Jessie @ Red Hills Ranch

Planting flowers - we did a lot of this. We did it in the rain,...

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 19:53:00 -0400

Planting flowers - we did a lot of this. We did it in the rain, in the heat, in the snow (seriously). And when we finished, that was not the end of 2 weeks - 24/7 - flower duty. Ohhhhhh no. Then there’s watering, fertilizing, weeding, deer-proofing, watering lots more, okay a little less water, dead-heading, weeding some more….

Lesson learned: flowers are not worth it. Bless those who spend their time to beautify the world with flowers, but it is not for me. I’d rather look at the mountains and red hills anyway. Those are things no one had to work on daily to be oh-so-beautiful.

Fun fact: I had to shovel snow and ice off several of the flower beds before I began planting. See above re: lesson learned.

Pictured are some “before & after” shots of the flower beds. At least it’s a huge improvement from May to August!

Dan was lucky enough to have his birthday while at the ranch...

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 00:07:36 -0400

Dan was lucky enough to have his birthday while at the ranch (again!) and Laura was brave enough to make Czech Kolaches for birthday dessert for all - guests included. (recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/kolaches-i/detail.aspx) They were gooooood.

Happy Birthday to Dan!

I came back from a quick weekend in WI to: 1. Alyssa...

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 17:21:54 -0400

The smokey haze

I came back from a quick weekend in WI to:

1. Alyssa (Dan’s girlfriend) is here!

2. Herb is here!

3. Lane is gone :(

4. A newly sparked forest fire above the neighboring ranch which is still burning (and making everywhere smell like bonfire) 5 days and running.

Here are some pictures Dan and I took of our view of the fire on a short hike. Sometimes we see only smoke, sometimes we see actual trees ablaze. The Forest Services are keeping close tabs on it (now at 3,600 acres and of course, growing) but aren’t doing too much to extinguish it in the name of natural disasters.

Part deux of Arneson’s Come West! Just some great shots...

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 17:50:37 -0400

Part deux of Arneson’s Come West!

Just some great shots of these silly wabbits.

On the chair lift.

On top of the Grand Targhee mountain, capturing video clips.

In Aric’s Jeep, on one of the most scenic rides ever.

In a saddle - on the phone - at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.

At the Jackson Hole rodeo.

NOT getting dead in white water rapids.

Arneson’s come West! 2 part post Latham showed up just in...

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 19:03:43 -0400

Arneson’s come West!

2 part post

Latham showed up just in time for our weekly steak fry at the ranch. We had 2 families for guests that week, but also Brian’s (the manager’s) brother and family were visiting - a more-is-merrier situation at the steak fry for sure. Some of the guests got up and sang, Brian’s brother sang and played guitar - all in addition to Dan and Natalia’s weekly musical appearance. The first picture captures a steak-fry-fun moment.

The guests this week were also avid game players - specifically Liar’s Dice. They invited us crew to play along with them. With 10 players per game, they generally took at least an hour. It’s a great game for the masses - we never even got to Catch Phrase.

When the rest of the Arneson family arrived from WI, road-trip style, Lath and I crossed the Teton Pass to meet them in Victor. Lil found a sweet house to rent for the days they were here to visit. It was fully equipped with a grill for our brat night - it has been so long and they were SO delicious… we had them 2 nights in a row.

On Sunday, we made a day trip to the Grand Targhee Resort, took a chair lift ride up (with beers in hand), and walked back down. I got Lil to pick rocks with me, lots of them with sparkly gems! (I have a small collection waiting for you, Dad). There was a good live band with a trick bike guy that added a visual aspect to the music as he hopped around on his back tire.

If it not for the Arneson’s - I would never have experienced Victor nor the Grand Targhee Resort. Thanks A Family!

Mom and Myron came out to visit! We explored Jackson Hole quite...

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:53:49 -0400

Mom and Myron came out to visit!

We explored Jackson Hole quite a bit, but also Yellowstone. I knew Yellowstone had geysers (ie. Old Faithful - which is a huge tourist attraction, but not nearly as interesting and beautiful as the rest of the “sights”), but I hadn’t a clue that it is home to some of the most unique and varied natural landscapes. I included a few photos that are a mere sample of the things we saw, which was a mere sample of what Yellowstone has to offer.

Also, I added a couple of pictures that Myron took. One where Mom and I were sampling the baked at the local farmer’s market, and another of me, in action, posting to this blog at one of my favorite hotspots in Jackson - the Jackson Hole Roasters.

Today we had a super eventful ride up to Grizzly Lake (about...

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 22:47:13 -0400

view of RHR and the Red Hills

mid-morning snooze

big-horn sheep

Today we had a super eventful ride up to Grizzly Lake (about 7,100 ft elevation) with this weeks guests. Here are some pictures from the ride, and a small list of the “events:”

- crossing multiple rushing streams and mud bogs

- horses jumping mud bogs like mule deer

- Lucky, the dog, succeeding in the ground varment hunt, but not the bighorn sheep chase

- A small tree falling on one of the guests during the ride, and thereafter cutting off the trail for the rest of us

- Meeting (pretend?) Indians on the trail - I wish I would have gotten a picture of this one!

- Eating delicious brown bag lunches Grizzly lake-side

In case anyone wants to come and hike to Grizzle Lake, here is information on that! http://www.ohranger.com/bridger-teton-natl-forests/poi/grizzly-lake-trail

It’s time for a few quality groups shot of the whole crew!...

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 02:36:00 -0400

It’s time for a few quality groups shot of the whole crew! The pictures speak for themselves, so I won’t add too much in terms of commentary.

In the picture with 7 of us lined up in front of the Red Hills Ranch gate, from left to right is Sam, Lane, Laura, Natalia, Jessie, Dan, and Nate.

In future posts, I am planning on featuring a different crew member each time. Also coming up are square dancing, pig roast, and 4th of July posts (all 3 events graciously hosted by our neighbors, the Red Rock Ranch).

The 2-week interval between blog posts is due to the fact that...

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 13:49:45 -0400

The 2-week interval between blog posts is due to the fact that our internet at the ranch has been very, let’s say, unavailable. I happen to be in Jackson with Mom and Myron at one of our favorite coffee shops that has internet access, so I thought I’d take advantage and post a video from the 2nd week of guests back in late July.

These guests happened to be skilled singers, and also quite creative as they took the tune “Home, Home on the Range” and customized it to include all of us workers and also the Cook family. The song was meant as a thank you to us for “a wonderful stay.” Listen carefully to the lyrics as they sing their version, called “Home, Home on the Ranch.”

My favorite lyric is “Jessie makes you eat more.”

Yesterday was the nicest day weather-wise we’ve had so far...

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 08:58:00 -0400

Brian and Roger working together

Yesterday was the nicest day weather-wise we’ve had so far - hello Summer Solstice!

Nearly everyday during working hours, something is going on at the barn. On this particular day, the guests took their second trail ride. Vaccinations were underway. Hoof work. Training. Minor medical treatments. Beauty treatments… for the horses, of courses.

This sampling of photos shows some of the buzz around the barn on any given day. There’s Lucky, the happiest-dog-on-Earth, taking a snooze in the shade (he will come on many of the trail rides with us, so he needs lots of rest). Then there’s Sam giving the colts nasal vaccinations, Brian (current ranch manager) and Roger (old ranch manager) surveying the work, Lane training one of the young ones in the round pen, and me heading out on a trail ride on Bone Saw (Roan Straw, Baby Straw… he has a collection of names for whatever reason).

Around the barn is where I like to spend my free time. I thought I’d get a lot more reading done here, but with horses to ride, who has time to read?!

The other clip I wanted to share of the first steak fry night...

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:27:06 -0400

The other clip I wanted to share of the first steak fry night (oh so many more to come - yay!) is from the dancing portion of the evening.

Natalia is a great dancer and was teaching the rest of us some steps and moves. The one in this clip is some sort of super arm twisty thing where you don’t let go of your partners hands but you twist and turn all over the place. Natalia and Dan demonstrate first (the couple in the light blue collared shirts, left-of-center-ish). Then Lane and Laura, and Brian and Jodi try to do it too.

The (very awesome) family to the far left joined in on the dancing too! It was hard to see them go - just when we were really getting to know them.

Here is a clip of Dan and Natalia playing Tennessee Waltz during...

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 23:07:50 -0400

Here is a clip of Dan and Natalia playing Tennessee Waltz during the steak fry. The guests loved it, and so did we (the crew), who are severely lacking in musical talents. However, Laura is working on her harmonica skills and I’m aiming to catch the local pawn shop when it’s open to pick up a banjo.

At the end of the clip is Laura, and Lane with the killer wink!

Steak Fry Night - each week we have a steak fry (normally...

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 01:48:01 -0400

practicing in the bunkhouse

Jodi grilling the steaks

performance - Dan and Natalia

steak fry nite - inside the lodge

the dessert table

Steak Fry Night - each week we have a steak fry (normally outside at the campfire pit when weather allows) for our guests. This normally includes not only delicious food cooked up on a grill, on top of open flame, but also whatever talent our crew or guests may want to share.

Luckily for us, Dan both sings and plays guitar and Natalia plays a mean violin. They practiced a time or two in the bunkhouse before the steak fry night in order to put on an entertaining set - which indeed they did.

The fun didn’t stop when the guitar and violin-playing was over. Natalia is also a super-skilled dancer and enthusiastic teacher. Think Two-Step, Waltz, etc. She got most of us going on one type of dance or another, and by the end of the summer I’m pretty sure we’ll all be pros. Video to follow in the next post!

We have our first guests here this week! Since they’re...

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:29:30 -0400

We have our first guests here this week! Since they’re from Madison, WI we get to chat a lot about anything Wisconsin.

With guests comes a new working schedule. Since we, the girls, serve the guests breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we get a little break in the afternoon between the two meals. So far I have used those breaks to ride, ride, ride. These pictures are from one of the many trail rides with (some of) the crew: Sam, Laura, Lane, Dan, and myself.

#3 Nate rides a gargantuan bull. Latham, Dan, Lane, and I went...

Sun, 05 Jun 2011 21:25:00 -0400

#3 Nate rides a gargantuan bull.

Latham, Dan, Lane, and I went to the Jackson Hole Rodeo last Saturday night to cheer on Nate in the bull riding competition. Per the usual around here, nights are quite chilly so I grabbed a quilt from our bunkhouse to help keep warm. Latham’s keep-warm strategy was a $3.00 cup of the crappiest hot chocolate ever.

Nate rode early in the night - he definitely got stepped on at least once by the thundering hooves of the ginormous bull he rode. Post-ride he had some issues feeling his hand and fingers, accompanied by a little hitch in his giddy-up. He is tough though - and will be riding a many, many more bulls in the near future. Less than a week has passed and he’s already ridden 8 more.

#2: Lane graduates - but missed the actual graduation ceremony...

Sun, 05 Jun 2011 19:35:00 -0400

okay, this was staged - nice work Lane!

the graduate

skeptical of the cake's superior status

better than anything cake

#2: Lane graduates - but missed the actual graduation ceremony at his high school. Therefore, Laura made him Better Than Anything Cake (it is really good, but seriously, every dessert she makes is really good) and we had a little celebration of our own.

Happy Graduation Lane!

Herein begins a 3 part series starring Latham - since he came to...

Sun, 05 Jun 2011 18:56:43 -0400

spring...? not yet.

delish, no?

some of the Red Hills Ranch crew

Cook boys on the fence. Bailey below.

Herein begins a 3 part series starring Latham - since he came to visit over Memorial Day weekend, and luckily a lot happened in the short time that he was here:

1.) neighboring ranch block party

2.) Lane graduated

3.) Nate rode a gigantic bull at the Jackson Hole rodeo

Back to #1: Each year the ranches in the area get together for a block party to celebrate spring and simply to get together, chat, and meet the new summer help of the guest ranches. This year the party was at a small ranch just down the road called Flying Goose ranch, owned by a sweet couple. There were lots of people so names were tough to remember, but my co-workers and I agree that now when we see people driving up and down the road, we recognize them more often then not. There were LOTS of people from the guest ranch up the road, Red Rock Ranch, since it’s a much bigger operation than most of the others in the area (about 22 employees to our 7). Latham made it all the way from Salt Lake City (airport) mid-party and was able to meet everyone, as well as partake in the good food.

We have gone on a few trail rides so far - not nearly enough in...

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 23:09:00 -0400

elk up on the ridge

view from the top of the Tetons

cowboy Dan on the cell

the hot chocolate post-trail ride

We have gone on a few trail rides so far - not nearly enough in my opinion - as the horses need to get in shape for all the “dudes” they will be hauling up and down hills throughout the summer. This particular ride was at dusk one cold night.

We started out following the fence line of the pasture, during which we heard a crying animal/baby/indistinguishable yelping sounds. Later we figured out it was a dog and a hound that had “treed” a mountain lion. No big deal.

Near the top of the hill we found some elk - really they seem to be everywhere - and as another bonus, got spotty cell phone reception. Dan called his girlfriend Alyssa for a few minutes to say hi - awww.

Since we don’t have any guests yet, Laura takes advantage...

Tue, 31 May 2011 00:06:00 -0400

Puerto Rican Pork roast - yummmm

Bailey peeking from behind her bottle

:)

Home-made snickers

Since we don’t have any guests yet, Laura takes advantage of meal time with the crew to test lots of different recipes. So far, there has not been one bomb - far from it. We have had 3 gigantic meals each day (I need to work on the portion control just a liiiiittle more) and every one of them has been delicious. We need to be honest as well, since we don’t want to be serving our guests bad food.

Here is a Puerto Rican Pork roast that Laura is carving up in front of Dan and Lane - then 2 pictures of Brian and Jodi’s baby Bailey playing hide & seek behind her bottle - and finally a delicious shot of Laura’s homemade Snickers bars.

Yeeehaw - come ‘n get it!

We, the RHR crew, have from Saturday lunch time until Sunday...

Wed, 25 May 2011 01:40:00 -0400

View of the Tetons in the distance

Lane and Dan on our Sunday night hike

Dramatic light on the red rocks

Me & the ranch

Meet Dan and Lane!

Evening game of catch/throw - anything!

We, the RHR crew, have from Saturday lunch time until Sunday dinner time off of “work.” I use quotes around “work” because, well, it’s just too enjoyable to be real work.

Laborous, yes. Work, nah.

After Sunday night’s yummy and overly-filling dinner, which is the norm here thanks to Laura our cook - Dan, Lane, and I took a quick hike. Lane was not totally eager nor sure what he was getting himself into - walking up hills without a horse?! He might not ever hike with us again. We walked across the road and up the red hills to take in some of the view. Here are some photos from that short hike.

Afterwards we joined the boys on the yard for a pick-up game of catch/throw anything you can get your hands on - soccer balls, mini nerf footballs, chewed-up frisbees, plastic racquets…