Originally, when Will planned this stop, he intended for us to do a 7-mile hike. A mama is wise (sometimes,) and I didn't think a 7-mile hike would be best for our crew...in Florida...in JULY...with only 1-2 quarts of water per person. Instead, we did a shorter hike. The walk started out beautifully -- we walked at a comfortable pace, stopping to watch a bug with a magnifying glass, observing lizards, drawing flowers as we sat in the shade. We passed a sign that said that one particular tree was the "One millionth tree planted" at that national forest. Strangely, after about a mile the trees became too tall to be shady, or they were just gone altogether.
Around the time the kids were REALLY miserable, Will pointed out that he didn't understand how a forest could have more than a million trees but absolutely no shade.
The kids ended up calling this the "Death Hike," and it WAS bad enough that Allen and I began to wonder if they would ever hike again. It was a long, hot, cranky walk, but we made it. We headed back to the house to cool off. Allen and the kids played a game while I read a book on the porch.
After lunch, we went to the beach across the street and played in the sand and water until the storms rolled in. Some guy caught a blue crab and let the kids have it to watch until we released it. We played for several hours before we heard the thunder and ran back to the cottage.
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