The Lazy E-L Ranch

A funny for you

2012-01-19T12:39:00.003-08:00

Redneck Medical Dictionary
Rednecks have the lowest stress rate
because they do not take medical terminology seriously
You are going to die anyway, so live life

Medical Term		Redneck Definition
Artery	-	The study of paintings
Bacteria	-	Back door to cafeteria
Barium	-	What doctors do when patients die
Benign	-	What you be, after you be eight
Caesarean Section	-	A neighbourhood in Rome
Cat scan	-	Searching for Kitty
Cauterize	-	Made eye contact with her
Colic	-	A sheep dog
Coma	-	A punctuation mark
Dilate	-	To live long
Enema	-	Not a friend
Fester	-	Quicker than someone else
Fibula	-	A small lie
Impotent	-	Distinguished, well known
Labour Pain	-	Getting hurt at work
Medical Staff	-	A Doctor's cane
Morbid	-	A higher offer
Nitrates	-	Rates of Pay for Working at Night, Normally more money than Days
Node	-	I knew it
Outpatient	-	A person who has fainted
Pelvis	-	Second cousin to Elvis
Post Operative	-	A letter carrier
Recovery Room	-	Place to do upholstery
Rectum	-	Nearly killed him
Secretion	-	Hiding something
Seizure	-	Roman Emperor
Tablet	-	A small table
Terminal Illness	-	Getting sick at the airport
Tumour	-	One plus one more
Urine	-	Opposite of you're out

The difference between Cowgirls & Cowboys

2012-01-05T15:36:00.000-08:00

COWGIRLS

COWGIRL is an attitude really

A pioneer spirit

A special American brand of courage

The Cowgirl faces life head on

And makes no excuse.

Cowgirls take stands,

They speak up,

They defend the things they hold dear.

As for Cowboys...this sure explains a lot don't it?

The Joy of Quiet

2012-01-03T14:21:00.000-08:00

Jael found this very intersting article about why places like the Lazy EL are growing in demand every year and we thought it would be wonderful if past guests of the Lazy EL added their two cents. Please consider this your invitation to tell us what you think.

The Joy of Quiet

By PICO IYER

Published: December 29, 2011

ABOUT a year ago, I flew to Singapore to join the writer Malcolm Gladwell, the fashion designer Marc Ecko and the graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister in addressing a group of advertising people on “Marketing to the Child of Tomorrow.” Soon after I arrived, the chief executive of the agency that had invited us took me aside. What he was most interested in, he began — I braced myself for mention of some next-generation stealth campaign — was stillness.

A few months later, I read an interview with the perennially cutting-edge designer Philippe Starck. What allowed him to remain so consistently ahead of the curve? “I never read any magazines or watch TV,” he said, perhaps a little hyperbolically. “Nor do I go to cocktail parties, dinners or anything like that.” He lived outside conventional ideas, he implied, because “I live alone mostly, in the middle of nowhere.”

Around the same time, I noticed that those who part with $2,285 a night to stay in a cliff-top room at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur pay partly for the privilege of not having a TV in their rooms; the future of travel, I’m reliably told, lies in “black-hole resorts,” which charge high prices precisely because you can’t get online in their rooms.

Has it really come to this?

In barely one generation we’ve moved from exulting in the time-saving devices that have so expanded our lives to trying to get away from them — often in order to make more time. The more ways we have to connect, the more many of us seem desperate to unplug. Like teenagers, we appear to have gone from knowing nothing about the world to knowing too much all but overnight.

Internet rescue camps in South Korea and China try to save kids addicted to the screen.

Writer friends of mine pay good money to get the Freedom software that enables them to disable (for up to eight hours) the very Internet connections that seemed so emancipating not long ago. Even Intel (of all companies) experimented in 2007 with conferring four uninterrupted hours of quiet time every Tuesday morning on 300 engineers and managers. (The average office worker today, researchers have found, enjoys no more than three minutes at a time at his or her desk without interruption.) During this period the workers were not allowed to use the phone or send e-mail, but simply had the chance to clear their heads and to hear themselves think. A majority of Intel’s trial group recommended that the policy be extended to others.

THE average American spends at least eight and a half hours a day in front of a screen, Nicholas Carr notes in his eye-opening book “The Shallows,” in part because the number of hours American adults spent online doubled between 2005 and 2009 (and the number of hours spent in front of a TV screen, often simultaneously, is also steadily increasing).

The average American teenager sends or receives 75 text messages a day, though one girl in Sacramento managed to handle an average of 10,000 every 24 hours for a month. Since luxury, as any economist will tell you, is a function of scarcity, the children of tomorrow, I heard myself tell the marketers in Singapore, will crave nothing more than freedom, if only for a short while, from all the blinking machines, streaming videos and scrolling headlines that leave them feeling empty and too full all at once.

The urgency of slowing down — to find the time and space to think — is nothing new, of course, and wiser souls have always reminded us that the more attention we pay to the moment, the less time and energy we have to place it in some larger context. “Distraction is the only thing that consoles us for our miseries,” the French philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote in the 17th century, “and yet it is itself the greatest of our miseries.” He also famously remarked that all of man’s problems come from his inability to sit quietly in a room alone.

When telegraphs and trains brought in the idea that convenience was more important than content — and speedier means could make up for unimproved ends — Henry David Thoreau reminded us that “the man whose horse trots a mile in a minute does not carry the most important messages.” Even half a century ago, Marshall McLuhan, who came closer than most to seeing what was coming, warned, “When things come at you very fast, naturally you lose touch with yourself.” Thomas Merton struck a chord with millions, by not just noting that “Man was made for the highest activity, which is, in fact, his rest,” but by also acting on it, and stepping out of the rat race and into a Cistercian cloister.

We have more and more ways to communicate, as Thoreau noted, but less and less to say. Partly because we’re so busy communicating. And — as he might also have said — we’re rushing to meet so many deadlines that we hardly register that what we need most are lifelines.

Yet few of those voices can be heard these days, precisely because “breaking news” is coming through (perpetually) on CNN and Debbie is just posting images of her summer vacation and the phone is ringing. We barely have enough time to see how little time we have (most Web pages, researchers find, are visited for 10 seconds or less). And the more that floods in on us (the Kardashians, Obamacare, “Dancing with the Stars”), the less of ourselves we have to give to every snippet. All we notice is that the distinctions that used to guide and steady us — between Sunday and Monday, public and private, here and there — are gone.

So what to do? The central paradox of the machines that have made our lives so much brighter, quicker, longer and healthier is that they cannot teach us how to make the best use of them; the information revolution came without an instruction manual. All the data in the world cannot teach us how to sift through data; images don’t show us how to process images. The only way to do justice to our onscreen lives is by summoning exactly the emotional and moral clarity that can’t be found on any screen.

MAYBE that’s why more and more people I know, even if they have no religious commitment, seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation, or tai chi; these aren’t New Age fads so much as ways to connect with what could be called the wisdom of old age. Two journalist friends of mine observe an “Internet sabbath” every week, turning off their online connections from Friday night to Monday morning, so as to try to revive those ancient customs known as family meals and conversation. Finding myself at breakfast with a group of lawyers in Oxford four months ago, I noticed that all their talk was of sailing — or riding or bridge: anything that would allow them to get out of radio contact for a few hours.

Other friends try to go on long walks every Sunday, or to “forget” their cellphones at home. A series of tests in recent years has shown, Mr. Carr points out, that after spending time in quiet rural settings, subjects “exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory and generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper.” More than that, empathy, as well as deep thought, depends (as neuroscientists like Antonio Damasio have found) on neural processes that are “inherently slow.” The very ones our high-speed lives have little time for.

In my own case, I turn to eccentric and often extreme measures to try to keep my sanity and ensure that I have time to do nothing at all (which is the only time when I can see what I should be doing the rest of the time). I’ve yet to use a cellphone and I’ve never Tweeted or entered Facebook. I try not to go online till my day’s writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan in part so I could more easily survive for long stretches entirely on foot, and every trip to the movies would be an event.

None of this is a matter of principle or asceticism; it’s just pure selfishness. Nothing makes me feel better — calmer, clearer and happier — than being in one place, absorbed in a book, a conversation, a piece of music. It’s actually something deeper than mere happiness: it’s joy, which the monk David Steindl-Rast describes as “that kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.”

It’s vital, of course, to stay in touch with the world, and to know what’s going on; I took pains this past year to make separate trips to Jerusalem and Hyderabad and Oman and St. Petersburg, to rural Arkansas and Thailand and the stricken nuclear plant in Fukushima and Dubai. But it’s only by having some distance from the world that you can see it whole, and understand what you should be doing with it.

For more than 20 years, therefore, I’ve been going several times a year — often for no longer than three days — to a Benedictine hermitage, 40 minutes down the road, as it happens, from the Post Ranch Inn. I don’t attend services when I’m there, and I’ve never meditated, there or anywhere; I just take walks and read and lose myself in the stillness, recalling that it’s only by stepping briefly away from my wife and bosses and friends that I’ll have anything useful to bring to them. The last time I was in the hermitage, three months ago, I happened to pass, on the monastery road, a youngish-looking man with a 3-year-old around his shoulders.

“You’re Pico, aren’t you?” the man said, and introduced himself as Larry; we’d met, I gathered, 19 years before, when he’d been living in the cloister as an assistant to one of the monks.

“What are you doing now?” I asked.

“I work for MTV. Down in L.A.”

We smiled. No words were necessary.

“I try to bring my kids here as often as I can,” he went on, as he looked out at the great blue expanse of the Pacific on one side of us, the high, brown hills of the Central Coast on the other. “My oldest son” — he pointed at a 7-year-old running along the deserted, radiant mountain road in front of his mother — “this is his third time.”

The child of tomorrow, I realized, may actually be ahead of us, in terms of sensing not what’s new, but what’s essential.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE LAZY E-L CREW

2011-12-23T08:53:00.000-08:00

If we had one wish for you it would be..."May all the peace, joy and happiness this time of year inspires be yours every second of every day of every year. "

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR

CHRISTMAS EATING TACTICS

2011-12-19T09:05:00.000-08:00

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin , Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day ?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate and wine in hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Merry Christmas!!!

TOP 10 REASONS WHY A VACATION AT THE LAZY E-L IS PERFECT

2011-12-08T10:43:00.000-08:00

As I sit here, just two days away from going on a tropical vacation cruise, suffering from yet another blow of serious psychological trauma from the machinations I've had to perform in order to prepare for said vacation...the thought occurs to me that I should just stay here and forget it... SERIOUSLY! I mean REALLY...I live in paradise. Then the thought occurred to me that these struggles I'm going through are perfect examples to share with my friends on why a vacation at the Lazy E-L is perfect for you and hassle free. Let me share...

10. NO DIETING REQUIRED...we just give you a bigger horse
9.    NO EXERCISE REQUIRED...we just give you a mounting block
8.    NO WAXING REQUIRED...growing your leg hairs might just provide an extra layer of cushion
       inside your boots
7.    NO HAIR COLORING REQUIRED... You'll be wearing a hat the whole time anyway
6.   MANI/PEDI NOT REQUIRED...no one wants to look at your stinky feet after a day in the saddle
5.    NO FANCY CLOTHES REQUIRED...in fact wearing the same outfit for the entire week can be
      helpful... if your clothes are already standing upright when you try to find them at "Odarkthirty"
      it's much easier to slide in 'em...also the smell helps deter the wild critters that might otherwise
    think you resemble a bon bon
4.   NO SPRAY TAN REQUIRED... in fact, depending on the time of year you visit, being the
      color of a Whitefish can actually act as camoflauge
3.    VARIOUS COLORS AND STYLES OF HIGH HEELS definitely not required. One pair of boots
       is all you need, they will change colors depending on which piles of "what" you step in
2.    NO ACCESSORIES REQUIRED...face it, jewelry will only cause you pain...literally! Rings snag
      on manes and reins, necklaces fly up an' poke you in the eyes while you're riding full gallop after
       some incorrigible cow, earrings...perish the thought!
1.   MAKEUP NOT REQUIRED...no need to impress anyone. You may feel 4000 eyes upon you,
       but they're all bovine/equine and already conditioned (for your comfort) to see you as superior...
       BONUS!!!

So now let's just compare the size of my suitcase to yours shall we... I'm going on a 4 day cruise to the tropics and my suitcase is nearly half the size of my Queen size bed. The toiletries take up nearly one quarter of the bag...mostly spray tanner bottles because of the horrible splotching and striping that has occurred after repeated use trying to fill in the various areas that weren't successfully tanned in the previous session. Next comes the 6 different colors of heels and a jewelry case the size of Rhode Island., Crammed alongside these are 19 changes of clothes because everyone knows you have to change at least 3 times a day. Your bag...much nicer! A couple pairs of jeans, socks, t-shirts, sunscreen, toothpaste, toothbrush, hairbrush, camera...voila!

Yes...I believe I'll just stay home!

See...Riding Horses IS good for your health!

2011-12-07T10:08:00.000-08:00

Laugh so hard people will think you've gone insane...ENJOY!

2011-12-07T07:58:00.000-08:00

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again invited readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are the winners:

1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

2. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

3. Intaxicaton: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

5. Bozone ( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

11. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

13. Glibido: All talk and no action.

14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

17. Caterpallor ( n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

The Washington Post has also published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.

And the winners are:

1. Coffee, n. The person upon whom one coughs.

2. Flabbergasted, adj. Appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.

3. Abdicate, v. To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

4. Esplanade, v. To attempt an explanation while drunk.

5. Willy-nilly, adj. Impotent.

6.. Negligent, adj. Absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.

7.. Lymph, v. To walk with a lisp.

8. Gargoyle, n. Olive-flavored mouthwash.

9. Flatulence, n. Emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.

10. Balderdash, n. A rapidly receding hairline.

11. Testicle, n. A humorous question on an exam.

12.. Rectitude, n. The formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13. Pokemon, n. A Rastafarian proctologist.

14. Oyster, n. A person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

15. Frisbeetarianism, n. The belief that, after death, the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

16. Circumvent, n. An opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.

Give a gift that will last forever...A Cowboy Vacation

2011-12-01T10:59:00.000-08:00

About this time of year I start to get anxious. Over and over, round n round, the struggle with what to give my friends and family torments me to no end! I always want to give them something incredible, something that shows them how much they mean to me and something that won't just be shoved in a drawer after the holidays are over. Consider me Santa Claus 'cuz I'm about to make your decision very easy, affordable and best of all UNFORGETTABLE!

The Lazy EL Guest Ranch has just a few cabins remaining for 2012 and here's our gift to you...

Reserve your cabin during our Super Secret Santa Sale until December 9th and save up to $2000!

Who needs things!? Give a gift from the heart, a gift of family time together, a life changing experience creating memories to last and cherish all the rest of your days... find yourself at The E-L.

Ag Trivia for the Cowboy at heart

2011-11-30T08:25:00.000-08:00

Young Marines visit The Lazy EL Ranch

2011-11-22T08:20:00.000-08:00

You will probably remember our blog back in July, gushing over how fantastic this crew of Young Marines was...if not, suffice to say...these are some of the finest, bravest, most fearless, dedicated, intelligent, polite, kind, compassionate (and yes, I could go on) young men and women we've ever met. No task was too big, no job went unfinished and they did it all with a smile! Here is their perspective of their time spent with us. They join us again next year and we just can't wait! THANK YOU, YOUNG MARINES, we salute you!

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A Cattleman, An Officer and a Gentleman

2011-11-22T08:10:00.000-08:00

An amazing young man named Nick visited us this past summer with an extraordinary group of Young Marines and this is just one of the many touching stories that came from that week. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed having the honor of The Young Marines company.

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Welcome to Winter

2011-10-28T08:24:00.000-07:00

Seemingly overnight the great trees shed their raiment of gold and crimson leaves leaving fluffy, crackling mounds of memories piled at their base, beckoning even the most stoic of personalities to at least consider pouncing into those glorious piles.

Wonder why we do that... perhaps because it's universally acceptable. If you see a pile of leaves everyone knows you just gotta scrape 'em up into a big ol' pile and get it situated just right for maximum cushioning of your heft. Half the fun is seeing just how tall you can make that pile.

Once satisfied with your "honorary tribute to summer" an irrepressible smile appears along with the fluttery feeling in your heart as you prepare to leap...bravely...into a pile that just MIGHT contain a tree branch that will skewer you upon landing. Still, you hurl yourself gleefully, face pasted into an uncontrollable grin and land with a thud amidst a shower of golden leaves.

Is it some subconscious desire to relive those glorious days of summer, that by jumping into great piles of leaves the act will send those memories washing over us, perhaps giving us just one more day of summer? Whatever it is, you can be sure at least one of us will take the opportunity to flop and twist amidst the leaves while enjoying one last big smile of remembrance of a fantastic summer on The Lazy EL.

Jael's Leadership Speech at St. Paul's

2011-10-21T12:42:00.000-07:00

I am a fourth generation rancher from Montana and form of ’88. The last time I was in this chapel, I was sitting in one of the seats reserved for sixth form officers and heading off to Yale, despite its noticeable lack of snow-capped mountains. In short, I am an over educated Cowgirl.

At St. Paul’s, our basketball team predicted where each of us would be in 20 years. I was to be Governor of Montana by now. I have fallen short there, but as my college roommate’s seven year old has pointed out, I am “governor of the ranch.” So I am queen of a 12,000 acre “queendom,” working to better my little corner of the world. I rope poorly, yet ride well. I am passionate about how to work a cow. The accomplishments I claim might only be known by a few. Given the population of our rural state, most of those few might even be four-legged.

As the first female general manager of a 110 year old family business in a traditionally male field, I know from experience that it can be tough to look different from everyone’s expectations. As I have broken a glass ceiling for our family and within the industry, likewise, I invest into the next generation of cowgirls to make sure that they learn to rope, ride, and discuss financial returns.

I am passionate about leadership. Our planet needs more leaders and our planet needs great leaders. You have been given this gift of a great education. It is my hope that whatever your path in life, you will be a leader. That in your own “queendom” or kingdom you create positive change among those whose lives you touch.

Leadership is not solely about intellect. Leadership is more about courage. And courage is about growing your heart, your passion, your intuition, your creativity. It is about having the confidence to speak up when a room is silent. It is about the willingness to take risks because change does not happen where we are comfortable. It happens on the edge.

I didn’t learn to ride well by only riding broke 12 year old geldings. I learned to ride the first day I was bucked off my three year old colt. I learned to ride even better the second time. In my profession, it is not a matter of if you will ride a bucking horse, it is a matter of when. It is never comfortable. Rarely is it graceful. But ultimately, the more you sit deep in the saddle and learn to read the horse, the less often you find yourself in the grass, looking for your pride.

Ride the bucking horse. Be willing to take risks, no matter how small or how big. You are being given all the best tools and skills. Take the first step and have the courage to get on. It can be tempting to ask the 20 year old cowgirl standing behind me who seems to bounce more easily to do it for me. But that bay is my horse to ride. Every time I get on, I grow a little more courage for the next ride and more skills. You each have your own bucking horse. Once you get him ridden, you too will have more courage, a quality that will endlessly serve you and prepare you for bigger broncs. Find that horse and learn to ride him.

St. Paul’s, as the next generation of leaders, has selected diversity as one of its core strategic focuses and with it comes a desire to raise global citizens. We do not exist in isolation. Our actions as individuals, as a nation have deep consequences. We must be concerned not just with this country but how to better the world.

Right now, world leaders are starting to highlight the global plight and subjugation of women as the 21^st century slavery that must be overcome. In terms of world transformation, changing the denigration of women into empowerment is the key to transforming not only global economics but world health and world peace. When countries allow women equal access to the work force, the GNP rises. When countries educate women, fewer women are subject to violence with serious health consequences. When women control their own money, more income is invested back into family nutrition and health. Countries with more gender equality in leadership positions across the sectors tend to be more peaceful. The two most effective tools to combat global poverty are providing micro credit to women and educating women. Learning how to value and empower women crosses gender, class, racial, ethnic and national boundaries. It is a focus that unites diversity.

St. Paul’s, this is the bucking horse I challenge you to ride: cultivate leaders who honor and value women. It is the single most powerful gift you, as a community, can give to the next generation of global leaders. If women empowerment is the key to changing global economics, health, and peace, then start with cultivating that leadership today. Because sexism in this country, particularly among the more educated is more subtle, this task will not be easy. It will require courage, from all of you: young men and young women equally.

When there was a leadership void on our ranch and I threw my name in the hat as a candidate, I was directly told a woman could never run the Lazy EL Ranch. In the last ten years, I’ve increased our cattle price per head by 33% and quadrupled our revenue from tourism. We’ve been able to invest more into infrastructure than in any previous decade. What would my corner of the world have lost had I listened to the naysayers or more importantly, my own uncertain voices within?

What have we as a planet lost if the best and brightest women limit their own future because of an unconscious worldview of limitations based on gender? We lose half our talent, half our intellectual capital, half our leaders. As we all celebrate Mr. Hirschfeld’s tremendous and rightful selection as our new rector, how many of us sub-consciously felt relief because the thought of a woman in his position was hard to imagine?

I grew up in a working class community in a conservative part of the country. I lived and worked on Indian reservations for over 10 years. I am one of only several women who is in the primary leadership position for a multi-generational ranch. To this day, the most pervasive sexism I ever encountered were my years at St. Paul’s.

The hardest horses I’ve ever ridden, were the ones whose buck I didn’t see coming. For me, St. Paul’s sexism, is like one of those horses. This spring, my 17 year old paint needed his first ride of the spring. Knowing that he can take some time to warm up on that first ride, I took him to the round pen to work him a foot before climbing onto his back. Once I released his halter, he reared up, threw himself on the ground and bucked in a circle for another 10 minutes. Fortunately, I was getting to watch from the soundness of the ground. Thinking he had worked it out of his system, I took him to the barn yard to climb on. I proceeded with caution based on the fit just witnessed but also calculating the fact that he is absolutely broke and a good 17 years old. What happened next was he put his nose to his knees and tried me like there was no tomorrow. The surprise of his try would be kind of like showing up in your grandparents living room with your grandfather in boxing gloves ready to kick the tar out of you. It isn’t exactly expected. But ride him I did.

How does sexism show up today at St. Paul’s? Given all the progress of the last two decades, I imagine that it might be overlooked because it is kind of like a 17 year old gelding that we have grown up with that eats carrots out of your hand as you saddle him up. It’s comfortable and known. When a three year old colt is snorting and pawing the ground and looking at you sidewise, it is easy to know the buck is coming.

Ride the bucking horse. Whatever form he appears. Push to change our own sub-conscious limitations. Understand the vital role that women must play in changing the planet. Do your part to forward that change in your own little corner of the world. With all the privilege of the best education available, dare to cultivate the leadership that is most needed to transform the future. Scratch below the surface and reveal another level of enlightenment and thus empowerment. I say, grab your spurs and get that old paint ridden.

THE START OF THE DAY

2011-10-18T14:33:00.001-07:00

I muster a cup and fill it with coffee
And shuffle through the front door,
It’s a still time of day, just before dawn,
A time most folks ignore.

It’s the calm I enjoy, at the start of the day,
The peacefulness is just so serene.
So I lean in the doorway and sip on my coffee
And pause to soak up the scene.

The dark sky is brightening far in the east
Just a bit ahead of sunrise.
Soon the sun will crawl over that hillside
And lighten these Montana skies.

The stars still shimmer in the fading night sky
As they slowly give way to the sun.
They’ll be back tonight and twinklin’ bright
But, for now, another day has begun

Through the pale gray of morning, I know what is happening
Even though the daylight’s still dim,
I hear the rooster’s crow and the wrangler’s “whoop,”
Pushin’ the horses in.

The light in the kitchen says the cook’s now up
Fixin’ today’s breakfast spread
We’ll gather this morning for coffee and food
And to plan out the day ahead.

In the dark I see a wrangler walk by
Leading a horse by my door.
I say “Good mornin’” and she nods in agreement
(I’m pretty hard to ignore)

The barn light comes on, the farrier’s here
To make sure hooves and shoes are okay.
But first he’ll head in for some coffee
To prepare for a long, hard day.

Slowly the ranch will awake and people’ll start movin’
There’ll be folks comin’ out all the doors,
People start showing up, ready to go,
To help the cowboys doin’ their chores.

But, for now, I’ll just stay here and lean in the door
And try to soak it all in.
The days will past all too quickly, I fear,
And I’ll have to refer to this as “back when”.

---Ginger Dunning

A Day In The Life Of A Faux Cowgirl...by Kris M

2011-09-19T15:19:00.000-07:00

When visting the Lazy E-L, I don't want to be a guest... I want to be a cowgirl. And the Lazy E-L is so very accommodating. Here's my favorite kind of day:

4:45 am rise and shine - I roll out of the very comfy bed I'm sharing with my husband (who, by the way, DOES want to be treated like a guest and so keeps on sleeping) and grope around in the dark to find my clothes, boots, gloves and hat. This is pretty easy as I left them all piled around a chair last night. Does my horse really care if I wear the same thing again? I doubt it... and I'm riding a different horse this morning anyway. Once clothed and with my teeth brushed (my horse WOULD care if I didn't observe good oral hygiene), I head over to the cookhouse to score a cup of freshly brewed java. YUM!

When the light comes on in the barn at 5:15, I meet my wrangler d'jour for some pre-dawn fun. We share my coffee, then we catch and saddle a couple of horses left in last night for this very purpose and head out in the dark to bring in the rest of the herd. This is really a special time of day... the stars are brilliant, it is quiet except for whatever conversation we feel like having and maybe the yip of a coyote. And we are moving slowly because we really can't see where we're going. We pick our way across a creek and head up a ridge where the horses have grazed overnight, climbing to the highest point. Here we sit and watch the horizon begin to turn pink... then orange... and when we can distinguish grazing horses from shrubs, we gather them up and push the herd toward the corrals. The peace and quiet and stillness is over - now it's a neighing, kicking, yee ha good time. Horses will be horses.

Back at the barn, more cowboys and girls have appeared and we wander through the enclosed herd, catching the horses needed for the day and tying them so they are ready for their assigned guest to brush and saddle... I unsaddle my wrangling horse and saddle my next horse for the day. It's now 6 am and I have time for another cup of coffee.

Next is breakfast! Every meal is a pleasure at the Lazy E-L. You can eat as healthfully or as decadently as you choose. As an example, I opt for oatmeal with fruit every morning. It's what I like. My husband, who is in "I'm on vacation mode," has pancakes, eggs, about 12 slices of bacon AND some oatmeal. Why isn't he fat?

As breakfast ends, Jael "goes to the board" and assigns tasks. Today, I'll be looking for strays. This is one of my favorite things because (1) you get to ride all over the place and (2) if you find strays, they're usually pretty speedy and don't take direction well.  This combination makes for some entertaining riding. So for the next 5 hours or so, we do indeed ride all over the place and find the final two strays. And they are indeed speedy, and don't take direction well.  However, we do successfully bring them back to the pasture where they belong. It's a blast.

Lunchtime ! We fast trot back to the barn, and head for the cookhouse because we're late (but we had to get our strays taken care of).  Lunch might be homemade pizza or chili or hot sandwiches or... for me it was something made into a salad because I make everything into a salad and the chefs always put out an enormous salad. I might have scraped the ingredients off the top of the pizza onto my salad...   but, as I said earlier, you can opt to eat as healthfully or not as you like. YUM!

It's now about 2:30 pm and a beautiful day... My husband disappeared with some of the other ranch folks for the day so I decide to give the staff a break from my presence and go on a hike to hit all the high points around the Lazy E-L. I head due north to the first ridge, turn west along the ridge top, climb down and up a bit until I get almost to the oil rig. Then I cut across the valley heading back toward the ranch as I know I can cross the creek at the big bird nests then turn back out to the west so I can climb the highest point of the south ridge. I follow that ridge all the way back... there is some really beautiful granite around here that is pink and purple in the late afternoon light (it's close to 4:30 by this time). I trudge on along the ridge then drop down to the east end of the ranch office (where I again know I can cross the creek by jumping rather than wading). And I'm back. Erik and Stephanie actually seem happy to see me and give me a lift the last 100 yards to my cabin on the back of the 4-wheeler.

After a shower with some really great soap (it is locally made and smells terrific), I pour myself a glass of wine (a rather fine old vine Zinfandel my husgand found for me in nearby Fishtail) and kick back on the porch with a book...

Eventually my husband shows up. He had a fun day too. The dinner bell rings. We have roast elk and a bunch of deliciously prepared vegetables from either Miss Julia's garden or Miss Helen's garden or both... I don't care... YUM!!! John and Jesse are my favorite cooks in the whole worlds. And Jesse has been making cookies and he hands me a spoonful of dough for my dessert... which starts a dough feeding frenzy...

Then, well, it's time to throw some hay bales into the loft. There are a number of people helping and we get an amazingly efficient production line going. Poof! The work is done.

Another shower to get rid of sneezes caused by being in the hayloft.

And now it' s 8 pm and I have to go to sleep... So I can get up at 4:25 tomorrow (it's shipping day and and early start and I promised Stephanie I'd help her catch horses) to play faux cowgirl all over again. Yee ha.

FAN MAIL FROM A 5 YEAR OLD

2011-09-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

Ode to Lazy E-L Guest Ranch

2011-09-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

Way out West under a blue Montana sky

Is a little piece of Heaven where eagles love to fly.

The Lazy E-L Guest Ranch is a treasure so true,

The staff here is awesome and there is SO much to do!

Tucked back in Beartooth Valley between rich green hills

You'll find cabins, a cook house, and wildlife thrills.

With horses and cattle and dogs galore

And all of this lies just outside your door!

The wranglers are pros, they overlook our mistakes

And go back for the cows we did not overtake!

They lift heavy saddles and put bridles on, too.

They know all the horses names and what they can do.

They round up the cattle and sometimes us, too

While reminding us always what we need to do!

Every morning there's a whiteboard talk for routing the herd--

Just follow Jael's instructions and don't be a turd!

The food just keeps coming so healthy and good

And inspite of ourselves we eat more than we should!

Pity the poor chickens who get leftovers not seen

As the hungry guests lick their heaping plates clean.

Thanks to Jael and Gerald who have shared ranch history with all

So cheerful and caring and answering each call.

The people we have met here have been such a pleasure

And provided us with memories we will always treasure!

Happy trails to ya'all

until we meet again!

Goodbye Summer

2011-09-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

A change is in the air...

One can certainly tell.

Autumn in Montana;

There's no place like The E-L!

Well, we said "ADIEU" to our dear Ceily. Five great years she gave to this ranch and we thank her from the bottom of our hearts for her tremendous gifts. This year marked her first year as Head Cowgirl, no easy feat let me assure you! Ceily performed her duties with grace and aplomb. THANK YOU CEILY for leading a great team and giving us the best summer we've ever had. You are missed! We wish you every possible success from this day forward.

Little Ollie returned to the Big Apple. What an adventure he had this summer! He was as out of place as a doilie on a cowpie, but HE WAS FUN! Imagine the most city slickerish, urbane, pate de fois gras eatin' dude and that about sums up our first impression of Ollie. But as they say, never judge a book by the cover! Ollie's first hour on the ranch proved that he was game for (and would perform with style) any task we would throw at 'im. His first assignment was to oil 40 pairs of guest boots which he did while making us all laugh with his effervescent wit. Yes, he took some gettin' used to, but DANG! we miss him and his wide eyed, open mouthed cackle. Ollie, the cookhouse just isn't the same without you.

Tyler, Trev, Steph, McKenna, Erik and Jack are still holdin' down the fort and doin' a mighty fine job of it too. They've got longer hours to work and less hands to help, but true to their Cowboy Ethics their smiles are even brighter than they were at the beginning of the summer! A finer crew of cowboys you'll never find.

Last but most important, our Cooks. Jessie and Jon...you two are ROCKSTARS! We've never had better tasting food, prettier presentation or so much laughter as we've had this year. The challenges you've handled would make grown men run screaming to their mama's! Thank you for taking such amazing care of us and our guests.

We have been simply blessed by our guests this year and we hope we've been a blessing to you as well. After all, you're the reason we are here and we THANK YOU for giving us the opportunity to share our beloved Montana with you.

Cattle Shipping Week

2011-09-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic shipping week! Healthy cows, good gains and a great crew! Originally the plan was to ship cattle during the week of September 18th however in this business change is always a sure thing. Two of our favorite repeat guests were scheduled to be in the original Advanced Riders week, but when they learned of the early shipping, they jumped on a plane and arrived at the ranch just in time to lead the charge. Thanks Kris and Mouge, you were invaluable!

Our other delightful guests, first time visitors from Switzerland had initially booked this week as a way to live out their dream of working cattle in the American West. Imgaine their surprise when they learned they were now part of Shipping Week normally reserved for Advanced Riders! Undaunted, they did an absolutely fantastic job of keeping up with our pace, helping sort, gather, backride and ship. It was even more amazing when one considers the fact that none of them had ever spent time on a horse! Seriously, these folks were incredible! Happily for us our new friends are now hooked on the E-L experience and will return to help us again next year!

As far as weather goes we couldn't have asked for better. The entire week featured baby blue skies, mild temperatures and the pine scented cool mornings made for easy, comfortable cattle work. It did get a bit warm during the late morning and early afternoon, but hey, at least we didn't get 3 feet of snow! Check out the video below and live the experience vicariously.

This week is the legendary Jeep's Week. Every year for many years, our great friend Jeep brings her hounds and by invitation only, several very accomplished riders. Their goal once astride... chase those huge, fast, Montana jackrabbits! We look forward to her return every year and we have no doubt this year will be absolutely stellar. Stay tuned for pictures and adventure updates.

When are you visiting the E-L? We're 85% sold out for 2012 so y'all better call soon!

See ya in the saddle...

http://www.youtube.com/user/LazyELranch?feature=mhee

The link above is to the 2011 First Shipping Week...watch it!

You Are My Sunshine...

2011-09-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

Imagine...you had a long, hard day working cattle yesterday so you decide to sleep in the next morning after checking with the cowboss and hearing that the following day will be an easy cattle work day, one worthy of sleeping late, rising gently, kicking your stocking feet up on the rail while enjoying a steaming cup of coffee on the porch of your cabin. It's a dream come true, right?

Snug in your bed, birds twittering soothingly outside your window, lulling you into that elusive, rare, deeply restful sleep the kind you never get at home, when suddenly you hear several sets of heavy bootsteps clomping around on your front porch. Next thing you know, you're startled awake to the screechingly loud, raucous voices of men singing at the top of their lungs...

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me HAAAAPEEEEEEE when skies are gray... you'll never know DEEEEEAAARRR, how much I LOOOOOVE YEWWWWWW, please don't take my sunshine AWAAAAAAAAAAAAY", accompanied by banging shuffle ball changes, yips, yaps and the occassional YEEEEE-HAWWWW"...

What the *&%!? Welcome to Cowboy Country darlin'. This is how your fellow riders let you know that's it's NOT OK to sleep in and leave all the cattle work to them! Rise n Shine sugar plum...those cattle won't move themselves!

We have the best guests on the planet, what a great way to make the entire ranch smile for the rest of the day.

Yup, she finished her nap anyway.

WILDLIFE and WILD LIFE

2011-08-15T07:26:00.000-07:00

What an amazing year it's been for wildlife sightings around the E-L! Our first visitor of the season was a beautiful grey wolf perusing the pastures behind ranch HQ. My outstretched hand fit into his paw print! Since the time of that sighting we've seen two more wolves patrolling as close as Horse Pasture. We had one set of guests who just loved wolves so they asked us where they should visit in Yellowstone to have the best chance of a sighting. Of course we told them just take a blanket and go hang out at Horse Pasture after dusk...you might get lucky! They opted for the Yellowstone adventure, so we gave them instructions on where to go and a caveat to leave the ranch around 4am to have the best chance of an early morning sighting...and this is what they captured on film!

Some people have all the luck!

Sighting wolves may be a rare and special treat but we were thrilled to have several bear sightings on the ranch as well. We've seen a sow and her two cubs as well as a couple of 2 year olds. It makes for exciting hiking around here, you just never know what ranch residents you're going to run in to! Can you spot the bear in this picture?

How long did you hunt for the bear? Cowboy humor, gotta love it!

Our resident bull moose lives over by the beaver pond but has yet to make his appearance this season. Maybe his velvet didn't come in just right and he's self conscious? I have a sneaky suspicion that it has more to do with two lovely young females recently spotted atop Horse Pasture. Like ghostly apparitions, they appeared suddenly from behind the ridge one morning while we were sorting pairs. Their hackles raised and with that gangly lumbering trot they topped the hill and made a beeline toward HQ, no doubt intrigued by all the ruckus coming from all those cows bawlin' n hollerin'. The way those Moose were haulin' tail, one could easily imagine they thought they were missin' a party! Anyway, they got just close enough to see that this was a party probably worth missing, so they mosied on toward the beaver pond and that's the last we've seen of 'em.

What wildlife pictures will you take home from the E-L? Make your reservations now because we're already 80% sold out for 2012!

High Summer on the E-L

2011-08-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic summer we've had! The guests, the crew the weather, the cattle! All have been exceptionally fine in caliber and we thank you all for being a part of our family!

This past Saturday we said goodbye to one of our interns, Kaelin Wang. She was a great help in the cookhouse, helping with meal preparations, tending gardens and making pretty wildflower arrangements for our dinner tables. You will be missed, dear Kaelin!

Our next intern to depart the ranch at the end of the week is Kenny. Kenny has worked so hard this summer and has gained so much Cowboy knowledge. Halfway through his internship he realized that this was his true calling and decided that rather than return home, he would enroll in the Equine Sciences program at Miles City this year to do an intensive internship with Josh Bilbrey. He will return to the E-L next year ready to take on a Cowboy position. YAY Kenny!!! We wish you the very best this year and look forward to your return.

With Liberty...and Monkey Butt...For All!

2011-07-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

Catchy ain't it!

Yep, it's true. When you visit the Lazy E-L, you will have your very own supply of Monkey Butt waitin' for ya...ok, there's a story here so let me dish.

A couple weeks ago, we had a whole herd of riders from the UK decide to live out their childhood fantasy of becoming real western cowboys. You know...spurs and chaps, wind blowing through your hair, the freedom of the open range...GUNSMOKE, but with an English accent (daaahling)!

Though mostly beginner riders - they had a ton of moxy. They jumped into the riding activities like ducks to water...but they really paid for it later that afternoon. After about the 5th person sidled over to me; completely chagrined, eyes studying the dirt as if all the answers in the world could be found at their feet, an executive decision was made that somebody had best make a run to town for some Monkey Butt Powder... relief in a bottle!

Smiles restored, (the next day or two), those cowboys hit the saddle every morning by 6:30 am and came waddling home every evening; and thus, every cabin now has it's own supply of Monkey Butt for your riding pleasure!

Lazy E-L...where your hiney and your freedom to live out your dreams are important to us!

Cattlework, Cattlework, Cattlework...

2011-07-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

That's all we do! Those morning saddle times keep comin' a bit earlier every day as we attempt to lasso the coolest part of the day for sorting, pairing, doctoring and back riding for strays. Thank goodness we have a good sized crew to help us this week.

Though the days are surely getting shorter, it feels our days are getting longer! The cows are belly deep in quality grass, the horses are fat n happy and our guests are enjoying every second of their time on The E-L. It's good to be a cowboy!

The last 6 mornings the crew have been firmly planted in their saddles by 5:30 am sorting off E-L cows from non E-L cows and moving them to the Forest Service lands. Sounds easy right...nope! The difficulty comes when you realize that neighbors helped us brand this year and they didn't exactly brand the same spot on each cow! It's kinda like a short tailed dog trying to catch his own tail...you just keep runnin' the cows in circles trying to eyeball where that darned brand mighta wound up! Still, all in all, it's been a great opportunity for the crew to work the inexperienced cow horses on cattle, in a quiet fashion. The extra bonus were the amazing sunrises turning the land from dusky black to brilliant greens and tans...it's good to be a cowboy!

The last two cattle drives have been picture perfect… thanks to an all woman crew. Of course Jael couldn't let pass the opportunity to goad our all male guests this week, so she leaned across her saddle with a big ol' wiley grin and said to the nearest man...don't ya wish you rode like a girl?"!

Just the other morning we moved yearlings from Antelope to South Wiggin, and the next day, our guests were treated to bringing in a large herd for vaccinations. We've got a seriously challenging move tomorrow. Our goal is to get the cow/calf pairs safely across the swollen river; the catch is, these cows have to move across a narrow bridge...keep yer fingers crossed…Even in challenging times like the ones we’re gonna have tomorrow…It’s Good To Be A Cowboy (or girl)

See ya on the E-L!

Cowboy Acupuncture...

2011-07-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

3 girlfriends gathered beside a rustic wooden fence faded to the color of old buckskin, perched amid emerald green stalks of knee high grass, watching the sky turn brilliant shades of gold and pink. One boot propped on the bottom rail, elbows resting on the top rail, heads bowed against the setting sun, they looked as if they were listening to the whispers of old cowboy wisdom floating in on gentle winds blowing down from the mountains in the distance...a prettier picture you've never seen.

As they reveled in the warmth of the evening, one's attention leapt to a tall, handsome bay horse who was intently staring at each lady in turn, no doubt evaluating their potential as the bearers of goodies. As her eyes traveled over the handsome horse silhouetted against the setting sun, she noticed his neck which seemed to be sprouting a foreign object! The big fella, putting on his best "love me" face, meandered over to the enticing threesome. Big hooves made soft sucking noises as he waded through the tall fronds of marsh grass; head swinging gently, he was a captivating image of friendly hopefulness.

Upon his arrival to the fenceline, he jutted out his soft, dark muzzle, a friendly demand for a nibble of something delicious. One friend exclaimed to the other two, "Hey look!...there IS something stuck in his neck!" The three ladies gathered for a closer look. Intent on unraveling the mystery, they surmised that this surely has to be some cowboy remedy for some unseen affliction to the poor horse. As they studied the long, thin, needle like protuberance, one friend brightly chirped to the others...it's an acupuncture needle! The other two "ooohed" and "aahed" in unison, mystery solved! This must be the answer as they had learned only hours earlier that the horses on the E-L are regularly treated to massage and chiropractic treatments. They dared not remove the needle and hastily departed, eager to share their discovery with the other guests now gathered at the cookhouse.

Along the way, they spotted Cowboy Trev aka Slim and sidled over to bestow their compliments for taking such good care of the ranch horses, whereupon he quickly said, "that ain't no acupuncture needle...he done rubbed himself up against that fence, again!" Peals of sheepish laughter echoed across the now shadowy courtyard and the girls giggled their way to the cookhouse to relate (and embellish) their tall tale of how the horses here are so smart...they treat themselves to Cowboy Acupuncture!

Cowboy Acupuncture

2011-07-04T07:47:00.000-07:00

As they reveled in the warmth of the evening, one's attention leapt to a tall, handsome bay horse who was intently staring at each lady in turn, no doubt evaluating their potential as the bearers of goodies. As her eyes traveled over the handsome horse silhouetted against the setting sun, she noticed his neck which seemed to be sprouting a foreign object! The big fella, putting on his best "love me" face, meandered over to the enticing threesome. Big hooves made soft sucking noises as he waded through the tall fronds of marsh grass; head swinging gently, he was a captivating image of friendly hopefulness.

Upon his arrival to the fenceline, he jutted out his soft dark muzzle, a friendly demand for a nibble of something delicious. One friend exclaimed to the other two, "Hey look!...there IS something stuck in his neck!" The three ladies gathered for a closer look. Intent to unravel the mystery, they surmised that this surely has to be some cowboy remedy for some unseen affliction to the poor horse. As they studied the long, thin, needle like protuberance, one friend brightly chirped to the others...it's an acupuncture needle! The other two "ooohed" and "aahed" in unison, mystery solved! This must be the answer as they had learned only hours earlier that the horses on the E-L are regularly treated to massage and chiropractic treatments. They dared not remove the needle and hastily departed, intent to share their discovery with the other guests now gathered at the cookhouse.

OAlong the way, they spotted Cowboy Trev aka Slim and eagerly sidled over to bestow their compliments for taking such good care of the ranch horses, whereupon he quickly said, "that ain't no acupuncture needle...he done rubbed himself up against that fence, again!" Peals of sheepish laughter echoed across the now shadowy courtyard and the girls giggled their way to the cookhouse to relate (and embellish) their tall tale of how the horses here are so smart...they treat themselves to Cowboy Acupuncture!

ARE YA KIDDING ME?!@*%!?

2011-06-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

4 little words that are SO VERY versatile... If last week had a tag line, "Are Ya Kidding Me" would be it! The Lazy E-L welcomed just four guests last week. Every one of them had a grin stretching ear to ear when they realized they had the ranch all to themselves AND got to do all the cattlework! While they were in heaven, we were in awe at their "get er done" attitude. They tackled a huge job but let me tell you why that was so impressive. One of our guests was an 81 year old man who gave this gift to himself as part of fulfilling his "bucket list". Richard did a great job of hanging tough in the saddle. I hope I'm that spry at 81!

The other guest, a delightful French Canadian lady, dreamed of this experience but worried that her lack of English speaking abilities would make it uncomfortable for her and for her hosts. We thought she spoke exceptionally well and she was very glad she made this trip.

Repeat guests and famed photographer Les Voorhis and daughter Lily joined in the fun as well. Prior to their arrival, Les teased Jael "there are no mountains at the Lazy E-L" because on his visit last year, his entire shoot was plagued by soggy, foggy, grey days with hardly a drop of sun! Now that he's seen how beautiful the mountains are on this ranch, he'll be back next year for more photo opportunities. You may want to consider booking this particular week next year since it tends to be a "Feature" week with a very small group of people AND the wildflowers are in bloom en masse.

In the news this week, little Kiyamani turned 9! This lucky little cowgirl received the ultimate birthday gift from "Granny Jael"...the one, the only, the incomparable Lakota; the best horse on the ranch! Her smile was as big as the Montana sky!

The last of our staff rumbled in to town this week.

The Lazy E-L welcomes back McKenna who is very happy to be resuming her cowgirl duties.

Also returning for another season as an intern with the hope of proving himself ready to take on a Cowboy position next year, is Kenny. This kid has the stuff Cowboys are made of!

And last but not least, our dear Harry has returned as an intern for the season. He's a jack of all trades and as tall as a lodgepole pine, ya can't miss him! I think we've got the best crew we've ever had and we hope you'll agree with us.

Meanwhile back at the ranch... I (Val) decided I needed to have an "Are you kidding me" moment of my own and broke four ribs just before the long anticipated Les' Voorhis photo shoot of the horses running out to pasture at dusk. I didn't get to participate because I was examining the ground face first, but I'm thankful that the only thing that may not be fixable is my new custom palm hat :-(
I have a sneaky suspicion that some amusing film footage of my spectacular fall may someday surface to torment me!

It's all good here on the ranch... The Lazy E-L is 98% booked for the entire season, the horses are fat and glossy, the wildflowers are perfuming the air and the next group of much anticipated guests are on their way as this goes to print.
When are you visiting?

SUMMERTIME ON THE E-L

2011-06-26T14:03:00.000-07:00

Well, the calendar says it's supposed to be summertime, but I guess Mother Nature has other plans for Montana. We've had a cool, wet spring, so you can imagine how happy we were to welcome the first day of summer, which delivered our first truly warm and brilliant sunshiney day!

PUSHIN' COWS

2011-06-07T17:06:00.000-07:00

What a FANTASTIC couple of weeks we have had! Our first group of Advanced Riders arrived on May 29th during a very messy snowstorm and do you know...not ONE person complained! These were seriously great folks to have on the ranch.

Not only did they receive hundreds of cows in inclement weather, they were eager for all we would throw at 'em! They worked horses, sorted pairs, doctored cattle and chased strays, all before noon and then came back for more after lunch. I believe a grand time was had by all!

They definitely earned the right to put their brands on our branding wall.

This week we are hosting our second Advanced Riders group and they have definitely earned their oats! This has been a very big week for guests and staff alike. Thanks to the experience of our ranch crew this year we are able to run three seperate crews enabling us to handle three separate jobs at one time. Talk about great options for the guests! Ceily Rae ran a crew out to doctor some calves, Erik's crew was receiving more animals and Jael's crew was out at the crack of dawn wrangling strays. One intrepid guest voluntarily handled most of the steer wrangling and I must say, he looked like he was having a big ol' time sitting on those cows heads!

Jael's lunch today was interrupted by someone hollering, "Truck's comin'", to which she hastily scooted her chair out from the table and headed for the door, yelling over her shoulder that she needed two people to help her. Both Trevor and Ceily had nearly gotten a spoonful of food to their mouths and both exchanged a quick look between one another that said, "well are you goin' or am I", but neither had to worry about it because, quick as a flash, a guest leaped up from his seat and was close on Jael's heels before either could determine who would go! Ceily gave that a big thumbs up and everyone else just laughed at the hilarity of the situation. Secretly, we were all patting the guest on the back and sending him a silent "Thank You".

Meanwhile back at the barn...word is, 5 new horses graduated to the the guest string. They started out as staff mounts until they could prove their worth and they've done a fine job taking good care of our guests over the past couple of weeks. Trevor and Tyler actually got to ride (for the first time), a couple of horses that had been assigned to their string at the beginning of the season, and both seemed pleasantly surprised at how nice their geldings turned out to be. That's the price of being a cowboy sometimes, you gotta ride everyone else's horses before you can get to your own.

True to form, Montana has been dishing out some pretty wacky weather. Yesterday, azure blue skies, a balmy 80 degrees and a gentle wind that while riding at speed amounts to perfect air conditioning. Today however, not so pretty, but the smell of pine tree and sage is perfuming the air. Cloudy skies, a howling wind, a few spits of rain every now 'n again and cooler temps with highs around 50. Still, it's a good day to work cows and we're all happy we're not wading through 3 foot puddles of rainwater (yet). One benefit of this weather is that it makes for the perfect excuse to enjoy some hot coffee and cookies at the cookhouse.

Speaking of cookies...I drove to town today to visit our bank with my trusty cow schnauzer- dog Sherruff Wyatt, riding shotgun on my lap as always. We pulled in to the drive up teller and he went immediately into "cute" mode. He knows he's gonna get a dog biscuit, so he did his best to be patient, put on his cutest puppy smile, all the while his wagging nub of a tail betrayed his true anxiety at the proposition of having to wait for his cookie. The transaction went smoothly, the air tube delivered his cookie and he promptly bounced off my lap into the passenger seat and greedily gobbled his gains. As we were headed back to the ranch, I hear this rapid "slurp, slurp, slurp, slurp"...and I'm thinking, "now what is he drinking?"? Wyatt had found my misplaced coffee cup from this morning's rush to get between here and there and was gulping down the remains of the coffee I had so looked forward to having once I finally got to sit down. Then the thought occured to me, Sherruff Wyatt had just pefectly illuminated the reason why we love our guest ranch lifestyle. Being around people who care, a cookie lovingly handed out when you want one and a slurp of coffee makes for very happy critters on the Lazy E-L ranch, human and animal!

That's all from the Lazy EL ranch this week. We'll bring you more exploits and updates real soon.

New Horses n New Wranglers

2011-05-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

Cowboys love spring...everything is new n' shiney. The horses are slicked out, spurs glint in the sunlight, dew shines on the grass, saddles are freshly oiled; but mostly we love spring because it means we get new horses to play with! We've included a few pictures of some of the new horses. As you can see, we're cowboys, not photographers!

All in all, these horses are really fantastic! I can think of several guests who are going to lay claims after the first ride. Meet Tyler, headed away from us in this picture at a brisk, "go get em" trot. His mount is "What-the-hey". I think he's rather handsome, don't you? The horse, I mean. Of course, so is Tyler...ok I'm gonna stop talkin' NOW!

My favorite so far is "Ishtalla", a gorgeous, leggy, one blue eye, one brown eye, handsome son of a gun with a canter like a rockin' horse...HEAVEN! I may just have to steal that horse...hope no one figures out to look for him down at my house.

I think every one of us who've had the opportunity to ride "Wilbur" has threatened he might turn up missing! He's got such a nice handle on him.

Of course, many of you will recognize Ceily. She's been promoted to Head Cowgirl this year. Also returning to the ranch is Stephanie or Steffi as we like to call her. Ceily is on the cute little grey named "Skip", and Steffi is on the very handsome "Pico".

Another new addition to our staff this year is Trevor, from Miles City. He's an all around cowboy and good ranch hand. His partner for this ride is "Red Bird". All told, we have more than 20 new horses on the ranch for your riding enjoyment. The Advanced Riders crew is gonna to have one heck of a great first ride of the season!

We'll keep you posted as the season gets underway, and stay tuned for our new website and more pictures of all the pretty horses at the Lazy E-L!

MONTANA IS FOR DREAMERS

2011-03-31T08:04:00.000-07:00

So this morning I awoke to the sounds of a bird chirping joyusly despite the rolling waves of wind that roared down the canyon and enveloped my little house on the prairie. What was intesting to me was, the sounds of the bird weren't diminished by the gushing waterfall of wind! It was one of those surreal moments when the silence is so pure that the sounds of nature seemed to be perfectly "dropped in", highlighted and intensely crisp. If you've been to Montana, you know the sound I'm describing.

Montana is just... magical. I lay there in the darkened room, feeling the energy of the room change as the light gently rolled through the house. It was that misty morning grey kind of light; the light that unexpectedly induces introspection. I padded over to the window to see who was making so much music at this time of day; knowing I would see the mists blanketing the mountains in toile tufts of silver smoke, see the elk grazing peacefully by the old red barn; immediately calling to mind my ideal image of what the cowboys who called my spot home long ago must have enjoyed looking upon. Perched right outside the window, in a very old willow tree, its sweeping limbs swaying in the breeze, smokey grey light diffusing through brambles and branches; was my bastion of spring...the meadowlark. Wonder why he chose today to announce his arrival? Was he here yesterday? Just another one of the mysteries and pleasures of awakening to Spring in Montana.

Living at the E-L is living the dream. No matter the season, there is so much abundance, so much beauty, so much to be thankful for. If you've never been here, one visit will change you forever.

Want to hear the song of the Meadowlark? Click the link below.

http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_ABPBXB2030.aspx

We hope you will join us at the E-L this summer for an introduction to heaven on earth...we'll go birding together.

Horses on Skis???

2011-03-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

So this is our idea of a good time...AIN'T IT GRAND! Another fine example of Montana GENIUS when it comes to the art of play here in the LAST BEST PLACE on earth! This is the annual Ski Joring competition held right near the ranch in Red Lodge, just below the ski hill. This annual spectacle is a highly anticipated event with multiple competitions held througout many towns and cities around Montana. The competition is always fierce, the fun meter is always pegged and sometimes it's standing room only with as many as 500 participants! The weather for this weekend couldn't have been more spectacular. High 40's, everyone in long sleeve T's and the snow was just turning to mush...more traction you know!

On big powder days, it's a requirement to call in sick. The boss expects it, and sometimes even joins you! Yes, it's true...reason number twelve hundred to move to Montana. Many of us on the ranch live for weekends, as we fill both days with as many runs as we can manage! As Jael says, there are no friends on powder days, keep up or get left behind!

It's nearly spring and things are in full swing here at the ranch. We're busy gathering items for our new gift shop, moving the gift shop from the cook house to the office, deep cleaning and even taking reservations for 2012!

We've had an amazing response to Advanced Riders week this year. We even had to add one more week dedicated to extreme cattlework because we got another cattle contract. If you're a hand with the horses, consider joining us...we could use your help. This year, our Advanced Riders Crews will be given the coveted Advanced Riders Long Sleeve T. Can't be bought...you gotta earn it!

Y'all have a fantastic week. Send us some snow thoughts if you get a chance, we still have 4 weeks of skiing left and very little snow left on the ground.

See you soon!

CHAPSTICK

2011-02-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

The old cowhand came riding into town on a hot, dry, dusty day. The local sheriff watched from his chair in front of the saloon as the cowboy wearily dismounted and tied his horse to the rail a few feet in front of the sheriff.
"Howdy, stranger..."

"Howdy, Sheriff..."

The cowboy then moved slowly to the back of his horse, lifted its tail, and placed a big kiss were the sun don't shine. He dropped the horse's tail, and stepped up on the walk and aimed towards the swinging doors of the saloon. "Hold on there, Mister..."

"Sheriff?"

"Did I just see what I think I just saw?"

"Reckon you did, Sheriff...I got me some powerful chapped lips..."

"And that cures them?" the Sheriff asked."

"Nope, but it keeps me from lickin' em."

From the E-L...

Yup, it's that cold here on the ranch today! Don't think we'll bring the horses in and try that remedy, but thought you'd all enjoy a laugh just the same. We got a fresh dusting of snow yesterday and the expected high for today is minus 10! WAHOO! Anyway, keep your chapstick handy and be thankful that you don't need COWBOY CHAPSTICK!

2011-02-21T13:36:00.000-08:00

The Challenges of running of a Dude Ranch!

Enjoy!

Texting Shortcuts for Horse Owners

2011-01-31T13:35:00.001-08:00

To those of us who text and instant message.. here are some new abbreviations to serve us horse folks.. LOLOL

OOH - out of hay
LAS - lost a shoe
BBM - bastard just bit me
FOMHL - Fell Off My Horse Laughing
FTC -- Forgot the carrots
MIHA -- Mare's in heat, again
IPTI -- I'll pick up tennis instead
LWW -- Lesson went well
MSMBO - mud sucked my boot off
HSIH - Horse Snot in Hair
HAO - Hay All Over
HIMB - Hay in My BRA
PIHH - Poop Induced Half Halt
UD - Unplanned Dismount
PTTDG - Prayed to the Dirt God
MMM - Master Manure Mucker
OOM - Out of money
MHTS - More horses than sense.
BAHHFDP - bought another horse husband filed divorce papers
GBBF - got board bill, fainted
GFBF - got farrier bill, fainted
HRHCF - husband realized horse costs, fainted
SLH - Smell like horse
DQFOY - Dressage Queen fell off - yipee
HTNHFH - Hiding the new horse from hubby
WWFNS - Will work for new saddle
AROGC - Arena rained out - going crazy
SSB - saddle sore butt
BTLGR - b###hy trainer left - good riddance
ALIGAR - At least I got a ribbon
NLT - No lesson today

HGR - Have a great ride!

Advanced Riders Week

2011-01-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

Hey Cowboys and Girls...It's nearly that time of year again when we put out the call to all Advanced Riders to join us for Extreme Cattle Work week. We only have a few spots left so now is your chance to join us. You can view our webpage, www.lazyel.com/dyna_pages/Advanced_Riders_week.aspx to see the slideshow of what you can expect. Hope to see you there!

Welcome Colt!

2011-01-28T15:38:00.000-08:00

Stacie and Bruce did it! She foaled the cutest lit buckaroo and named him Colt! Here are some pictures for you to enjoy. With that name you just know he's destined to be a great cowboy. He's already learned that a good cowboy always keeps his dog close. I just love that picture!

Stacie is recovering well and feeling better everyday. As many of you know, she had a difficult pregnancy but being the amazing trooper that she is, she didn't let it keep her from helping us make the change over in the office.

More pictures of Cody can be seen on the lazy el facebook page. We'll keep you updated. Please join us in wishing Stacie, Bruce and Colt all the very best.

Name That Horse...

2011-01-28T14:27:00.000-08:00

Howdy folks: Well, the horse buying trip was a success! We've managed to buy some new horses for your riding pleasure...now we just need some help naming them. Luke has already put dibs on the little sorrel horse with the big name of Hezekiah...got a nice ring to it! There is a cute little sorrel colt, just two years old. He seems to be a very nice horse with a lot of potential. No doubt the wranglers will be fighting over who gets to give him his education this summer. Next up is the big guy of the bunch, tenatively named Highline. He stands about 16.2, has lots of presence and a sporty way of going. For those of you that like the typey, thoroughbred look, this guy may be the one you want to request. Lastly, we have a handsome brown gelding. Seems like the ideal kind, with a puppy dog attitude and a nice look to him. Check out the video of him and Jael playing at the arena last week. This boy is sure to have plenty of requests on his dance card this summer. So, what say you...let the name callin' begin! Send in your suggestions by email to info@lazyel.com

Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road...?

2011-01-20T14:09:00.000-08:00

SARAH PALIN: The chicken crossed the road because, gosh-darn it, he's a maverick!

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for change! The chicken wanted change!

JOHN MC CAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure right from day one that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?

COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken.

AL GORE: I invented the chicken.

JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his current problems before adding new problems.

OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so badly. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a NEW CAR so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR. SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die, alone, in the rain.

JERRY FALWELL: Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth? That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the Liberal media whitewashes with seemingly harmless phrases like 'the other side.' That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.

GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish it's lifelong dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2010, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken2010. This new platform is much more stable and will never reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

LAZY EL CHICKENS: Cuz ANYWHERE has to be warmer than this chicken pen...

Happy New Year!

2011-01-05T08:21:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

From all of us at the Lazy EL, we hope the New Year brings blessings to you and yours. What an amazingly good life we lead here at the ranch. The holidays were festive; full of good food, great friends and stories of the past guest season. Thank you for giving us these memories. Can’t wait to make some new ones with you this coming year!

Winter has finally descended upon the ranch, blanketing the landscape in silky folds of white. There is a mind freeing silence that goes along with this time of year. It is pervasive and peaceful; still, there is plenty going on. Stacie, our Office Manager and Marketing Guru, left the ranch to prepare for motherhood. She’s started having early contractions so “Colt” might be here sooner than expected. Keep Stacie in your thoughts and prayers.

My name is Val Darlington and I am the lucky lady who gets to take her place. I’ve been a professional horse trainer and Equine Business Consultant for 20+ years with a special passion for Guest Ranching. Once it gets in your blood, you’re hooked. I feel fortunate to be in one of the most beautiful places on earth, working with such great people.

My goal at the Lazy EL is to continue the standard of excellence you’ve come to expect and to grow opportunities delivering the authentic western experience you enjoy so much. Look for our new “Welcome” DVD for our guests, providing an interactive, exciting preview of what you will experience here at the ranch. I would love your feedback, suggestions and any video clips.

Though I will spend most days in the office, I will have the opportunity to ride with our guests twice a week. I look forward to meeting our return guests and giving a big welcome to our new guests. If you are planning on visiting us this summer, and haven’t yet made your reservation, please do so now. There are only four weeks available for the 2011 season!

Don’t forget to add us to your Facebook page if you have one, and drop me a note anytime you have a suggestion for a topic on our blog or newsletter. Lastly, if you have any video you’d like to share with us, we would love to consider using it in our new DVD. The new newsletter will be along shortly. Can’t wait to see y’all in 2011!

2010-11-17T12:15:00.000-08:00

Lazy E-L Ranch Store

Christmas 2010 Merchandise

Lazy E-L Notecards by Ginger Dunning

8-pack (2 each of 4 designs)

$12.95

Twisted X Boots for Men and Women

Assorted Styles Available

Now 30% Off

Lazy E-L Deerskin Gloves for Men and Women

Sizes Small to X-Large

$28.00

Port Authority Softshell Jackets for Men and Women
Sizes Small to X-Large
$80.00

Lazy E-L Logo Hoodies for the Entire Family
Youth Sizes: X-Small to X-Large
Women's Sizes: X-Small to X-Large
Men's Sizes: Medium to X-Large
Prices Vary by Style

Polar Fleece and Thermals for the Ladies
Sizes Small to X-Large
Prices Vary by Style

Assorted Stocking Stuffers and Gifts
Prices Vary by Item

Call today to place your order!
Don't miss out on these exclusive items from the Lazy E-L Ranch Store!!
Additional merchandise is available. Not all sizes available in every item.

(406) 328-6858 or info@lazyel.com

Happy Holidays from all of us at the Lazy E-L!

2010-11-02T08:58:00.000-07:00

Here's what our guests have to say...

"This year I am bringing my granddaughter so she can experience the hospitality, friendship and beauty of the Lazy E-L. I am sure it will help her develop into a stronger, more confident young woman!"

-Marianne, 3-time Lazy E-L guest

"My experiences on the E-L have been incredible. It is the real deal. The work sometimes is hard, but so rewarding. The scenery is breathtaking. At the end of the day, I am usually exhausted but it is a "good" kind of tired. One night, after an unusually long day, I remember falling into bed and waking up in exactly the same position. Each year when I wonder if it might be my last, I ride through that beautiful country and know that I don't think I could bear never seeing it again. So I am headed back in 2011 for my 17th consecutive year. My goal is to bring my granddaughters out when they are 10, in 6 more years!"

- Kathy, Buffton, SC

"The country is beautiful, the people are friendly, the horses are great, the accomodations and food couldn't be better. We got instructions on working cattle when we needed it and we were made to feel that we were helpful. I am looking forward to returning in June."

- Margaret, multiple-time Lazy E-L guest

"What a vacation! We stayed in a unique and delightfully appointed log house (complete with fireplaces in the bedroom and a resident ghost), ate truly delicious, enticing food (banana pancakes for breakfast, Swiss chard and orange-brown sugar beets fresh from the garden as side dishes for dinner... ), rode the best horses ever, and rode at our own level of comfort (I rode colts, my husband rode really athletic, solid ranch horses). We relished our time with the truly engaging and knowledgeable ranch management and wranglers, riding over 12,000 acres of mountains and meadows. We moved cattle by the hundreds and chased down aggressively independent yearlings. We loved the ever so friendly and welcoming staff. We enjoyed sunrises and sunsets looking out over gorgeous scenery. And sometimes we just looked at each other and said "WE ARE HAVING SO MUCH FUN!!!"

-Kris, who will return with her husband for the 2nd consecutive year in 2011

"It’s hard to describe a week at the Lazy E-L as it is just so much more than "a week at a dude ranch". First of all, there is no “dude” to it! We were immediately welcomed to be part of the crew on a family ranch. I loved the fact that guests are absorbed into the ranch routine, and are given as many opportunities as they are willing to take on. On the other hand, it is perfectly acceptable to just sit and stare at the incredible scenery and to feel the presence of the history, the spirituality, and the family pride of this beautiful place."

- Ginger, Seattle, WA

Now you know what keeps these guests returning year after year. What will you say after a visit to the Lazy E-L?

2010-10-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

Meet the Women of the Lazy E-L

Granny Kay

Our story began with Granny Kay, who at age 16 won the heart of Malcolm Mackay, the founder of the Lazy EL. She was a gracious woman who had a passion for music and she could often be found surrounded by a group of people singing and playing the piano. A modern thinking woman for her time, she would often encourage her granddaughters to think outside the box by giving them books to read... much of her fire is still apparent in grand-daughters Helen and Julia!

Joyce Mackay

The next generation of ranch women includes Joyce Childs Mackay, (married to Bill Mackay, Sr. one of Malcolm’s three sons), who left the East Coast in the late 30's for a life in the "wilds" of Montana. A quiet and loving presence, she was an artist and loved to paint scenes of daily life on the ranch in an effort to capture its true beauty.

.
Joyce was an incredible horsewoman. She had a passion for horses and horsemanship and was the first person to introduce a quarter horse breeding and training program to the ranch starting in the 50's. She successfully showed many of these horses and ended up with national and state recognition in four different quarter horse associated events (reining; halter ; western pleasure and trail riding classes).

Julia Childs

Julia is the land steward for the Lazy E-L Ranch Corporation. She is also the resident grazing expert. She has dedicated much of her time here to perfect the holistic resource management on the ranch as well as working to create landscape goals. Julia is a grass and land enthusiast and one can spend many a pleasant hour riding with her and learning to appreciate this beautiful land and its amazing resources.

Julia was one of the first permanent residents on the ranch and is a top horsewoman. She enjoys gardening, keeping chickens and supplies the cookhouse with endless varieties of vegetables. She has an awesome knowledge of the ranch and it is well worth ones time to sit and ask her stories about the many adventures that have been experienced here.

Helen Mackay

Helen has been the President of the Lazy E-L Ranch Corporation for the last twelve years, she is also currently on the Corporations board of directors. Her job is to manage the Corporation issues and assets (e.g. the oil well and infrastructure). She also ensures that the family stockholders are communicating well and are mostly in agreement with one another. In addition, she is the facilitator of the annual family workshop that happens here on the ranch.

Helen loves working here and also has the same passion for horses as her mother. Like her sister, Julia, she was also one of the first permanent residents on the ranch when she moved here in 1999. Helen is one of the top riders on the ranch and her stockmanship and horsemanship is of an exceptionally high level. She has trained with famous western clinicians Ray Hunt and Pat Porelli. Helen has an amazing way with horses and is often sought out for her incredible knowledge.

Jael Kampfe

Jael (daughter of Helen) was the previous C.E.O of the Lazy E-L Ranch Corporation. Now however, Jael has her own business and leases the ranch from the Corporation in order to run cattle and bring guests to the ranch. Jael studied at Yale University and has a degree in Religious Studies. She is in charge of the general running of the ranch and is often the lead on cattle drives.

Jael always has a smile on her face and a ready to take on the world attitude. No challenge is to much for this cowgirl.

Moe Kampfe

Moe is a previous resident of the ranch and is married to Jael's brother, Derek, who managed the ranch before her. Moe now lives in Red Lodge but still comes out consistently to ride. She is a school teacher, personal trainer, and equine massage therapist. She is instrumental in keeping the horse herd healthy and sound. Like the other women of the Lazy E-L, Moe is an exceptional horsewoman and often helps out on cattle drives or can be found working her horses in the arena or on the trail.

2010-10-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

The story of the Lazy E-L Ranch is a story of the old west, and just as ranch founder Malcolm S. Mackay did, we ask you to heed that cry; "Go West, Early Settlers, Go West." Take advantage of our "Go West" Special and be a part of a place untouched by time and enveloped by a history full of family, fun and cowboys.

Our tack room on the Lazy E-L

"Go West Special"

Save up to 45% off the ususal full price of a cabin, now through November 20, 2010.

For more information go to http://www.lazyel.com/specials.aspx

Goodbye to our Jack

2010-09-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

This week on the Lazy-EL we have to say goodbye to our intern and friend Jack Wakefield. Jack traveled from London, England to come and "be cowboy" (as he puts it) on the Lazy-EL Ranch. We picked Jack up from Billings Airport a month ago and were greeted with a smiling yet shy first impression of this big man. However, over the period of his stay this changed dramatically and soon in between busting up beaver dams (and usually falling in), hunting jack rabbits with his grandmother and her friends, teasing Eric and becoming Kim's personal compliment giver, Jack became a great friend and personality to all of us on the Ranch. He kept us all entertained with his antics on the Ranch as well as at Luke's Red Lodge football games.

It will be hard to ever forget how on one rainy freezing day Jack, after having left some hours before on a fencing mission, came plodding back into the barn with a huge guilty grin on his face. He was plastered from head to toe in thick black mud after having gotten the 4 wheeler stuck a few miles away and had to walk back in the rain. Or the time, when (once again) in freezing weather, he slipped while breaking up another beaver dam and took an involuntary swim in the river. These are just a few of the times that we were lucky enough to share with this man who, through all of our laughter and teasing, showed that he was one tough cowboy.

NOW THAT IS COWBOY JACK!

Through the tough times, the good times, the early mornings, and the late nights, Jack has always worked hard with a smile on his face and humor in his heart. Thank you for all your effort and hard work. We all enjoyed getting to know you and enjoy the rest of your journey around the world. May there be many more adventures waiting for you.

2010-09-06T13:35:00.000-07:00

Happiness is!

by Amelia Grace (a past guest of the Lazy-EL)

Happiness is, eating chocolate from a candy shop.

Happiness is, feeling good when you reach the top.

Happiness is, acing a math test.

Happiness is, winning a race and beating the best.

Happiness is, going in a foggy forest wood.

Happiness is, helping to elderly as I should.

Happiness is, galloping fast on a horse.

Happiness is, being with my friend, of course.

Happiness is, looking a beautiful rainbow.

Happiness is, going to a place that I would like to go.

Happiness is, going to the beach when my toes are sandy.

Happiness is, being just fine and dandy.

Happiness is, getting good news that makes you cry.

Happiness is, the little things that money can't buy.

Happiness is, a good friend so set you right.

Happiness is, having fun in the light.

Happiness is, running in the rain.

Happiness is, an old red tee shirt that is plain.

Happiness is, sledding in the snow.

Happiness is, winning a horse show.

Happiness is, wishing upon a star.

Happiness is, going really far.

Happiness is, sitting at a tree on Christmas Eve.

Happiness is, working hard so I can achieve.

Happiness is, eating a steaming apple pie.

Happiness is, not succeeding but knowing I could try.

that's what happiness is.

2010-09-01T13:06:00.000-07:00

We here at the EL were lucky enough to host writers covering the Beartooth Pass's 75th anniversary celebration. They dropped in for a visit and despite the cold weather were treated to a walking tour around the the ranch followed by a riding tour up to "Magic Rock". Then, after a hearty dinner, we gathered at the Summer Cabin complete with a glowing fire warming their freezing fingers listening to Jael read them stories out of her great grandfather's book, "Cow Range and Hunting Trail." After the story telling, the guitar came out and soon we were all humming and tapping along to some good old cowboy tunes. All in all it was a great day and it was one that will be remembered by all.

Here are the links to some of the comments and pieces written on thier experience here

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/homeplanet/2010/aug/30/wheels-and-wranglers/

http://blogs.gonomad.com/readuponit/2010/08/riding-the-open-country-a-moment-of-bliss.html

Otherwise, the crew is in the midst of starting fall gather in preparation for shipping. No trail rides in our near future!

The Crew go out water skiing

2010-08-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday The Lazy-El Crew went to have some down time, this ment that it had nothing to do with staying still and it was not long before the lot of them were out on a nearby dam skiing, tubing, kneeboarding, jetskiing and the most popular of them all WIPING OUT!

(below)South African intern Christopher Erasmus has a go at kneeboarding.

This was some good 'clean' fun had by all and Jael got to show her impressive skiing (note she still manages to smile!!!!)

McKenna's birthday bash, the team gets dressed up

2010-08-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

The Lazy-El team polished up their boots brushed off their hats and put on their Sundays finest for a "formal" evening in celebration of wrangler McKenna Abbott's birthday, our wrangler and Texas intern. It was a great night, celebrated in a truly western way with a sprinkling of Lazy-EL flavour thrown in.

Who said that cowgirls couldn't rope in little black dresses? Just bring it on...

Even the head cowboy Eric enjoyed the festivities and was a hit with the ladies.

The Lazy E-L Welcomes New Staff

2010-07-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

Even though we are almost halfway through the guest season, we thought that it would be nice for guests, new and old, to meet the new staff. Please welcome Erik Carlson, Head Cowboy; Charlene Hollow Horn Bear, Chef; and Stacie Wells, Office Manager, Sales and Marketing Guru, and Cowgirl.

Erik Carlson is a native of Columbus, Montana, who spent 10 plus years as a cattleman on the Beartooth Ranch owned by Mel Gibson. Erik's focus is on herd health, stockmanship, horsemanship, and nutrition at the E-L. Erik, who is a former bareback bronc rider, has traded in his riggin' for pasture roping, doctoring, team roping and more solemn rides in the hills on his favorite horse Rooster. Ask him if you can ride "Booger," the new favorite mount!

Charlene Hollow Horn Bear came to the Lazy E-L in January of 2009 and spent last season as the assistant chef. She has now taken over the cookhouse and passionately creates meals for guests, family and staff. Charlene is a native of South Dakota and enjoys spending time with her two children, Kiyamani and Wagachanwahpe. Don't miss her signature cinnamon rolls, indian fry bread, and rootbeer floats!!

Stacie Wells is a native of Red Lodge, Montana and grew up on a 4th generation owned and operated registered Angus ranch. Stacie is generally the voice on the other end of the line when you call into the E-L office. Stacie's focus is on guest relations, sales, marketing, day-to-day office activities, and is fortunate enough to get to ride two days a week. She enjoys team roping and riding cutting horses in her spare time. Ask her to show you how to cut a cow!

Stay tuned to our website for more staff updates.....

From Cowgirl to Smith College Graduate and Accomplished Equestrian

2010-05-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

Laura Jean first came to the ranch in 2002 as our wrangler. It was a pivotal moment for both of us. Over the course of the next eight years, Laura Jean worked on and off for the ranch in more capacities than anyone else, from Head Wrangler to guest coordinator to marketing guru to head gardener. Whenever Laura Jean was on the place we all knew that the crew would be more spunky, the pace a bit faster, and there would just be more joy. But the pivotal moment wasn't just a wonderful shared history of working and creating together, it was the start of a bigger understanding of family.

In 2003, when Laura Jean survived a dangerous car wreck, many people rallied to help get her through the frightening experience including family, guests, and staff. In typical Laura Jean fashion, not only did she get back on the bucking horse, she took that pony places he didn't think he could go. Three years ago, Laura Jean successfully landed a full ride scholarship to Smith College. Besides maintaining great grades, Laura Jean joined the equestrian team and has excelled.

"Today's show was a great success for Smith Equestrian!! I won my class, which felt great! And the horse was amazing, a big bay draft cross named Mickey.....I was so excited to see the FX brand on his right shoulder! Something I recognized...." - Laura Jean

This spring, she graduates with Honors with an English major and a minor in landscaping. On May 23rd, we will be celebrating her overwhelming success with a party at the Big House. If anyone wants to send cards to be a part of the celebration, please send them to Laura Jean Schneider, c/o Lazy EL Ranch PO Box 36 Roscoe, MT 59071. For all of you who touched her world and were part of the wind in her wings, thank you.

Waiting for Spring

2010-03-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

April Snow Brings June Flowers...

Wintertime in Montana is long. Sometimes, so terribly long we feel like we need to invent projects to keep us from going completely stir crazy in between feeding the horses, rockin' Red Lodge Mountain, and waiting for green grass to grow.

Anticipating a VERY long, cold winter we undertook a HUGE project. Lets play "Name that Renovation Project"

If anyone has an idea of which building this is leave us a comment. I'll give you a week or two then I'll post new pictures.

Here's a great picture of Little Guy with our brand new chicks! I don't know about the rest of you, but I can't wait for those farm fresh eggs this summer.

These last few weeks have given us the tiniest glimpses of springtime. I noticed a crocus out by the cookhouse a few days ago, right before we got 8 inches of snow. Julia's chicks are growing like weeds, we're getting fencing gear together to start preparing for the arrival of cattle and everyone is rushing to get to the mountain, skiing or snowboarding one last time before it closes.

What do cowboys/girls talk about when they're roping?

2010-01-27T09:34:00.000-08:00

This summer Diane Anderson sent us some fabulous photos, among those was a much talked about photo of Jael, myself (Kim) and Ceily Rae on our trusty mounts Cheyenne, Brady La-La and Ca-boy (Cowboy).

I love this picture. It's often my facebook profile pic. It captures the very essence of cowgirl-dom. Three can-do cowgirls getting ready to doctor heifers, and dang, we look GOOD, well shaped hats, nice tack... I'm wearing my pearls of course. Most of the discussion regarding this fab photograph though centered around what we were talking about. It was obviously intense... Were we discussing a hot new roping shot? The latest cowgirl fashion? A favorite horse? The Tabasco practical joke?... If you've got a better theory by all means leave a comment!

A couple days ago I was looking at the website checking for changes that needed to be made, what I discovered made me giggle...

There it was! An almost identical picture of Sam, Jael and Thad on their fine steeds Raven, Cadillac and BlackJack. Apparently doctoring heifers has inspired conversation in cowboys/girls since the beginning of time. I wondered what they were talking about. A hot new roping shot? A favorite horse? Cowboy fashion? Was Jael giving dating advice? Again, conjecture would be much appreciated.

Now I'm on the hunt for a Russell, Remington, Bama or work of equal prestige depicting roping cowboys in deep discussion to prove my scientific theory that doctoring/roping cattle requires considerable confab. Be sure to post anything you might find, I'd appreciate all the photographic evidence I can gather.

Happy Trails,

Kim

Happy New Year!

2010-01-07T08:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! We had a great Christmas with the grandkids. So fun to wake up and see what Santa had magically brought....

But our NewYear's present to ourselves is "Jumbo." This big boy should hopefully provide some relief to Cowboy. Kim is in love. Just ask her.

Meanwhile, Luke has been spending his after school time driving up East Rosebud Canyon, checking traps. It's a good life all in all.

Fall

2009-12-07T08:50:00.000-08:00

October blessed us with a visit from Ralph and Belva Ranson. We had an entire month of football games, great photographs, fun dinners, and memories built. We miss you Ralph and Belva! Thank you so much for an unbelievable month.

Before staff headed out in various directions, we had a moment of nostalgia for our favorite cowboy, Billy. Hope you and Beth are doing well and we send you "the Billy." It's kind of like the best present ever.

And lastly, see if you can guess all the right feet to the right owners. I know the one moccasin will be difficult, but give it a shot.

Halloween with Grandkids!

2009-11-02T08:49:00.001-08:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM THE LAZY EL!

Phoenix and Kiyamani made our Halloween. LOVE having the grandkids with us. Phoenix was a hockey playing, fire-fighting, air gun carrying, Storm Trooper. Kiyamani was a vampire. Little Guy was not feeling the festivities. Instead he played cars. Go figure.

This year, one of our guests, Olivia, dressed up as Ceily, her favorite Cowgirl. We think she is a dead-ringer.

Her brother, Stephen, dressed up as his friend, Paul, the contractor. We can't comment on the similarities of Stephen to Paul, the New York Contractor.

I like to believe that we also influenced Caleb, another ranch visitor, in his striking costume of a Sheriff. Isaac is Al Capone.

Hope the rest of you had a great holiday!

Meet Eric Kvale! Our New Cook House Assistant Chef and Guitarist Extraordinaire!

2009-10-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

*Hearty, Healthy, and Tasty meals are key to any buckaroo's handiness in the saddle! We take our meals very seriously, here at the ranch, and we're lucky to have an accomplished team of gourmet chefs cooking for us and our guests at the the Cook House every day. We'd like to introduce to you our newest addition to the Cook House Team, Assistant Chef and guitar extraordinaire (he plays a mean version of "Build Me Up, Buttercup"), Eric Kvale!

After raving culinary reviews and much demand, Eric wrote his auto-biographical debut for us:

I love to travel, and the experiences I've gathered have helped me put together a basket of recipes and flavor combinations that go beyond my mid-western roots. Last year, I had the chance to travel to Argentina to work in restaurants over there. I got to work first hand with their wonderful style of BBQ, called "Asado." You can't beat their beef; it's amazing drizzled in a chimi-churri sauce, accentuated with a glass of Malbec. I've been working in restaurants for quite a while now, and every time I get chance to learn something new or find a fresh new ingredient, I pounce on it. I've been lucky enough to visit Italy and Peru, as well. Both have absolutely drop-dead fantastic food. Peru has such a robust variety of vegetables and fruits that you could spend a lot of time simply eating what you will most likely never taste again. And Italy, well, I'm still developing an appreciation for it. It's practically a fad for Chefs to rave over Italian food, but that doesn't mean there isn't a good reason for it.

I haven't been at the Lazy E-L for very long, but I've worked with Sean Sherman (Cook House Head Chef) quite a few times before. He keeps adapting and throwing new flavors and textures together, always finding what's fresh around him and making it unique. Although, the first thing that strikes you about Sean's culinary style is the artistic nature of his presentation. Someone is constantly foraging for a camera while the meal is being served. It's wonderful to have all of these little ingredients and tedious prep work emerge into something so glamorous, and it really makes the whole affair worth while. It's also a fairly forceful reminder of why we love a great meal.

You know, a great meal to me, anyway, is one that is half rooted in the present and half lifting a forgotten nostalgia out of the past. It's the aroma of roasted vegetables reminding you of Grandma; her house, her cooking, and family, and it's the lit candle and half-empty glass of wine that helps spring rapport and conviviality along with each course. Often, it's just enough of a catalyst to create a concord between a new quiet introspection and a flowing conversation that allows for a new appreciation to be made between friends and family. I love great food, but what it can bring about as a social vehicle is often paramount.

I'm really excited about starting the Black Sheep Catering company with Sean. The dinners we've done have already gotten the creative juices flowing, and we've received some amazing responses. It's a terrific feeling when you hear the dining room laughing and enjoying themselves. That's when I loosen up a bit, and smile, because I know I've done a good job. Sean has a knack of finding really fresh ingredients, which is key in making really amazing food. The natural flavors come out with really little effort, and a simple ordinary dish is transformed into a thing of magic.

For more information about Black Sheep Catering, check out the website: blacksheepchefs.com

Why Guests Don't Tend to Visit in October....

2009-10-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

For some reason, two feet of snow overnight seems to be a deal breaker for most vacationers. Go figure.

The storm was forecast on Friday, October 2nd. On Saturday, in sunshine, we moved the heifers closer, brought the pairs back from Daly Basin to Sam Ike so we could feed and brought turned out horses back to Bill/Joyce also so we could feed. We then put plows on all equipment (skidsteer and tractor), hauled firewood to every porch along with a shovel and waited.

On Sunday it started snowing lightly. We rested and kept close to the fireplace.

By Monday morning, the snow was here and our shuffling on Saturday paid off.

Tomorrow morning, in whatever weather God brings us, we ship. 2,000 yearlings on at least 25 trucks. It is supposed to be a lull before the next storm.

My cattle contract is on the gain, so this storm means 20 days of gain could be lost overnight. But no one was lost in this storm and so far, we know where our cattle are. And it is a beautiful winter wonder land....

First Snow!

2009-09-30T12:59:00.001-07:00

September 30th, and our first snow!

Ms. I-Used-To-Live-In-Bozeman was not impressed, but our fall addition, Ms. Michigan thought it was fantastic. All I can say is I'm glad we aren't preg-testing heifers or shipping 2,000 head....

The Latest Addition

2009-09-23T15:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, we just finished preg-testing 2300 yearlings. Yes, we've pre-conditioned the calves. We're getting horses ready for fall sales, winding down the season with only two more weeks of guests... But the biggest news is ....

We'd like to proudly announce Angus Sutherland Mackay joined the Kampfe/Sherman household. At 12 weeks old, he still doesn't know that he's little. Doc and Huck find his existence rather irrelevant, but Angus doesn't seem to mind, except when they step on him.

While Doc and Huck earn their keep chasing cows, Angus finds that he's very good at getting the grandkids out of bed AND still in good moods. So I guess he's earning his keep.

Shooter-dooter; Brady-lala and Kimmie, Cowgirl Extraordinaire

2009-09-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

Fall is in the air. Mornings are crisp. The younger staff have gone back to school and the grandkids have started first grade over at our little country school. Days are getting shorter and shipping seems to be right around the corner.

Shooter, the cutest little bad dog, made her virgin run chasing cattle out of Upper Summer. Part Jack Russell, part Blue Heeler, and part prairie dog, Shooter, according to Cliff, has turned out to be quite the cowdog. We are grateful for the prairie dog in her breeding as it gives her the ability to stand on her hind legs to see over the grass to find the cattle to chase.

Brady -lala, the great standing place for counting cattle, has been sold to greener pastures. He now has a personal "groomer", a private stall, and a whole new life far away from the rugged world of Montana winters let alone cattle drives.

Kimmie, Cowgirl Extraordinaire cried when Brady left.

Guest Blogger, Isaac Rose, age 9 1/2

2009-08-11T13:06:00.000-07:00

12,000 Acres of Heaven: The Lazy E-L Ranch by Isaac Rose

The Lazy E-L Ranch is south of Billings, Montana in Roscoe (population 106). Your kids will have so much fun there. A typical day at the Ranch includes horseback riding, bear watching, 4-wheelers, feeding goats and chickens, and wonderful food. If you need a vacation here is the best place to go.

“5 stars” — Caleb Rose

“Two thumbs up” — Hannah (age 10), another Ranch guest

Here’s a little bit about the crew at the Ranch.
Jael Kampfe and Gerald Sherman — are married and run the Ranch together (more on Jael on page 2).

Thad and Cliff — Thad is the head cowboy and Cliff’s the head wrangler, and both are amazing riders. Cliff can flip backwards onto a bareback horse! Thad and Cliff win rodeos all the time.

Sean and Melissa — Sean is the head cook and married to Melissa. Sean is Gerald’s son and Melissa helps him in the cookhouse. (Ed. note: they’re really great at their jobs.)

Ceily and Kim (wranglers) — Kim and Ceily would pass as sisters if you asked me and are great riders.

Julia and Charlene — Julia (Jael’s aunt) runs the chicken and goat farm and the vegetable garden. Charlene is an assistant cook and a great bareback rider.

Luke and Jake — both are 15 years old. Luke is Gerald’s son. Jake loves horses. Both weed and cut grass and do many jobs around the ranch for the crew.

Random Thoughts On A Lazy E-L Vacation by Pete Rose, father of Isaac

Things I thought about as I flew home from Montana on Saturday night:

...A pink cowboy hat and pink cowboy boots look really cute on a 2-year-old girl.
...There is something that just tastes different (read: better) about farm-fresh eggs, ribeye steaks from cattle raised on the ranch, and beets that get roasted an hour after they were pulled from the ground.
...There’s a lot to be said for a vacation in a place where you turn on your Blackberry and see the words, “No Service.”...I dare you to ride a horse for two hours and not have the Bonanza theme song running through your head.

...It’s kind of cool to hear things like “loosen the reins” or “get back on the horse” and realize people aren’t using figures of speech.
...It’s nice to be awakened not by alarm clocks, but by roosters and sunshine.
...I was seconds away from convincing Isaac to try Rocky Mountain Oysters (if you don’t know, ask). Maybe next time...
...People rush around way too fast in Los Angeles.
...You feel a great deal of pride when you watch your kids do stuff you wouldn’t have had the guts to do at their age, like ride horses or go looking for bears.

...The next time I think I’ve had a busy day, I’m going to remember how hard people work at the Lazy E-L Ranch.

Up Close and Personal by Isaac Rose

Jael Kampfe, the proud director of the Lazy E-L Ranch, has run it for seven years; her family has owned if for over 100 years.
She mostly teaches little kids but still is an excellent horseback rider. She is 39, and with Gerald she has 6 happy grandchildren, some of whom live and help out around the ranch. She has 2 dogs, Huck and Doc. The ranch has around 7 dogs.She is very energetic and is one of the nicest people you will meet. She is the boss of the Crew and they move cattle for a living (she’s also the boss of that).

Ride Em' Cowboy: A Night at the Cody Night Rodeo by Isaac Rose

The Cody Nite Rodeo goes 7 nights a week with roping, steer wrestling, under-age-12 rodeo and much more. Sometimes the Lazy E-L Ranch cowboys enter.
When I went there on Wednesday night, Billy Buchanan, a Wrangler for the Ranch, entered and won fourth place.

During the rodeo, 100 assorted kids (including myself) got to chase three steers that had ribbons tied to their tails. The kids who got the ribbons won prizes.The Rodeo is located in Cody, Wyoming.

New Lincoln!

2009-08-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

The summer is flying by. Cattle continue to not be stopped by fences, neither electric nor barbed wire. Last week after we had cleared Brownie Basin, we turned towards home and saw this black moving cloud on the top of the flat by Wiggins. My first thought in seeing more cattle was, "I had sent Billy and Jake to clear that flat. What were they doing?"

But then Thad and I looked at each other. Thad said it first..." They took out the corner gate and have circled back from Antelope!" Indeed that is exactly what had happened. We had put them into Antelope at the bottom of the horseshoe and those yearlings had walked the entire fenceline until they came to the first electric gate and they walked right through that heat. They had circled back on us!

Staff took off at a gallop to catch them before they spilled down country. It only took an additional 20 minutes to get them turned around and back in the correct pasture.

When Thad got off to close the gate, the shock sent him a hollarin'. So we know it wasn't because the gate wasn't hot. They just didn't care. The grass is always greener, apparently.

However, as are still getting some good ropin' in. With Cliff's added talent to the team, we now can split into two teams and cover more of the herd.

But the biggest news is the most recent addition to our herd, Lincoln. With Cadillac and Best both needing to retire, I've been out of horse. Cliff found me this wonderful five year old and he's been a dream.

If I can't ride my Cadillac, at least I will travel on top of a Lincoln!

As for the original Lincoln, it continues to be another part of the joy of summer. It's made it into the local parades and taken us to the Grizzly Bar and back several times!

Gerald's 60th!

2009-07-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

For Gerald's 60th, we were able to get all the kids and grandkids home. It was such a treat to have a couple of days together.

Gerald's middle daughter, Bekkah, drove in from Seattle with her husband and three kids and absolutely surprised Gerald. Gerald was in the shop working when Kelly, the oldest daughter, told him that some tourists had driven in and were lost. He gave a big sigh, stepped out to see the van with Washington plates, sauntered over to the window only to finally recognize the driver and passengers. Bekkah made her dad cry!

And the day before, Gerald's sister, Amy, and brother-in-law, Gary, surprised Gerald by causually sitting on the porch waiting. Gerald drove up, waved to me, had his jaw hit the steering wheel as he recognized the attractive couple next to me, and quickly put on the brakes.

A great weekend, all in all.

This week is brought to you by the letter "B"

2009-07-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

"B" is for Billy Buchanan.

Though Billy is a Bronc Rider and known for "doing the Billy"...

He is also known for blunders and some boo-boos.

He has learned this week that it is hard to wrangle broncs in one's Bronco, particularly that last part that involves a bit of a bog.

He also learned that when backing the pick-up out of the bog, it is important to brake BEFORE connecting with the forks of the tractor (see diagram).

This week is brought to you by the letter "b", which also stands for budget...

Thad gets Hitched!

2009-07-10T09:24:00.001-07:00

On June 19th, on the flat above Shorey Cabin, Thad finally had the moment, in his own words, "he'd only been waiting 24 years for." The lupine and arrowhead balsamroot were in full bloom, filling the fields with yellows and purples. A slight breeze and plenty of sunshine graced the day. And Blackjack did not explode when acres of white satin draped down his side from Kristina's dress.

Here's to a very, very happy couple!

Guest Blogger!

2009-06-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

At the end of a very busy week it's great to relax on the porch of the
Summer Cabin and watch horses in Bud/Gray Pasture. Even better is
getting a great picture to enjoy at home .

Our week was one of our best
ever with cattle work every day. Monday and Tuesday were shorter rides, which prepared us for the rest of the week's adventures. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were the real deal--flushing heifers out of brush
and getting them off steep hillsides and out of Aspen stands. Trying to
get them to string out and stay in line was another huge job in itself.
And just when you think you have them all gathered, you look behind
you to see a bunch more that escaped our first attempt at gathering.
Maybe those who do this for a living get a little exasperated with those
stragglers , but it's a dream come true for a guest. The renegades
provided us with another chance to gather 'em up and put 'em where they
belong. Lunch at the Shorey Cabin was most appreciated after a 5 hour
ride and Sean the Chef provided us with a delicious meal there along
with wonderful breakfasts, lunches and dinners in the cookhouse. Add
lots of sunshine, warm temps and good company from staff and guests and
you have just about a perfect week. I just can't think of any other
place I would rather be for a week's vacation than on the Lazy EL!

Happy Trails, Kathy Irving (my 16th visit to the Ranch!)

Receiving Cattle

2009-06-11T07:23:00.000-07:00

For the first time in years, we actually received cattle in sun shine. Not snow. Not rain. And not two feet of muck.

It was a beautiful day and everything went smoothly. We received over 2,000 head, trained them to electric fence, and turned them out. Every year the cattle herd takes on a different personality. This year they are "sticky". Instead of running from pressure, they come to it. It's taken a lot to get them trained to moving away from riders and dogs.

Cousin Charlie helped in the scale house. This year we have the opportunity to get an end of the year bonus based on weight. Here's to fat and happy cows!

Lazy EL Crew in Action!

2009-05-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

So we continue to wait for grass. The sun doesn't shine. Temperatures at night are staying at freezing. And we continue to wait for grass. Which also means that we continue to wait for cattle.

This leads to needing new activities...

Cliff and Thad lead a team to place 2nd in a Ranch Rodeo in Cody over the weekend. The real question was why didn't they place 1st?

It all has to do with this sorry cow. In terms of ridin' and ropin' our boys were clear winners. But this sorry cow had to be saddled and rode and once she was saddled, she decided to lay down. And she wouldn't budge. There was kickin' and prodin' and yellin' and she wouldn't move. Now some of you who have visited the ranch know, ridin' a heifer after she's been roped, might happen on occasion. No need for a saddle. So despite some experience on the side of the Hands, the 1st place prize was lost on account of this sorry ol' rip. It is awfully hard to have a respectable ride when your mount is laid down.

Tip for the 2009 season

2009-04-08T13:09:00.000-07:00

Though Billy may look like a great addition to the staff, which he is....

I don't suggest that you let Billy choose your mount...

March Storm

2009-03-26T15:47:00.000-07:00

6 inches of snow over the weekend lead to a beautiful Monday. One of the best parts of Montana is getting those chrystal blue days right after a storm. Monday was no different.

I had heard that the sandhill cranes were back. Driving home from Luther, I spotted them on the George Place, just as regal as ever. We've been blessed with bald eagles all winter, but the cranes are a sure sign that spring is coming. Despite the evidence to the contrary.

Tom, Buck and Ceily's dad, has been a saint all winter, helping out with chores as we need him. Thanks so much Tom!

Mr. Montana

2009-03-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

Here is Gerald rubbing elbows with our Montana Senators. I guess someone has to touch base with them once in a while and keep them pointed in the right direction. I think Gerald is definitely up to the task.

Besides, Gerald kind of "cleans up good." If I don't mind sayin' so...

First Women's Retreat!

2009-03-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

Here are the great women who gathered for the first Women's Transformational Energy Retreat. Tamara, the facilitator, did an amazing job taking all of us on a guided journey to rejuvenate and renew. Nancy, our wonderful guest chef, spoiled us with fresh bread and remarkable food not to mention gifting us with a recipe book from all the meals over the weekend. And our own lovely Kit, lead us in the most joyful yoga I've ever experienced. But the best part was the caliber of women who came together to share and relax. Thank you lovely ladies!

The Youngest Daughter's wedding

2009-03-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

Sarabeth, the youngest daughter was married this past weekend.

It was a beautiful event and we had four of the six kids together.

And it actually did not snow until after the wedding. Very impressive for a March wedding in Montana...

Seeing Luke in a Tuxedo made us realize how big and slim he is getting. Although that smile still reminds us he's not completely grown up.

Gerald in his cowboy hat and the father/daughter dance.

Latest Grandson!

2009-02-24T06:04:00.001-08:00

Meet Tusweca (Dragonfly) and his new little brother

Omaka Nawicakincinji (Defends the Earth). He was born on February 17th and is doing beautifully.