Our last few days of vacation

Like the cats, Sam would have been happy to relax in one place for a few more days. Jobs and responsibilities sure get in the way of fun!

But since we were still over 1,000 miles from home, we once again loaded Dingus and Frankie into the car and headed out. We have no idea how they both fit in one small carrier, but they seemed to enjoy it.

Our first destination was the town of Pawhuska in the ranchlands of northeastern Oklahoma. I was surprised at how green and pretty it is, although this was probably due to excessive rains earlier this month.

If you've watched The Pioneer Woman on Food Network or, like me, followed her blog for the past ten years (thepioneerwoman.com), you might recognize the Mercantile.

Ree (the "Pioneer Woman") and her rancher husband, Ladd, renovated the abandoned historic building a few years ago.

It's now a general store/tourist destination.

And includes a bakery and a deli. It seems to have transformed this sleepy little town.

So we did a little shopping.

Sam was drawn to the Dodge Power Wagon, recently renovated by a family friend.

The Drummonds have also opened a small hotel and an ice cream shop, which we had to try out, of course.

Overall, it's a nice little town and we were glad we stopped.

We did a quick overnight in a KOA camping cabin west of Oklahoma City, where we could hear the freeway, but overlooked a small lake. I would have been one unhappy camper if it was IN the truck stop, as it first appeared! Okay, I admit I WAS a cranky camper, but I got over it.

Our last day of driving included stopping at a prairie dog town in New Mexico. A few years ago, driving a semi truck, Sam drove past this corner every week and always saw prairie dogs popping up and down. I don't know if you can see the one sounding the alarm in the lower right corner of the photo.

We finally made it home to Pumpkin Patch Ranch last Sunday and greeted Mom, who was also happy to get home. A huge thanks to my brothers, Ben and Tim, and sister Becky for pitching in to take care of her!

For supper, Sam drove a little further to pick up a pizza, then suggested we sit on the porch to watch the sunset. God gave us quite a show!

It started with some nice color.

And quickly exploded into one of the best sunsets I can remember.

What a great welcome home! We had a great vacation, but we're so glad to be back at the ranch.