Out on the Trail.....

welcome to the Dixie Dude Ranch...

So Steve & Suki are very nice and while Steve has a little riding experience Suki and I started out not knowing a thing which was kind of reassuring (in a bizarre sort of way).

Buddy


Nico

Popeye (and Cash hiding in the background)

Justin, our Cowboy for the day, took us out for about 90 minutes I guess .....just walking pace but up and down some serious inclines and over some really rocky and narrow paths........of course the horses (Cash, Nico, Popeye and Buddy) have seen it many times before and could almost do it blindfold.......but it was good fun and quite exhilirating at times.

Justin and Buddy leading the way....


Suki on Popeye and Steve on Nico following along...

Justin was just a young guy, 21, and was just helping out for the day.....he makes his living riding bulls in rodeo competitions around the country and has lived in Bandera all his life.

another self-portrait!

The scenery was terrific.....the ground is seriously dry, dusty and barren and yet the trees all look so green and lush......it has a strange beauty to it...... Most of these pictures were taken on the move while Cash beneath me bounced around so they weren't exactly composed.

Cash....you have some neck!!!

Cash decided he wanted his own close-up after all.....

We got back for about 5pm and the dinner bell rang at 6pm for us to come running......dinner was great.......just the three of us while the ladies of the ranch all made sure we had everything we needed.....and then they kicked off a little fire outside for us to have a few beers in the cool of evening and chill out for a while.

There is nothing out here at all......a sky full of stars......the dogs and cats of the ranch wandering around. The horses have pretty much a free run of the ranch....it is lovely to walk out of your room and as you stand on the porch have 3 or 4 horses walking by.....some of buildings are fenced in to keep the horses out rather than the other way round.