I had the pleasure of popping over to Assateague State Park the second week of September and spending a couple of hours there by the ocean before and after sunset. It was quiet, peaceful, and beautiful.
Getting to see the wild ponies upon my entrance into the parking lot was a plus! (Especially since I MEANT to be at the national park, but took a left instead of a right, because I was still battling with myself on where I actually wanted to be on the Island. long story.)
During my time on the beach I didn't actually notice any wild ponies, but I walked along the water taking pictures of the numerous shells the gulls had left behind after their many meals. It was quiet and lonely (in a good way) compared to the busy-ness of Ocean City, Maryland where I was vacationing with my family at the time.
It wasn't until I returned to the parking lot, after being kindly informed that the state park lot was being closed soon, that I got a surprise! Standing in the middle of the empty parking lot between the end of the boardwalk and my car, were four of the wild ponies. They would have appeared to be statues in the last light of dusk except that their tails and manes moved in the gentle breeze.
With all the signs about 'keeping your distance' from the wild horses, I didn't feel right drawing very close, so I popped open my tri-pod and turning on my camera took a couple shots in slow shutter speed, not wanting to 'scare them off' with a flash.
I felt VERY silly when a tourist's mini van came cruising into the parking lot and drove a mere 12-15 feet around the small herd of horses and took about four (with flash) pictures with their little point-and-shoot camera. Oh well. I got a pretty good shot anyway, as you'll see down the page.
It wasn't until I returned to my hotel and was scanning through my photos with a more detailed eye that I spotted something I hadn't even seen while I was on the beach. I had been zooming in, really far, to take some photos of a herd of sea gulls. I see sea gulls ALL THE TIME at the ocean, yet, they always have a way of making me feel at home, just like they look right at home on the sandy beaches. It was the silouettes in the background of that one photo which caught my eye later on in the hotel room. It turned out, that there in the distance, were those same four wild ponies. I couldn't believe they'd been there on the shore, though in the distance most of the time, and I hadn't even known it!
I hope you enjoy these few pictures below from my little outting that night.
My favorite <3
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