Pony Penning Day 2010

It's a long wait for folks at the Pony Swim this morning. Slack tide, when it's safe for the ponies to swim, will occur between 11:30 and 11:45 today. People started lining up for the best spots to see the swim before daylight, when the Assateague Channel tide was low; they picked their spots and were standing on mud. The water is now chest high, but most folks don't seem to mind. And the heat wave that has been covering the east coast has dissipated, leaving this year's observers a high of about 85 and a cooling ocean breeze. As I've been saying, I wish I were there. Chincoteague's annual Pony Penning has been the goal of my summer for every year of my life that I can remember; in the first 41 years of my life, I missed only 3 round-ups. In the last 13 years, I've seen only 2, but the feeling that I need to be there never lessens.
The local mountain lion caught a young fox late last night; it wasn't a clean kill, and Rosie was extremely interested in the noises that emanated from just outside the back fence. Remy was sound asleep and never woke up. I could see what happened from the upstairs balcony, once I heard the scream and opened the door. It wasn't pretty, but it was nature being it's usual wild self. Lovey and Neddy were surprised to see me so early this morning - I've got to get a move on and start cleaning for tomorrow's exterminator visit.... Take care!