Morning in the Kitchen: It was another lazy morning with nothing planned. We all had breakfast at different times, my brother rising last and therefore eating last. Peep and I spent our time taking orders from everybody on what they wanted for dinner, since today was our turn to cook. Once everyone was done, we took over the kitchen and started precooking what we could for later, bacon. Mark even got us started, since he had made the same as part of his late breakfast.
Swimming: It was early afternoon by the time we finished up in the kitchen and made our way over to the outdoor pool to join much of the rest of the family. They had been there for a while by the time we arrived but still another hour. The outdoor pool at Glade Springs is in an L-shaped pattern with a full 50 yard swim lane roped off along one edge. The depth of the pool increases three feet at the short leg of the L, to four feet at the junction of the two legs, to a full twelve feet and the end of the other leg. A large number of deck chairs surround much of the pool, with a cafe and outdoor seating at one end. We had much fun playing and swimming in the water, with the kids challenging themselves to touch the bottom of the deep end.
Horseback Riding: We had lunch at our rental lodge and then packed into our cars for the short ride to the Equestrian Center, located within the confines of Glade Springs. We were all anxious to begin our main adventure for the day, horseback riding. Despite having seen the horses and deciding to participate the day before, Ben changed his mind and instead headed back to our rental while the rest of us stayed to ride.
We first signed all the necessary forms and were then each assigned a horse to ride. There were two mules that would be making the trip and my brother Mark volunteered to ride one and his daughter Calaen volunteered to ride the other. The guides then spent some time trying to match the personalties of the horses to the experience level of the riders. I was the next to get a horse, one of the more feisty ones. Everyone else was then assigned theirs. Our assignments were as follows: Grandpa - Bell, Grandma - Carousel, Uncle Mark - Jane, Calaen - Jake, Robbie - Shrek, Uncle Jim - Navajo, Aunt Peep - Cheyene, Aunt Becky - Reba, Abby - Smokey, and Nate - Darla.
Next we put on our riding helmets and waited while the crew busied themselves saddling each of the animals, fourteen in all including the four guides' horses, going out on the ride. Each rider then mounted their horse in the order in which we would ride. Once everyone was in their respective saddle, we were ready to ride. The ride lasted an hour as we wound our way along some groomed and ungroomed trails, moving up and down the rolling hills and in and out of the shaded forests that dominate the terrain of the area.
At first I had some difficulty directing my horse. It would not respond to the commands I was giving it. Observing my difficulties, the guide riding directly behind me commented that they don't train the horses to respond to neck reigning, and break those that come there of the habit, due to the inexperience of most riders. Therefore, I would have to pull the direction I want to go. It made sense and from then on I had no trouble whatsoever controlling my horse, allowing me to easily take photographs as we rode.
We made several short stops during the ride, mostly to make sure our large group did not get too far spread out. However, we did make one extended stop while one of the guides tended to Peep after she was bit by a no-see-me bug. While she did get additional first aid once we arrived back at the stables, the bite caused no lasting discomfort and Peep was able to participate in all our remaining activities.
Jim's Dinner: Back at the lodge after our adventures on horseback, it was time for Peep and me to get to work. My brother and sister having gone before me, it was now time for me to prepare dinner for everyone. Our menu was much simpler than my siblings', consisting of grilled cheese sandwiches and chips. They weren't just plain grilled cheese sandwiches, but gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, where each diner got to choose which combination of four different kinds of cheeses they wanted and whether or not to add bacon, tomatoes or onions. It took some organization to make sure everyone got the one or two sandwiches they ordered. We chose sandwiches because we knew we had a lot of meals to prepare and a limited time to do it. Our plan worked and we started serving the meals just one hour and fifteen minutes after returning from horseback riding, right on schedule.
Calaen's Dessert:Since we had eaten earlier in the evening than on previous nights, it gave my niece Calaen, who absolutely loves to bake, an opportunity to make a delicious cake. Topped with homemade icing and fresh strawberries, it was thoroughly enjoyed by the entire family.