes are the dune sites
these are the dune sites, by night time they would be full
Oceanside camping has both tent only and pull-through (rv or tent) sites. Pull through sites are not on sand dunes though
the tent only sites were fenced off, but you can see the ponies have beach access
my lunch spot
I pretty much have the place to myself - not for long though
mmm…yogurt
proof I was at the beach!
some wacky trailers I saw
very modern looking
this is a bayside site where there is no protection from the ponies. They will take food right off your table
out for a bike ride
almost desert-like terrain
all right! More ponies!
too bad the bike path is on the side away form them
time for me to reluctantly move on
inlet along bike path
oh yeah, there were bunnies too
I guess they got inside the fence somehow
cooking dinner
1 pot meal
my neighbors Mark and Amy watching the sun set
more pony evidence by the gate to the parking lot
the moon is up early
7:45pm. People still arriving to set up camp
I went up to the beach to see the twilight
8pm. campfires were popping up on the beach (not allowed). I headed into my tent and into my sleeping bag to read
