Beachy Peachy

Since I'm a 'bike widow' for 2 months, I have to fill my time with fun stuff like taking a trip to Chincoteague with my girlfriends. Assateague is really the only beach place I like on the east coast except for Maine, and even then I prefer the marsh area around the island. One time I went to Chincoteague for 3 days and never went to the beach!


Macee, Seal and Annie on our fun few days. Thanks Annie for some of these photos!


I'm lucky enough to have a friend, Emily, who owns this adorable cottage in Chincoteague. This is her island getaway place so she let us use it for staging our days at the beach and telling stories at night while drinking wine and eating crab cakes.


But on the drive there....Macee had told us she has this thing for highway patrols, she thinks they're hot! We had pulled into a gas station/convenience store and all went in. When Seal and I came out we saw that coincidentally a highway patrol had pulled in and was just hanging out behind our car. While Macee was still in the store, Seal strides on over to the patrol car, the window rolls down and Seal leans in and says, "Hey Officer, my friend has this thing for patrol guys. Would you mind comin' on over and telling her she's hot?!!!!" I know, she has chutzpah! She walks away and to our surprise (!) he gets out, stands up straight, adjusts his hat and saunters over to us just as Macee is coming out of the store! Whoa! And he IS hot, all 25 years of him! Macee is fanning her face with her hands and her mouth is in an 'O' as she says, "What's happening?!" (and she's thinking "Whoa Baby!") Well, Officer Howard did not tell her she's hot but they did make small talk and I didn't hear a word they said because I was laughing too hard. I rushed for my camera and asked them to pose but he said not a chance as who knows what would be up on the internet. Yea, I understand that. So we just got this shot of him so no incriminating evidence on him.


Macee who likes highway patrols but who really loves her husband very, very much!


It was a bit chilly at the beach, while it was sweltering back home. We even had to wear our jackets.


But during the day, it warmed up and we were able to hang out in our swim suits, reading and relaxing.


Of course we saw the famous Chincoteague ponies.


This was our friend, Bill, who followed us around the entire weekend, begging for cheese fish


and becoming peeved when we didn't give him enough.


He even followed us back to our cottage, sat on the roof peering down on us hoping we would drop a morsel his way.


I think I had four crab cakes while there, first at this restaurant right on the bay.


This was a market where you could purchase crab cakes. Love the paint job. This would make a great watercolor or pastel. hmmmmm


Annie talked us into an island sunset tour that ended up being a '3-hour tour'.


Run by Captain Ray, he scooted us around, circumnavigating Chincoteague Island and veering out a bit into the Atlantic past Assateague Island.


He instructed us a bit about oysters and oyster farming.


An oyster shack in Chincoteague Bay.

I chose to bike around the island one day. Chincoteague Island is only 6 miles by 1 1/2 miles so it was easy to ride everywhere on the island. This is one of my favorite little houses on the island, small but perfectly appointed and well tended. I much prefer a small house instead of the huge, tasteless monstrosities we usually build.

I thought this was a clever idea for a garden, aluminum trash cans used as tomato planters.


A doorway to a cute garden, behind my favorite store on Chincoteague, Main Street Coffeehouse and Gallery.

This iron window invited a closer look into the garden.

Inside an assortment of tastefully chosen home goods, jewelry and clothing.


A peek at the new bridge that brings folks over the bay to enjoy the delights of Chincoteague.


Seal, looking right at home in one of the rooms.


I love these whimsical little shelves.


Being a mosaic nut, I admired the work that went into the pitch fork and shovel.


Along with celebrating Seal's 50th (!), Seal made me the most delicious peach cobbler and they all sang happy birthday to me a few days early.


A wonderful 5 days spent with girlfriends gives one a chance to recharge, reflect and enjoy life's relationships.


Here's to many more birthdays and fun times with girlfriends. Happy times!