Thelma and Louise...I Mean Betsy and Ree!

After getting lost after we crossed the Kansas line, we finally got on the right road and spotted the telltale smoke in the distance, then we went through the three gates Ladd had described. This was the first gate. Hooray for Betsy for hopping out and unlatching the chain!

After the second gate, we parked my pickup and got into a different vehicle Ladd had left for us. Then we drove on and met him at this creek, where I discovered I'd left Ladd's boots back in my vehicle (he had asked me to bring them to him), so while Ladd drove all the way back to my pickup (haha), Betsy decided to skip rocks in the creek while we waited. Never a dull moment when it comes to me remembering the small details of life!

Ladd finally got back with his boots, then he hopped back in his jeep and said "Okay, follow me." Whenever a cowboy says "Okay, follow me," you can be sure you're in for an adventure. Or at least a bumpy road.

Before long, we arrived in the pasture where the burning was going on. Betsy has seen burning before, but it had been awhile and she wanted to get her bearings, i.e. make sure she had a clear exit strategy. (Kidding/not kidding?)

So here's what's happening in this photo: My brother-in-law Tim is in the front (you can't see him) in a white jeep lighting a straight strip of fire along the fenceline. Following behind him is Cowboy Josh in a red fire truck, spraying water on the edge to stop the fire from spreading beyond the fence (the wind was in our favor.) And if you look very closely, you can see Ladd following along on foot with a leaf blower, blowing debris into the fire to ensure little sticks and embers don't come back to start a fire later.

Betsy kept looking out the window at Ladd, making sure he was all good. I looked too, but if there are three things I've learned in all the years of being an agricultural wife, it's that a) the dude is gonna do what the dude is gonna do, b) he knows what he's doing since he's been doing it his whole life, and c) Jesus take the wheel, because if something goes wrong, I can't do anything about it anyway. There's a certain level of resignation required in this role I'm in! 😂

Besides, if I were busy wringing my hands, I wouldn't be able to hold my phone and snap pics of all the memories! Also, please notice that I am wearing my beloved Frye boots, which I've had for years. I just got them back from the shoe repair shop and forgot I was wearing them that day. I have lived 53 years on this earth and I have never once worn the appropriate footwear. Except maybe when I was in ballet class.

The middle of this pasture was so thick with dead, dry grass that it turned into a huge inferno when the main fire met up with the back fire (the guys light a back fire in order to stop it from spreading.) Such a crazy sight.

Fortunately, Ladd had to hitch a ride back to his jeep, so he was able to point us in the right direction to head back to Oklahoma. We might have taken another wrong turn or two getting back, but we won't tell Ladd that. The main point is that we made it home before he did...and everyone made it home safely!

I love having my sister (and nephew!) here more and more! No one knows me better, makes me laugh more, or makes things more fun than Betsy...and the good news is that when she is home, Ladd doesn't have to pay attention to me 24/7 and he can have a little break. 😂

(Oh, and can you keep a secret? Several months ago, Betsy and I decided to buy a house in Pawhuska together and have been fixing it up ever since. She will stay in the house when she comes back to visit, and she and Elliot will be here all summer! Then we'll also use it as extra accommodations for the filming crew and other family, and might offer it as a bed and breakfast in the future. We're calling it---get ready---Sister House. I'll share more updates soon. Okay, be sure not to tell anyone! Haha.)