Bull Hill......

Last week my parents took the kids on a vacation they'll never forget! AND they let Steve and I come for a couple of days! Dylan and Lyndsi spent 3 full days at a working dude ranch near Kettle Falls, called Bull Hill. Imagine real cowboys riding real horses wrangling real cows and allowing real people to help out. That's Bull Hill! The family owned guest ranch is also a working cattle ranch. Guests are allowed to help out on the cattle drives, though our family opted out of the long working days. We chose, instead to go on the trail rides offered twice each day.

The ranch is located on top of a mountain so the trail rides presented beautiful views of the surrounding land. My favorite part of the whole thing was sitting on the cookhouse deck, watching the horses graze in the green grass surrounding me. There's something about horses feeling so free and wild that gives me shivers!

The kids, feeling very experienced due to their arrival a day earlier than Steve and I, had us on horses within 10 minutes of us getting there! Apparently the ranch hands don't worry about those of us who are skeptical and inexperienced as I was put on my horse, Bill, and told to have fun. Hmmmmm.....I learned very quickly how to 'steer' a horse! Steve acted like an old pro on his frisky horse. Dylan was able to apply his knowledge in a true riding setting and Lyndsi was given free reign on her horse, Lurch. My dad, suffering from no feeling in his feet, had several successful rides and my mom was a trooper, going on every ride offered, despite an aching bum!

Our first ride took us down rocky hills and through grassy meadows. The horses worked very hard to keep us upright! This is Dylan and Nana coming down a hill behind me.

Papa and Lyndsi in the horse barn

Sunset with a cabin and the cookhouse deck in the background

"Red" grazing outside the cookhouse

The horse corral with other guests. I'm waiting impatiently and anxiously on top of "Bill" for a trail ride.

Nana and Papa sitting on the deck of the cookhouse on our first night.

My mom has many good pictures of all of us on the horses. When she sends them to me, I'll post them here.