Chapter Two: Pawprints and Memories

We parked the car, got all of our stuff together, and headed to the beach.  I was really excited.  I hadn't been to a real beach since our trip to North Carolina two years ago. 

My mom said that Assateague Island has 37 miles of pristine beaches.

As we were walking towards the beach...

Ew.  Really?  Those horses have no etiquette.

Hello???  Horses?  Are you coming back to clean that up?  If a puppy left a pile like that in Baltimore City, we would be fined a ka-jillion dollars.

My mom wasn't lying about the beach, though...

 It was big, and wide, and beautiful, and wonderful!

And it was teeming with all sorts of wildlife,

Like this little froggy that I rolled on,

and birdies.

Here, birdie, birdie, birdie...

Hunting birdies is hard when you're still attached to a walking leash.

So... dad, when are you going to let me off this leash?  What?  What do you mean "not a chance"?!?  I know it is against the rules for me to be off-leash here, but don't you always break the rules?  Why do I have to stay on a leash when the horses get to roam free?  Can anyone say "species discrimination"?  So unfair!

According to my mom, she said that I had to stay on the leash for my own safety.  The wild horses might hurt me if I ran up to them, so it was best to keep me under lock and key.  Besides, we can still have fun even if I'm tethered.

I had lots of fun racing through the waves with my mom, and then my dad had an idea.

My dad suggested that we should go swimming.  I love swimming -- anywhere, anytime.  You want to swim?  I'm your girl!  But that morning, I just wasn't so sure.  It had been a few years since I swam in the ocean, so the waves were kind-of scary.  Plus, the water was really cold.  So, I decided that no, I most decidedly was not going in the water.  But, as soon as my dad ran into the water, I immediately changed my mind.  I started screaming, flailing, and spinning.  And, before my mom knew it, I flew so fast that I ripped the leash out of my mom's hands (it was looped around her arm), spun her around, and leaped "frog-like" through the waves until I got to my dad.

Then, almost as suddenly as I jumped in, I realized that I had left my mom on the shore (plus it was really, really cold), so I raced back out of the ocean and ran smack into my mom.

"cold, cold, cold"

 My mom was a little freaked out about my off-leash tryst because about a half-football field away from us were:

Five wild horses chilling out on the beach!

Sorry, Mom, I didn't mean to scare you, but I promise that they wouldn't eat me.  Once my mom calmed down and realized that, no, the horses are not interested in eating me, I took advantage of the opportunity and took some pictures with the ponies.

 Dad, make sure to get my good side!

See, Mom, the horses aren't scary at all!

All in all, it was a great day.

Making pawprints in the sand, making memories...

Isn't that what life is all about?


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"Some believe that the horses arrived on Assateague's shores when a Spanish galleon ship (with a cargo of horses) sank offshore.  Others believe the horses arrived by early colonial settlers that allowed them to graze there." - Assateague Island National Seashore

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Chapter One: This Way to Assateague Island

On Friday night, my mom and dad realized that for the first time in years, they didn't have any work plans for the weekend.  So, they decided to take an impromptu day trip on Saturday. 

I wanted to know where this "trip" would take us, but my mom said, "We can't tell you.  It would ruin the surprise!"

I'm so excited!  But I'm a little nervous about the "surprise" part. The last time there was a "surprise" trip, we ended up getting lost, and our 1 hour trip turned into a 3 hour trip. 

I was trying to read the road signs to figure out where we were headed.

Berlin?  Are we going to Germany?

 Nope.  I was wrong.  We were going to Assateague Island!

This is a picture of the marshes as we were driving onto the island.  Such a pretty place full of birdies.  Anywhere that has wildlife gets an A+ in my book!

Further along the road, we came across this sign:

 Haha... I think someone forgot their Starbucks on the morning that they made that sign.  Horses aren't wildlife! 

Whoa, whoa, whoa...

Did I really see what I thought I saw?

I can't believe that I just saw wild horses hanging out on the side of the road!?!

There were more horses in the parking lot!  Wow!  Ok, maybe the sign was a "little bit" right.

I'm having a really weird case of deja vu.  Here I was dreaming of wild horses, and then we visit a place with wild horses.  Mom, are you sure we're in the right place?

Apparently, about 300 wild ponies wander the beaches, inland pine forest, and salt marshes of Assateague Island National Seashore.  The land and water boundaries of Assateague Island total over 48,000 acres in Maryland and Virginia. 

A dream vacation?

While my parents were out of town, I bunked with my mom Kayla, aunt Hannah, and brother Seamus at Melissa and Jason's house in PA. I had a lot of fun wrestling, cuddling, and playing with the Chuck-it flying squirrel at the park. However, I kept wondering what my parents were doing. I still can't believe that they left me behind!!!

Although they were originally supposed to visit some friends in Boston before going to a wedding in New York, they opted for a quick trip to Southern New Jersey instead.

While staying at a B&B in Cape May, they decided to take a side-trip to "The Point" in Stone Harbor to take a walk on the beach and see the wildlife.
(Meanies! They know I love the beach!)
Since it is a wildlife refuge area, the beach is usually completely empty.
There are lots of tidal pools for little "fishies" to live in, and it is a sanctuary where birds and other living things can nest on the beach without being disturbed.
This looks like my dream vacation!

Those sand dunes look like they would be really fun to run on. Plus, I love birds!

I can't believe that my parents didn't take me!?! Maybe I can go with my mom and dad next time.
Wait?? What?!?!?! You've got to be kidding me. Unfair!!!! Can you say "canine discrimination?"

I can't believe that they would be so bold as to blatantly . . .
Whoa! Mom, what is THAT!!!!
Oh my gosh, ewww! Mom, what are those creepy things!?!?!


Aieeee! That shell has eyeballs and fingers! Don't wait for the shell to come to life: Run away!!!

My mom said that it is just a hermit crab, but I think she's crazy. It's a monster!

And just when I thought the worst was over, along came a . . .

SHARK!!!!!

That's not a dream vacation, it's a nightmare!!!! I'm just glad my parents survived!

Ok, I change my mind. I'm very, very glad that I wasn't with my parents on their trip.