swimming

When we have guests who are great riders, we give them some extra options. Such as swimming. On a horse.

I haven't done it yet. It's still too cold for me. Oh yeah, and I'm kind of a chicken. I like to do these things while guests are NOT around to watch. And really, someone needs to be on the ground for safety reasons. Right?

Ahem. Enough about me. As I was saying. While I don't know this for a fact, swimming on a horse does not appear to be the easiest thing in the world.

First of all, you have to ride bareback, which is already a decently hard task in and of itself.

Then, when the horse starts swimming, or floating, you have to float in the same direction as your horse.

This is being poorly demonstrated here by one of my guests. And this is also how I determined that floating in the same direction must be difficult. Thanks for being my guinea pig, Chrissy!

This is a picture of our children's wrangler.

She's demonstrating how it's supposed to be done.

Easy for me to say, right?

bridal shower

My cousin Chris is getting married on the exact same day as my best friend, Jessica. So, while I can't be at his wedding, I'm getting to do all the parties before the wedding with them, which I'm not getting to do with Jessica. I guess it's a pretty happy medium.

A couple of weeks ago, Michele, Chris' bride-to-be, had her bridal shower. It was a wonderful time since I got to see most of the women in my family, as well as help Michele celebrate.

She chose to have a Cocktail Party theme, so we all wore our nicest cocktail dresses and sipped on my aunt's delicious, yet incredibly potent, Margaritas!

She was also hoping to get some lingerie as presents.

With my family, she may have gotten more than she bargained for. Notice the feather sticking out of the bag? Oh MY!

However, her mother had a different idea as to what lingerie should be.

Notice the baby blanket?

Wait a second! Hello Kitty?

It's pajamas, not a baby blanket!

But her mom (in the middle) just has a great sense of humor and did actually get her some real lingerie.

They were also playing this game where everyone started out with a ribbon on her wrist and you couldn't say 'wedding', 'excited', and couldn't cross your legs, except at the ankles. If you did and someone caught you, they would get your ribbon. She who had the most ribbons, won.

I'm not saying my aunt is competitive or anything, but notice the hand she's eating with. You can see it better in the picture above where she's taking a photo.

And I'm not saying 'like mother, like daughter' or anything, but notice the girl holding the cat.

I am just saying they had a lot of ribbons. And my aunt won the prize, which she kindly shared with the bride.

As the night wore on and it was just my family left, Chris stopped in to see if anyone needed a sober ride anywhere.

However, he has got his father's sense of humor and burst in wearing his mother's dress, saying, "I've got my cocktail dress on! Someone, please get me a cocktail!"

Again, thank GOODNESS his future mother-in-law has a good sense of humor! I mean really. How would most mothers feel if they knew their daughter was marrying a cross dresser???

Nonetheless, it was a wonderful evening and I think Chris and Michele will make a wonderful couple!

poem

Every week, we have poetry night on Friday night. Each guest has to write a poem, which they share at the campfire.

I had an AWESOME group of 5 women this week and they wrote a sweet poem about me.

Here it is:

Barn Boss

Our barn boss can lead,

Our barn boss can sing,

Our barn boss can read,

Our barn boss is king.

Our barn boss can smile,

Our barn boss can drink,

Our barn boss can run a mile,

Our barn boss is in sync.

Our barn boss can tack,

And keep everyone on task.

Our barn boss can ride,

Even with two legs on one side.

Our barn boss is LeAndra

The End

I just thought it was pretty awesome that they chose to dedicate an entire poem to me.

...then again, they dedicated another poem to all the different adult beverages they consumed while they were here.

Oh well, I'm still flattered.

an era ended

It finally happened. An era has ended.

When I was 16, yes, that was almost 11 years ago, I got my very first pair of Rockies. Western jeans. High-waisted western jeans. And these were sweet, sweet jeans. I mean, just look at those railroad stripes!

Remember one of my first posts was about jeans? I said I had 8 pairs and none of them fit very well any more. Well, I wanted to wear them until they died. I think I've got about 2 pairs down and at least one pair to go.

It's time to say good-bye.

R.I.P.

Haha! Get it it! R.I.P. Rip! Um, ok, well, enough about that....

of mice and men

The best-laid plans of mice and men, Go oft awry.

A line originally from a Robert Burns poem, then used as the title of John Steinbeck's book. Can I just tell you how incredibly appropriate that line is for our Saturday night!

*Disclaimer: This post has NO pictures. If you choose to read this, you will understand why.

Sooooooo....

Pretty much the whole lot of us decided that we would go camping at Mishawaka, a location which is a music venue, has a bar, and camping. Cookie checked it out for us. It was $18 at the door for the Summer Solstice concert and $15 a site for camping, which included a free shuttle up to the bar/venue. Please note, that says "$15 a site".

We drove from Red Feather, using back roads (i.e., dirt roads). We got to Highway 14, went 15 miles east to Mishawaka. There, we were greeted by a "woman in comfortable shoes" (that's a Good Morning, Vietnam reference, if you care). She told us that we could camp down the road 12 miles for $15 a site and take the free shuttle up. Please note, she said "$15 a site".

We drove another 12 miles, which makes this drive an hour and a half because we are in the mountains. By the way, I might add that this was a BEAUTY-FUL drive! And I would have loved to have taken pictures for you, but I was driving and there were switchbacks on the dirt road without guardrails....not safe.

Anyhow, after we drove the 12 miles to get to the campsite, the man at the gate tells me it is $15 per person. Did you read that? $15 per person. Now, we had 9 people with us, which makes that just shy of $150 to camp! Sistah, please!

After much debate, we decided not to drive back for the concert and not to camp there. As we looked down the road a bit farther, we noticed the Conoco station that sits at the corner of Hwy 14 and US-287. Had we taken the normal way, our hour and a half drive, would have been 30 minutes. Argh! But again, it was a beautiful drive and the fun is in the journey, not the destination, right?

Since we were so close to Ft. Collins we decided to head into the Irish festival, considering we had The Irishman with us. We went to my aunt and uncle's house, dropped off the trucks, put the 9 of us into 2 cars and decided we would "camp" in my aunt and uncle's backyard when we got home.

Once we found the Irish festival, it was $10 to get in. Note, that is only $5 less than camping. I refused as did other people and the dude at the gate said there was only 15 more minutes anyhow. At this point, The Irishman was whining about never getting a "bloody pint".

The boys decided they wanted to go to The Sundance, not to be confused with our Sundance Trail Guest Ranch. The Sundance is a country bar where you can dance. And get a "bloody pint". I decided I wanted to go with them. The girls and Dizzy decided they wanted to stay there and find a club, so we split. All the girls and Dizzy. All the boys and me.

We got to The Sundance and they tell us it's only 21 and up. Guh-RATE! We have two boys who are under 21. After much debate, yet again, we decide to let the young guys take my car back to my aunt and uncle's so they can get their truck and drive back to the ranch, while The Irishman, Justin, and I stay to dance. Or in The Irishman's case, drink.

We had a really fantastic time dancing. The Irishman even gave it a go, although, not a real go. He really just goofed around more, but at least he was on the dance floor.

The girls eventually met us there, but Dizzy refused to come in and slept in the car while we all danced and had a blast!

At the end of the evening, Wrangler Sarah already had 5 people in her car, plus camping gear, so Justin and I had to take The Sundance's Drunk Bus, back to my aunt and uncle's house, where our vehicles were parked.

I'm pretty sure that after waiting for it and then being taken home the long way, we got to my aunt and uncle's house, which is about 5 miles down the road, at the same time the crew made it back to the ranch. Argh.

All in all, though, we ended up having an AWESOME time!

So, if you've read all of this, you understand why I didn't take any pictures (I just forgot by that point!) and why I used the poem line at the top.

The best-laid plans of mice and men, Go oft awry.

dizzy turns 21!

Tuesday night was Dizzy's 21st birthday.

While he has been able to drink in his country for quite a while, he was still happy to celebrate his new-found freedom in the US.

In honor of his birthday, he made us try a Belarusian 'delight'.

I was the first to try it.

And I took it out to the dining room where the guests were cheering me on.

Dizzy misunderstood what I was saying and got upset because he thought they all wanted to share, but he didn't have enough to go around.

Now tell me.

Would you want to share this??? They are headless fish!

Once he understood they just wanted to watch, he was very happy again.

The first thing was to take a shot of this very "hels-ful" drink mixed with vodka.

I keep trying to tell him the word is "healthy" not "hels-ful," but oh well.

Then you finish it up with the fish on bread.

At least I'm still smiling, right?

Dizzy made ALL the staff try it.

I'm not thinking The Irishman was liking it too much.

Duff doesn't seem to mind.

Even Dan gave it a shot.

Haha! Get it? A shot! Oh never mind...

And Ellen tried, too.

I'm not sure she was enjoying herself. She kinda looks like she's going to ralph.

After everyone was finished, we headed to the Potbelly.

Dima had his first White Russian.

Haha! Get it? White Russian! Oh never mind...

you will be missed

Do you think it's possible to love someone without really knowing them?

If it is possible, I think Slim might be that guy.

Today was his last day here on the ranch and while I haven't spent much personal time with him (or work time, for that matter), I think he is an awesome person.  And I have a lot I could learn from him.

Slim is a wealth of knowledge and never shy to share it.  I mean, I could ask him any question on how to do anything and he never got annoyed.  If you've ever tried to teach me something that uses common sense, you understand the depths of his patience.  

He is always willing to help.  If he walks by on his way to do something else, he stops to see if you need help with what you're working on.  Or, if he has just finished unsaddling his group, he doesn't walk off; he sticks around to help you get your group unsaddled, too.  

When you're around Slim, you can just tell he's someone who cares.  Whenever he gives you unsolicited advice, it's not out of spite, it's always because he just wants to make your life that much better.  And it's worth listening to!

Now, don't get to thinking that Slim is just some little pansy, push-over just because he's nice.  His personality matches his physical build.  He's tall and skinny, but tough as nails!  I tell ya, he put up one heck of a fight today when we went to give him his horse trough farewell...even after he was thrown from the horse he's been fighting for a year.  Ironic that she won on his last day, isn't it?

So what will be my favorite memory of my month and a half of working with Slim?

Today as I was walking into the horse paddock, he was saying good bye to each one.  His eyes were on fire from tears that wouldn't fall.  He looked at me and said, "They become your family," and gave me one of the best hugs in my life.  

So I guess if I were to answer my own question, I do think you can love someone you don't know very well.  And I know that Slim will be very missed around here.  By everyone.  

rock climbing

On Tuesday afternoons, our guests go rock climbing up Stoney Point.  

This particular Tuesday, (yes, the looooooooooooongest day of my dude ranching career), I got to go with them.  

They've got 4 different rock faces you can climb, from easiest to hardest.  

This is the easiest.

This is the Level 3.

And this....

This is the Level 4.

I chose the easiest, since I needed to save my strength to feed by hand.  Remember?  The Irishman stalled my tractor and no one had fixed it yet.  

The sad thing about this picture is that I wondered, "Who's that guy climbing?"

Oh yeah, that guy is, um...well...me.  

Not to mention that the guy belaying for me has WAY longer hair than I do.  

But I think he's pretty handsome, don't you?

Hopefully he's more than just a pretty face...

...considering I trusted him with my life!

And he's obviously a sweetheart.

Just look at him unrolling his buddy's pant legs, since he wasn't able to do it for himself.  I mean, he was after all, holding someone's life in his hands...literally! 

But enough about him!

At that point, everyone, including Morgan and me, were all doing what we could to stay warm!

With love, 

The Morgan Wrangler

craziness!

I had my Tuesday blog all lined up.

Then it turned out to be the loooooooooooooongest day in the history of my dude ranching career.  

Ok, so who cares if said career has only been a month and 12 days.  Who's counting?

Slim and Linde were both gone this week, which is part of the reason it has been such a long week.  Having both gone left us short-hand, not to mention that I was missing my two most senior wranglers (i.e., the two who really run the show and let me think I'm doing it).  

This left me to feed on Tuesday morning.  Let me just tell you that feeding on Tuesday mornings is a punishment.  

You see, this is how Tuesday goes down.

The cooks get up, drive down to Breakfast Rock, and make breakfast, where we meet them on horseback to eat breakfast.  But to keep breakfast on close to the same schedule, we have to be on horseback by 8, rather than by 10.

To have people on horses by 8, we have to be saddling by 7.

To be saddling by 7, horses have to eat by 5.  

For horses to eat by 5, you have to start feeding at 4:30.

Yes, I am still talking about the morning.

4:30 in the morning.  

Now, you see The Irishman arrived on Sunday night, just as we were about to introduce ourselves to the new guests.  

And he needed to be initiated......

As you may have guessed, I was more than happy to welcome The Irishman to the ranch with a 4:30 wake-up call.

The strange thing is, he was sleeping in his clothes!

I'm kind of wondering if his buddy, Dizzy warned him. 

But I don't think so, since he insisted on CHANGING clothes.  

He mumbled something about jetlag, going to bed at 7 pm, falling asleep with clothes on, I don't know....

So I made him help me feed.

And he got to see a beautiful sunrise.  

The only problem with all of it....

He stalled my tractor and we couldn't get it restarted in the dark, so we had to feed by hand. 

I swear, karma will get you EVERY time!

shoot!

First of all, let me just say, these pictures are not from today.  In case you were just wondering about the weather here today....

When I fed this morning at 6:30, it was beautiful and sunshiney!

When we saddled at 8:30, it was raining.

While we rode from 10 to 11:30, it was foggy, but not rainy.

At noon when we returned from our ride, it rained and hailed as I was giving grain to the special feeders.

We left at 2 for our afternoon ride under the beautiful sunshine.

At 3:30, I made my group get off of their horses for lightning.

At 4:30, it's partly cloudy. 

Seriously....only in Colorado.

Ok, but this isn't a weather update.........

One of the things you can do while you're here visiting the ranch is go to our shooting range.  

We have two .22s, a .22 handgun, a 20-gauge shotgun, a 12-gauge shotgun, and Big Bertha.

The .22s are little and something, even I will shoot.  

You can see one of our youngin's here demonstrating how it's done.

We always have wranglers supervising, as you can see Slim's back.  

And the girls look on as the boys hog the guns....go figure!

So you might have been asking earlier...who or what is Big Bertha?

This is Big Bertha.  No, not DAN!  The gun!!!

She is a Civil War type gun, where you load the powder, ball, and then use the rammer stick thing.  You know how good I am with technical terms.  

Dan taught Dizzy and me how to load it, so we can let guests use it.  

But let me tell you, with the kickback she produces, I refuse to shoot it!  

I like my shoulder the way it is juuuuuuust fine.