Did I tell you that Monica the Magnificent came to visit on Labor Day weekend for a whole week??? Well, she did! I was in friendship/girly-girl heaven with her here. It was great!
Labor Day Weekend ended with Monica the Magnificent and I taking a dip in the hot tub to enjoy a relaxing evening. The Prairie Daddy came out to join us. He mentioned that plans suddenly came up for him to go over to Dad's ranch and help get the cows and calves pushed back up on the mountain. And they were short of help. And that he had to leave our ranch at 4:45 in the morning. And the next thing we knew we were all scurrying around like crazy people trying to get ready for the next day.
Why were we all scurrying around? Because it so happened that The Prairie Daddy took us up on our offer to help and now we were in "get ready for a big adventure tomorrow" mode. It was 8pm when I called a friend to come stay the night so that The Prairie Kid actually had supervision when he woke up the next day and Mom, Dad and Auntie Monica were gone. So, we made lunches, breakfasts, gathered up hoards of clothes, coats, boots, etc. and went to bed to get up at 4am and head out by 4:45. Thank God for coffee!
We got saddled up and headed out with The Cowboys and proceeded to right hard for hours. It is 9 miles to get the cows where we want them...and it isn't an easy 9 miles. It is through timber, downed timber (thanks to our lovely Forest Service's lack of healthy forest management...yes, I am on my soap box), sharp turns up mountain slopes, and up, up, up. I warned my dear friend that this would be the chance of a lifetime that also came with severe consequences...and we both paid for that hard ride for days to come. I seriously was in better condition after bearing The Prairie Kid then after getting out of my saddle that day. But it was worth it!
This ride is one that I hadn't done since I was first married. And although the hardest that we do around here (in my opinion) it is also a beautiful one.
When we made it to the upper barn we got our horses assigned to us and all ready to go. Here is The Prairie Daddy helping get Monica the Magnificent all set. She was on Smokey.
And I rode Tonto.
We gave our cows and horses a little break after awhile
This is looking back at where we'd ridden...and a view of Rattlesnake Canyon with Buffalo Bill Reservoir in the background.
My dear father-in-law. 70 years old and still tough as nails.
Another terrible view...
Snuggling with my Honey Bunny at lunch (he looks like a Honey Bunny, doesn't he? : ) )
My kindred spirit...Monica The Magnificent
Shabby view, eh?
The top of Heart Mountain in the background. The cows were left on the top of Rattlesnake Mountain until we bring them home next month.
Hanging out to make sure the cows are pairing up with their calves
All done pushing the cows and heading home
The terrain on the way off the mountain (because we take a shortcut) is so steep that it's best to walk your horse down. There were times that I thought my jello-like legs were going to buckle underneath my body! But like I said, its all worth it! (Although I am in pursuit of my own saddle...and one that fits me! I have been riding in saddles that are too big for me and it feels like my hips are going to dislocate. I think I'd like to keep them in their sockets and get a saddle that suited for me!)
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