Down On the Ranch

A couple of weekends back, Kate and I drove out west of Boerne with David and Rachel to spend the night at Rachel's family ranch. Rachel's dad and stepmom were fine hosts and we had a great time.

The Hill Country is particularly verdant right now because of the insane amounts of rain we've been getting. Hillsides that are normally yellowed by the end of June are still dotted with wildflowers and all of the creeks are flowing. Rocking back and forth on the porch, drinking beer and listening to Willie Nelson as night fell was the perfect elixir for workaday stress.

Here Kate and I are donning our just-presented Rosen Ranch hats. In addition to the hats, we were given ranch names. Kate was named "Harley," which is one of her two middle names. I was named "Red" after my hair, though I've always considered myself primarily blond.

Still, Red Beets has its charm. With a name like that, I think I'll open a used car dealership.