Chincoteague and Assateague Islands, Virginia

Hi everyone!

I've been away from DG for too long... my schedule has been rather hectic with much going on. I have been meaning to do this for a month and I am sorry it took so long.

The family and I went on our much needed and much anticipated vacation to Chincoteague Island in late August. It has always been my dream to go there, as I was one of the many children who read the book "Misty of Chincoteague". What better way to bring my dream to life than to take my own daughters there! I took hubby along too! :o) We were NOT disappointed! In a word... AWESOME!!! We loved it.... and we will return... most likely as soon as late October for the migrations of a number of bird species including snow geese and trumpeter swans.

Chincoteague and Assateague are barrier islands off the coast of Virginia and Maryland. Well known for the wild ponies that live on the Assateague Island, and swam over every July to help raise money for the Volunteer Fire Dept. (most of you know I am a retired FF/Medic). More info here... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chincoteague,_Virginia

Rich in history and even richer in wildlife... with a beautiful beach and a still working lighthouse! Yes... there are the mosquitoes! But with a couple inquiries to the locals, we found "the right stuff" and were not bothered again! I'll post a few photos here, but I will try to post the link to my Flickr slideshow. Please come and visit, and see the islands through our eyes and cameras!
See the slideshow here... http://www.flickr.com/photos/va_wild_rose/sets/72157622201714356/show/

The lighthouse was built in 1867, replacing a smaller one that was built in 1833. It is 142 feet high, and has 198 steps inside that circle to the top. Yes... I did indeed walk to the top... I was having palpitations when I got there, but no one knew I wasn't breathless from the spectacular view! The light still comes on every evening and still guides ships from afar. When the original lighthouse was built, it was right on the water. Now it is nearly five miles inland... speaking to how a barrier island shifts and changes over time.

Ponies? Did I mention ponies??? Yes they have them! And they were very cooperative on our trip! We saw at least five of the 12 bands. Each band is led by its own stallion. There were still many foals with their mothers, and it was just a few weeks after the swim and auction. I was told that very young foals can be sold, but not picked up until later in the year, after they have weaned.

And migratory birds of all kinds! We were really fascinated by the birds, and they are why we want to go back in the Fall! They say you can see as many as 50,000 snow geese fly in and land at one time! This is a snowy egret.

And of course, the beach! My daughters learned to be surfer girls!

Oh to be a child at the beach!

I hope the link to Flickr works for everyone! Please let me know what you think! I am really trying to improve my camera skills!

i am heading to fredericksburg next week! most likely won't be able to go to the island you mention and photographed but maybe next time! looks like a great spot to see

Try it now... I changed the settings so DG people should be able to see it. *fingers crossed*
http://www.flickr.com/photos/va_wild_rose/sets/72157622201714356/show/

Beautiful pictures, we have talked about going ever since we moved to VA, but the 5 hrs drive is daunting - we would have to stay the night somewhere - love the pictures...gotta love that camera of yours :)

Beautiful shots VA!!

My best in show was the shot from inside the lighthouse to the window. Nice work. Keep shooting.

Oh thanks guys! We really enjoyed it amd will go back as often as possible.

Bec... it only took us four and a half hours from Fredericksburg. And maybe I'm being dense and we have discussed this earlier somewhere... but you and I have recently bought the same camera! :o) And yes, I do love mine!

I enjoyed your slide show... thanks for sharing... I say every year that I want to go there.. just haven't made it yet... someday though!

WVRose, What a beautiful slide show. The girls certainly look liked they enjoyed the trip and your photos are some of the best that I've seen. Thanks for sharing!

Love your pictures and narratives. Brings back lovely memories. We rented a house there many years ago. I think it was $375 a week, which even then seemed a bargain. The house didn't have air conditioning or a tv either (no cable or satellite in those days), but it had a dock and two crab traps and we caught and steamed many blue crabs. And as you said, the beach was glorious and the wildlife unparalelled. I know your girls will never forget it.

They don't know it yet, but we are returning the weekend of November 7th and 8th! I love surprising the girls like that! We are hoping to see (and photograph) some of the fall migrations!

Thanks again for the nice compliments. I still have alot to learn, but I really am enjoying my new camera. However, I really do want a higher-powered lens!

*I wonder if Santa thinks I've been good this year?*

:o)

Thanks for sharing
The last time I was there was about 26yrs ago.

I fianlly took time to catch up here and so glad I did. What a nice tribute to Chincoteague/ Assateague. Thanks VWR
a rental with a dock sounds awesome to me. The boys could while away a lot of time with that!
I went to the pony swim with family when I was about ten.

VA_Wild_Rose,

I looked at all your "Slide Show" while at work--but there were too many interruptions......
I will try to look at all your pictures again. It REALLY made me want to be there--again! What a gem of a place--right here in MD! I just am such a home-body I do not go anywhere much. Living alone--it just does not hold all the same "magic".....Still--I would like to see this place again!

I remember--back in Summer of 1964--when I was 4 months pregnant with my first daughter--we went to Assateague Island. I still have a box-full of Conch Shells I picked up on the beach--just sitting on a shelf in my Shop (basement).
I hear, that those are NOT that easy to find any more--unless you are on the beach the morning after a big storm.
Is that right???? How many did you find?

Anyway---back in 1980--1984 I oil-painted a large # of paintings. I was enrolled in one of those "Adult Classes" that ran 2/ 10-week sessions a year. MAN! I knew I had artistic talents--but I produced about 35 amazing paintings in those 4 years. Most of them were given away FREE as gifts to friends.....I still have several in my home....

Anyway--I painted from pictures--Magazines...Caledars....National Geographic.....Christmas cards.....etc...copying them all just by EYE! I suppose it is a "gift" I have. Everyone says--"You need to paint again!" !!! I just cannot re-capture those days!
Haven't painted since! Life has changed.....I am divorced now for 18 yrs. Still work PT at HD.----Getting older and having to deal with too many responsibilities with the house and my Garden--which I love! Time seems to just FLY!!!! NO time for all that "devotion" I had back then. I still like to do crafts and such--as needed--but NOT in any serious way. What a waste of talent!!!!

I wanted to show you one of the paintings I did. It was from the cover of the book "Misty of Chincoteague" I got from the Library. As most of my paintings were--the finished product was close to a "carbon copy" of the original.

If you want to copy it---photo-shop it---take it to Kinkos and print it out to whatever size you want--and frame it for your daughters to remember this trip by--I give you permission to do so. One day--it may bring back lovely memories from your trip there as you look at it--or as your daughters look at it. Besides--You will have a framed "original" painting by MOI!!!....:o)

SO! Here it is!!!!.......Gita

Gita

very nice

Wow Gita! I am speechless! Not only do you have such an incredible talent, but your generosity is truly overwhelming! Thank you so much! That really does depict so much of what Chincoteague/Assateague is about. I really love your story and I am so appreciative of your "gift". Thank you again!

Karen


BTW... No, the shells are virtually non-existent now. I did hear some of the stories about the great shell finds on this beach, but not now! I did not get any large whelks or conches... just a couple of small scallops, nothing more.

Wow, wonderful job Gita.

VA_Wild_Rose,

Thank you for your kind words!
As I have gotten older--the reality that holding on to things that are "mine" mean less and less.
It gladdens me to share and to give away. I have 2 daughters--one lives here and the other lives in Seattle.
I guess the parent has to die before they really want anything I own. So far--not really. It does make me sad that all my offers are refused. Oh well--They will have to duke it out after i am gone!

Sorry you did not get any of those beautiful Conch Shells! Didn't one of your photos show one in the sand?
Do you know what has happened to them?
- Is it the change of the currents?
- Is it people getting up at 4AM to go and scrounge them all?
-Do they no longer wash up at all?
-What is a "whelk"?

I want to show you the painting EVERYONE wants. It is destined to go to my daughter/SIL that live here......
It was painted from the cover of one of the Nature magazines of some sort......

I posted most of my paintings once when I was still active in the Best and Worst..and What have I Learned on "General Discussion and Chat" Forum. It is now on part #68(?)...It moves so fast.....Too much yakkety-yak for my taste and too much negative energy on it too. It almost seemed like a "cult"......So--I got out of it.

I will see if I can track it down.....Gosh! It must be somewhere on part #13 or so......Wish me luck!

Gita

Here are the Wolves......

I had heard long before I went down there that the Assateague Seashore was one of the best seashell hunting beaches on the east coast. I am an avid shell collector and have a lovely collection. I was surprised and a bit disappointed not to find anything nice. I don't know the reason(s) for sure, but I believe part is the nuber of poeple on the beach at the time. Now if I go in January, it might be a different story. I am going again in November, so we shall see.

There was a whelk photo in my slideshow... here is another, still alive.

And here are a couple... no longer alive.... just the shells.

VWR---

SO? A "whelk" is the organism that lives inside a Conch Shell? Right? Is it a snail? What kind of an organism is it?

Looks quite large! I bet it would make a good meal--IF they are edible. I think they are.....Do you know what it would taste like? I suppose I could Google it......

I went looking for where I posted a bunch of my paintings....Not sure you have the time to go looking--but most of them
are on page #15 of the "Best and Worst"...etc. Post in the General Discussion Forum...
Part #28--------------Part #29---------------Part #30. If you are interested--you will just have to scroll through these until you come to them....Look for posts by gitagal......

Now--I will go look through all your slide show again!

Gita

Just have to show you my #2 favorite painting.....I called it "Holy City" as it is a picture from Jerusalem...
..

OK! Just one more-----This one is a very large painting of a Snow Leopard......

Took me all 10 weeks to do this one.....

I really like "Holy City"!

I don't know what a whelk tastes like, and I would never willingly find out! *LOL* I always thought a whelk and a conch were two different critters.

Gita yes they are edible... I don't eat seafood... but watch a lot of food network.. Alton Brown had a show called feasting on waves... and I saw them cooking conch

http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?fnSearchString=conch&fnSearchType=site

onewish--the link would not open for me....Thanks anyway

Weird, link worked for me.

sorry... not sure why it didn't work

onewish--

I tried again--this time it worked....Gita

good!