Ruby Slippers and Georgia Peaches

One of the BEST times of the year around the ranch is brandings.

This summer we’ve had four “official” brandings. The Livestock Manager organizes everyone and gets the ranch women to cook some good food.

Those cowboys…they are okay…I guess.

But…

We all know most of us are there to watch the horses.

(This dun was such a good “cow” horse. It watched were the calves were going and kept his eye on the target every time. He was great to watch.)

(Our friend Wes riding Badger and roping the head. Look closely, Badger is working without a “traditional” bit. He has a hackamore on, and using Wes’ leg/spur cues to work. He is a fabulous ranch horse.)

And Gunner…we always show up to watch our favorite horse, Gunner, work.

The free horse rides at the end of branding is also a great plus.

BUT….

We Wooster girls really like watching our favorite good girl friends be cowgirls.

It’s a great learning experience for our Wooster girls. It shows them they can do hard work.

…They get to see girls be strong.

(One of the ranch hands riding Dusty, the horse. originally from Massachusetts. She did not grow up on a farm or ranch.)

…That with hard work….they can learn just about anything.

(Our favorite Brit. She grew up in the UK and has been living/working/studying in the the US for 6 years now. Did not grow up on a farm/ranch.)

…That they can go anywhere and learn a new trade.

“How ’bout them cowgirls
Boys ain’t they somthin’
Sure are some proud girls
And you can’t tell them nothin’
And I tell you right now girls
May just be seven wonders of this big, old round world
But how ’bout them cowgirls”

Today is National Day of the Cowboy.

Living in cattle country and cowboy country, I appreciate a day like today.

Here, in Wyoming, it is a legend that is lived out daily.

DAILY.

It’s not an act, it’s not a costume. It is their life.

Everything they wear, they do or say…has a significant reason.

Some live on very, very little money but they are some of the happiest people I’ve met.

They are the first to swipe their hat off when first meeting a lady and the first to connect to children.

Watch this great 5 minute video in tribute to the cowboy.

And this one too…

Happy Day!

We Wooster girls have been on the move as of late. We had a great spring and a good start to the summer.

We have been out and all around the ranch, mountains, trails, canyons, and parks.

Easily one of my most favorite things to find along a trail or out on a bluff is rock stacks.

They take me by surprise each time I see them.

They aren’t really called “rock stacks”.

Their official name is “cairn”.

The history around here dictates that these cairns are “sheepherder monuments”. They were trail markers, bluff point markers. Some theories are they were made in the late 1800s and early 1900s out of sheer boredom.

From Wikipedia:

A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones. The word cairn comes from the Scottish Gaelic: càrn (plural càirn)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairn

If you came to visit…hint…hint….You would find these particular cairns along the Red Gulch road.

https://www.wyomingtourism.org/things-to-do/detail/Red-Gulch-Alkali-Scenic-Backway/8101

Ruby went to her first dentist appointment recently. She did really, really well.

She hopped up in the chair and opened wide. There wasn’t anyone around. She was ready and had to be reminded that she didn’t have to keep her mouth open the whole time; only when they told her.

We loved the doctor. SHE…yep a she…was SUPER with our four year old.

Ruby was great during the whole process!

(80 years young and rarely misses with his loops.)

And a few cowgirls

**Remember that time you wrote up a whole post and published a post about 13 years of dating, but as soon as you got in the bed your brain remembers that it’s not 13 but 14 years of dating??? Yeah. That. So, enjoy this post about 14 years of dating. J **

14.

We went to a mutual friend’s going away party.

14

The night ended with a “dating you?” and we both recall my reaction differently.

14

Nothing really changed.

14

God has worked in so many ways.

14

It takes daily, weekly and monthly effort to make it “work”.

14

It takes communication.

14

It takes God.

14

So much God.

14

Friends.

14

3 different states.

Fourteen years of dating.

Is it hard? Yep. Are we still friends? Yep. Do we sometimes have “intense fellowships”? Correct. Does he love God? YES. Does he LOVE me? He always remembers to tell me and most importantly to show me. Are we still dating? Yes….14 years’ worth.

I will always date my husband, even in the hay fields.

14 more years, 14 plus 14 more years, even 14 times 14 more years….I will always make it a priority to date him.

14

***Disclaimer: I am fully aware that other people have been dating longer, married longer and friends longer. Good Job! Happy for ya. Keep on Keeping on! Just remember to keep dating. J***