They bring the Ponies here three times a year to check them out medically and then just before they herd them down the beach to the southern most point to make the swim.Today is a day when we just want to catch up on things and relax. We decided to have breakfast back at the Shucking House Cafe. It is a repeat but when we get there the waitresses and hostess are different than the other day. But breakfast is just as good. We find out in the local paper (The Beacon) that the local schools need fixing and the County wants to bus all 450+ kids to the mainland instead of fixing the schools. This fills up two to three pages in the letters to the Editor section. When we came down here this year we were seriously looking to possible retire here but this about seals things. One of the only year round employment opportunities is the local schools and if they were on the verge of closing well. That wasn't the closer but it sort of helps us to decide on another place.
We make reservations for a Flounder fishing trip for Friday Morning. At $40 per person it isn't cheap but that is the going rate. The boats are pontoon boats and only hold six people, unlike at home where they would shoehorn in 50+ people so you are shoulder to shoulder. Maybe we will catch dinner.
We head out to Assateague Island for the 10 AM bus tour. This tour used to be on a screened trailer that was pulled by a tractor and run by one of the locals. Uncle Sam stepped in and stopped that because of insurance reasons and now it is a Motorized Air conditioned bus tour. Our Guide is on her initial tour and is still memorizing the script. She is from Chincoteague but the facts and figures don't come off smoothly but it is her first and she is really nervous. The Bus Driver helps her out as she stumbles but it makes for an interesting tour. As we pull out of the Parking lot all of the Horse Flies and green Head flies limber up to follow us along and attack the windows. Our first stop is the Pony Corral where they pen up the ponies in July for the big swim. They bring the Ponies here three times a year to check them out medically and then just before they herd them down the beach to the southern most point to make the swim.
The majority of the people on these tours are here to see the ponies. One person on the tour is like a Professional photographer. She hops from side to side to get shots of the Herons, Cranes and other birds wading in the marsh. We are about twenty minutes into the tour when we come across our first herd of ponies out in the bay.
These pictures are a bit hard to see. This group is of five ponies. The water is not deep between us and them but the piece of ground they are on folds around. Our guide reminds us that if we want we can walk this road and two other trails but if we come upon any of the ponies to stay clear. They bite, kick and since they love to eat the berries of the Poison Ivy on the marsh you could get infected by just touching their hide. Nice point Huh? Further down the trail we come across another group
The bus driver calls one of them by name. She says that each of the ponies is named by the Fire Company when they herd them up. Each has a chip clipped to their ear for identification. The Fire Company manages the herds. They auction off the foals each July. Their prices start at $700 and two years ago they got $10,700 for one of the foals. The average selling price is $1,700. People also sponsor a pony which is called a buy back. With this the Fire Company will purchase back a pony and by the owners donations will keep them informed of the progress of the pony. This is done when they have to replenish the herd. they try to keep the herd at 150 ponies. From time to time one of the ponies will show up in Chincoteague. So the Fire Company has to catch him and get him back to Assateague.
After our tour head back to town for a stroll among the Antigue shops that have been closed most of the week. We stop for a Latte and Decaf coffee at Sugerbakers. This is a quaint little bake shop and coffee shop. It was hard just to order one pastry. The case of donuts were just screaming at me (Buy Me!!). I was strong and only had a sticky bun while Doreen had a Black Forest Danish with her Iced Latte. This is nice little place. It is only open until 3 PM but will server lunch between 11 AM and 1 PM. When we get back to the rental we both sit down to do some reading and the next thing you know we are out like a lot. We got woken up by the ringing bell of the Draw Bridge. We are close to this bridge, real close. It is no more than 150 ft from our front door. This has been the longest the Bridge has been down. But it kept us from missing dinner.
Tonight we go for some Channel Side Dining at Etta's
. This is the only fully non smoking resturant on the island and I think in the South (They grow tobacco down here. Its their economy. You can get a carton for $9.85).
I order the Broiled Seafood platter and a bowl of their Oyster Stew. The Stew is great. The oysters are plump and sweet. The platter comes with a fillet of flounder, crab cake, three shrimp, scallops, crab imperial and oysters. Doreen had the crab cakes. The meal cost $50 which isn't bad for fresh seafood.
We stop off at refuge Mini Golf to work off our dinner. When you enter the area you are greated by "Hi There!". It is their pet parrot. 
He says "Hi There!", "Hello", "Goodbye" and if you leave him without giving him your attention he sqawks loudly until you come back. Doreen beats me by four strokes. It would have been more if I didn't abide by the five stroke limit. I am not a golfer.
We end the night by stopping at Mr. Whippys. 
. Doreen orders her Reeses Pieces Cyclone that she has wanted since we arrived and I order their Monster Strwaberry Malted Milk Shake.It has real strawberries in it that get stuck in the tiny straw they give you. Doreen's Cyclone is so big it almost broke the mixer. The young girl put in too much soft serve. It stuck out almost 3 inches above the cup. Mu monster shake was in a cup the size of Big Gulp. I sort of recretted getting it. We both leftthere bloated but it was gooooooood!!!!
We call it an early night since we have to be at the Dock by 7:30AM tomorrow to go fishing. Maybe we can catch dinner. They have size limitations here and the fishing hasn't been great so far this season.