Oh what do you do in the summertime? That’s the line to one of my kids’ favorite songs. Our answers aren’t like the song… We don’t have a stream to sit lazily by, or trees to swing on… Instead we have a ranch with hundreds of opportunities for fun. But when the votes were in, everyone around the ranch agrees that these are the summertime favorites!
1. Roping at the arena- We have an arena, we have the roping steers, and obviously we have the horses and ropes. What do they all mean? Roping. Lots of roping. The Rancher is all over it… You say roping and he will beat you there. The rest of us tag along of course! The Rancher’s Sidekick floats. He spends some playing in the dirt, some time riding his horse, and some time working the chute. The baby hangs out with me. Somehow we manage… We love every bit of those nights. There’s nothing better than playing out in the arena as the sun goes down!
2. 4 Wheeling- Hands down, this has to be The Ranch Princess’s favorite. The first place I go to check when I can’t find her playing outside is on the 4 wheeler. I’m terrified for the day that she can actually start it. There are so many trails and roads to just head out for a drive. You can get a little crazy with some off-roading or you can take it easy. Either way we have a great time!
3. Cookout, or “roast out” as The Rancher’s Sidekick calls them- When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. When life gives you massive tractor tires, you make a fire ring and have a cook out. Tin foil dinners, weenies on a stick, mallows… its ALL SO GOOD! There is no shortage of scrap wood here at the ranch, so bring on the bon fires!
4. Hanging’ out at the reservoir- Ok so its not AT the ranch but its where we head when the work is done. We have a few old jet skis that occasionally work to make it a really good time. Once I asked if they were sick of fixing the darn things but they told me that was half the fun of them! Actually, they have been working GREAT lately. I’m working on my 360 when I get pulled on the knee board… we’ll see if I can conquer it this summer!
5. Bunny hunting- Don’t be weirded out, but we love to bunny hunt. And I feel a little justified because they are terrible out here. There isn’t too much more fun that loaded up the truck in the dark to spot bunnies. After a good bunny hunt, I start seeing them all over the road!
Summertime means fun family time. We work hard during the day to play hard at night. Cool off in the reservoir, take little drive, have dinner around the fire, and have a little excitement with the hunting or at the arena. That’s how we summer at the ranch!
