Story Time Sunday - The Adventures of Roo and Elizabeth

The Adventures of Roo and Elizabeth – Part One

Once upon a time, a litter of puppies was born to a fox terrier, somewhere in the mountains. She had 9 little puppies, each more spotted and cuter than the last. They slept and ate, chewed on each others ears and tumbled all over the place.

One rainy winter day when the puppies were still very small, a girl named Elizabeth came by the house to visit the puppies. She was pale and unsteady on her feet because she was very sick and was looking to find a friend. The girl sat down on the floor and all the puppies gamboled about her. She picked up one and then another until she picked up a certain puppy with funny little spots on her nose. As soon as Elizabeth touched the spotted puppy, she stopped squirming and nestled very close and held quite still. Maybe she was listening to Elizabeth’s heart beat or maybe she knew Elizabeth wanted a friend, but we’ll never really know because dogs only talk on Christmas Eve, and mostly when there are no humans around.

For kindness sake Elizabeth held a few more puppies, but they all wriggled and wanted to get down and go back to tumbling on the floor. Elizabeth reached for the spotted puppy once more and just like before, the spotted puppy nestled close to her heart as soon as she picked her up.

The puppy cocked her head as Elizabeth handed the people who owned the fox terrier a crisp $100 bill, then she scooped up the puppy and holding her close, she danced out the door into the rain.

During the long drive to Elizabeth’s house, the puppy snuggled close to her heart. Something wasn’t right with the pale girl; the puppy could feel she was weak and in pain. The puppy tried to burrow even closer to the girl, maybe she could make her feel better if she just tried this….the pale girl squealed in surprise when the puppy’s pink tongue darted out and licked her chin. “Why you little shister!” Elizabeth said and held the offender up to eye level. The puppy liked the sound of the girl’s laugh and her little dipstick of a tail began to wag furiously. The more the girl laughed, the more the puppy’s tail wagged and her little pink tongue lapped at Elizabeth’s chin. It was a jocular drive home.

The little spotted puppy looked out the window and watched as they pulled up to a ranch house in a large valley. There was a big yard and tall grass and horses and cows and all sorts of wonderful smells! Elizabeth carefully placed the puppy on the ground; she was no bigger than a mouse! The puppy sniffed the dirt and then just like the cartoon Kangaroo from Winnie the Pooh, she hopped away on all fours. The puppy looked up when Elizabeth started howling with laughter. “Well that’s what I’ll call you then, Roo. Because you jump around like a kangaroo!”  Roo wagged her dipstick of a tail and they headed towards the house together, Roo hopping all the way.

For another fun story, read about Stumps the Ranch Cat! 

Don't miss another post by following my blog HERE! 

xo xo Elizabeth 

Introducing Stumps, the Ranch Cat

Once upon a time, there was a cat whose name was Stumps.

He was as black as the night sky and as a tough as a whole litter of Catahoula puppies. He was born and raised on a ranch in Northern California and thought he would always live there.

One day, the owner's of the ranch died.
The owner's son, Jim, who was a very jolly, good fellow, came and took Stumps across the valley to live at his ranch.

Stumps thought this was a very stupid idea.

He liked HIS ranch. So he ran away, the whole 2 miles back to his place.

2 miles is a very long run for a cat. He was very paw-sore.

Jim came and got Stumps, afraid that he would get hungry now that no one was living there with him. Stumps ran away again.

This continued until one day a family moved into the house on Stump's ranch.

He decided to let them stay because his tail had been eaten off by a coyote and all that remained was a stump and the stump got an aching kind of kink in it that was hard to get at because he didn't have opposing thumbs.

The family obligingly pulled the kink out of his stump once a day.

Stumps showed the family what a stud he was.

He caught them burrowing owls and triumphantly left the remains on their door step.
He went on walks with the family, his tongue lolling out of his mouth and panting like an African lion.
He even liked to sit and watch when they roped the dummy, as long as they did not try and rope him. He fought big rabbits who tried to slice him up with their powerful hind legs, and when he won, he left the remains with the owls on the doorstep.

Stumps liked to sleep under the porch at night because the coyote who ate his tail really wanted to eat the rest of Stumps, too!

Stumps liked to sneak into the house and sleep on the back of the couch during the day. One day, the family noticed Stumps wasn't moving very much. And he'd got awfully skinny. And when he tried to lap up water for a little drink it would dribble out of his mouth. Stumps had gotten in an awful fight with something that ate half his tongue out!!! He was very sick for a while, but because he was Stumps the amazing Ranch Cat, he survived.

What sort of adventures will Stumps have next? Only time will tell, so stay tuned....for more Adventures of Stumps the Ranch Cat!!

xo xo Liz

Photo Credit: The very talented and lovely mums!! AKA The mums, or Alison Brannan

Heifers, Shotguns and Lingerie....Valentine's Day Buckaroo Barbie Style

Adrian and I got a request the other day to write a post on ways to spend Valentine's Day that are still special even if you're living out in the middle of nowhere and cooking for your man is a daily occurrence. And we are more than happy to comply! We got to talking about our favorite Valentine's that we had spent with boyfriends, and we both realized that our favorite memories are actually pretty "tame"...time spent at home together after riding colts and finishing shows...no trumpets blaring or cupids giggling in the corner, just enjoyment of a quiet moment spent with the one you care about.

Adrian's favorite Valentine was spent in town, singing at some show in the afternoon and then riding colts with her boyfriend in the evening. She says it's her favorite because they weren't stressed or in a hurry and then they went inside and made dinner together and watched the Hangover. Truly romantic stuff right there.

My favorite Valentine was spent miles from town and my boyfriend and I went to the local bar after a long and cold day of riding colts in the snow because I was too tired to cook! It was grand fun, there was no one there, stuffed pork chops were on the menu and the owner lit a candle for us, which we all thought was hilarious because I'm pretty un-romantic!!

So if you can't make it into town for a movie, expensive dinner and a night filled with chocolate and lace and silk sheets, don't despair!! You can still have grand fun!

Buckaroo Barbie Scenario #1

It's snowy and cold and you and your Buckaroo Man have a bunch of first time heifers to calve out. You're going to be tired, your honey will be tired so don't make elaborate plans in your head and then be disappointed and heartbroken if some mama cow's labor pains take preference over Valentine's Day. Keep it sweet and simple. Plan something for dinner that doesn't depend on having hours of free time to prepare it. Something hot and spicy in the crock pot, perhaps? When you go to town for your grocery shop this weekend pick up some champagne and strawberries as a treat. When it's dinner time (whenever that may be), pile up a bunch of pillows and blankets in front of your fireplace or wood stove picnic style, and serve your dinner on trays! As a treat pour you and your baby the champagne you picked up in town (but let him open the bottle, make him feel all manly), add a couple of strawberries and you have a romantic winter picnic dinner, even if one or both of you has to rush back out into the dark of the night far too soon!! 

Menu: 

Spicy Beef Stew
Biscuits served with Honey Butter
Basque Salad 
Champagne served with Strawberries 

Outfit:
Winter Cap
House Slippers
Fresh Jeans 
Spritz of perfume 
Lip Gloss 

Cold Hands, Warm Heart Playlist:
Mariposa Wind: Mike Beck
Little Lion Man: Mumford and Sons
Awake and Alive: Skillet
Gypsy Woman: Muddy Waters
Rain Patty Griffin
Hands:Adrian
All American Nightmare: Hinder
Love Never Comes At All: Ian Tyson
9 to 5: Dolly Parton
Marry Me: Train
Cowboy Girl: Any Old Time String Band
Roll On Owyhee: Ian Tyson
Angel of the Morning: Juice Newton
Sun is Gonna Rise: Bill Miller

No matter if you're calving, dancing, laughing, wishing you were sleeping or eating, love is beautiful.

Buckaroo Barbie Scenario #2 

It's a clear, cold and beautiful Valentine's Day. What's a Buckaroo Barbie to do? Why shoot some clays of course!! Fill a thermos up with coffee, grab a baggie of cookies and a box of shells and head on out with your sweetheart for some friendly competition!! Instead of playing "pig" (you have the letters p-i-g to miss, and whoever spells pig first loses), play a game of love! Loser forfeits a kiss. Once you and your man are thoroughly chilled, head home, wipe the snow off your barbecue and fire her up! Make dinner together and yes, he has to help too!! After your amazing meal play a game of cards, cribbage, braid some rawhide or just watch a movie. And enjoy just being you with just him. 

Menu: 
BBQ'd Elk Steaks
Twice Baked Potatoes 
Cheesy Cauliflower 
Homemade Sangria 
Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Outfit:
Puffer Vest or jacket
Hair in Pigtails
Nails painted alternating pink and red
80's Old Man Ball Cap
A Smile

Shooting & Grooving Playlist:
Shoot To Thrill: ACDC
Dad's Gonna Kill Me: Richard Thompson
Touch of Evil: Tom Russell
Photograph: Nickleback
Sorry: Gary Allen
Fastest Girl in Town: Miranda Lambert
Fuzzy: Randy Rogers Band
Ain't No Rest For the Wicked: Cage the Elephant
Cavvy Song: Adrian
Sweet Dreams: Eurythmics
Thrift Shop: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
Summer of Love: Mike Beck
Highwayman: The Highwayman
The Steeldust Line: Ian Tyson
Wanted Dead or Alive: (Tom Cruise Version)

Couples that ride, rope and shoot together...stay friends forever. 

Buckaroo Barbie Scenario #3

Your man has free time and you've been planning this night for a week. There's fresh flowers on the table, sour heart shaped candy and chocolate kisses piled in tempting heaps around the house. Your special Buckaroo Barbie Playlist is quietly playing in the background and everything is almost ready. The table is opulent...covered with a table cloth and flowers, candles and pearls dripping off its sides. You built a frothy, frilly fort in the living room for you and your man to watch Rocky from later, once dinner is over. Hey, if everything else is so girly, he outta be allowed to watch a manly-man movie at least, right?! Right! You've showered, curled your hair into Victoria's Secret model worthy waves and are all dressed up in your town clothes, even though you have no intention of heading into town. All you have to do is wait for your Prince Charming in Chinks to arrive and your romantic evening will commence. 

Menu: 
Starter of Salmon Spread and Cheese and Crackers
Steak with Whiskey Sauce
Loaded Baked Potatoes 
Garlic Green Beans 
Fresh Loaf of Sourdough Bread 
Red Wine with Dinner
Red Waldorf Astoria Cake
Coffee and Bailey's Irish Cream

Outfit:
Your Prettiest Underwear
A Dress...(it could be as simple as a sweater dress with leggings and your town boots or as special as your fancy black wrap dress and bare feet.) 
Simple jewelry

Romance at the Ranch Playlist:
Romance in Durango: Bob Dylan
Come Over: Kenny Chesney
Hot Summer Tears: Ian Tyson
Sweet Disposition: Temper Trap
At Last: Etta James
Campfire Waltz: Dave Stamey
I and Love and You: The Avett Brothers
North Dakota: Lyle Lovett
For You: Angus and Julie Stone
Stacks: Bon Iver
Striptease: Hinder
Just a Dream: Nelly
Sunlight On Silver: Jesse Ballantyne
Spanish Ranch CowboyCalifornia Girl: Adrian
Love Me Tender: Catlin Martin

Bare feet or heels, diamonds or pearls....you keep me coming back for more. 


These were just our ideas, Dolls and we had so much fun putting our heads together and coming up with some different scenarios. Just remember you don't have to follow ANY RULES to have a wonderful and special Valentine's Day with your love. Just be you. Do what you want. And smile.

Picture Credit: Adrian 

And for you gals who are single, don't worry!! We've got an awesome post coming up especially for you in the next couple of days!!

xo xo Liz and Adrian