A week at a Guest Ranch

This post was actually written while we were in Canada. I had written it and then posted it as a draft, then after we got back it has been so busy I forgot to finish and post it as done.

Although this won't be able to be posted due to their Internet being out since last Tuesday, I thought as I have some time to type this out to post later.

Several months back Stacy had been looking on line and found a "Dude Ranch", the old name, Guest Ranch nowadays, that due to some cancelations had some vacancies at a reasonably reduced rate for this week, June 5 to the 11th. So we talked and here we are. We saved up for the week since she made the reservations so no sticker shock on checkout tomorrow. This place is near Cranbrook, Canada, which is only about two hours from home, or about the same distance were we to drive to COSTCO in Coeur d' Alene. So close, yet far. And our first real 'go where we want to go' vacation in several years. Also this is one of those "bucket list" things we'd talked about doing for years, just never gotten around to.
It has turned out to be a great adventure!
Stacy has been able to ride a horse twice a day for the past 4 days and at this moment is on the 'finale' of the all day ride. She's been in heaven as she has always been an avid horse rider. Here it has been just take the reins and go, none of the prep work that it used to be when we had all the horses we used to have back in California.
I had planned to practice with my photography and that has been great. I have become the unofficial photographer for most of the group here for this week. So I have enjoyed that very much.
The best though has been meeting and talking with the season's hired 'wrangler's'. They have been absolutely fantastic to get to know and talk with. 3 girls and 3 guys, two of the guys from Australia, and one of the girls from New Zealand. And this is all new to them too. They had been working on cattle and sheep stations (ranches) in their countries and got the summer job here to be able to leave and explore, for their first times away from their homelands.

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