A Ferry Tale!

  We had a full agenda yesterday!
  Our plan was to head south along the Outer
Banks of North Carolina, see the Cape Hatteras
Light House, then check out the wild ponies of
Ocracoke Island.
  It's a long drive through the Hatteras National
Seashore, You're surrounded by water and
sand dunes. It's not the place to be when a
hurricane strikes!
   The light house is magnificent! It was built in
1870 and stands just under 200 feet tall. It's hard
to imagine that, in 1999, it was picked up and
physically moved one half mile away to save it
from a site threatened by erosion.
   Next objective...the wild ponies of Ocracoke,
said to be the descendants of survivors from a
Spanish ship wreck a few hundred years ago.
    But the only was to get to Ocracoke Island
is by Ferry Boat!
    It's a free 40 minute ride (if conditions are
good) and the vessel leaves every hour on the
hour. We were about 5 minutes late for the 2pm
sailing so we killed some time in a nearby snack
and gift shop.
   The trip was smooth and pleasant and we
got to see the ponies which have actually been
fenced in since 1959 to keep them off that long
highway I mentioned and to keep them from
eating all the vegetation on the island! I guess
they're still "wild" in the sense that "they ain't
been rode." But they're well fed and don't look
like they're apt to stampede anytime soon.
   Now to return we again had to board the
Ferry Boat. But this time I lot of over folks
had the same idea.
   We now have some idea what a sardine must
feel like in the can! Cars and trucks were
crowded together bumper to bumper and door
to door.
    I had to laugh when I spotted the sign for
the Men's Room just beyond the tractor trailer
next to me. A "Handicapped sign" was there
too. But, since I had no chance in the world
of getting out of my vehicle, I wondered what
anyone dependent on a wheel chair would do!
So glad I didn't "have to go!"
     I was also very glad the attendants told  the
drivers to engage their Parking brakes! A slight
bump by one car at the rear of the line could
have made this crossing far too wet for the
vehicle at the bow of the ship!
     Of course the Ferry Boat ride was free so,
crowded or not, who cold refuse a nice cruise
at exactly the right price!
     Hope you're all still wild and free and that
all your NEWS is good!