Meet Dixie

Crystal has a new friend! Her full name is Dixon's Slick Charlotte. We thought we'd call her Charlotte, but after meeting her this afternoon we are thinking Dixie suits her better. She's almost 12, the same height as Crystal, but a little thinner. Okay, a lot thinner. She needs some TLC, but we have plenty of that around here. We'll post updates as we get to know her better.

Tribute to Hoover

For all the goofy things you did, for all the times you made us laugh, or brought a smile to a child's face we will miss you buddy.

Hoover came to us in July 2000. We think he was almost 20 then. His first night here he scared me to death when I literally stumbled on him laying down in the dark. We have never had a horse that liked to lay down quite so much. He instantly fit right in with Shy and Dottie, happily letting them boss him around . He taught them to lay down for naps (as well as every other horse we've ever had.)

He was a born follower and Alyssa had to spend a great deal of time at first teaching him to leave the property to go on trail rides alone. He finally gained enough confidence in Alyssa to go anywhere she wanted him to go. He loved to do new things and was curious about everything that went on around him. He sometimes met other horses he did not like... Leggit at first and most recently little Tex. I think he actually preferred the company of people. He especially loved children. He would stand for hours at the front office allowing the smallest of children to pet and brush him. He almost seemed to delight in showing off for kids by pulling my plants out of pots or slurping Coke from their hands.

Of all the horses we had here with Hoover he liked Jack the best. Shy and Dottie's passings did not seem to really phase him much. But Jack's sense of discipline suited Hoover perfectly. Here was another horse he could respect, but who would let him lay in the sun for an hour if he felt like it, one old guy patiently standing guard while the other rested. When we lost Jack last August Hoover never seemed to recover his spirit. There was no one to lead the way, no one standing watch while he slept. He laid down less and ate less. He felt the need to try to lead Chloe and Crystal around which did not really suit him.
I could tell stories about my friend Hoover for days. Maybe someday I'll write a book about him and all that he meant to people whose lives he touched here. In the mean time, ask me about him and I'll be happy to tell you about Hoover the Mover. We think he loved his life here and was loved by many. Thank you, old guy, for all that you meant.

Unfortunately without Hoover and Jack, we are discontinuing pony rides. We will still bring Crystal out for kids to love on, brush, and braid. We hope soon to have another miniature horse to keep her company. In the meantime, Chloe is here for a few more weeks until she leaves for her new life with the Brown family.

Kristi's Pics

Kristi Hinton took these beautiful pictures yesterday. We've been trying to get pictures of our elusive bluebirds for a couple of years, but they don't usually pose long enough to get a good shot. This colorful guy sat on the top of a sign post enjoying the sunshine long enough for Kristi to work wonders with her zoom.

Wildflower Special

It's officially wildflower season and we want to help you find an excuse to head this way to see the colors. For the next two weeks we're offering the following specials:



All two night stays in Double Cabins come with a $25 gift certificate to be used on store purchases, boat rentals, or in the restaurant.



All stays in the Family Cottage come with free movies and free canoe rentals.



All Regular Singles are off peak price of $79

Comments from a Motocross Mom's Blog

We stumbled across this on moto mom's blog about her family's visit to Lake Whitney Motorcross Park for the recent Spring Nationals.

"We went to the market and then we drove to see Lake Whitney. It was so beautiful... a huge lake and a perfect day to be on it. [89 degrees]
After we left, I said let's get some Chinese food at
[are you ready for this?]
at the Shell Gas Station!!! A Chinese family runs a Chinese food, mini market, gas station right by the track. I had to go there a few days ago and the food looked really good. You know its good when the locals are in there eating it. [They also served fried catfish, clams, burgers etc... but everyone was eating the Chinese food]

OMG!!!!!!!!!! That was the BEST Chinese food I have EVER eaten!!! I swear...

Sam groaned "Oh Great now I will have to hear you say... The best Chinese food I have ever had came from a Shell Gas Station deep in the heart of Texas"
I said "Would I be lying?"
he laughed "No... it was really good"
The weirdest part tho was hearing a Chinese person say
"Thanks for coming, Ya'all!"

Sights and Sounds

This was a quiet week following the crazy Spring Break week and Easter weekend. I went for a walk to let the horses out this morning and thought I'd share a few things along the way.

The First Weekend of Spring

....and how odd that it is also Easter Weekend. Mother Nature could not have provided a more beautiful window into the early equinox season. So beautiful and peaceful was it at Arrowhead Resort that I was forced - - yes FORCED - - to deploy my hammock on both Friday and Saturday afternoons. I just had to share the view from the hammock, but more importantly, I wanted to let everyone know that it is time to get out of the house and start enjoying all of the gifts that Springtime in Texas offers to those who appreciate this time of year. There were a few boaters on the lake this weekend - not many, but a handful who were enjoying the weekend afloat on beautiful Lake Whitney. The birds are absolutely singing their hearts out, and there is a woodpecker in the distance that helps them to keep their beat. And, yes, I have seen the goats. (They were not singing, however. I am not sure what THAT sound was.) With the first weekend of Spring, everyone knows what is next. I went on a hunt for Texas' state flower here on the property and I did not have to walk far before I found a lone Bluebonnet.....no doubt an early riser.... on the north side of the property. The picture isn't great because all I had was my cell phone with me to take the photo with. We have had a pretty rainy spring, so I would expect that this is only the beginning and we should very soon see that blanket of blue spread across many of the acres here at Arrowhead. There was no where else on earth I would have rather been than at Arrowhead this weekend. And, if you are like me, you are somewhat startled by the incredible gas prices we are seeing around Texas. If the price of gas and travel have taken the beach or Disneyland off of your vacation calendar this year, why not stay closer to home and spend a week at Arrowhead on Lake Whitney? You will be glad you did.