Romeo, as he came to be known, was a an unusually large black wolf that showed up in our town the winter of 2003. Living with black bears in our back yards, it is not uncommon to have large wild mammals sharing our spaces, but a wolf was rare.
Literary Destination
The Lighthouse Mystery of Assateague Island
The Mystery of the Lighthouse’s Open Hours I think every mystery series I read as a child had one book that takes place in a lighthouse. Thanks to The Boxcar Children, The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Famous Five…lighthouses hold a romanticized mysteriousness in my mind, probably because I’ve never gotten to set foot inside
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Literary Destination
Chincoteague for the Non-Pony Enthusiast
“This is the worst vacation. Ever.” The young boy in front of us at the Pony Swim was obviously not as excited as his sisters to see real live ponies. He wasn’t alone. Based on my own brother’s grumbling and moodiness, it was abundantly clear that watching ponies was not his idea of a great
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Literary Destination
Sunset Pony Viewing with Daisey’s Island Boat Cruises
It is a truth universally acknowledged that if two inhabitants of the Tongass Alaska Rainforest convene in an alternate location, the rain will follow. And so it was that, having invited my parents to join me in Chincoteague for my birthday, we spent our last night with a storm chasing our tails. Micah and I
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Accomodations
Chincoteague Accommodations for the Misty Fan: Miss Molly’s Inn
Situated at the end of Chincoteague’s downtown is an unassuming three-story, pale yellow house. Painted blue flowers cascade down the white front porch pillars. This is Miss Molly’s Inn, the b&b where Marguerite Henry stayed when she began writing her now famous, Misty of Chincoteague. While a literary pilgrimage to Chincoteague is not complete without
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The Truth About Misty & The Chincoteague Ponies
The truth is… Misty of Chincoteague was never part of the wild herd of Chincoteague Ponies. She was born in captivity at the Beebe ranch to two horses that also lived in captivity. Marguerite Henry did use the real names of Misty and her mother Phantom, as well as the very real traditions of the
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Chincoteague Pony Release Swim 2016: Learning to Take Chances
The helicopter circled ever closer and then finally we could see them. The cavalcade of ponies surrounded by Saltwater Cowboys on horses appeared at the head of the lane. Suddenly the whole group thundered by us, splashing mud everywhere and stirring up the marsh so that the stink of decaying organic matter overwhelmed us. It
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Postcard from Chincoteague Pony Penning Carnival 2016
Greetings! I spent the evening at the 2016 Pony Penning Carnival and brought home the most ridiculous souvenir! I have to admit, I had a full day and part of me just wanted to shower off the day’s grime and spend the evening lost in a book. Being bound and determined to check out all
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Dreams Come True at the Chincoteague Pony Auction
The Chincoteague Pony Auction is not just your average horse sale, it’s a place where dreams come true. Although I managed to miss the auction by a half-hour due to the unfortunate combination of the desire for a morning beach walk and the auction finishing early, the stories that filled the town the next morning
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Chincoteague Pony Swim 2016
The famous annual Chincoteague Pony Swim is held each summer in the last week of July. This event, made popular by the book Misty of Chincoteague, draws a large crowd each year. The Chincoteague Ponies, which live feral the rest of the year on the Island of Assateage are rounded up and forced to swim