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.

Random Post

I haven't written a random post for a bit so today I shall remedy that void.

I'm sure everyone has been waiting for just this day.

*The Hut is up and open.  Our gazebo had to be replaced this year, the old one had a lot of sun damage.  I was ready to use the umbrella and call it good but Hubby didn't think the girls would like that so we dropped everything on Friday and went to town.  My, don't those girls have the power!

The bed is made and ready for napping.

 I had picked up some wicker plant stands and a tray at Carrie's barn sale. I spray painted them navy blue.  New navy sheets and pillows for the bed, shopped my house and boom it's a change.
In the midst of a project overload it just feels so good to spray paint something and get a project completed.

* Sam and Angela were coming for chicken and ribs on Sunday evening, I called Mark and Karen and they joined us.  I made raspberry pie for dessert.  If the hut is up and there's raspberry pie it is summer at our house.

 *Tomorrow I am leaving for my first Sisters On The Fly (SOTF) camping trip.  It's the PNG 2016 Saddle Up Sisters in Cle Elum.  I feel good about driving forward, it's iffy on the backing up.  I can hitch up, unhitch and get her level so I guess Annie and I are off on an adventure.

*A basket of books to read, I'll probably be so busy I won't open a book.  But as you know my favorite word is poolside.  And there is a pool for me.

 *I read the fine print today and noticed there is a swap meet so I threw some goodies together in case I want to be a seller.

 *Sarah posted the meme.  Yep, I have some over packing going on.  

 *Possibly over packing shoes too. The fun part of packing for this trip has been throwing in the shoes.  No airline baggage restrictions and Hubby isn't asking why I need all of those flip flops.  

Guilt free shoe packing! It's real and it's fun.

I don't own the flamingo boots but I stalk them online hoping for a sale.

 *I didn't sign up for a lot of the activities which I may regret.

It's my first trip and it seems a lot like going to camp.  I haven't been to summer camp since I was thirteen years old.  I went to a church Calvinette camp for girls when I was young and the only thing I didn't like were the nonstop activities.  I'm a loud, shy, introvert and I need a little down time.  It drove me crazy when I was ten years old and so I didn't want to take a chance now that I know I am a loud, shy introvert.

Hubby pointed out to me that at a camp for kids they have to keep everyone busy so they don't get into trouble.  And that I could have signed up and then if I needed a break I could just not go to that activity.  Why didn't I think of that?

Anywhoo, I am super excited, over packed, and almost ready to have more fun than anyone else.

Continuing with the random:

*Retirement is going well.  I have been to the dump, to the TV and computer recyling center and to the thrift store to bring a donation.  It is baby steps.  I am planning a garage sale but haven't picked a date as I am busy camping and having fun this summer.

*The dining table gets cleared and then fills up again.

*I'm having fun cooking.  It just feels more fun when I have more time. I used my mini crockpot, mini casserole dish and my 5 inch pie plate last week.  Cute dinner!

*My peeve this week is pictures of older women doing the cheer pose.  I am not picking on cheerleaders so calm down.  That cheer pose is overused and overrated.  So just stop it.  You look ridiculous.

*That's all of the random for today.  Happy trails!