You Know It’s an Adults-Only Week When….

….the pranks begin. First, you start finding unfamiliar pictures of yourself in random windowsills….

         

        Then, you start finding pictures of OTHERS perhaps randomly on your office desk….oh--and those others may also be posing in a porta-potty….the gift that keeps on giving….

        Then, you may all show up wearing the same clothes….always awkward…. (Aren’t these jackets awesome?  Thank you Marshall Gerry and Kalamity K for the awesome keepsake! They made these themselves and now we all covet….and covet some more….*ahem!*)

                 Oh! Check out the new patio benches we commissioned!  A local chainsaw artist did these for us and we couldn’t have been more pleased with how they turned out. Truly a piece of art--comfy art!

Even Rocky thinks so!

 

        We were thrilled this season to welcome Darcy and Luis back to their ranch home-away-from-home after being missed the past several years. This is a special place for them (and they are rather special to us) because in 2005, after being guests for a week, they flew back in to Colorado to come be married here at the ranch. And not just at the ranch, mind you—on a ride! Jerry, Cheri, Chad and Tammy were the special guests, witnesses and photographers and after we prettied up their horses with flowers and ribbons, the happy couple, their four guests and the preacher, all rode out on horseback to a special spot way back in a gorgeous valley and there they said, “I do” under a Colorado blue sky. It was certainly a day we all remember and hold dear, so we were thrilled to have them back again this year. It always feels like a family reunion when our friends come back to see us! (And no worries—they already booked for next year—so we won’t have to wait that long to see them again—whew!)

         Ok, back to Adults-Only Week:

         Jerry led an epic ride into the High Country one morning and what an adventure it turned out to be…

        (See the picture below? So happy they specify this sort of thing….would have been tough getting the horses to cross that swinging bridge….Hmmmm….I wonder if the wild horses knew to cross over this direction back in the day? Bet they wish they’d had that sign….)

        Jerry then led everyone up the river bed, much to the delight of everyone….well, uhh, almost everyone.  Here you can see Camille is wishing she had NOT asked for the shortest horse we  had. Good for getting up….bad for crossing rivers. “Seven”, here,  is only 2 feet tall you might notice. Also awkward when “bushwacking” through the sage. …

But it was right about…..NOW--

…we were thinking we were gonna get a liiiittle more wet than that as the storm rolled over the hill and straight for us. So we got out of the water--

  And took cover! (And then lots of pictures, because what else does a bunch of wild adults do when they are waiting out a rain storm in the woods? Right?)

        See what incredible guests we have? Tammy and Remi forgot their rain coats, so being the fine individuals they are, Abby and Christina graciously shared.  Now, let me take a brief moment to tell you that Christina was our only new victim, I mean, first-time guest this week. Everyone else had been here at least once before, but as you can see, she fits right in with the family here at the ranch—almost a little too well….. (where have you been all this time??)

                                             We are so happy she found us and from what we hear, she caught the ranch fever as well--we’ll be seeing her next year and we can’t wait!!

        While we waited for the storm to pass, we  practiced our riding technique and form. Ok, ok…..actually we were stuck in this position from our previous hours in the saddle…….or would you believe Jerry demoted us from riding our horses due to our silliness? Still not buying it? Fine. This was the “how to ‘go’ in the woods ride”.  Tammy was a phenomenal wrangler on this ride. We thank her for her cowgirl wisdom. *wink* Moving right along……

     

It might be an Adults-Only Week when…….

   …the staff busts out their finest duds and we start passing out the chips! Welcome to Buckhorn Saloon!

I love the jingle jangle of a cowboy’s spurs…..never a dull moment when Marshall Gerry is in town!

         But when that cow bell rings, you better be one of the first two to the stage! There’s big money at stake. And alllll you have to do is—well—whatever Cheri says! (Sounds easy right?) Now we can’t tell you what it is (you might practice—we know you people), but it’s ummmmm…..

  ….bound to make some blog-worthy photo ops (not to mention good, good laughs and memories!)  Great job you guys!

If mimicking is the highest form of flattery, then these ladies gave each other one big compliment. Best dressed award goes to Sue and Camille for sure!

        This couple also deserves an award. Marshall Gerry for taking home the buckle for the highest number of chips at the end of the night and the beautiful Miss Kalamity K for not being ashamed to to be seen with him! Ha!  What can we say, Gerry, except you scared the staff and you are truly one of a kind! (You seriously make us laugh dear friend! Now please stop borrowing Chad’s clothing….)

Your Bar Lazy J Wild West staff!

 

        Now just in case you thought things couldn’t get anymore “exciting” around here--you know--like we couldn’t have any more fun than that? Well, you’d be wrong. Thanks to the suggestion by one of our fine guests, Bar Lazy J hosted it’s first ever (that we know of) campfire game of charades! Oh and the word funny? Doesn’t even come close to what it was my friends….  

(Christina, you made it on there twice. You were just that good!) ;)

Pretty sure that night made history. That’s all I can say about that. So THANK YOU to Pete’s wonderful, wonderful parents—Mike and Stacie-- for getting it going. You guys were a treasured part of our week!

Need more proof of Adults-Only week?

A picture is worth a thousand words……

 

          And then sometimes, a “look” from your wife is worth 10,000 words…. of course in Cheri’s case, she can give the Publishing Clearing House of “looks”….

I could be mistaken, but this might be the “why are you in the pool with all your clothes on?” look.

         So, what can we say? Bring your kids for the all-time-get-outside and be-a-kid vacation of a lifetime, but then drop them off for some quality time with grandma and grandpa and head back out for our September weeks! You never know what might happen, but it’s guaranteed to be a belly-laughin’, boot-stompin’ good time!