Surprise!!

My family got home from Phoenix really late Thursday night at nearly midnight, and my husband woke us up while it was still dark outside so that we could take care of some cattle business that morning.  I dragged my pokey rear-end out of bed and headed for the shower. My husband stopped me.  His famous last words were, "Don't bother with showering, the cows don't care. Let's just get out of here on time." (Remember these words.)

We drove over the mountain to take a look at some weaned calves. Then we drove out to state lease land to check on some bred cows, and take a look at a bull.  At the base of the tree-line, the forest opens up to this rugged, high plains landscape as far as the eye can see.  (I took all these pics with my iPhone because I was rushed out the door and forgot my camera.)

As luck would have it, the specific cows that we needed to check were not up loafing around the stock tanks with the rest of the herd.  They were down in this little rugged canyon... far, far away from me.  Do you see them above? They look like little black dots between the rocks.

Here's that picture blown WAY up below. Do you see two?

After gathering the little group out of the rocks, we looked at the rest of the herd, found the bull, and drove home.  We were wind whipped and cold, and it was lunch time.  I  prepared food for the family, and then settled into my chair by the wood stove to devour the pages of the newest Western Horseman Magazine that arrived in the mail before starting my afternoon chores. With a full belly and a warm fire, I quickly dozed off in the rocking chair.   

I  was jolted awake by the sounds of my husband saying the words, "They're here!!!!"

I looked at him with a puzzled expression and asked, "Who's here???"

We weren't expecting anyone.

"I think you'd better go answer the door!" he said.

I rubbed my sleepy eyes, still dazed from my cat nap.

When I opened the door, a bunch of my dearest friends stood there with party hats and said, "SURPRISE!!!!!"

I was flabbergasted."What in the world are you all doing here?"

They told me that they were kidnapping me for my surprise birthday road-trip! My instructions were to hurry and throw some clothes in a bag and prepare for warm days and cool nights.

I had NO idea where we were headed!

I said, "Wait! I haven't even had a shower today and I've been working cows all morning!"

"Too bad! We've got a schedule to keep and you'll have to get cleaned up later!" was the reply.

I gave the stink eye to my husband. "You mean you knew all of this was going to take place and you didn't let me take a shower? You didn't tell me to get dressed up? You didn't let me straighten the house up for visitors?"

He just laughed and said that he didn't want me to think there was anything awry or I'd get suspicious. Evidently, the whole thing was planned for months!


They threw a party hat on my head, snapped a picture, and loaded my bag.


I kissed my babies and husband in absolute shock about what was happening to me, and I was whisked away.

What I didn't know was that this was just the beginning of one WILD and  CRAZY adventure.....

To be Continued!