Every week here is special, sometimes they're full of memories from past guests and other times the week is filled with brand new faces eager to hit the trail or learn to dance.
With Covid-19, we haven't been having live music cause of people gather, we haven't danced as much as we usually do throughout the week but thankfully we like to be innovative as we navigate through this summer. Brice built a viewing deck on the edge of our arena, and then tiered the hillside going down that way for better sitting and more space between people. On Thursday nights we always have had a live band and we were super excited to invite back Alan and them to do something we've yet to do; have music outside by the arena! They set up on the viewing deck, the guest got to sit or stand around the tiered grass to enjoy the music, and the May family and friends got to rope using the new arena lights Brice, Zach, & Stuart set up. We set up a little bar out there and I got to bar tend and, having taught line dancing and some two step this last week (mask on, which is so HOT), I got to dance down in the grass and with just a few people on the deck in front of the band. It worked out great! Everyone could spread out and dance under the stars, full moon and brand new arena lights! Kids as young as 10 were excited to move about with their parents or siblings and it is always a special treat to me when those I taught are out there enjoying themselves!
This week featured so many kind souls and their families. It was a treat to see everyone get along so well, so well in fact that four out of six families have already marked their spot down for next year to travel here together again! Brings back memories of one of our slogans in the past "Bringing Families Together", it's nice that that still rings true. This week also featured our first ever Wrangler given awards! Best dressed, jr wrangler, dog whisperer, horse whisperer, super puncher (look that one up for a laugh!) and we set the kids up for mutton busting. Mutton busting is when you tie a ribbon to the tail of a sheep and set it loose in the arena, first person to get the ribbon off the tail wins! It's hilarious and so much fun to watch, let alone participate.
Despite masks and social distancing, we know how to have fun and that's all we want y'all to do too, safely.
Marla won our best-dressed category, she said she only buys second hand and she had a different stylish outfit almost every meal! Her family's favorite holiday is the fourth and they showed up day one with decorations for their cabin, which definitely caught the eye of every guest around! Kathy and Robert brought their grandkids for a vacation before the kids have to move to Guam (military family) and they hiked and rode and danced and had a fantastic time chatting with everyone this week. The Cairns family had a little dog whisperer and our most creative award winner Emilia and our best new roper, Addi who roped two cows on Saturday after working on it all week long. Hard work and persistence pays off around here. Brice got new little chicks who are so adorable and are growing every day under the heat lamp for them, good luck little ones! And Katlyn's corgi Bella, Katlyn works in our kitchen, had 9 healthy puppies at her home down the road from us. Live is growing and memories are being made. We did sunset ponies (where we drive out to the field and watch the sunset over the Rockies while the horses are grazing) not once, but twice because everyone enjoyed it so much. A good sized group slept outside at pack camp under the stars and awoke with some frost on their sleeping bags (don't worry, our zero degree bags are super warm and comfortable).
Our Fourth of July was our cattle drive and decorated saloon and lodge, we ate and danced and the kids played football in the arena and told stories around the fire. No fireworks this year, but golden memories worth repeating for sure.
Our horses are healthy, our dogs are happy, belly's full and stories are plenty. With so much going on in the world it feels good to be grateful, even when the work gets tough.
A great week, and here we go! Onto the next one.
Thank y'all and hope to see ya soon.
Amber IZ