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ChaseTheWind t1_japg7zz wrote

I frequent Chincoteague regularly. I’m an engineer for NG and we process our cargo module for the ISS in Wallops. I will absolutely donate! Thanks for sharing this!

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snarefire t1_jar55kd wrote

Don't just donate, tell all your coworkers in the area, friends, family and whatever services you patronize

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entropynchaos t1_japklxm wrote

Oh no! I hadn’t heard this! I’ve never visited Chincoteague, but we vacationed on Assateague when I was small, and I adored the book.

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geckohawaii t1_jas1fa4 wrote

Chincioteague itself is still an incredible beach town with a small town vibe, it’s hardly built up at all. The VA side has a fun little town with a couple places to eat but you can’t bring the dogs into the park. Dogs are allowed on the Maryland side.

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qualmer t1_jaq117g wrote

Ironic that the ranch buildings all burned down a couple of years ago since the funds raised by the famous pony run are supposed to go to the town fire department, which if it was true must have been the best funded fire department on delmarva.

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mzchen t1_jarjlhx wrote

Maybe that's the issue. Money attracts roaches.

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Savannah_Henderson t1_jaqyxzk wrote

I read the shit out of this book as a kid. Didn't even know it was based on true events.

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ContentHolder t1_jas0ulg wrote

Same, but mainly thought that cause it gotten a movie. I swear I have family members that still got old vhs copies of that somewhere in their ancient “temples” lol

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BuddyOZ t1_jat5jwo wrote

I would say it was inspired by an actual horse and the place it came from. The real story is much different.

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lekkermuff t1_japly1g wrote

Dude can we please just leave nature the fuck alone.

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Hurt_cow t1_jarcy95 wrote

Ranchland isn't natural, it's an artificial biome.

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ZebZ OP t1_jas02op wrote

This isn't like a production cattle ranch, it's just a large property (at it's most I think maybe 100 acres) where a family kept horses and some other animals.

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Amphy64 t1_jaq2ll9 wrote

Absolutely, the original ranch buildings already burnt down, it sounds like long past time to leave everything about this in the past.

https://blog.humanesociety.org/2018/07/a-death-at-chincoteague-once-again.html

There are already so many domestic ponies needing safe homes, without preserving a contribution to the problem.

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ZebZ OP t1_jaqcydg wrote

The ranch has nothing to do with the pony swim, aside from the book. The museum wants to buy the land, which still has some original buildings on it, to preserve it rather than see it turned into McMansions or a strip mall.

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mosehalpert t1_jarcyvw wrote

Imagine a families old farm is at risk of being sold off to developers and you want to tell them that because of the industry in their area, they should just sell and let it get developed into a strip mall, because there's soooooo many domestic ponies that need safe homes.

Get off your high horse. People just don't want to see another apartment home at the site of the farm from one of their favorite children's stories.

I imagine you'd sell off the farm from Charlotte's web and build an office building because the pork industry hurts your feelings too?

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Vet_Leeber t1_jarpb6c wrote

> Get off your high horse pony.

It was right there!

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Electron_Spin t1_jas3ckf wrote

Imagine caring more about preserving some unused ranch land over homes for people to live in.

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ninjatrex17 t1_jar5mfz wrote

I loved this book as a little girl but I didn't know how to pronounce the name of the island correctly so until I heard someone say it out loud for the first time, I think in the movie, I pronounced it chin-cotta-goo lol

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Gobergoober t1_jar6vgu wrote

I loved these books so so much. Collected all of them, visited the island as a kid. I wrote Marguerite Henry a letter and she wrote me back, and my parents framed it. I didn't know Maureen had died, or that the ranch had burned down. God, how terribly sad.

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ModernNancyDrew t1_jas5xvx wrote

I wrote Marguerite Henry all the time as a kid and she always answered me. I still have her letters. It was her book, "Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West" that inspired me to adopt a Mustang as an adult and Brighty of the Grand Canyon inspired me to get a miniature donkey.

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BlueEyedKite t1_jarn364 wrote

My happiest memory as a girl was my dad driving me all the way out to witness the annual pony swim. We followed the locals through mud and muck to stand in the water as the wild ponies were crossing. I ended up in the front of the crowd of kids! Doubt anything will top that experience. I owe the Misty of Chincoteague book for enlightening horse obsessed me on the event.

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takatori t1_jarecoa wrote

I have all of these books and love them to death.

Even went to see the pony swim a few times.

Always sad when an era comes to an end.

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kalysti t1_jarzh21 wrote

They have a GoFundMe, which I immediately went and donated to. My 7 year old self would have pitch a fit if I didn't.

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mukwah t1_japsxea wrote

I read this

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Kitty_party t1_jarnmkg wrote

One of my favorite childhood books!

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blue_twidget t1_jarzv4j wrote

The article says you can make donations on the museum website, but there's not a specific fund for purchasing the ranch?

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JourneytotheSon t1_jats3w8 wrote

This is so sad. I visited the ranch in September for the first time.

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lager81 t1_jare2ua wrote

Oh damn I remember I saw a snapchat from my buddy that (volunteer ff) of this place burning

1