We're here at Runamuk!

We arrived in Billings yesterday around noon and decided to go eat at Perkins Restaurant because Daddy was starving. We were surrounded by a lot of people, not to mention a lot of bikers in town for Big Sky Bike Week. One of them had to have his bike pushed off because the starter was messed up...

The flights were great and we arrived on time, after they had to move our flights around because of a bad prop jet in Asheville, but it was a lot better that way, only 2 flights to take instead of 4. Unfortunately on the way back we'll have the 4 flights we expected, but that's okay, I guess.

It was a 50-mile trip up to Roundup and the ranch. So far it's been great, the Dahls are very hospitable and Jody is indeed a very good cook! We just fooled around at the guest house until time for supper, and Jody prepared garlic potatoes, salad with a vanilla pomegranate dressing, fresh bread, and steaks done medium well! It was great. Last night we shared the house with Grace and Hannah, mother and daughter, from L.A., but they're leaving on Monday afternoon to go home. Slept great, even through a thunder storm.

But after supper we moved ourselves out to the barn and Val and Hannah and I had our "drivers ed" for horses. We even took turns learning to cut cattle! I rode Pinto, a palomino pinto horse and he was pretty willing and able. Valerie had to take "remedial horse" before they'd let her come to the cutting pen with us!

On Monday morning after a huge breakfast, we returned to the barn, saddled up and went to gather cattle from out in the pasture, all 18,000 acres of it. I was able to get one calf to the gate but had to let 2 go, couldn't catch 'em. We drove them out onto the dirt road and back to the ranch. Hank was our fearless leader, an 18-year-old bull rider and ranch hand.

Time for lunch! I'll blog again soon!