These ranch kids spend their summers running and riding wild.
Summer is here, with long days devoid of the regular school-year structure. My family jumped straight into fun in the sun by getting up at 5:30 a.m. on the first day of summer vacation to drive to a junior rodeo. The kids haven’t slowed down or complained about not having homework even once during the following weeks. Here’s what they’ve been up to.
Exploring outside
“Hey, Mom, we’re going to the hills!” regularly echoes off the walls of our house. The kids often fill a backpack with hiking essentials such as water bottles, snack bars, hay twine, monster trucks, and superhero figures, then head out the door. They told me they’re building a fort across the canyon. I take their word for it because this mom doesn’t hike unless there’s an escalator involved.
Playing with puppies
We recently had our first litter of puppies in three years. I was celebrating the long puppy-free streak while the kids were celebrating the end of that same period. After the last litter was rejected by the mother and you-know-who ended up bottle-feeding the little darlings around the clock (hint: it was not my husband or kids), I’ve been nervous every time a female dog gains a few pounds. Luckily, this mama dog loved all ten of her puppies until she decided it was time to wean; then you couldn’t drag her into the kennel with a come-along. I’ve been there and could relate, so now she has her own private kennel.
Shooting squirrels
My husband and kids regularly shoot ground squirrels, and they haven’t run out of targets yet. It seems like it’d be discouraging to spend so much time perfecting your skills and not even make a dent in the pest population. But it provides them with an activity they can always turn to, much like a ranch wife doing endless loads of laundry. Both activities can bring out murderous intentions.
Sleeping on the trampoline
During the day, the kids use the trampoline for jumping. But at nighttime, they bring out the pillows and blankets and transform them into a bouncy bed. Then they continue to use it for jumping, but only until Mom yells at them from the living room window. They think the net provides protection from wild animals on the ranch. It doesn’t, but I enjoy a quiet house at night, so I’m not telling them.
Riding bucking calves
This applies primarily to elementary-school-aged boys, but it’s a great source of entertainment for the whole family plus a few neighbors who happen to stop by. We’ve even had the saddle horses pick their heads up from grazing to watch the action, then bolt when the chute gate swings open. I didn’t feel bad for them, though. They kicked up their heels as they ran off, so I think they were hoping for a cheap thrill.
Riding pony colts
Basically, these kids will ride anything with hair on it. They outgrew sitting on the dog a few years ago and are pretty darn comfortable in the saddle seat of a broke horse, so now they’re branching out into less-trained ranch animals. Lucky for them, our friends caught wind of their colt-riding ambitions, so they are now supplied with a steady stream of fresh ponies.
Watching rodeos on the Cowboy Channel
When the weather is just too darn hot outside and fit for neither man nor beast, the kids often grab the remote and turn to The Cowboy Channel. Any bull riding event posted to YouTube is also a hit. Their dad and I support this use of the boob tube, because we can check out the biggest rodeos in America without leaving our recliners or waiting in line for 45 minutes to use a porta-potty on a 100-degree day. We can grab a cold drink, put a potted tree in the living room and pretend we’re in St. Paul, Oregon.
