Re: Ghost Ranch (back as a gout get it, hahaha)

[Charlie]

Randy laughed, as he un hooked Lu's saddle. "The latter would be correct." he smirked he was glad she hadn't followed him into the trees. He put Lu's things in the tack room and led her to her stall. He grabbed a brush and a few bits a feed gave her the feed and began to rub her down.

[Ziva :)]

After walking around the stables a few times, Champ had cooled down fairly well. Lara brushed him down quickly and made sure he had fresh water. She would feed him later, on her break so that he could calm down first. It would reduce the risk of collick.
"See ya around Randy," Lara waved and made her way to the house, changing just in time to start helping with making breakfast.

[Charlie]

Randy waved as he went to feed the horses. A few boys came out. One was his line backer, one a city slicker who looked like he was probably here as a punishment and one was a polo player. Randy despised polo players Nd they're horses some how both were stuck up snobs and ungrateful bastards. He gave them hard grunt work to weed out the whimps. He had watered and fed all the horses an gave Greyson a green apple and Lu a carrot. He then supervised and helped the potential stable hands the city slicker was actually doing well on break he found out that the city slicker was barrel racer. The linebacker was named Ronnie he was a roper and was doing just fine. The Polo player Gus was a stuck up snob and tried not tondo anything. So Randy being Randy told the City Slicker Eric and Ronnie to lay off and make Gus suffer. It was quite funny watching his perfectly slicked back platinum blonde hair become disheveled.
Soon it was time for breakfast Ronnie and Eric had the job and on the way back to the house they had to listen to Gus complain about all the hard work he did then he went into how Polo was the ultimate horse sport. It took all Randy had to not turn around and punch the snob in the nose.

[Ziva :)]

Making enough food to feed all of the hungry ranch hands was harder than Lara had first realized, but if there was nothing else she could do it was cook. Her red curls were pulled up in a messy bun and she was up to her elbows in four from neading the dough to make buttermilk biscuits. The second batch of eggs were coming along, as one of the new recruits watched over them under one of the women's supervision. Randy's mother was frying bacon and teaching a new recruit how to peel apples faster at the same time.
Lara was busy, and light-hearted so they were finished in no time, and soon had the feast spread out on the table.

[Charlie]

Randy walked in. "Mornin' Ma." he said walking up behind her she smiled.
"Go set the table." she ordered in a kind voice. Randy got the plates, and silverwhere and waited for the women tonfinsih and be seated.
He looked at Lara, "You look lovely." he was half joking half serious he always admired the kitchen aids and cook they worked hard. He knew it, he would bet to feed the entire ranch they worked the hardest.
Soon Alec, Trevor, and Harrison walked in they were the three laziest and best cowboys out there. They took of there hats and placed them on the pegs by the door. Boots were allowed at breakfast and lunch. And nice boots or no shoes at all were allowed at dinner. Dinner was more formal and not a come and go thing like breakfast or lunch.

[Ziva :)]

Lara rolled her eyes, and tried not to smile. "You just say that because I'm covered in flour,"
She dusted herself off and pulled off her apron before sitting down. One of the men said Grace and they tucked in.
Like most cooks, Lara was more happy when others were enjoying the food she had helped make than eating it herself. She leaned back, enjoying a biscuit, and listening to the others talk about things going on around the ranch.

[Charlie]

Randy slid in the seat next to her. And piled his plate he was herding today and the next day. He ate his fill his next full meal like this would be breakfast in three days. "Hope you are one of the people who is accompanying us on the drive." he commented as he pointed to the three older men in there late twenties. He trusted his dad would see over the two new ranch hands and the snob. His dad always took charge when he went on cattle drives.

[Ziva :)]

"Me too," Lara agreed, "Sounds like it'd be fun," She silently wondered why they might have anyone accompany them, unless maybe to cook for them. She remembered her mother telling her that the fastest way to any man's heart was his stomach, and desided that that was probably the case.

[Charlie]

"We'll be gone two days. And well goin hungry is never an option on a cattle drive." he smiled. As he finished his paper. "See ya in a bit." he got up and grabbed a bag that his mom had set by the door his was red and there was a grey, blue, and green one left. He talked with his mom a bit and came back. "You and the cook both have your bags on the counter over there. Meet us in the riding ring ready to go in thirty minutes." he smiled. He swishes his hair out of his eyes and grabbed his hat off the hook by the door that had his name etched under it. He did it when he was nine to claim it as his. He was scolded for it but every time they re-did the house they never changed it.

[Ziva :)]

Lara nodded, grinning, and scooped up her bags. She saddled up Champ for the second time that day, and he pranced happily- he loved to be ridden. Lara helped the cook finish getting her bags arranged, climbed up to her tall horse's back back and they wheeled towards the riding ring

[Charlie]

Randy was riding Lu and the three other cowboys were on there horses. Greyson was carrying the tents and things he wasn't happy but he knew he would be ridden the next day. Randy allways favored Lu over Greyson simply because he preferred jumping go dressage. But he loved both horses equally. He checked his watch the girls were five minutes early he was surprised. That never happened.

[Ziva :)]

"Hey," Lara called as Champ walked up to the others/ she was as ready to be off as her spirited horse. The cook, on the other hand, looked a little less enthusiastic.

[Charlie]

"Alright, Lara, you and Dolly, need to stay off to the side, so your not trailin' in poop. I'll start off as point Leader. You guys no what to do. Remember you got the jobs of the flanks to when your wings. If I have to chase another stray cattle this time, one of y'all is getting hosed." When it came to herding Randy was serious. " Lara, Greyson will be traveling with y'all since he at the moment he is carrying equipment. If you to will make your way to the trail over yonder, we will get the cattle."
The cooks headed off, and the four cowboys got the cattle after about an hour they were headed out.
It was a two day trip, but all they were really doing was moving the heard from one pasture to another. They would do it again before winter came in. Summer and Fall were at the close pasture, winter and spring the far one.
Randy took his place, after lunch he would be left wing, then the next day he would start out as dreaded drag, and end up as right wing. But if he didn't start out as point the whole trip would take longer.
Starting the drive was the hardest.

[Ziva :)]

Lara took Greyson's reigns, and moved off to one side, watching the procedings with interest.
She could rope fairly well; her grandfather had taught her at a young age. However Lara had never actually been on a herding trip before.

[Charlie]

They moved on, and after about three hours, it was time for lunch. They always had to keep an active eye on the heard. But mealtimes were their favorite parts of the day. Especially tonight when it would be over an open fire. He had made sure to pack the ingredients for smores this time. Those were always a plus after a hard day out in the pastures.
"Mind telling us what's for lunch today?" Randy asked, as he took Lu's saddle off to giver her a rest. He tied her to the wagon, which was parked underneath a few trees. The wagon, was more of just a truck that the cook drove. It had been equipped to handle the terain.

[Ziva :)]

"Cold ham, and left over bicuits," Lara said, "but tonight's fare will be better,"
She lowered both Greyson's and Champ's saddles and tied them to the wagon before climbing in to help Dolly.
She had brought her fiddle, figuring that it might keep everyone's spirits up, but she decided to wait until dinner to get it out.

[Charlie]

"Sounds wonderful." he smiled. He grabbed a plate, and Dolly loaded it up with goods.
"I grabbed that extra case." She whispered.
"Thanks Dolly." he smiled. "Maybe I can finally learn this time."
Dolly laughed, "We'll see cowboy, we'll see."

[Ziva :)]

((I gotta go, I'll be back on tomorrow.))

[Charlie]

(moi aussi)

[Ziva :)]

Lara glanced curiously at Randy and Dolly, but shrugged it off. She made sure the other three cowboys were fed, and made her own plate.
"So, what is our destination?"

[Charlie]

"The other pasture." Randy said. "It's on the other side of the mountain looking hill. We'll go through the valley. The grass in the close pasture is all gone and eaten up so it needs to grow back and for that to happen the cows move to the far pasture. It's better that they are there when it's hot than cold because they are more culnerable to the elements when it's cold so we can more easily take care of them if that makes sense."
Greyson counted a few times, "it's your turn tomorrow buddy." Randy said this and the horse seemed to nod. It seemed to understand perfectly what he was saying. That or it was just doing some horse behavior. Most believed the second refusing to think of Randy as a horsewhisperer. Even Randy refused to think of himself as that.

[Ziva :)]

She nodded, noting the look that passed between horse and rider. "It makes sense,"
She leaned back against the side of the wagon. Lara didn't beleive in horsewhispering, but she did beleive that horses were fairly intelligent creatures.

[Charlie]

"how was the pace for you?" he asked he could help slow it down or quicken I if need be. After all he was in charge of the cattle drives for more than the reason he knew how to keep up a good pace. His dad also really only trusted him with the cattle.

[Ziva :)]

"Fine," she sighed happily. It was nice to be out here in the open with good friends and trusted horses. She enjoyed her job.

[Charlie]

One of the cowboys had finished. "Round it up!" he said. Meaning finishe so they can start again.
"Hey boys, I'm taking lead again." Randy announced. "Y'all can swith if ya want. But I want to keep the same pace."
There was some grumbling but the cowboys agreed. It always went smoother when Randy was in the lead.

[Ziva :)]

Lara huried to the wagon to help Dolly clean and pack everything up. It didn't take very long.
Champ danced around a bit when she first mounted.
"Easy, boy," Lara whispered, and he calmed down.

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