Gettin' WESTERN!!!

The banquet was April 1st...but I was a lill' late on the update :)

WESTERN Rodeo Banquet 2011

CONGRATULATIONS to the Western Rodeo Team and amazing rodeo coach, Olie Else, for putting on yet another FABULOUS Rodeo Banquet! What a great event. It is always an honor to be able to attend!

Picture an arena full of 1,000 of your favorite Western friends! Prime Rib Dinner that is DELICIOUS! Silent and Live Auction donated from the best in the west! Endless rows of tables filled with endless treasures from Bob Burkhart Bronzes, David Stoecklein Prints, Sitz Bulls Strands, Lil' Red Roan, Montana Silversmiths, Ariat, Silver Lining Herbs, Martiny Saddle Co. and more!

Pahsimeroi Puppy ~

Mr. Shorty ~ Live auction star went to a happy new home in Dillon, Montana

Mr. Shorty was one of the only auction items I got a picture of. I wish I would have taken more pictures but I always get so wrapped up in all the amazing Montana friends that I got lost in the FUN of the night!

Catching up with my dear friend, Stephanie Hagenbarth!
Love my Hamer girls!

The shopping is awesome, supporting a great cause, the band & dancing are great, food is fabulous, love Montana.....but the real reason I go to the to the banquet is the seeing all my WESTERN ALUMNI FRIENDS!!!! Great time visiting and dancing the night away!

Traci, Me, Tifany...Oh these lovely ladies are fun!

Matt, Me, & Petey ~ Love these boys!
Couldn't ask for better friends!

Who knew that at college...I would meet some of the best friends of my life :)

Yes, they are looking for a good time!

Yes indeed! They found it!
Always a good time in Dillon!

Ya...we're fun ;)

Last but certainly not least....no rodeo banquet would be complete with out giving mention to the women behind the scenes. Olie Else and Amberly Pahut do such an amazing job of organizing the banquet, putting on a successful fundraiser, and a great night for everyone attending!

Ms Iola Else is one of the most amazing woman that I've ever had the honor of meeting. She changed my life when I attended Western, as she did most of her rodeo kids. She teaches you responsibility and gives you the skills to put on an event. The most valueable thing that I learned from Oilie...is how to care! Always aware of the people around her and striving to make the burden of those around her lighter. She truely cares for people and is a shining example and leader to all those around her.

Blessed to be a part of Western!

Thank you so much for traveling the gypsy trail with me today.
Peace be with you. May the Lord's love fill your heart and
may his blessings overflow throughout every part of your life.

Mindy

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like at the Western Rodeo Banquet

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A few of the fun Lil' Red Roan items!

Lil' Red Roan Apparel ~ $22
Lovely Lady Leg Knives $20

Ladies Love Outlaws Sortin' Pen
Broncy Baby Bib ~ $8
Cowboy Wisdom Book $25

Once Upon a Windy Day

Once Upon a Time on a Windy Day.....a few pictures from the spring winds of home.

A great wind is blowing, and that gives you either imagination or a headache.

~Catherine the Great

“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” ~ William Arthur Ward

....in my case, I go take pictures apparently ;)

I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things...
I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind.
~ Leo Buscaglia

A certain amount of opposition is a great help to a man. Kites rise against, not with, the wind. ~
Lewis Mumford

Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones,
as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.
~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“all things are connected like the blood which unites one family.” ~ Chief Seattle

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together. All things connect.”
~ Chief Seattle

Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.
~ Arthur Golden

He is the best sailor who can steer within fewest points of the wind,
and exact a motive power out of the greatest obstacles.
~ Walter Scott

A very great vision is needed and the man who has it must follow it as the eagle seeks the deepest blue of the sky.~ Crazy Horse

There is a muscular energy in sunlight corresponding to the spiritual energy of wind.

~ Annie Dillard

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Life looks better from a fine horse

Life looks better when you are sitting a top a fine horse!

Above Picture:
Riding Big Boy! What a nice horse!
We were holding the herd with help from Ben, the dog. Whom I might add only came with us because his owner said "Go help her" :)

Good Morning Friends,

Just wanted to check in this morning and jot down some of my thoughts on the weekend. My mind was running wild last night when we finally made it home from branding. So many things to be thankful for!!! Here is a quick trip through the hundreds of miles that we drove to spend a few days in Nevada.

Sun setting on the day as we are reaching our final destination.
Mom, Rita, and I met up along the trail and made the trek to Adaven, Nevada.

3:30 am the alarm clock would go off and start a nice day of gathering &

Head'n and Heelin' baby calves!
Everything was brought to the fire to receive a brand, shots, and an ear mark.
They put on a great branding and it was a honor to be there!

Sittin a top a fine horse with a good dog on a beautiful sunshine day.
Doesn't get much better than that!

Even the trucking part was fabulous. Warm sunshine looking over the whole land and green grass pushing up through desert floor!

Pictured above ~ Hauling cattle to the north ranch.
Getting acquainted with the water hole.

A lil' Moonlight Mechanic work as we aired up a flat tire.
(Ok, they worked & I played with my camera)

Moon rising over the Nevada desert. It was spectacular!
Perfect end to a perfect day!

GREAT WEEKEND!!! So many blessings to be thankful for! Here are a few things that made the weekend fabulous!

THANKFUL for:

• Thank you so much to my beautiful talented & amazing Mom for loading up and taking us girls down to Nevada to brand.
  
• It was so much fun! Rita and I got along relatively well, the entire weekend. She is a rock star! Did really good in the branding pen & even had a wicked awesome back hand shot. My sis is awesome!
• Thankful for my mom! She is such a great example! She can ride, rope, and do just about anything! So proud to be her daughter!
  
• Thankful for the Martiny and Harwood saddles to ride! Life does look better from the seat of a well made saddle!
  
• Rode one of the nicest horses I've ever been on. Thank you for letting all of us ride such nice horses.
  
• Surrounded by handy people. Learned so much from the talented cowboys around us
• No people got cut, branded, or given a shot....so that's always good ;)
• Great food, friends, and weather! Can't ask for much more than that!

Hope you are all having a wonderful spring and branding season is treating you well!
Thanks so much for traveling down the gypsy trail with me today!

Peace be with you. May the Lord's love fill your heart and may his blessings overflow throughout every part of your life!

Rodeo Tales & Gypsy Trails
is proudly brought to you by
Lil' Red Roan
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Scroll Mini Trapper ~ Pocket knife of choice when cutting or ear marking calves!
Get yours today at Lil' Red Roan!

Cady Lee and Rockabilly Ranch !!!

After much deliberation, I finally decided I must share one of the West’s best kept secrets. I will admit that for years....I've known about this amazing talented jewelry makin, spunky, fun Rockabilly Rock Star. I selfishly kept her talents to myself. However, on the up side, You are lucky because she only gets better with time!

Today, I will share with you the maker of one of my FAVORITE necklaces!

Who is the diva behind the designs ? Ms Cady Lee, artist & owner of Rockabilly Ranch!

Cady and I crossed paths on the Gypsy Trail years ago. Instantly, I fell in love with her unique, one of a kind, handmade pieces.

Here is the necklace that stopped me in my tracks!!

Sweetheart of the Rodeo! Love love love this necklace!

Visiting with Cady about how Rockabilly Ranch came about, I learned a little about her gypsy roots. Daughter to a career marine, her family moved a lot but Oregon was always home. After retirement, the family eventually settled in Pendelton, Oregon.

At age 16, a job for Hamley’s would spark a love of western retail & the gypsy tradeshow life. Cady worked at Hamley’s through college. Taking a 2 year break to work for an outfitter in Wyoming, because she’s just all around handy like that but soon she would be back on the tradeshow trail.

Cady said, “ I started doing the road shows for Hamley's and I was hooked! You mean I can really get paid to go to the NFR in Vegas for two weeks??? After Hamleys closed I worked for Red Spur / Cowgirl Tough for a while and started selling my own jewelry and painted belts through them...Rockabilly Ranch sort of took off from there on the tradeshow trail!”

Here are a few of the Rockabilly Ranch pieces I think you might love!

ROCKABILLY RANCH Pendents, handmade in the USA by Ms Cady Lee!
Love these!!! Super super fun!

Love this neckalce!
lol...but sometimes I feel like "Honey, I did the chores & here is a steak"
is equally effective where charming a man is concerned. ;)

"Well Behaved Women rarely make history"

"Cowboys beware because I'm a buckin jumpin Wild Woman!"

Cady also makes a fun variety of Spunky Fun jewelry that will
put spring in your heart year round!

Funky, Chunky & Fabulous!


This lovely ladies talents never end! Retro train cases, Spunky belt buckles, and more!

Handmade Rockabilly Earrings

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Contact Info: Rockabilly Ranch
Cady Lee

email: rockabillyranch@hotmail.com

Rockabilly Ranch facebook link:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rockabilly-Ranch/198881770122087

Thank you so much for traveling down the Gypsy Trail with me today!
See you again soon!
Mindy

Rodeo Tales & Gypsy Trails
is proudly brought to you by
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Working Up a Sweat!

Want an alternate workout routine that is comparable to Zumba? I highly recommend TB testing rodeo bulls! Just sayin, by the time I got done running up and down the alleys....and up and down the fences.....I was sweating! :)

Doc Warner, Regg, Ellie and I head out to work bulls this morning. I will be loading. Sorting anything is an adventure at these corrals because the corrals are old and many many posts need replaced. It looks like rippling waves as the bulls bounce down the alleys and up the loading chute to be tested.

Regg says to me "Watch the Black bull"...pretty soon it's....oh ya, I forgot watch the red bull too. I replied with, "I think I'll just assume that I shouldn't try to pet any of your bulls"

The words no more leave me mouth....I'm bringing bulls down the alley that don't necessarily want to move out. Finally getting them in the alley and pushed past the final gate. I pull a "man move" and close a gate with a bull pushing against it. Basically I just buffaloed him and said...I'm Bigger than you, STOP!" Lol...it worked but I definitely didn't try it with the hotter bulls :)

All the the pictures taken are from a camera phone with NO ZOOM.

Regg says to me,
"Hold this gate and if I get to bringing them to fast.....do something about it!"

Ellie, age 4, was a good helper today.

Testing

Enrique, tested and ready to go in with cows!

Last but certainly not least, BLESSINGS! Ellie was cold this morning so we got in the truck to get out of the wind. Regg was moving some hay with the farmhand tractor. He called to see if we were going to unhook the trailer because there were chains hanging down that we would drag if we moved the outfit. I informed him, No, we were just getting out of the wind.
It did cross my mind that...I could go unhook the trailer.....but na, I'll pass.

Doc arrived & we got ready to work bulls. Thank the Good Lord above!!!! Well someone else hopped in the pickup to go unhook....well....this is what happened next!

So so so glad....I wasn't the one driving....just sayin :) Thank you so much for traveling down the trail with us today!
Mindy

Rodeo Tales & Gypsy Trails
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