Friday, April 27, 2012

Island Ponies & Island Boys

From Ocracoke in the Fifties, by Dare Wright, edited by Brook Ashley and John Ogilvie:

"The native ponies developed their own system of survival. Together, they formed a circle, then pawed a hole in the sand. Dig deep enough and fresh water appeared. Those who didn't dig didn't drink.

"The ponies long roamed freely, unshod. So did the island boys who rode them. So could visitors, if they wanted. Ocracoke was a barefoot island."

Be sure to take your shoes off and get some sand between your toes! When you do you'll be hooked on Ocracoke.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Project Nutmeg, and how Ocracoke almost became a site for testing nuclear weapons. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news042112.htm.

3 comments:

  1. Debbie Leonard6:00 AM

    The NPS campground sure isn't a barefoot place...sandspurs! They are terrible there.

    ReplyDelete
  2. bill kostar7:31 AM

    And then they invented Pony Potatoes!
    What a way to start the day on the island!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't remember who said it but one of my favorite quotes is "always have sand in your shoes and a seashell in your pocket".


    We all love the pony potatoes too.

    ReplyDelete