Getting Some Time and more Vacation Pictures

With school starting and kids having soccer practice three nights a week and with weanlings to tend to I am not finding much computer time. I want to share some more pictures of our week long ranch trip to Elk Mountain Ranch. I can't believe we have been home from our little vacation for three weeks now. Mr. Cowboy and I are going to live up there. We are going to buy us a cabin when Mr. Cowboy retires! We are planning on it now. Then next evening we were entertained by Slim. A very Tall and slim man that did some really great cowboy poetry and sang. While Slim was playing it rained a bit outside. Which was fine, because they needed some rain and we were done riding for the day. It didn't rain for very long though. I got to practice my mad roping skills. Which I totally lack. I can't even bowl let a lone rope a calf. I just do not have any aim. My eight year old is better at it than I am. The next morning as I was coming down to breakfast I ran into some other guests that were playing with the humming birds. This is McD. He was so fun. He actually lives near the town I grew up in. His daughter took riding lessons where I used to. Small world! He also had the same camera as I do and totally put me to shame. He takes beautiful pictures. The humming birds would dive bomb your head. It would happen quite often. And you could hear their wings buzz by you. I have this small fear of birds. Well, not really the birds but their feet. Those bony funky feet kinda creep me out a little. We had a morning trail ride that ended us at a camp site for lunch. There were amazing views. Down in a little valley there was a watering hole where some cows were drinking. It's so neat to see cattle up there. The ranches get to use the land up in the mountain for their cattle. It's really neat. You can see the little brown and black spots at the watering hole. While we were waiting on the rest of the group to get there a cowboy and his blue healer came and started moving the cattle. It was pretty cool to see a lone cowboy and his dog move a big herd of cattle. You could hear him whistle and yell things at his dog. They got the cattle to move along the little valley. I think I could have built my house right there! With this guy next to me!! I don't think there was a day with bad scenery. I would love to go back, maybe I could go tomorrow. This couple brought their two kids with them. He is a coon dog trainer! It was really neat talking to him. My sad attempt at looking like a country girl. Some how Mr. Cowboy looks a lot cuter than I do when he puts his thumbs in his pockets. Maybe it's the belt buckle. OH, and I am wearing my new Q Baby Jeans from Wrangler. And let me tell you, they are awesome for riding!! Give me about 15 more years and I will live up in the mountains with my horses and husband. We roasted hot dogs for lunch. It was very yummy. While we were eating lunch the horses got a little rowdy on the high line. Mr. Cowboy's horse, Ally, fell down and scraped up her hock a little bit. So, we got a private ride back to the ranch with Wrangler Mike. We took the short way back. It was nice to get to ride with just my husband. We made it back to the ranch and walked around a bit. I absolutely love the Ranch's hay barn. I love the wood it's made out of and the HUGE doors it has. I had Mr. Cowboy pose for me. He is such a good sport. He was making funny faces, so I got him half smiling and half laughing. We followed the trail up a bit more to see the kids' petting zoo. There were four pigs and a goat. They are the pigs that are going to be shown in the 4-H show that was the next week. Isn't she just so cute? I can't wait for my kids to show in 4-H!! The three of them thought I was going to feed them. But really all I wanted was a few pictures. Don't they look so innocent? This little girl wasn't feeling so photogenic. When you turn around you can see the horses chowing down. They get all they can eat hay. And it's some really nice looking hay at that. Tom grows his own hay and bales it too! With the little rain we got it sure made for a pretty sky. This is the arena and looking back up the road where the pigs and horses are. Tom's daughter is practicing on her horse for her 4-H show.