Eastern shore of Virginia 6/22/14

We spent the morning at Assateague Island National Seashore, a barrier island on the Atlantic coast of Virginia.  We walked through marshland (on a boardwalk).

 

We saw Maryland wildlife, including an eel…

 

and several crabs.  Here is one carrying his lunch in one claw.

 

Here is another crab looking for an easy meal.

 

The fight was intense and quick so we couldn’t really tell who won, but the winner took off in a hurry with the prize, leaving the loser behind.

 

We walked through sand dunes…

 

 

 

and found some cactus in bloom.

 

We walked on the beach.

 

 



 

 

 

Assateague Island is known for its population of wild ponies.  If you are old enough to remember the children’s novel, Misty of Chincoteague, you might like to know that, thanks to a creative taxidermist, Misty and her foal Stormy can still be seen at a museum on neighboring Chincoteague Island.  We passed that one by, but we did see some of their beautiful descendants on Assateague.

 

 

 

And where there are ponies, there is…

 

Our GPS was teasing us today by sending us way out in the countryside to get us turned around in the right direction.  We happened upon this little church, which is part of the Ukrainian orthodox religious community we blogged about on June 6.

 

In the afternoon we drove north to Chesapeake City, a picturesque little town on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, which extends across the width of the peninsula connecting Delaware and Chesapeake Bays. 

The 19th-century homes near the canal have been beautifully restored and maintained, many as inns and shops.
 

When we left we crossed the high bridge that spans the canal.