A Stunning…Splendiferous And Sparkling Saturday

14 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Photography, Ranch Life, Weather Tags: , ,

A stunning…splendiferous  and sparkling  Saturday has arrived in Juniper Canyon!

Today we woke to a lovely temperature of 12 degrees at 6:30 this morning…with brilliant sunshiny sunshine along with funky shadows and my teeth chattering. If you look hard in this picture you can see two pairs of glowing eyes…that is the “Hey you…we want our hay hay hay breakfast!”

I can hear them snickering with the nickering, I think they figured if they could make their eyes glow it would scare me into feeding them early! But instead I dove back under the covers hiding….geez!

Brilliant idea guys but very twilight zoneish….I can hear it now…Rod Serling saying:

“Today was a spendiferous Saturday on the ranch for Hot Rod Cowgirl…until she woke to feed her horses…and then she realized she was no longer in this reality and no longer on the ranch but instead in the reality of planet Ding Dong and and and……whew!

Min-Min was not thrilled with being up early…she is still annoyed that I left yesterday to run errands in town…she runs the house you know and she is the queen:) She does not like it one bit when I leave to go anywhere….so today she is simmering with a bit of cattitude!

I was dressed with make up on and hair fixed before 7:00 this morning….things are getting even more bizarre and silly crazy!

Fortunately for Wild Bill I had my coffee…with sugar free vanilla and a lots of java caffeine:) I can not imagine not having coffee! My Grandmother and Mom used to give me the small creamer bottle that restaurants used to give filled with half cream and half coffee when I was a little girl…so we love coffee here…it is a Norwegian thing too.

They say we are to get snow this weekend and the incredible blue crisp sky late this afternoon is evidence of the weather changing as the jet stream is lowering bringing in arctic brrrrrrr cold air from Canada.

Oh ok the beautiful wall bronze cut out is really not me! Here you go, this is me today and I was ready to get going bright and early which is super silly as usually I am still in my sweats…my silly sweats…on most silly Saturdays.

And as the light is changing it is getting colder…clouds are rolling in…winter is in the air today for sure.

So I think I snuggle up with

 Ms. Minnie Mouse and Wild Bill.

Pour myself another cup of java…keep my camera handy and enjoy the splendiferous day.

Hoping to have some snow to photograph for you tomorrow…have a great weekend where ever you are!

Crazy…Fast and Furious…Unpredictable Life Filled With Many Blessings!

08 Dec 2011 4 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Heritage, Juniper T Ranch, Lifestyles, Photography, Ranch Life Tags: , , , ,

Crazy…fast and furious…unpredictable life filled with many great blessings…I often experience a mix…and even though it is fast and furious I find myself grabbing on to the important seconds that tick by….filing them away in my heart and trying to see every little detail of God’s world that we live in.

Prince was my first horse and best friend. Prince carried me for several years all over out here where I still live…a heartful of memories in a young cowgirls life.

I grew up behind my Dad’s back…where Dad went on a horse I went too…that was life to me…being on the back of a good horse…riding behind my Dad…and I miss his back.

Cows and horses or horses and cows…how I grew up and what I saw daily, normal everyday cattle ranch life…my history filled with many memories.

I am sure you all have those early life memories of daily life with your parents and where you lived…how you lived and what your life was about…moments that will live on forever and yet often, only live on in your memories.

My life was growing up here…on the Juniper T Ranch…various family and friends were around during early summer when we moved the cattle up to the mountain ground and again during the fall gathering. Three of my Aunt’s are in this picture…and this is where my Mom cooked for 20-30 men every day on a wood cook stove in this log cabin…no water except hauling it by bucket…that was life back in the late 60’s for this redneck girl.

  With this post I am writing about life chapters…old times and new times…old memoreis and new memories.

A glimpse of the special moments.

Experiences of a lifetime…Hobby and I playing with a cow.

She was just learning to hook on here.

And then she got it!

I loved the feeling of a horse under me moving and dancing with a cow…nothing quite like it! Hobby I miss you girl…miss you lots.

From work to play on a simple warm trail riding kind of day. Sitting on top of the Blue Mountains…the best place to be on a horse around here in the summertime!

Life with many adventures and well-worn chapters in the book of simple times.

Chapters of buying a new horse and bringing her home…our time getting to know each other….Melody you are the song in my heart:)

Turning golden worn pages to another chapter of life…grandkids and fun times with friends at the beach.

Moments with our sons…ocean views…happy times…family memories.

Special birthday times with our youngest son who is a “Moose”…Hot Rod Cowgirl is 5’9″….youngest son is a “Giant” at 6’5″.

Snap shots of a funny moment of “Jagged and Wild Bill”…silly, crazy times!

Of course “Smart Alec Times”..I think Hot Rod Cowgirl is picking on Wild Bill:)

Birthdays and grandkids  helping me celebrate…two granddaughters…lots of resemblance in our eyes and mouth…you can see that we are family:) Ok guys you can close your mouth…Wild Bill…Natalie…Becca…ok I know the cake is looking yummy and all but come on for the picture…close your mouth like me and smile big:) Oh Becca…where oh where are you??? Come back to reality girl.

An ordinary life filled with times such as this with family…love…happiness…that incredible moment when time stands still and you know….this is beautiful life.

Life takes you to places you have been before and places you have never been before.

Like “The Portland Roadster Show” in 2006 when we took three customer vehicles and won three Best Of Class!

And snow storms that drift and give you great photo ops!

Christmas is coming sooner than we expect…and before we know it…less than three weeks!

Just ask Ms. Minnie Mouse:) She likes sleeping under the tree when we put it up…now on to decorating it.

Christmas with Grandkids:) on our antique red sofa…long story for another post….the sofa is 1940’s vintage red leather  and I love it!

Good Night where ever you are…it is super cold here tonight…snuggle down with your loved ones and remember to look for those special memories and moments in your life…may you be blessed by the season at hand.

Cowboys..Horses…Aussie Dogs…Late Fall

09 Oct 2011 2 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Clouds, Horses, Juniper T Ranch, Photography, Ranch Life, Storms Tags: ,

Cowboys…horses and Aussie dogs…always make  for a good story and good photos!

October snuck in gently with warm temps the first week but now is letting us know that our late fall-summer is officially over. I had to finally change out my capris and t-shirts for jeans and sweaters.

I never get tired of taking pictures of clouds and funky colors…out here where I live…this is what we see on a daily basis…I keep my camera handy for shots like this!

We are to get rain this week finally…the farmers need it for fall seeding for next year’s crops.

Can you see the deer…they are my early morning and evening visitors.

I love how the light filters through the clouds this time of year with soft beautiful colors that bathe the land in golden hues.

This is little “Buck”…he is our newest family member joining us here on the Juniper T.

Buck is special to us as he belongs to our Cowboy Son. We first knew Buck when he was two years old…he lived out here for a while on the ranch while Curt broke him to ride.

The round corral was built that year with Buck in mind.

When our Cowboy Son and his wife called us to see if we would like to own Buck, we immediately said yes! They live in Seattle now where the weather is gray, rainy and muddy…they felt that Buck needed to come home where he would be out of the wet weather for his feet. A decision that was not easy.

Buck is the classic old-fashioned quarter horse build which I personally love:)

Curt trained Buck and he trained him the right way!

This is a horse that listens and trusts…it was not easy for Curt to leave Buck as they are very connected in heart and spirit.

The relationship you have with your horse is profound and truly from God above. Horses are incredible…beautiful…spiritual beings and they love us…they feel and think.

You have not been loved until you are loved by your horse…it is a very special bond.

Cooper…you are such a good boy… I love you too:)

Curt is getting ready to ride bareback…making the halter lead rope into a rein…and talking to Wild Bill.

Wild Bill is making some profound point…I wonder what he is saying…hmmm?

As you can see…Curt truly takes Wild Bill seriously:)

Camille and her herd of Aussies! We all love our Australian Shepherds!

Cowboys and horses…and the women who love them.

Riding Buck…with Cooper following.

Camille keeping her eyes on the gang…”You guys sit and stay and be good.”

This picture brings back old memories…Curt on Buck with Coop following.

Summer night 2004…Curt on Hobby with Buck following.

Coming down the rail…2011…I think I have seen this before?

Yep pretty close…Buck is following down the rail as a colt in 2004.

Buck and Curt 2011

Buck and Curt 2004…this was Buck’s first ride and Curt rode him out into our fields with a halter…no bridle…and all went well.

Wild Bill and I plan to go on some mountain trail rides and plan to ride all over out here…it is incredible out here in the summer as when you ride on top of the hills you can see three distinct mountains…with incredible views for miles.

We will watch the sun go down and the moon come up…taking time out to enjoy life when we can…away from the stressors of life…it is true that there is something about a horse that is good for the insides of a man or woman.

We will ride both Buck and Melody this next year…they will carry us on down the dusty trail:)

Annie will be broke to ride this next year too…and that will mean lots of time on her too. I am looking forward to it as I have ridden alone most of my life…except when my Dad or Wild Bill rode with me on the Juniper T.

Thank you Curt and Camille…we love you both very much…and Buck will always be here for you to come home to and ride…anytime.

Curt On Hobby…”Bo The Incredible Aussie”…And “Little Buck”…Summers Night 2004.

My guy with Bo on the left who is Dash’s Father…Dash is on the right…Bo was significant in our getting Aussies…when Curt introduced us to Bo we fell in love with him right away…he was protective and could be scary mean if the wrong person came around….and he was always here with us…did not wonder off…very smart dog.

Curt with our Kiah and his Tuff…they are brother and sister…not from Bo but from a different lineage…very smart dogs too.

Another shot of Camille with the gang:) ” Sit still so I can brush you!”

Typical summer nights on the Juniper T.

Buck is awesome and beautiful….so are the hearts behind him.

Look for joy this week and good stuff…simple stuff…family times…making memories…your life has a beat…listen for it and find your rhythm…it’s there…so often we do not get quiet enough to hear it with the fast pace of our lives…but it is there…and the peace that comes with it is incredible.

Behind The Scenes Of Pendleton…Let ‘Er Buck 2011

29 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Horses, Photography Tags: ,

Behind the scenes of Pendleton…Let ‘er Buck 2011…I decided this year I would go behind the scenes with my camera…this is where you see the real life of the contestants….the people….the livestock…the all “American Cowboy Life”. I love it as it is the real deal…truth in pictures…I hope you enjoy the photos that I captured…I have a few in the arena too but will do one more post for them as my posts seem to get long quickly.

Horses behind the grandstand…sleeping…hanging out…waiting.

Cowboy parking behind the grandstands…I would not want to pull in with our trailer and try to park…no way.

Round Up Indian Village.

Cowboys warming up…talking with friends and trying to relax.

Cowboy town…trucks, trailers, horses…I love the heart beat of the western life of the cowboy and cowgirl.

Cowboy ponies and wild ponies…does not matter as all are the same in the horse world…some are trained and others are not but they are horses… they all have huge hearts and want to get along.

Sports Medicine Van standing by…hoping to not be needed!

I love watching the horses the most…they have their own language and it is all body language…I am trying to learn all of this right now….have been a student of horses since I was 2 years old…and a serious natural horsemanship student for 10 years of learning about the horse and I am still learning…will be learning forever I am sure…as you can never know it all and anyone who says they know it all does not know much.

Warming up…and some are cooling down.

Actually laying down and cooling off…feels so good to roll.

And feels so good on my itchy back!

Ok guys lets go…hope you all feel better now that you rolled, itched and cooled off a bit:)

Back to warming up…cowboy style.

Moving with the rhythm of Round Up.

Hoping to win their round…old friends and new friends…cowboys doing the rodeo circuit.

“And I was so dang close to winning…and then lost by 1.1 second…or less…my wife and the kids are good…my horse is doing fantastic…I hope I win…can use the money to pay expenses…no hard feelings right.”

“We need to get together after the craziness of competing and have a bq with our families.”

“Whatever guys….geez…I am trying to get my head on for the final barrel race run of the day…here at Pendleton for crying out loud…and you are trying to bond…geez…ok focus…focus…focus…get my head on right cowgirl style!”

Thinking…praying…sitting…trying to relax…breathing cowgirl style.

Moving and riding with purpose to prepare…some are riding with purpose to relax.

Horses getting tired of standing and being after a long week in Pendleton with the hot weather…the crowds…noises…cowboys…and just rodeo…on one hand I  love it…on another I can see where it would get old.

Cranky and wanting to go home to quiet again.

“Keeping my focus…no matter what!”

“Noise and distraction will not detract me and my horse.”

“So who do you think will win the “All Around?”

“I am going to win….focus.”

I think it is time for a nap or maybe…

Cleaning up the hay…the back horse has both a different color and interesting marks.

Thirsty ponies…taking turns.

The rodeo goes on but is getting closer to being done for these horses.

On the slant…waiting for the go.

What…who..are you? Smile boys:)

Ready to rest.

Under the grandstands 2011…hope you enjoyed life behind the Round Up!

Behind The Scenes Of Pendelton…Let ‘Er Buck 2011!!!

Gentle Days Filled With Golden Beauty

28 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Clouds, Heritage, Horses, Photography, Ranch Life Tags: ,

Gentle days…filled with the golden beauty of Fall have arrived quietly and softly…light and vivid colors. Summer came and went quickly this year…a late hot summer almost fooled us into thinking summer was young yet…that time would prevail and stall the summer we had all waited for.

My parents chose to marry September 23, 1939…when the colors of fall were warm, vibrant and full of rich reds, golds, maroons, yellows and rust…they were in love and so alive with life. They honeymooned in Banff, Alberta staying on Lake Louise…visiting Jasper National Park and the surrounding area…can you imagine driving from here on gravel roads to Banff…seeing 1939 America and Canada…how different it all looked before tourism took over. Mom always said it was stunning…”The Rockies were stunning as was our drive up and back.”

Mom and Dad at the University Of Oregon Spring of 1939…they made a perfect couple! I think of them often and I celebrate the life they have given me with a humble heart filled with thankfulness. They taught me life lessons that I now apply and rely on in my own life…God Bless you Mom and Dad…WB and I love you both:)

Each night and day out here in Juniper Canyon I do not take for granted…even though I have lived here forever…the pictures I see and the life I experience…the memoreis…I want to bring to you as I know that I am blessed with how I live and what I have lived…and you will be also.

Tucker says well now be careful up on that table…”Don’t worry Tuck I am being ever careful gf..and I love you too.” I got Tucker after loosing my Blue Heeler “Maggie May” the summer of 2004. I was lost without Maggie…she went everywhere with us…traveled with us when we went camping and on road trips to see friends in Montana or Wyoming…everywhere we went she went with us.

We had located two Australian Shepherd rescue dogs that needed a good home, Tucker was one of them and a year old when we brought her home in October 2004. Interestingly enough see that red blotch on her side…Maggie had the same reddish blotch on the same side….even the same shape….and see how her right ear stands up and the left ear doesn’t quite make it…Maggie had the very same ears…in some ways I do think that Maggie May told God that I needed Tucker as she would heal my heart and remind me of Maggie as I do believe there is a large part of Maggie in Tucker. Truly funny how things work out for us in this big world that often is not that big at times.

Looking across the road last night you can see that our neighbor has started preparing the ground for his 2012 crop…all of us out here in the heartland are hoping for a good rain to water the ground for the fall seed…rain is good and if we get it seeded right it is perfect!

Our son and his family came out this last weekend for a family B-Q…Jigs is his Blue Heeler on the back of the four wheeler…and Jigs goes everywhere with him. Our ranch raised son is tall…6’5″…yep kind of a big cowboy kid of ours…he is the youngest…and we are rather proud of him…my down home ranch cooking was good judging by his size…meat and potatoes…with more meat and potatoes

“Hang on Jiggers…Cow dog rough and tough style!”

Constantly changing light and colors…keeps me busy shooting pictures every day and night.

“Wild Bill is thinking…oh heaven help me…when he does this…this happens.”

“Hello…Hot Rodder! ” This is Wild Bill’s touch!

And then he does this…”Jagged…with nitrous…WHAT…between the seats…NO WAY Wild Bill! Uh-uh…nope…where is that handle you promised to build me…you know the OSH…known as the Oh Sh*t Handle around here for me whenever I ride down the road with him!

Can you say “Zoom Zoom…Go Fast.”

Grandsons Cody and Robby…I love seeing their red and blond heads…”Wild Grandpa Bill” is training the next generation…hang on it will be a ride for sure with these two!

“Grandpa has them hooked already”….look at the seriousness here…I better put on my seat belt.

Magic time…Magic Skies.

Okay now for a few pictures of horse stuff…of course.

My tack room full of training snaffles and short shanked bits…I believe in preserving a horses mouth…no pulling or yanking or ruining mouths.

I am lucky to have a safe round corral with nice sand behind the barn…I will have to write a post on this round corral as my hubby built it for me with “Cowboy Son Curt”…I thought it would be rather easy to build…no it was  NOT…it took “Cowboy Blood, Sweat and Tears!” It works perfectly and I appreciate it a lot!

“Cowboy Son Curt” on Hobby with Buck following on a summer night in the arena.

Half of my hay is in the barn…yee-haw!

Fanny Annie says “Yeah…Hay Hay Hay Haw.”

A perfect fall day fading into a peaceful night in Juniper Canyon.

Another view of my bits…with just a tweak of color. I am learning about all the fun things you can do with photoshop…and my iMac.

Wherever you are….enjoy the gift of fall…life like the seasons is ever changing…each day in your life there are miracles around you in the people you love and the animals you adore…when the sun comes up….look at the beauty around you, breathe deep and feel the heartbeat of life with your heart…let the gentle days of  fall filled with gentle beauty find you.

Till next time….I will post the last Pendleton Round Up post for the year soon.

The Grand Entry Run In…Cowgirls and Cowboys…Welcome To Pendleton and The Wild West!

21 Sep 2011 1 Comment

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Horses, Photography Tags: , ,

Welcome to Pendleton and the Wild West!. I am glad that you are back…we will continue our story of the honored traditions of the Pendleton Round Up. A rodeo week filled with people, events, rodeo, parades, pageants and history. Pendleton and the surrounding small towns were founded on heritage…families that have been here for over a hundred years…my Norwegian family has been here since the 1890’s. Cowboys, Indians, farmers, horses, cattle, sheep, wheat, wool…in Umatilla County we are what one would call a rather independent people…most of us have seen both good and hard times in life..we are rough and tough..we stand with our fellow-man here and we volunteer each year for the Pendleton Round Up…this rodeo is part of who we were yesterday and who we are today.

Once the parade is over…

2010 Dress Up Parade

 Happy Canyon Indian Princess’s in 2010 Dress Up Parade.

Indian Princess’s in the 1948 parade.

You hustle down to the rodeo grounds to grab your seats…eat lunch…shop a bit with all the vendors…run into people you have not seen forever.

This is what Pendleton is all about one historic week a year…old friends and good times!

Before we get started with the rodeo though I want to take you on a history lesson to show you how much the Round Up has grown over 101 years.

This photo shows the new stadium remodel that was finished in time for last year’s 100th Rodeo Anniversary in 2010. The old West End Grandstand was demolished and was rebuilt with a cover.

This is the South Grandstand today.

This was the South Grandstand in the early years.

I am not sure what year this was but you can see that a much larger stadium was built before it was coverd….Pendleton was much smaller too.

This is the new West End that was built and covered and the North Grandstand where the bucking shoots are…the track and infield of grass.

Grand Entry Serpentine with 100 riders with 100 flags for the 100th Anniversary of The Pendleton Round Up Rodeo in 2010.

Grand Entry Serpentine  1912.

Pendleton has progressed into a town of about 16,000 residents and the Round Up has grown with it each year into one of the top three rodeos in the US. Enough on the history for now…lets imagine we are sitting in our seats waiting for the rodeo to begin.

You can feel the excitement as we wait for the cannon to go off…the flags to come out for the national anthem followed by the Queen and Court…and the rodeo officially begins!

Boom….the cannon went off and the flags came out….first from the West Gate.

Then from the East Gate comes another flag.

First Round Up Princess comes in on a run jumping the fence from the East Gate.

Another Princess runs in from the West Gate.

The court comes to a stop in front of the South Grandstand…luckily I was sitting in the South Grandstand where this lovely Princess came to a stop.  These gals know how to ride their horses and they ride hard….giving it their all to come into the arena on a full gallop…jumping the fence…coming across the grass….jumping another fence….coming to a sliding stop in front of the South Grandstand…with beautiful smiles and waving to the rodeo crowd!

Queen Mackenzie making her run in across the grass.

The next photos sequence I will show you is the Queen and her Court…Riding Cowgirl Tough…Pendleton Style!

The Queen leads off and boy does she go Round Up fast!

Riding hard for Pendleton…you go girl!

Riding after the Queen are her four Round Up Princess’s.

This is why they are selected..these young ladies are “True Grit!”

It is exciting to see the court each day ride in like this…makes me proud…this is Pendleton…this is the Round Up!

The track has corners with slope so it takes true horsemanship to ride hard and make those corners.

Next comes the President of the Round Up…chasing the court around the track and out the gate.

She is flying…fast and furious…cowgirl style!

There goes the flag carriers chasing the court and the president.

The United States of America Rocks!

Cool saddle blankets girls!

Red, White And Blue!

Ready…Set…Go…Ride Them Broncs Pendleton Style!

Let ‘Er Buck!

Ride ‘Em Cowboy!

Pick up men headed to do their job for the cowboys of Pendleton.

With that I will leave you until the next post…an epic rodeo takes time to tell…at least we got the rodeo started…next time “Hang On”…lots more to share.

Day Three Of The Pendleton Round Up 2011

19 Sep 2011 2 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Horses, Photography Tags: ,

Day three of the Pendleton Round Up 2011…I can not tell you in one post what “The Pendleton Round Up” is like to experience so I will do several posts over the next few days.

I took my camera and shot over 262 pictures so that I can share with you what the rodeo is like…hang on tight…there is only one Pendleton Round Up!

Once the heat of August comes to an end and harvest is over for the year…it is time to celebrate…time to catch up with your neighbors and friends…time to celebrate harvest and our blessings…time for a rodeo…send the word out to all the small communities around Pendleton that we will whoop it up cowboy style!

That is how the Round Up came to be in 1910…a celebration that harvest was over…lets invite our neighbors…neighboring communities and the Indians to come celebrate with us as a community…have a little rodeo and good food…with lots of fun!

I quote “In the fall of 1910, a group of ranchers and cowboys decided to celebrate the harvest and show off their skills. All the town’s stores closed, and the largest crowd in Pendleton’s history then showed up to enjoy the first Pendleton “Round-Up,” a rip-roaring Western rodeo. The Round-Up has since become a week-long celebration of the cowboy way of life. Fueled by the unbridled energy of hundreds of volunteers, the Round-Up is a true case of how community pride and spirit can be funneled into an outstanding international event.”

No matter how tired at times I get of Round Up…I will forever go to it…I am drawn to it like a moth is to a flame.

It is part of who I am…the people…the crowds…the smells and sounds…the horses and livestock…the memories.

Round Up is in the air…you can feel it and see it.

The rodeo is a large part of Round Up week…the yearly history though of each rodeo is more about the people…the cowboys and the cowgirls…the volunteers and the out of towners…and the events of that one historic week become a part of the fabric of our lives here.

We come together to be part of Round Up…such as “The Westward Ho Parade” on Friday morning of Round Up. Yes that is the back of my head, I am in the middle with the hair clip shooting pictures for you:)

This is the beginning of the 2011 parade…what you see is 101 American Flags being carried on horseback. Last year the Round Up volunteers carried 100 flags as the rodeo celebrated it’s 100 Year Anniversary.

This picture was taken a 100 years ago of the Westward Ho parade in 1911.

The Round Up is rich with History and Heritage…Cowboys and Indians…a Rodeo with Tradition and American dignity.

I wish you could see it in person with me…it is incredible to see the entire parade.

There is Melody…my horse…she is with my friend carrying a flag…it was Mel’s first parade ever.

She did good…I am so proud of her…thank you Lana:)

This is the “Round Up Spirit”…”Ordinary People” who volunteer to give their time freely to support “The Round Up” each year…it is part of their life…their traditions…their celebration!

The “Westward Ho Parade” is non motorized…it is all people and livestock…I love seeing the costumes…the wagons…the horses…the people…the “Wild West” comes to life in this parade.

“The Round Up Mounted Band 2011.”

“The Round Up Mounted Band 1910.”

I am not sure who these guys were but I loved their horses…colors…silver tack…flags.

The “Round Up Oxen”…”Wild Bill” used to do this…it may look like they have control of the “Oxen”…but really the “Oxen have control!”

I love her chaps!

This was fun to see…the US Forestry Department with their pack mules.

Their pack mules were very well-trained to do this. Parades are great but for the animal…horses or mules…parades can be very intimidating with the noises and people lurching out into the street to take pictures of them etc.

For a horse or mule to get through a parade in good form they need to trust their human…as in ok this is scary but I can trust you to keep me safe so I will be ok…they submitt to us in a humble way…we owe it back to them to keep them safe.

Miniature horses pulling a miniature wagon.

Miss Rodeo Oregon.

Happy Canyon directors who put on the night pageant each night after the rodeo…be sure and go as Happy Canyon is the story of the “Wild West” and how it was settled…the story is told with live actors and animals…it is worth going to.

Round Up directors who direct the epic rodeo and all that goes into a rodeo that is 101 years old.

Oregon Mounted Patrol.

The “Westward Ho” parade is long but well worth you time to see…it is a historic parade as many of the wagons are restored…the costumes are a traditional heritage…often passed on in a family…being worn every year for Round Up.

The history of Pendleton..the area was founded by pioneers who came to this land to settle it and grow crops to support themselves…my Dad grew up sewing sacks of grain for his Dad…he remembered hauling the wheat in sacks by wagon like this to the elevator.

Once the parade is over you head down to the rodeo grounds to get your seat in time to see the start of the rodeo with the Queen and Court grand entry. My next blog will be about the rodeo…stay tuned!

Happy Tuesday…Memories and More!

16 Aug 2011 2 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Clouds, Horses, Photography Tags:

Happy Tuesday with memories and more…You can click on the pictures that I upload to the blog and they will enlarge with one click…then if you click them again they will blow up double. There are a few that do not blow up but most of them do.

This is a picture of Annie’s eye…I love how the picture shows her spirit…and heart.

She has changed a bit huh?

She has become a beauty and a classic quarter horse…and I love her blood-red bay color!  Time for a cowgirl lesson. Annie is built like the horses we used to have in the 50’s and 60’s…which I grew up with and I LOVE…I love the big hip and deep girth and good shoulder as that is a built horse that will ride nice. Annie has a nice trot and lope as she is balanced…I have three old-fashioned quarter horses and you know what…I love their big hind ends as they carry themselves well.

Lottie was my main horse for almost 20 years…she was put together with balance and she carried herself right. She knew how to cut a cow if needed…she knew how to chase after cows in the mountains…over logs…through streams…up and down mountains…she covered many miles with me.

When we moved to Central Oregon to run our first ranch in 1991…we lived in this 100-year-old house at Post, OR…Lottie and I had another adjustment to handle…rattle snakes…we had low land rattlers and timber rattlers…no matter where she and I went to move cows we had to watch for them.

Yes I am the red-head on the sorrel horse with the long ponytail.

“Wild Bill where are we?”

Then we went to Wyoming…we lived in the log house on the left…incredible views huh? That is the reason I said OK to WB when he said we are moving to Wyoming!

We lived at 7500′ elevation…Lottie had to deal with buffalo…moose…antelope…elk…-60 degree wind chills…and she did it with the class of an American Quarter Horse.

I loved Wyoming…it was incredible to experience the scenery and the weather…yes we had wind…everyday at noon on…it blew…and there is still a part of my heart there.

Ok now that we have had our horse lesson for this post…lets get on to some late August pictures…

We are enjoying our summer nights as much as we can…already it is feeling like fall…I have to put my jacket on as the sun sets…oh my gosh did we have a summer this year?

We have not hit 100 degrees yet…that is abnormal…we usually have a few weeks of HOT 100 degree temperatures and some very warm nights…that usually results in moans and groans around here.

Our dogs like us hanging out on the patio…good rubs and lots of treats…and of course some good games of fetch. Go Texas A and M!!!

And did I say lots of good loving…our youngest and she is a joy to have!

As I was shooting pictures last night Annie kept nickering for a scratch…I rubbed her neck and found all her itchy places…she wanted attention like the dogs were getting:)

And then there was Minnie who also wanted some attention too….she is a sweet girl and truly is the heart of our house. She is now 16 years old and in great health…she plays with her toys tossing them up in the air so she can jump and roll around with them…she is fun to watch and I do think she understands what we say. She fetches her toys bringing them back to me to throw again!

However Minnie is not too sure on our grandson Tucker….Watch the sequence below of Minnie and Tucker.

Minnie spots Tucker….hmmmm…what is he doing?

Uh oh…he sees me and is coming after me…oh cr**…run for her life…Minnie is gone…she does not want anything to do with that noisy funny looking small person!

Tucker is learning to walk and sort of does this part crawl…walk thing on his feet and hands… I call it the “Tuck-A-Tude”.

Yes we have two Tuckers…Tucker our Australian Shepherd and Tucker our grandson..I need to get a picture of the two together as they both have red hair!

Tucker with his Grandpa and Dad…Grandpa is 6′ tall and not a midget…son Greg is 6’5″ tall.  Notice who is not sucking their thumb!

Once again the colors last night were incredible…

Words escape me at times…there is beauty all around us…we often forget to look up or out and take in the view.

Stop and smell the roses…I know corny but so true.

Life is constantly changing…take time out to enjoy it…breathe deeply of this life we have…and even though we run as fast as we can…I challenge you to find beauty every day this new week.

Another beautiful end to another peaceful night in Juniper Canyon.

Night Annie….sleep well.

I am still waiting on a “Harvest Moon”…golden yellow…orange with a bit of red.

Horses and Hot Rods

05 Aug 2011 Leave a comment

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Holton Secret Lab, Horses, Hot Rods, Photography, Ranch Life Tags: , , , ,

Horses…Hot Rods and Howdy from Juniper Canyon…..where Juniper T Ranch and Holton Secret Lab are located.

How many Street Rod Shops are located in the middle of a wheat field on a century old family ranch?

Remember the movie Field of Dreams?

Build it and they will come…and our customers have.

Two Graduates From “The Lab”

A beautiful Chevelle With “Wild Bill” ghost flames….”Wild Bill” or WB is my husband and he is a wild artist and inventer…and a cowboy too in his heart but these days he is riding the shop and herding all those pretty cars around and building outrageous customs and doing complete frame off restorations.

This is our Hot Rod, “Jagged” that Wild Bill is building. It is a 1928 Dodge Coupe with a V-12 Jag motor in it….WB had to invent the intake manifold…then he had to reconfigure the carb to work with an American Edelbrock Carb…he made the headers and fabricated the vehicle to fit the engine…totally “Wild Bill”

More HSL Graduates

Moving on to cowgirl stuff….do you know what “Hooking On” is with a horse? I am going to show you a sequence with my horse Hobby and I in the round corral.

As you see I am in the middle of the round corral and I am sending Hobby to go the direction that I chose.

Here I have asked Hobby to reverse directions…you want your horse to reverse direction by turning  towards you. If they turn away from you then send them on and do not let them reverse until they stop and turn in towards you. This is a matter of respect as you want them to look at you.

I asked Hobby to stop and she did….she turned towards me and is standing still waiting to see what I will ask next.

Hobby is hooked on…which begins the foundation of trust…she wants to stay close to me  as she feels safe  with me as her leader.

No matter what direction I turn and go…Hobby is with me…this is what you want to see…she has no halter or lead rope and she is choosing to stay with me.

Smile Hobby…I love Ya!

We are both getting loves! Since these pictures were taken we have added sand to the round corral, which helps with the (cough cough) dust!

Fanny Annie is enjoying the cool evening after a hot summer day…what a view we have here….it is truly incredible to watch the colors change throughout the day and into the night.

You never know where I will be taking pictures…..see you on down the dusty trail and remember to smile!

Hello World…MJ Here!

04 Aug 2011 2 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Cattle Ranch, Heritage, Horses, Hot Rods, Juniper T Ranch, Ranch History, Ranch Life Tags: , , , ,

Hello world…MJ here…my name is MJ for the most part….although my husband calls me Lucy and my actual name is Marcy….I live where my Norwegian Grandfather homesteaded back in the late 1890’s. The house we live in today was built by my Grandpa Gunder in 1920 for his mother, my Great Grandmother Anne-Marie , my Dad remembered hauling lumber for the house with his Dad when he was 10 years old by horse and wagon from the small town of Helix 8 miles from the house.

Of course Minnie thinks it is her house…and it is….the floors are old and original…pretty huh? We exposed them in 2006, the entire main floor was this beautiful red fir tongue and groove. It is funny that when my Mom moved into the house with Dad in 1939 she spent her time here making the old house modern…I grew up here and did not know that the floors were wood and beautiful…thank goodness Mom had them so well covered to protect them!

Because of the old red fir floors…when we remodeled the kitchen…we had a local cabinet-maker come give us a bid. The first thing he noticed was the old red fir floors…he said “Would you be interested in antique wood red fir cabinets for your kitchen? He told me he bid on a stack of old red fir wood about 30 years ago and it has just sat in his studio….I said YES YES YES…that will restore the kitchen to the original cupboards! I have refinished the pass through cabinet to the original dining room and also have refinished the bar in the middle of my kitchen…it used to be by the sink as I remember my Mom and I rolling cookie dough on the wood bread board that is still intact. That is the bar you see by Minnie!

Isn’t the kitchen incredible…it turned out beautiful! My neighbor painted and fired all my tile for the back splash. I had purchased the tile behind the range several years ago.

Juniper T Ranch Brand

I lost my Dad in 1997 and my Mom in 1998…they were married almost 60 years… they had me late in life…..it was very hard loosing them as I am an only child. I miss them everyday.

Bill and I looked at moving our shop to Portland or Seattle or Bend or Boise or Spokane or Bozeman or Billings but we finally saw that this is where we are to live….most Americans do not have the family history or heritage anymore due to the world we live in and that we have the heritage here and family is huge…so we decided in spite of great odds we would stay right here and market our shop as “The Secret Lab”. Notice that I am making a joke…we were being interviewed for TV.

I do all the marketing and ads for us as well as run our office and I am the Quick Book expert and do all our financial bookkeeping etc. I knew if we got out and showed who we are…that Wild BIll who is an artist and a one of a kind professional car restoration builder that the business would work here….and it has.

We still do get the deer in the headlight look when potential customers at shows ask us where we are located….as the marketing person I have had to fight that misconception about us….that yes we are located in an isolated area that means you will have to drive a few miles to get here BUT Holton Secret Lab is worth it as we are a destination that you want to reach….that is if you want quality and perfection with attention to detail….your call…just do it…you know you want it right? We are worth it…you will not be disappointed!!! We are a one stop shop as we do it all right here in our state of art 8000′ shop with three full-time employees.

I am a cowgirl by heart and spirit. My Dad ran over 800 head of Black Angus cows…each year at the end of school my parents and I moved to the Blue Mountains to take care of the cows for the summer…I was my dad’s right hand man so to speak…he had me riding a horse before I was 2 years old.

To this day I am still riding my horses…running cows and riding hard was my life before I meant and married Wild Bill…and some of his early life was that way too…he buckarooed out in the Owyhee Desert on several large ranches….his Dad had a body shop in Vale and Bill learned how to paint cars by the time he was 16…he worked on  old cars back in the 60’s and 70’s so he knows exactly how to restore them.

This blog will be more about my life as a cowgirl and as a hot rodders wild and crazy wife too…..I hope you will enjoy the memories and way of life I grew up in….I hope you will also enjoy my blogs about Holton Secret Lab too….we have fun out here in Juniper Canyon…so come on in and sit a spell! Welcome to our home and our life!

My parents and I…and our horses up at the cattle ranch in the mountains on Beaver Creek.

Wild Bill and I at the Wyoming Cattleman’s Ball In Pinedale, Wyoming

Riding With Friends Is The Best Medicine For The Soul…Thank You Lana!

Summer Nights Feels So Good…Love You Melody!

Cowboy Son with Hobby and Bo

Cowboy Son Rubbing On Buck…3 Years Old

Cowboy Son On Buck’s Back For The First Time!

Buck is coming to live with us in a month or so…we are very excited to have him come home…and our Cowboy Son will always know where he is at and can come ride anytime…Yep!

So Hey Ya All…Hang On Tight…We Will Travel to Wyoming and To Post Oregon…and To Beaver Creek And To The White House…And To Juniper T Ranch!

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