the melody of the highlands

I heard a neigh, Oh, such a brisk and melodious neigh it was. My very heart leaped with the sound.
--Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) American novelist.

To be honest, the wild ponies at the Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia aren't all that wild. Though park officials have policies against visitors petting and feeding the ponies, rustle a plastic wrapper and they'll come right to you. So something tells me that rule isn't strictly followed. One family I saw brought an apple for a treat -- at least it was a healthy snack. There are usually a few small herds of ponies at different parts of the park, so wander around the trails and you'll eventually find them. We didn't see any on our way up to Wilburn Ridge from Massey Gap, but on our way down we came across two different groups of ponies (maybe a total of eight or ten). Once a year the ponies are rounded up and checked out for health problems - but other than that they're pretty much left alone to graze in the beautiful Grayson Highlands. See yesterday's post for more information about the park.