Day 3 at Point Clear...for the Landlubbers

Hey...what's that smell?


Yeah...what IS that smell?


Oops. Sorry. It's just us.

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Lil man's not so sure about this "fun"venture.

But after a little petting...

And a little kissing... (I know. Ick, right?)


The whole brood is ready to hit the trail!

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I have been informed that I must point out who is on who:

B is on Champion. K is on Barney. Lil man and I are on Ace.

Steve is on Too Tall. (Excuse me while I laugh...lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol LOL!) That horse was aptly named. You can't tell by the picture, but that fella was HUGE. His rear end was as tall as Steve. Trust me. It was just funny. :)

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We rode for about an hour. Well, lil man and I rode for an hour...then took a shortcut back to the stables to find a fan and some water. Sweet kid was miserably hot and thirsty, but hung in there like a champ! I was so proud of him. The gal following our line heard him ask for juice and offered to show us a shorter way back. The rest of the pack stayed out another 20 minutes or so. About 30 minutes later, I was glad my behind only had to endure that saddle for an hour. Ouch! And I had to share with lil man. Not that his behind takes up all that much room, but mine...well, that's another post.

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Anyhoo...the girls LOVED it! They are trying to convince us to let them take horseback riding lessons. They claim they won't even complain when they have to muck out the stalls. (uh huh...excuse me while I harbor a doubt)

Ignore B's goofy face and the unknown lady in the back...

Just look at those gorgeous trees! This "tunnel" went on forever.


Interesting facts about Oak Hollow (where we were):

The same family has owned the land since the early 1840s. There are over 350 acres, of which 200 are farmed. When Hurricane Katrina came through, all of the land was flooded. Some of the places we went through stood 12 feet under water. It took over 2 weeks for the land to drain. Then when Hurricane Ivan plowed through, the flooding wasn't as severe but it ripped the brush and foliage to shreds. Let me say...on parts of the trail, the brush is so dense, there's not a hope or prayer of seeing past the first layer of trees and such. But after Ivan's damage, we were told that you could actually see through to the other side of the trail...about a quarter of a mile away. They actually had to sell a horse because he was so spooked at the change in appearance of the land, that he refused to enter the trail. But for now, it is long past the damage and the land is full and beautiful. It was also unbelievably hot and muggy, but still beautiful.

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Of course, we hit the water for a while.

Lil man rode by himself this time. He was so good and stayed SO still. And for those of you who know lil man...well, yeah...you should be impressed.

The girls would stay in the water ALL day.

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I don't have a picture, because as you've probably noticed...I am the official snap-shooter, but I got to sail today for the first time. It was GLORIOUS! Steve took me and lil man out while the girls played on the beach. I can't even describe...but I want to do it again and again and again. I'm thinking maybe we'll retire and just live on a boat. Aahhh. (pause for daydreaming and big, contemplative sighing)

Okay, back to reality.

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Day 3 was also the day we enjoyed riding bikes around the grounds. I have to admit...this is the way to sight see. The grounds are quite extensive and if you already have tired little people...well, you can imagine.

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The brood collapsed under one of my marvelous tree friends. Fortunately, the lovely people here at the resort must have witnessed many a collapse through the years...because they graciously installed hammocks here and there.

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Aaaand just 'cause I love this face...even when it's covered in sand and grit and sweat. Yup, I still love it.

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4:00 every afternoon, the resort celebrates, honors, and remembers the military by offering "The Firing of the Canon". The officer spoke about Point Clear's role in previous wars...from the Civil War to the present. Everyone who had gathered for the firing said the Pledge of Allegiance before the canon was fired. I wasn't expecting it, but I was pretty emotional during the Pledge. That particular flag had been flown in several countries during previous and current wars. It was extremely moving to see all these strangers uniting in voice, saluting our flag, paying tribute to the brave members of the armed forces.

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Here comes the parade!

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Cool shot, huh? And it was LOU-WOW-D!

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That night, the kids were ex.haus.ted.

I really wanted to go find "my" sunset, but no one wanted to join me...so my also tired husband suggested I just go and enjoy some quiet time.

Okay. I'm gone. :)

Yeah...so, uh...here's my sunset. Grrr. It was cloudy.

No pretty colors. BUT it was peaceful and quiet. And I did get to enjoy a stroll along the beach at sunset. So no whining here.

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And look who I saw again...

Wilma. Just hanging out with her good friend, Betty.

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A virgin strawberry daiquiri on my way back to the room rounded off an EXCEPTIONAL day with my family in one of our favorite places to be.