The cowgirls return home from the ranch

We're back from the Ridin-Hy Ranch Resort on Lake Sherman in the Adirondacks. See those cowboy boots above. This is the first time that these authentic Texas-made boots that I bought in Austin back when I lived there for the first time in the late 1980s have actually looked like real cowboy boots -- all dusty and covered in who knows what. Our Brownie trip was a huge success. I don't know who had more fun the Brownies or the moms.


The family-owned ranch was just beautiful with sparkling clean log chalets and cabins, which were not at all like cabins (just the way I like it). The food was great -- and never-ending. The boat ride was windy but fun (that's a view of our camp above from the pontoon boat). The horseback trail rides (we did one each day) were tons of fun and such an adventure for our third-grade girls. And on Friday night, during the "dance" held in the main lodge, I got up with the country band that was playing and sang the Patsy Cline song "Walkin' After Midnight," something I haven't done in years. Boy, did that make me miss my days as a frontman for my old band, Jade.

All in all, a great weekend, helped along by the fact that the weather cooperated. Our giggly girls said it was the "best trip ever," which made those Girl Scout cookie sales, which helped make this outing possible, worth all the effort.