June 20, 2014

Little Manatee River SP

Wimauma, FL

Monte set his alarm for 6AM and was out the door by 6:30 to pick up his daughter Jenny and grandsons, Bobby and Nicholas, who were spending the day at the park with us.

 

 

They arrived before 9AM ready for a day filled with adventure.

First on the agenda was a trail ride on the mules. 

When we started out Jenny rode with me and the two boys with Monte.

 

With all the rain there was plenty of muddy water to slosh through. 

 

 

 

 

Our first stop was Dude Lake where Nicholas decided he wanted to ride with me.

 

 

  

 

Monte was a little more daring when speeding through the puddles kicking up mud. I slowed down and every time I did, Nicholas would yell, "Faster Grandma, we have to catch up to them." OMG, how adorable he is!

He also kept calling his brother on the walkie talkie but kept forgetting to push the button in as he was talking so of course Bobby couldn’t hear him.

 

 

 

When we came to the picnic area we stopped for a while so the boys could play on the playground but the sun was too intense so we didn’t stay too long.

 

 

We explored a few more trails before heading back home for lunch.

 

After resting for a little while it was on to the next adventure.

 

Monte took Jenny and the boys in a large canoe while I used a single kayak. He took a spill going down the small hill from where the boats are stored to the launch. After making sure he was okay we all had a good laugh. The only thing he bruised was his ego.

After getting the canoe situated he went back up the hill for my kayak.

I paddled a little bit away from shore.

  I turned around to take a picture of the group getting into the canoe. 

 When I turned around again to face forward I ran into a branch hanging over the water and scratched the side of my face. OUCH!

The current was flowing so swiftly only requiring paddling when necessary to steer.

We put in by the canoe launch at the Youth Camp. Jenny, Nicolas and I waited while Monte and Bobby began walking the couple of miles back to where we had launched the boats.



Luckily for them, Joey, one of the rangers, came along and gave them a ride.

While they were gone, Nicholas amused himself by scooping water up in his hat and putting the hat on as the water flowed down his face.

  He did that over and over again, laughing each and every time like it was the first time he was doing it.

 

When he tired of the wet hat, he tied a piece of rope around a small branch and "fished". What an imagination!

Monte had gone back to the compound and hitched up the trailer for the boats. Joey came along to give me a ride back to the canoe launch so I could pick up the mule.

 

 

As soon as we got home, we all took turns taking showers in the meeting room bathroom.

While I got dinner going, Monte played Frisbee with the boys.

 

 

After we ate, we retreated inside to get out of the heat and away from the mosquitoes. 

Nicholas amused himself by putting on Grandpa's vest and hat-he was a fisherman, then a pirate. 

He wanted to keep the hat but Monte said no because it is one of his favorites.  But I remembered that I had a similar hat from our lighthouse hosting last year in Oregon.  The hat is too small for me but fit Nicholas perfectly--He was happy.  

Monte left at around 8PM to take Jenny and the boy home. It had been a great day and I knew the boys thought so also because as they were leaving, Bobby wanted to know when they could visit again.