The End and New Beginnings

It was May 15, 2013. This is the first time I've been able to write about it. I've thought a lot about it. I've told people about it. But for some reason, I needed time before I could share it here on the blog. 

I watched my husband leave for the school bus with the children in tow. As he left the yard he bent and said one last good bye to our old dog, Baka. He snapped this picture. 

I loaded up the two little kids and got them in their car seats then loaded Baka in the front seat next to me. 

The seizers had started coming so fast that he didn't have time to recover. He was unaware of where he was or who we were. He had paced the small fenced area for three days without rest. Each time he did try and go to sleep he would have another seizer and the cycle would start all over again. It was time. 

He paniced in the car. He usually loves the car. He was eager to meet the "new" people at the vet. He usually panics in the vet.  

We buried him under a tree in the back yard. I planted bleeding hearts over him. 

He was 14 years old. 

I didn't realize how much of my daily life was spent making sure Baka was ok. Anyone who has delt with epilepsy knows. It was harder to not have him there than I thought. I wanted another dog. 

It was in July that I learned that a neighbor had puppies. Golden retrievers. Exactly what we wanted. We had looked and looked in the local shelters all over Montana. But the shelters around here have fewer dogs than we expected. We knew we wanted breed that would be great with strangers. This is a guest ranch after all. 

Jessy came home just a week later. The last week in July. A crazy week for us because we were running back and forth from town with kids in summer theatre camp plus we had company. 

   

As I told my daughter after we first picked her out, she doesn't fill the hole that Baka left in our hearts. She just helps our hearts fill with more love. 

Now if we can just get her potty trained! And to quit jumping on us, Knocking Bunny down, Biting, Oh those teeth are sharp! 

Coping

The past few months, no the past six months... The past year.... The past two years?... Well, however long it's been, it's been the hardest point I'm my life. 

I haven't been able to share much. I haven't been able to pull myself out and just talk about the ranch, the season, the fun summer activities we've been having. 

But with every challenge life throws our way, there is lots of wonderful opportunity to grow, to see things from a new perspective, and to develop better relationships with the ones we are traveling with. 

Something's are still too raw to share. But I will try to share some of what has changed this summer for the ranch family. In time. 

After all, that's why I started this blog in the first place. To work out some of my sorrows.  Again, more on that later. 

For now, thanks for hanging in there with me. 

None Shall Pass… Or "You Gotta Pay a Toll Mama!"

We have a sign at the front of our pastrue. 

It says to watch for our children and horses. 

 

This is way.

Then they seemed to decide that I needed to pay a toll.

So they stopped me and asked for payment in full to use the driveway...

When Sam couldn't get it from me, they had to send in reinforcements. 

 Hopefully just love and attention is enough. 

I don't keep grass in my car, and I'm not about to share my groceries with them!

The neighbor's cattle seem to have the same attitude. 

My Cowgirl in the Making

This girl loved the rodeo. She wanted to see all the animals. She wanted to pet the bulls. 

That was actually how I almost got french kissed by that bull. She was petting him. 

She asked for Daddy's hat and then hollered, "Yee-Haa!" While waving it around. 

Now if we can just keep her away from the likes of these guys in about 14 years…. 

Yikes! I don't even want to think about it! 

Just Some Family Shots

We got some great pics of our family while at the rodeo and I wanted to save them here for myself mostly. But also for the rest of y'all. 

When you're sitting with a bunch of kids, we play a bit of musical chairs. 

Adventure Man, Ranch Mama, and Bunny.

Bunny, Bean, and Bear. 

Bunny, Ranch Mama, and Bean. 

Bunny and Lulu.

Ranch Mama and Bunny. 

Everyone loves to hold Bunny. Or is it that Bunny loves to go to everyone.

A Kiss to Remember

I said it yesterday. Not all the bulls are tough. 

Some of them just want to be loved. 

This fella really just wanted a kiss. 

Doesy-Doe to the Rodeo

Welcome to the Rodeo: July 4, 2013!

Little town has got one of the greatest 4th of July Rodeos around. In fact, there are so many entries that they end up sending them away. One of our wranglers even tried to enter, but you have to do it at least two months in advance so she couldn't join. 

Now last year I started my own little judging here on the Blog. I love to see just how high and how low these great cowboys, and cowgirls can go! So let's have a look see!

First up is how high. The broncs can really kick it! 

And there's a lot of them this year, so enjoy. 

One thing that really struck me was the strength of these men as they held on. These days they wear neck braces to help support themselves, but still, they gotta have some serious core body strange!

I think this has to be the best bronc shot we got. This was a beautiful horse, 

and after he did throw the monkey off his back, he pranced back to the pins. 

It looked like he was saying, "Oh yeah, I got this!"

Catching some good air, and sit'n pretty too!

And this next fella was ready to take him right outta the gate. 

Now don't forget the bulls! Just because these boys are big, doesn't mean they can't get up there. 

Please note how this cowboy is holding on. I think it's interesting also that he's got his boots tied on. 

I'm not sure why? Do any of you know?

The bulls really gave a good show this year. It was a fighting bunch! 

These two are just made for each other. 

But the winner of "How High Did They Go" has to go to this poor bull rider. 

He got some great air before he eat some serious dirt! And don't worry for the clown, he's a professional at getting out of the way!

Now on to Dust! Or in this case, "Eat My Dust." Barrel Racing is one of the most competitive events at a Rodeo. The times comes down to less than seconds and they have to stop and grade the dirt so the riders have an even playing field. A whole around a barrel can cost them time. 

Anyone can make dust on an arena of dirt on a hot summer's day, but it's the speed that can really make these athletes impressive. And by athletes, I mean both the rider and the horse. 

The cost of a turned barrel is seconds deducted. She no long has a chance. 

But the barrel racers aren't the only ones who can eat dust! 

Now we didn't have any clear shots of snot like we had last year. I guess we were a little farther away this time. But I did love the sequences of these next shots. And as I said last year, it's not that you will be getting snot in your pockets, it's really that you pissed of the cow… or horse…. or bull… 

In the second shot, see how high the cowboy got, but he still held on! 

In fact, He held on, until he had to be helped off! 

This next sequence was of the cowboy eating dust, and therefor, 

also got some snot in his pockets. I'm sure. 

Don't worry, both the horse and the rider walked away. Them's some tough boys!

And it wasn't just the horses out to get 'm! This is where the rodeo clowns come in! What a job they have, getting the bulls to run them down and not the rider! Don't worry, all were fine in the end.

This white bull may have looked like a mean son-o-a-gun, but I've got proof that he was really a lover and not a fighter. But that's got to be another post. So stay tuned. 

So let's hear it for the clowns, because in the end, 

I think they are the winners of the "Snot in Your Pocket!"

I hope you've enjoyed this years rodeo! We did! 

So what do you do on the 4th of July in your town?