Went away for the weekend

The change in my header photo was in honor of our weekend trip to Assateague Island. We were both in serious need of a getaway after that long winter and with all the stress we've both been under. It was also Car Cruise weekend in Ocean City, and HTB loves going there. So we took the camper on its maiden voyage. HTB went down Wednesday, and I left Friday.

Of course, this being Crazyville, nothing exactly happens as planned. They called me Thursday from the bridal salon to tell me my wedding dress was in, and to come get it. So I had to make a stop-off. For me to drive over, try it on, then take it home and turn around would have been too long, so I was going to drop it off at my mother's. She had no room to hang it and suggested laying it across a bed. Well, HTB vetoed that right off the bat. He said no way, what if one of the cats laid on it? Or did worse. I didn't want it wrinkled, so I took it over to his parents' house. They babysat my dress and the dogs for us this weekend, LOL. By the time I got to the beach, I was so hot and tired.

Saturday was a pretty relaxed day. We woke up and went on a pony hunt. It may just be that the ponies haven't realized the plethora of good eating in the state park, but we didn't see a lot in there. None came to visit, and I'm all about the ponies. So we went over to the national seashore to look for them. And it was lovely. They were in their element, out in the marshes. We came onto 3 bands (what they call the herds): one with maybe nine ponies in it, one with two, and one with seven. We had to walk out quite a ways to see the band of seven. Flip flops are NOT good shoes for treks through mud, I forget that every year. HTB was wearing socks with his flip-flops (he'd hurt his foot and was trying to protect it), and they were trashed by the time we got out to the band. We didn't get close--HTB is still wary (some would say 'scared') of horses, and I have instituted a new rule with myself that I will no longer be part of spoiling their wildness by petting them.

We don't feed them, but I have petted them, even though it's illegal to do so. Everyone pets the ponies. People do far stupider things; I've seen people put their kids on them. Um, hello, you're putting a tiny child on a wild stallion. He might be little, he might be cute, he's still a stallion. I've ridden for 25 years and never been on an untethered stallion's back, even a tame one. STUPID STUPID STUPID. But really, I can't be that critical if I'm petting them. These are not tame horses, they're used to people, but that's no excuse to touch them. So I made a decision to not pet them anymore; instead I'll just talk quietly to them about how lovely their island is. And I'll stay away from behind them; I've been kicked enough to know better than that!

We went to the beach in the afternoon. It was a nice day, but too cold to go in the water. I am a bit ashamed of myself; I jumped in the Bay in a snowstorm on a 19 degree day and I can't handle my feet in the Atlantic Ocean on a sunny day 50 degrees warmer? Perhaps if I'd worn my cap and red lipstick? Is that the secret? Instead I contented myself figuring out what color DMC the ocean water was. Maybe in the 560 range, but maybe closer to 368? I'm not too sure about that.

We went into town for dinner, then went to watch the cars cruise up and down Coastal Highway. The best thing I saw all night was two Mini Coopers pulled up along side each other. One was a new one, the other was a very old one. With a tractor trailer horn on it. Which he blew. It was awesome. I want one. I think that is EXACTLY what I need to have for my daily commute. Can you imagine? How obnoxiously cool would that be? I chuckle thinking about it. Think about it the next time you are in traffic, especially if you are in a little car.

We came home yesterday. I HAD to stop at Salty Yarns in Ocean City. I haven't set foot in an LNS since the last time I was there, in September. And we needed popcorn from Fisher's. So HTB took the camper up to 94th Street and parked there, while I attempted to find a parking place for my car closer to the LNS. Y'all, it took me an hour to park the car. The parking is so unclear, and I don't want my car towed. I finally found one, two blocks from the LNS. That wouldn't have been bad, but it was 12 blocks from the popcorn stand. I had forgotten to pack capri pants, and I don't own shorts, so I walked down that boardwalk in jeans, my tee shirt and ballet flats. I was quite the beauty by the time I got back to the car and then wilted into the pizza parlor for our lunch.

But I scored good stash! I try to only buy things on vacation that are particular to that place or that I haven't seen at home. It's a wierd tic I have, but I feel like I'm doing a better job of supporting my LNS that way (despite the issues I've had with them over the last couple years about when I should bring in framing, and the way they look at freebies, they're still a small business owner). Fortunately, Salty Yarns carries a series of Ocean City designs, and has a nice selection of seaside designs. So I indulged, knowing that my summer won't be spent at the seaside and wanting to have a hint of summer and beach. I bought an Oberlin Samper design of light houses, a summer-themed Hinzeit, Shepherd's Bush, "O Say." I also bought LHN Summer Strawberries, which I may do as one of my ornaments for the Bride's Tree. I toyed over getting a tote bag with a Halloween chart by Prairie Moon, but $30 seemed like a lot to spend right then, so put it back.

It was a nice trip, a pleasant break, and the kind of weekend that gets one through til the next big weekend away.