Sorry about the lack of posting; but we had no intarwebs at the last two campgrounds we were at so I could not put anything up. I managed to put up a small one from the oyster festival but after that we were pretty much signal free until we got here to Occoneechee State Park. We have 5 bars of 3G there and after going across the lake to Clarksville for dinner found that the entire town has free WiFi.

Anyway; to catch up with our last week or so…after the Oyster Festival we spent two more days on Chintoteague and went down to the National Wildlife Refuge on Assoteague Island where the wild ponies live. Here are a few shots from there.

Great Blue Heron

Assoteague Lighthouse

Chincoteague Wild Ponies

Great White Heron and Snow Egret

Chincoteague Wild Pony

We then moved to Kiptokeke State Park which is at the southern end of the DelMarVa peninsula about 5 miles north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. The big draw there was the hawk banding station and the beach/fishing pier. However, the no-seeums at the latter two were fierce and the adults didn’t spend much time down there. They did go over to the banding station and got the following hawk pictures of freshly banded birds ready for release.

Connie at Fishing Pier

Coopers Hawk

Sharp Shinned Hawk

Perigrine Falcon

Osprey

We then moved to Holiday Lake State Park over near Appomattox, VA…wonderful campground with brand new facilities but it was way, way off of the beaten path…Neil almost started spreading bread crumbs so they could find their way out. Highlights there were the very nice hike around the lake and the Apple Festival.

Holiday Lake Foliage

Turtle Track on Lakebed

Kara at the Apple Festival

Valley from Apple Festival

Apple Festival Band

After Mass in Appomattox we moved over to Occoneechee State Park near Clarksville, VA after stopping at the Farmville WalMart for some supplies. We have an absolutely stunning campsite looking over the lake.

Connie at Buggs Island Lake

Sunset over Buggs Island Lake -- Occonneechee State Park

We also went for a hike around the Old Plantation Trail and saw a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker pecking on a tree as well as another Great Blue Heron. He was fishin’ but didn’t catching anything and Neil got a shot right as it took off for another fishin’ hole.

Plantation House Ruins

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker

Plantation House Cemetery

Great Blue Heron in Flight

We’ll be leaving here tomorrow and going to Pocahontas State Park…that’s right near where their other kid Bryan lives. He doesn’t get to travel with us though but Connie wants to mooch lunch at his house. She says it’s only fair since she supported him until he graduated from Longwood University.