Opening Weekend

We were all set to take a family dove hunting trip to Santa Anna over the weekend when this happened.  (I wish I could blame the funky toenail situation on Hand Foot & Mouth Disease...) 

So SK and I sat this one out.  

I so hated to miss the hunting and my family, but this introvert was way behind on alone time, so it was nice to have a couple of hours to myself each day when SK was sleeping.

Poor SK was absolutely miserable until she turned the corner Monday morning.  

{Fun fact (unless you're the designated caretaker):  In addition to SK having HF&M I also had 2 goats with sore mouth, which is equally as disgusting looking and painful.  Neither disease is related to foot & mouth/hoof & mouth, which affects cloven-hoofed animals, but sore mouth is contagious to humans.}

Away from the infirmary this was going on:

First things first; BBQ on the way to the ranch.

There would be no shortage of energy-soda induced or naturally occurring-on this trip!

Evening Hunt (J, L, and Missy Yellow the shelter pup)

Hots said Missy Yellow had her best dove season yet.  Have I mentioned/confessed she's a much better dog than we deserve?  She retrieved birds for both Hots and Chris, but only returned them to Hots.  Good dog, Missy!

Hots reported that Carol was a fabulous hostess, as usual, and has told me countless times how nice it was that Mollie and Diana wrapped all the dove so that all he had to do was grill them.  Thanks for raising the bar, girls!  ;)

The boys asked to visit Carol's heifers "in the pen" and Carol said they could and suggested they sit still in the feed trough and so the cattle would approach them.  I can't believe they stayed so still!

L looking way too big

Chillin' in the shade

Everyone had a blast and all four of them were worn out; sign of a successful trip!  

They hadn't even left the ranch Sunday night when both boys were out cold.

Oh, and they did come home with a few dove.  :)