{"id":2126,"date":"2024-04-22T01:13:40","date_gmt":"2024-04-22T01:13:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/?p=2126"},"modified":"2024-04-22T01:14:38","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T01:14:38","slug":"chincoteague-island-when-its-quiet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/?p=2126","title":{"rendered":"Chincoteague Island When It&#8217;s Quiet"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2126\" class=\"elementor elementor-2126\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4f06a0bd e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4f06a0bd\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;boxed&quot;}\" data-core-v316-plus=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b75ee07 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"b75ee07\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.17.0 - 01-11-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5688-768x1024.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-2122\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5688-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5688-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5688-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5688-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5688-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-adc641b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"adc641b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.17.0 - 01-11-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:image --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\">Our spring trip was meant to be in California. A family commitment plus closing and collapsing roads in the part of California we wanted to visit had us looking closer to home. I sent Mark four ideas from the Road Scholar catalogue and now we find ourselves on the Chesapeake Bay, getting ready for four days of kayaking.<\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\">I like longish trips, so we are padding our paddling with a few extra days on either side. This is how we found ourselves on Chincoteague Island for the weekend.<\/figure>\n<p><!-- \/wp:image --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-83ac66f e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"83ac66f\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;full&quot;}\" data-core-v316-plus=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ae8ea30 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ae8ea30\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>We stayed at Channel Bass Inn, an old inn with relatively new owners who had a strong culinary background. While our schedule didn\u2019t permit dining at the inn, we were treated to terrific breakfasts, and also had high tea on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>Although we stayed on Chincoteague, a mellow \u201cbeach town\u201d with a storied past (literally, as the setting of the book Misty of Chincoteague), the natural areas are across the water, on Assateague Island. \u00a0Assateague Island is one land mass run by three government entities. The land is fence across the Maryland-Virginia line. On the Virginia side, the land is managed as a wildlife refuge, and run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We enjoyed some pretty hiking in loblolly pines and along a trail where the myrtle trees closed over head.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b293d88 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"b293d88\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5694-768x576.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-2121\" alt=\"Myrtle closing over our heads\" srcset=\"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5694-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5694-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5694-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5694-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5694-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-283944f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"283944f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>This \u201cChincoteague\u201d side of Assateague is where the Chincoteague ponies that make the famous summer swim live. A herd of about 150 horses, they are owned and managed by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department. Mares and foals are herded each July and make a 3 minute swim across a narrow channel. They are penned and auctioned off to raise funds for the fire department. It\u2019s a tradition nearly 100 years old. It may seem an odd combination\u2014 wild horses, a fire department, fundraising\u2026but the sequence of events makes sense. The town burned twice in the 1920s and the auction began before the land of Assateague had any federal or state protection. In addition, the herd has to be managed for size. The United States has a long tradition of \u201cself sufficient\u201d municipal services. In the Northeast, volunteer fire departments go back to Colonial times.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3e98301 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"3e98301\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5683-1024x768.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-2123\" alt=\"A bold little fawn\" srcset=\"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5683-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5683-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5683-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5683-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5683-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7376157 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7376157\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The herd owned by the fire department is fenced and pretty far away from the road. We caught glimpses of horses, \u00a0but they were not available for photo opportunities at all. The little fawn, above was though. It kept is in view but really did not care that we were only a few yards away.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8aa88ae elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"8aa88ae\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5712-768x576.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-2118\" alt=\"&quot;Wild&quot; horse on Assateague\" srcset=\"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5712-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5712-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5712-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5712-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5712-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ece3d6f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ece3d6f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>On our second day, we drove around to the \u201cAssateague\u201d side of, well, Assateague Island. This northern end is run by the National Park Service (the land is a National Seashore) and as a park by the state of Maryland. Here the herd is permitted to get closer to people. In summer, I am sure we would not be allowed to stop on the side of the road, get out of our car and photograph. But with few other visitors, that\u2019s what everyone was doing.<\/p>\n<p>The horses eat a salty marsh grass, <i>Spartina alterniflora<\/i>\u2014 salt marsh cord grass. The grass is adapted for a brackish environment and excretes salt. The horses, then, have a very salty diet and drink a lot of water. This gives them a bloated appearance.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-185d897 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"185d897\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5716-768x576.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-2116\" alt=\"Dunes\" srcset=\"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5716-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5716-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5716-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5716-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5716-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f79c5ae elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f79c5ae\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5718-768x1024.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-2115\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5718-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5718-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5718-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5718-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5718-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b939dea elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b939dea\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>We went for a short dune walk. At one time, there was an asphalt road build out through the dunes. It had a short life, but remnants still remain; a rather ugly Ozymandias moment.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-49653ff elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"49653ff\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5722-768x1024.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-2114\" alt=\"High Bush Blueberry (maybe?)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5722-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5722-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5722-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5722-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/graceffa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_5722-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4c9ee2e e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4c9ee2e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;boxed&quot;}\" data-core-v316-plus=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0c5662a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0c5662a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The high bush blueberries (pretty sure, but maybe they\u2019re a different berry) were flowering. It\u2019s a flower I like very much.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We stayed at Channel Bass Inn, an old inn with relatively new owners who had a strong culinary background. While our schedule didn\u2019t permit dining at the inn, we were treated to terrific breakfasts, and also had high tea on Saturday. Although we stayed on Chincoteague, a mellow \u201cbeach town\u201d with a storied past (literally, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2113,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[39,40],"class_list":["post-2126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-38","tag-chincoteague","tag-usa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2126","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2126"}],"version-history":[{"count":55,"href":"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2126\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2181,"href":"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2126\/revisions\/2181"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2126"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2126"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graceffa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}