I was reading through some articles about the price of gas and how it has impacted people’s lives when I wandered into the business section and found this article – this one RIGHT HERE. This is the first thing you’ll see:
A working Big Sky
vacation
When a rancher opens his bunkhouse to visitors, city folk from all over the world pay him to labor there.
Well, first off, I have always had this love affair with Montana, but then I feel that way about Seattle and the Oregon Coast and, in fact, the entire West Coast. I am torn. Since I don’t have the money to live such places, making a decision is not a pressing matter for me. I can build two or three houses in my imagination and plop them down in whatever setting calls me at the moment.
But, concentrating on Montana and the ranching thing, I have to say this headline made me think of The Pioneer Woman on the Internet and her lodge remodeling for first, the introducing of Thatcher to some ladies who will stay there for awhile, learning about being a rancher wife . . . and maybe end up being Thatcher’s wife. Second, the lodge can be used for cooking workshops, photoshop workshops, ranching workshops(?) and maybe bed & breakfast guests.
She has a segment in which her readers are providing input as to how the lodge should be redone, as well as following the progress. I think it’s up to the front porch part now.
This fellow in Montana has the problem of really rich people buying ranches that neighbor his, which actually adds to his working ranch expense. So, to help out financially, he is hosting groups at his bunkhouse. Depending on the season, they can participate – or not – in ranching chores. Here’s a picture of his ranch house from the site – it’s a little different from the lodge.
That’s Jami Jarrett Moody on horseback (Big ‘Nuf) and her dad and ranch owner Rick Jarrett.
The dog is named Maddy.
The Pioneer Woman calls her husband Marlboro Man and he is right good lookin’; Rick, here, seems more the speed of a lot of Americans. Gotta love the hat; it looks like it has been around some – course, then, so does Rick. His family has been working the ranch since the late 1880’s and he’s fifth-generation at The Crazy Mountain Cattle Company.