Finally, update!

Due to first-week craziness and an iffy wireless connection, I have been unable to update for some time. Also, not a lot has happened. Life continues to go on at the ranch. Today was my day off, so I went to Craig and did some shopping. I found some good deals on Western belts and shirts, some groceries, and some gorgeous new cowgirl boots! They were not a super good deal, but I am still excited about them. We have to wear them every day, so I needed some good ones that didn't hurt my feet. The loaners I had from the barn weren't doing the trick.

I have made a sticker chart for myself. I decided that this is a summer of overcoming fears. So I wrote down categories of things I'm afraid of (snakes, boys, authority figures, rock climbing, mountain biking, and confrontation), and every time I do something I'm afraid of in those areas, I get a sticker. Obviously these are not my deepest, darkest fears--I don't want to post those on the wall on a sticker chart. Also, they are things that I think I can reasonably overcome during this time period.

"Real" guests are here for the first time this week. It's definitely a faster pace than the winter. I was overwhelmed yesterday. I think it will take some time to get used to it. There are some really cute kids here, though. One little four-year-old girl, Ava, is a stitch. I was talking to her at breakfast yesterday, and she saw my Cinderella watch and asked, "Isn't Cinderella for kids?" Kids and me, Ava. Kids and me.

Yesterday I hiked up to Hinman Lake. It's about 20 min above the ranch (it's weird to think of distance in "above" and "beneath"). It was absolutely gorgeous. I followed the trail beyond the lake until I came to a fence with a "Private Property--No Trespassing" sign. This was frustrating because I could actually see the ranch from where I was, but I turned around and went back. When I got back to the lake, I didn't like the idea of taking the exact same path and decided to walk around the other side of the lake. There was no trail per se, but there seemed to be a little deer trail and I thought I could follow it. Well, I forgot to take into account that deer are four-footed creatures with hooves adapted to climbing steep slopes and tiny ridges in the Rocky Mountains. I ended up hanging on to tree branches for dear life and inching along some parts on my butt. I had also seen tracks earlier that I thought might be mountain lion tracks, and every little noise made my heart jump into my mouth. I kept talking to myself and singing loudly to try to keep it away because I heard that they are afraid of loud, confident-seeming creatures. This is why I hike alone.

I am excited to wear my new clothes to work tomorrow!