welcome to the cowboy capital of the world...

if you guessed that i was referring to bandera, texas; you would be correct! and let me tell you, in the land of bandera, boys in chaps, spurs, and pearl snaps flow like milk and honey - so yes, it is an apt title for the little town with a population of 957. not only is this old town home to some of my favorite boys, the robison brothers, but it also lays claim to some of the finest live music venues in texas (my favorites being the bandera cabaret and arkey blue's silver dollar.)

i guess my friend, evea lauren haass, and i have been listening to way too much gary p. nunn lately because we were both dying to get out of the city and take a little hill country road trip. that's where bandera comes into the picture...because we are such wily, adventurous girls, we decided to attend the annual ranch heritage weekend put on by the texas parks & wildlife department. and yes, we had an absolute blast out there!

the weekend included treacherous trail rides, a ranch rodeo - complete with events that i've never seen, live music, a dance under the stars, dutch oven cooking, cowboy poetry, horse clinics, and camping in the great outdoors. although my tail is bruised to the bone from sitting all day long on that dang saddle and i have dirt in places where dirt doesn't belong, it was sure worth it to ride that pretty palomino. hope you enjoy the photos! (also, if you yourself are ever up for touring the texas hill country one weekend, let me know!)



chasing after cuervo & corona in the pasture...



the horse whisperer doing her thing.



wish you could see lauren's land out by canyon lake, it would take your breath away. nice piece of acreage right on the guadalupe river.



an awkward attempt at a pose before getting the horses in the trailer. which, can i please say that for two girls; we can back, hitch, and load a trailer quite well!



lauren chasing cowboys. so typical.



morning trail ride with cuervo. such a good horse!



lauren & i hitting up trail #4.



after our dutch oven cooking seminar.



lauren trying to rope some steer, but unable to concentrate, because some 17-year-old who thought she was part of the NFR was "coaching" her. ha hilarious.



annie oakley next to her truck & trailer.

so yes, we had an excellent time being cowgirls out on the ranch, but now i'm so exhausted that i could sleep standing straight up. living this life is definitely not for the weak...