I'm No Cowboy

And I can prove it. In the first couple of weeks here I got the tractor stuck twice and I even broke the water pump with a brush hog- we were only out of water for a day or so (I split a couple of wires), and we don't shower that often anyway... (see also)

While becoming a cowboy might take a while, I'm certainly fitting in as a rancher. I'm learning all the jobs, cleaning horse hooves, driving trailers, building fences, and even chainsawing lots of things! And truth be told, no matter how many mistakes I've made, I'm satisfied to know that I never did this:




This is a picture of the other ranchhand's truck. He was out cutting rails and dropped a tree right onto his truck. It's nice to know that this is his livelihood and he can make such a big mistake - allows me, as a rookie, to screw-up as often as I want!

I was finally able to get out and ride a couple of times this week (the hay is finally finished!). The ride was much harder than any other horse ride I'd been on. These guys aren't simple trail horses that follow nose-to-butt. I had to really control my horse, which is hard to do with such strong animals. The boss lady/trainer said I had an amazing seat and that I'm a natural. I'll be sure to let my mare (Dixie) know so she'll stop bossing me around when we're out.


The cowboy hat is not just a fashion statement either (although they do look better than pegged pants). When we were out it started to rain and then hail a little bit, and I was completely protected by that hat. It's no wonder they're a staple out here!