Review: An Awesome Read!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 18, 2013
I really enjoyed reading this book about Caroline, Grand-mamma who ownes the ranch that Andy & Sarah Coyote works and lives on. Andy is the Foreman and he takes care of all the cattle, horses and the grounds of the ranch. In exchange he gets room & board and a percentage of the cattle when it sells at the market, he doesn't have much expenses, just a truck payment and to buy diapers for his thirteen month old daughter Sarah. Grand-mamma takes care of Sarah during the day and she's a bright energetic little girl. Caroline lives and works in Washington D.C. As a news reporter, and she has come home for the holidays, in fact she just got to Wyoming in time for a major snow storm to drop several feet of snow right on their heads. She has just walked in the door and set down her bags, when Andy came rushing in the back door and said I'm going to need help bringing the herd in, who can we call. Grand-mamma said not to worry, Caroline just got in and she knows this ranch like the back of her hand, she'll be able to help you bring the herd in, the only thing you need to remember is to listen when she tells you to do something, she knows what she's doing, don't second guess her, and you'll be fine with her. So Andy said Caroline can you be ready to ride at 6pm, yes I'll see you in the barn and dress warm. He met her in the barn just as she was adjusting her saddle, and asked if she was ready, yes, then lets go they started and it was lightly snowing and the wind was up and roaring they had been riding for about an hour when Caroline started slipping, Andy said hey wake up before you fall off your horse, why don't you tell me why you live and work in DC. I love my job, and I like DC it's a great place to live, I have a lot of friends and a great condo. Andy asked her if she wanted his opinion on the new budget, and she said no, that's a good answer, because you wouldn't like what I have to say, probably not. After another three hours they made it to the line cabin, they got their horses squared away they brought all their paraphernalia in and Andy brought in several arm loads of logs, started a fire and Caroline picked a bunk, and climbed in and went to sleep, she woke to an aroma of sausage it was 5am, she slept four hours, wasn't nearly enough, but they had to bring the herd in quick before the storm was out of control. She looked out the window and saw several inches of snow, they eat quickly, cleaned up, put the fire out, dumped snow on the hot coals, loaded their horses and got back out in the storm. They went about forty minutes on horse back when they spotted the herd, Caroline cut the herd in half, between them they tried to get a count but it wasn't working, they did figure they had blue tag cows mixed with theirs, so they separated them out, blue tags and new mamma's on one side and the rest of the cows in the second batch Caroline whipped her hat off and said lets head for home "Hee Haah" and she started moving the herd, Andy was bringing up the rear with the second herd following her. Normally in good weather it would take six hours to get home, but in this weather it would be much longer probably closer to nine or ten hours, depending on the weather. They took several breaks for water, but for the most part they stayed in their saddles and just kept pushing for the house, after ten grueling hours the house was in sight, Caroline was never so grateful to see the smoke and the lights from the house. Andy got the two herds separated and then he went into the barn to get the hay, he told Caroline to go on in, he would take it from here, she said no I'll help you then we can both go inside. So they both went into the barn, Andy brought the ranch truck into the barn, and Caroline got the John-Deer tractor going they loaded both with hay and buckets of water, and fed the herds. Then they put the truck and the tractor back into the barn closed the doors, and went back into the house, Andy said I'll be right in, he went into the barn and brushed down the two horses, and got them fresh hay and water, then he went into the house. Grand-mamma told him to be quiet the baby was already in bed, she had a long day and was teething. She was great full they were back and that they didn't loose any cattle, she had a great smelling stew set on the table with fresh bread and milk on the table. They both sat down, downed the food put their dishes in the sink and both went to bed. Read this book because it will make you laugh, and cry. It's about two families who are living together because they need to help each other out, but that they thrive with each other, and wouldn't if they were separate. Andy had eight brothers and sisters when he was growing up, but they were dirt poor, and hardly had enough food to feed them all, so he squeezed by but wanted something better for himself and his daughter. He had a chance living with Grand-mamma to make that happen, for himself and his daughter. This is a heart warming story & has a good twist