Ranch Wife's Slant

Cowboys, kids, and ranch life

  • One Big Free Bird

    For many years Pringle’s had a chicken that’s somewhat of a free bird in the area. It loves a good time and is especially drawn to crowds.   Back in the nineties, a nine foot chicken was given to the Pringle Volunteer Fire Department. For a long time it hung out in the back of…

  • Waiting For A Downpour

    I’m one of those people who look for the bad in a situation. Problems are commonplace on a ranch and I thrive on the drama that our ranch’s problems produce.   The basis of my column is about marriage, parenting, ranching, and rural life in western South Dakota but it’s describing the troubles we face that…

  • The Kirk Family Christmas Tree

    Living in the Black Hills has drawbacks because it’s a vacation destination but one of perks I love the most about living here is being able to go into the woods and pick out our own Christmas tree. The Forest Service sells Christmas tree permits that are a third of the cost of buying one,…

  • Lessons from Going to the NFR

    A trip to Las Vegas in 1998 for the National Finals Rodeo was an educational experience for my husband and me. May our lessons help other couples in planning their trip to the NFR.  Lesson #1 Get pre-conditioned to sleep deprivation, overstimulation, and being inseparable. My spouse and I weren’t used to total togetherness, going…

  • Recognizing Kids’ Handiwork

    One of the things I love about 4-H is the theory. Kids get to make their own choices and decisions and do all the problem solving while creating and learning something from start to finish. I enjoy helping my kids brainstorm ideas, suggest materials needed and assist with problem solving suggestions to ease their frustration…

  • A Dame Funny Game

      What’s a Dame to do? is my new favorite board game for girlfriends. Players take turns drawing a dame’s dilemma card. Everyone else draws a reaction card and lays it down for all to see. The girlfriend with the dilemma chooses one of the reactions and everyone else guesses which one she picked. Irrelevant…

  • What Vegas Taught Us

    The National Finals Rodeo gets under way December 3rd. Thinking about it recently got me reminiscing about the time my husband and I went way back in 1998. We’d been married four years and had our first child. Going to Las Vegas that year was our first trip together two years after our son was…

  • Pledging Character Building

    The words of the 4-H Member’s Pledge are important for all youth in today’s society. Raising good and caring citizens while still protecting kids from an era of new dangers has become increasingly challenging for parents.   I believe in 4-H club work for the opportunity it will give me to become a useful citizen. 4-H…

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