Campin' n brandin' in the rain...

On Friday June 6, Tricky & I loaded up 7 horses & all their gear, 3 kids & their gear, plus bedrolls, tents, and my every emergency - all contingencies carry-alls (with everything from toothpicks to toilet paper) and headed for Lodge Grass to the nice ranch belonging to Tim & Linda Smith for a 3-day branding. (Tim is our dear cowboy friend Aubry's brother.) Scott & Staci came in a separate vehicle with yet more tents, bedrolls, and gear.

As you all know, the weather has been cool and rainy for what seems like months now, and the extended forecast was not too comforting--although it didn't look like heavy rain either. No sooner had we pulled into Smith's yard, however, than it began to rain quite industriously. The Smith men had already left for the camp site, located several miles away from the house & corrals, to begin the lengthy process of setting up camp--putting up the big bed tent (canvas bunk house), big mess tent (with the old wood-burning stove used by Aubry & Tim's parents for years and years as well as with 2 new propane camp stoves with about 6 burners between them), & various small personal canvas teepee tents. Not to be left out of that hard work, Dick jumped on a 4-wheeler and the kids jumped on too, and away they went, mud a-flying, to help put camp up.

After several hours, they returned--wet, muddy, & happy--and then we loaded everyone's stuff & all the food etc in 4-5 pickup beds and headed for camp. I drove one of the pickups, and it's been a long time (Camp 8 days) since I drove in such mud!

Scott on Rocky & Dick on Cow Gent helped the Smith "boys" run the remuda over.