The Sisters

Thanks Rene. I keep thieving your photos...

The Flying Horseshoe Ranch is fantastic, the activities and workshops at a SOTF event are fabulous but I've saved the best for last.  The sisters are the very best part of the Sisters On The Fly!

 They are a sharing and caring bunch of gals.  They raise thousands of dollars for Hope Source with a silent and a live auction.

 They aren't afraid to get dressed up in their petticoats or chaps. Kate has a western themed trailer named Steel Cut Kate.

 Jean and Rene came to me in Lynden at a trailer rally and issued a special invitation to become a sister.  They have taken me in, encouraged me and blessed me in so many ways. I never had any intention of joining SOTF or towing Annie by myself.

 Kathy is in the pink and Marian is in the teal petticoat.  Marian's husband passed away in December, she hadn't towed a trailer in 30 years.  Kathy has been a good friend to Marian. Sarah is in the background and after seeing her taking towing lessons from her husband last year I felt I could do it too.  Sisters have a can do attitude and a you can too attitude.

The last morning we could make yogurt parfaits to go, we got one last gift (there are gifts everyday!) and then the sisters that play ukulele(there were ukulele workshops)  sang and played 

Happy Trails to You.

Next year the Pacific NW Gathering is in McCall, Idaho.

McCall or Bust!

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

A Sisters On The Fly gathering has many, many activites.  You can do as many as you like or nothing at all. You can be as busy as you want to be.

There are cocktail parties.

 Jean hosted a party for the new sisters on the first day.  It was a fun way to meet sisters and to get a feel for the days ahead.

 Rene, I stole your photo, thank you.

 You go to meals.  Breakfast and dinner are included so there is no cooking on your own.  The meals were delicious and well planned.

 Rene did all of the table decorations and changed them out every evening.

The last night's dinner was catered with BBQ ribs, chicken and prime rib.  The Dutch ovens had potatoes, veggies and cobblers cooking in them.

You can go on a field trip.  Jean, Rene and I went to Cle Elum and Roslyn for some junkin', lunch and a cemetery tour one day. 

 I love home tours and there are a lot of trailers that put out an open sign so I could walk around and tour homes every day.

 You can get ideas from some of the most creative women you'll ever meet.  I loved this pillow made from a wool blanket.  Sometimes when I see wool blankets they have some moth damage and now I will cut out the good bits and make it a pillow.  Great reuse,

 This last trailer is named Gypsy.  I asked her owner about all of the staging and knick knacks having to be put away to go on the road.  Nope, she just glued everything in place.

 I had Annie open too.

 Normally there are awnings, buntings, flamingos, bars, and staged picnics set up outside the trailers. Since the winds were high and constant, it looked like a tornado in a trailer park most of the time.

I went to a fun sip and paint class one afternoon.

 I painted Huaka'i Annie.

From the sip and paint class I went directly to a beer tasting class.

There were trail rides, that is Kathy on her horse.

 The ranch has a pool.

There was also a paper craft class, leather bracelet class, trailer safety, yoga, hiking.

 Of course, there is fly fishing, after all, it is Sisters On The Fly.

 It's fun to go to camp as an adult because you can do whatever you want to do or nothing at all.

Next post, the sisters!

Sisters On The Fly Trip 2016

Last Wednesday I left bright and early for my first Sisters On The Fly trip.  It was the Pacific Northwest Gathering 2016 in Cle Elum, Washington at the Flying Horseshoe Ranch.

I took the goat trail between Everett and North Bend to avoid 405 rush hour traffic.

 I drove to North Bend to meet Jean, Kathy, and Tracy.  We caravanned to Cle Elum where we met Marian.  Then on to the ranch.  If you arrive together then you may park together. Rene was there waiting for us. 

Whoa, I can tow a trailer and take pictures on the pass.  Go Me!

 I wanted to learn to tow Annie on my own, I love camping with Hubby but I wanted to be able to do it myself.  A bucket list item checked off the list.

 Ever since I was a little girl I have wanted to stay at a ranch so there goes another bucket list check mark. I think it was a Trixie Belden book that gave me the ranch fever.

I set up camp.  The trailer isn't super level but it was good enough.  It was too windy for the awning so I strung up some bunting.

I went to the ranch house to check in and then took a walk around the ranch to get my bearings and to just take it all in.  It was my dream ranch.  I was giddy!

 Every morning someone would come out to the field on a gator to call the horses in for the day.  I'm guessing there was grain or hay waiting for them.  She'd yell, "C'mon in" and the horse all ran for the barn.  It was beautiful and watching it never got old.

Once they got fed it was a nap in the sunshine in the corral.

 I never waited for the bathroom.  The showers were hot.

 Everyday I took a walk around the ranch to take photos.

 My dream ranch had a pool as did the Flying Horseshoe Ranch.  This just gets better and better for me.  Y'all know my favorite word is poolside.

 Next post I'll share the fun I had while on the ranch.