Celebrating July

Roger and I celebrated the 4th at home this year with a brunch of red, white and blue homemade waffles and trimmings. . . 

. . . and an early dinner of Longhorn Steakhouse ribs. Excellent ribs!

Roger's pickle ball crew had a little early morning treats party. He plays with lots of fun friends on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings each week. Wish my knees (well actually, also my back, balance, etc.) would let me play!

On July 8, it was off to Jerry's Bell Cross Dude Ranch in Cascade, Montana, for the annual Class of '62 Gathering/Reunion of buddies and spouses. Roger looks forward to it every year, and, though I don't do the cowboy stuff much anymore, I genuinely love his class friends and their spouses. They are such great people, so down to earth and fun.

This is the scene from the front of the ranch house.

We arrived Wednesday evening in time for dinner, prepared by the full-time cook and staff.

Next morning, Roger got to do, probably, his favorite thing they do at the ranch, shoot skeet. I have to say, he is very, very good at it! It's a sport where quick reflexes are key, and those, he's still got big time!

Someone passed out little packs of peanuts to have with or put in our cokes, like they used to do in the day!

One of the activities was a corn-hole tournament. Couples' names were listed on a chart in single elimination competition. I had never played before, but my partner, Roger, is very good (Drats!). I started getting the hang of it in our first competition, which we won. Then, back-to back, we played our second game, and we won that, which placed us in the final competition, playing for the championship. As it turned out, it was one of Roger's best friends, Danny, and Roger's old girlfriend, Carol (who was playing for Danny's wife, who is on oxygen), who were our competitors! We were ahead 19-17, but then Roger put the beanbag in the hole, which is worth 3 points, when he was aiming to put it on the board, which is worth 1 point. That put us over 21, which is the winning number. So you have to go back to 17, and Danny and Carol ended up winning. By then, 3 games in a row, I was tired. I have to say, I'm not very competitive and I just wanted to sit down. 

You know that you're really out in nature when you have a visitor like this!

Jerry announced that there would be a 2-hour ATV ride. Now I know Jerry's time clock after I've had a few visits to the ranch, so I opted out. They returned almost 4 hours later.

Taking a break

Such a wonderful group!

They traveled to the meadow, where we have usually had lunch, but they didn't this year, because we had 2 meals each day this year, brunch and dinner, instead of the usual 3. There's an old cabin and pretty view of the surrounding mountains.

Next day was the trail horse ride, and the participants of that have narrowed down to 7 this year, and that's counting the staff cowboy who led the way. Everyone now needs a stool to help them get on and off the horse, except Roger. He hoists himself on and off with no problem. He got a lot of teasing for that!

Roger took me on a fun ATV ride all around the property in 1 of the 2 air-conditioned ones. Now, that was fun!

We visited Danny and Lyle fishing in the pond they stock with fish.

This is a working ranch, too, and they have about 150 head of cattle and about half a dozen are longhorns.

Some of us went to the barn where they're feeding a baby fawn who was abandoned by its mother.

We posed for a pic in front of the fireplace on the final night before dinner.

Roger's "Wilson Boy" buddy, Danny Gibson

Danny and his cute wife, Carol - the long and short of it!

Dinner the final night is always on the patio, and a country and western band come to the ranch to entertain us. We had delicious filet mignon steaks with all of the trimmings.

It was Joan Heaps' birthday and we all sang to her. She's such a lovely, gracious lady!

Not a lot happened in July. I mostly stay in the AC. We've started working on our final combined personal history, searching for and sorting pics from the past on our computer. 

Susi Lafaele, my "boss" at the Chamber of Commerce, where I volunteered for over 8 years, sent a text to me and 2 other long-term volunteers with this pic from the past, saying that she missed us and wanted us to go to lunch together.

So here's our updated pic. It was so fun to reconnect. Susi's a real doll! She left the chamber a few years ago and is now in charge of the Washington County Fair, where she has made big improvements. I think the best change is getting it moved from August to April. So much better in this hot desert climate!

I had to include this cute pic of Rick, Jodie, Abby and Blake at Disneyland. Rick is such a good sport to take them there every year, and Blake was a real daredevil this year, going on every ride with Abby, home from her mission. He loved it this year!

On Pioneer Day, the 24th of July, we stayed home in the cool house and I made Roger's favorite, Sloppy Joes and potato salad and Key lime bars. We watched the parade in Salt Lake on tv and saw some fireworks out our window that night.

Roger has finished out the month taking advantage of the summer deal at Copper Rock Golf Course. He's gone 3 times with different foursomes. He says it is very challenging, and he shot 3 over on the back nine, 39, the last time he went and was so happy!

We enjoyed our celebrations this month. I am celebrating that hot, hot July is over!