The Shaffers Meet the Oxen

When we first started planning our getaway, this was one of the things Ryan looked forward to the most. I told you about our friends on the ranch, and one of the things they do is train teams of oxen! They had said we could meet the oxen (who are very photogenic) and they even said Ryan could drive one of the teams. He talked about it for weeks leading up to our departure! So I'll tell you about that today, but first I have to tell you about churning the butter.

On our full day at the ranch, we sat around talking about churning butter, and it turned out that they own an honest-to-goodness working butter churn! They asked if I'd like to try it, and of course I said yes! So...they cleaned it all up and brought it out...and check this out!

I joked around about my friend Rachel, who bought one of those prairie dresses from Target and sometimes does photo shoots pretending to live in the days of yore. Before I knew what was happening, they were back with a bona fide prairie dress for me!!

I as told my sunglasses weren't authentic so I took them off for a couple of pictures. (I have super light-sensitive eyes, so sunglasses rarely stay off outside. 

Churning butter was so much fun, but I am pretty glad we don't have to do that every day anymore!!

Then we got to hang out with the oxen!

(That thing was NOT lightweight.)

(Sorry...that above set of pictures posted in reverse order.)

Oh! And we got to sit on them. You do not even know how many people it took to get me on and off this ox. It was rather embarrassing. 

I try to do one absolutely terrifying thing on each trip we take. This was it for me on this one.

Ryan had SO MUCH FUN with all this! After the driving and photo opps, we were able to take a wagon ride that soft of gave us an idea of what it would have been like to travel across the prairie moving west back in the day. (I definitely think the RV is preferable!)

We ended our ox class with a few more photo opps!

This was seriously so much fun. Seriously! We will never again have an opportunity just like this, and it was a true treat. We were so grateful for the chance they gave us to try out something brand new!

I have a few more ranch adventures to share with you, but I'll save them for tomorrow!