My awesome buddy Santana at left.

Bringing the horses in from pasture, whip cracking! (all photos are copyrighted)

Well, here we are (I am particularly proud of the photo at left) at the Vee Bar Ranch near the foot of the Snowy Mountains in the Medicine Bow Range in Wyoming. This is truly the land where the deer and antelope roam (I saw them today with my own eyes... roaming) surrounded by purple mountain's majesty. I mean, this is the real McCoy. Breathtaking scenery, real cowboys and cowgirls and a ranch family that's been on this land forever. This is not one of those trail ride ranches. You gotta really ride here (rode through a nearly 3 foot deep wah today, fast rushing water, kinda spooky) and after over two hours on my horse, Santana, (he hums Black Magic Woman all day) I get off bowl legged and eager to pee. When the horses pee they all pee together, the entire herd coming to a dead stop wherever.

The wranglers at the Vee Bar, male and female, are serious people. Helpful, cheerful and full of stories. They ride in rodeos and I learned today that the big belt buckles I always made fun of as some kind of male macho thing that were a dead giveaway to, er, smaller things, are actually prizes awarded at rodeos and worn more with pride than arrogance.

I have an hour break, and am headed for a badly needed nap (it's wicked windy here, but at least the sun is out, and as you can see, plenty of snow still on the mountains), completely exhausted here in the lodge after lunch. Chef even made me some gluten free pasta, bless him. T I should have brought the cords and wool hat! Foul weather gear a life saver.

A little pooped folks, bareback riding to follow nap, god help me, but wanted to send out some photos if I can get them to load, slow internet. If they don't work, i'll load them later. No cell phone service of course. Back atcha tomorrow...

Ride em, cowgirl!