The Ranch, Wisdom MT (again)

We spent Labor Day weekend at a ranch in Montana. Everybody give a little birthday cheer for our blog, because our very first post was about last Labor Days' trip to Montana.

This trip deserves a good blog post, but it's not going to get one because September is turning out to be the busyest month of our busy months this summer and I just don't have time! I figure better short and sweet than not at all. Thanks again to our wonderful hosts Tom + Kelsey and to the whole Huntley clan at the ranch. We had an amazing time.

Here's the short version. We rode horses, and chased cows with the horses and ran with them. It was very fun. We rode dirt bikes and and Matt showed off his awesome skills while Mackenzie floundered. It was cool. We ate good food and drank good drink. We went to a rodeo and saw the crazy crazy cowboys do neat stuff. There was more, but that's the highlights.

Here's some pictures:

Matt & Steven with their respective vehicles

Cool.

Tom the cowboy.

Matt climbing

Cows

Cows got really close...

Awesome picture. Steven took it, not me. But I like it.

At the rodeo.

Hang on tight!

Ashley, Steven, Matt & I

Matt & I riding

Tom + Kelsey, Matt + I, Ash + Steven

Matt was hearding cows. It was hilarious. Click on it for a bigger one.

So pretty.

The Ranch, Wisdom Montana

Our lovely friends Tom + Kelsey Whalen were kind enough to invite us to a Labor Day weekend of fun at Kelseys grandparents ranch in Montana. The family has 10,000 acres...a real cattle ranch. If you don't know what 10,000 acres even looks like (I sure didn't!) just think...pretty much as far as your eye can see in 3 directions. After a long drive over with Tom, Kelsey & Sarah Sullivan we met up with some other folks and spent the weekend riding horses, eating, enjoying a rodeo, making new firends, riding dirt bikes, lounging, sleeping in, fishing, and generally having a fantastic time.

Matts first time ever riding a horse. Good job honey!

Beautiful. The mountains and sky were sooo pretty.

Fields and horsies.

We went for a 3 hour ride our first day there, and boy was I ever sore after that! We went up into the hills and to a sweet rock (shipwreck rock? something like that...). Matt got his first taste of horseback riding and enjoyed it though he admitted he will always be a dirt bike boy (more to come on that later). The horsies were a bit rowdy but by the end of the trip we had learned all about controlling them, saddling them, and watching out for their teeth (poor Christina).

Rodeo cowboy

These guys are nuts! They get tossed around on the horse, tossed off the horse, and then have to avoid 6 pair of trampling hooves.

The crew. Tom, Sarah, me, Christina, Paul, John, and Eddie.

Thanks for taking the pic Kelsey. And Matt is....off buying beer?

Amazing sunsets.

We took a 4 hr (RT) ride up to a cabin in the national forest. These are our sweet rides.

^ My grand accomplishment of the weekend.

Dirt bikes are Matts first love and I was nervous about giving it a try but its something he loves, and hey, I'm always up for a new adventure. Matt patiently went through the tedious process of teaching me. "Hey, I can't even drive a manual car, you want me to shift and use a clutch on a motorcycle that could tip over on me at any second??" -Mackenzie  "Here is how you shift to second gear" -Matt "Woah woah, I am definitely not ready for second gear yet!" -Mackenzie

We persevered though and I managed to 'master' the art of riding a dirt bike. After a half hour lesson on Sunday I decided to attempt the ride to the cabin in the bike instead of the quad. We had a few minor incidents at the beginning but the bike and I both made it home alive and well. And now I want one of my own. (Sorry Mom).

And then we rode off into the sunset. Actually we had a 9 hr drive back in a mini van. But thats cool too.

MANY thanks to Tom, Kelsey, Cheryl and the whole Huntley clan.