Horseback Riding to the Swimming Hole

God bless the waterworks guys. Today we woke to not a trickle of water on the property. Not a drip. Ants are invading the counter again, and we have no way to wash it down to erase their trail. (We used all of our drinking water last night to rinse the dishes and get one flush of the toilet.) Contacted the property owner this morning. Water guys pulled down the street as we were headed out again....

We were back to our active selves today, to some extent. Somehow, we managed to talk both Grandma Lynn and Grandpa Doug into joining in on our family horseback ride. Grandma Lynn and I rode when we were here in the 1980s, and Grandpa Doug said he hadn't been on a horse since his junior high school days. Mr. B has been on the horse once in his lifetime, to my knowledge. Still, there we were, saddling up this morning.

We chose Silver Falls Ranch for the ride because we wanted something MORE than just a ride. V rides every week, and E was riding every week until she got tired of riding in a ring. I ride whenever I can get a chance. This place offered not only the pleasure ride, but the itinerary included a stop at a swimming hole and waterfall (er...cascade) on the property where lunch was served. We weren't disappointed. The horses were well matched to riders (mine had a little spunk; the beginners all rode very accommodating horses), and our guide was friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and relaxed. The place was quite pricey, but they offered what we were looking for and we're on vacation! (We'll face our financial responsibilities again when we return to "real life.")

After the ride, Mr. B, V, E and I explored Anini Beach. While the beach itself is very long, its shore is not very deep. There are only about 10 feet between the sea wall or high-water mark and the lapping tide. On the other hand, the reef is quite far from shore and today the surf was nearly completely absorbed by the reef. Snorkeling was fantastic here due to the calm water, though visibility may have been clearer during the morning hours. We found it a bit murky, but still were too amped to leave the underwater camera in the bag. And once we spotted the pair of sea turtles we were absolutely shutter happy. (I'll upload those photos as soon as we get them back from the processor - if we can find one on the island. Film, anyone?)

Then we returned to Bali Hai for dinner (mmm...tomato/basil/garlic delight on spaghetti with salad and bread all topped off with Laffert's ice cream to order). Another dip in the pool for the girls. Good thing - we returned to a trickle of water (not enough to kick on the water heater for showers, or to fill the toilet tank for another flush). But at least the weather is fantastic, right?