Dear Reader,
Why do women (myself included) feel this urge to redefine ourselves or to embrace certain parts of ourselves at the turn of every season? In the spring everyone becomes engrossed in fashion, in the winter everyone becomes a book worm, in the fall everyone becomes Laura Ingalls and starts making homemade everything, but summer is a free for all. It can be whatever fill in the blank “girl summer” you want it to be. So, I thought I would give it a go and promote ranch girl summer.
So Dear Reader, I give you:
4 Ways to Embrace Ranch Girl Summer
#1: Embrace the Ranching Complexion.
A ranching girl’s complexion can sometimes be less than she desires, with messy hair, dirt on her face, sweat everywhere, and an outfit that she picked up off the floor because duty called. Even though most days she is in work clothes, she has a little time to put into her appearance. Most of the time she dresses for practicality over attractiveness; with big hats and long-sleeved shirts to keep off the sun, and pants and boots keep her legs from being scratched up and itchy. Even on the days that she does try to get a tan, she usually ends up with sunburnt shoulders, or a less than attractive outfit as she tries to get sun on her vampire legs while protecting the rest of her skin. Sometimes embracing Ranch Girl Summer means accepting the farmer’s tan and wearing your dad’s old shirt to work because you can’t be bothered by a trip to town to buy one that actually fits.
#2 Embrace the Ranching Schedule
Ranchers’ working hours tend to follow a different schedule than everyone else’s because they usually have to accommodate the animals and the weather. In the summertime this means early mornings and late evenings because in the middle of the day it’s just too hot to do anything. Like deer, we come out in the early morning, hide in the shade in the afternoon, and cautiously come out as sunset starts. Even though we are staying out of the heat, it can make you feel a little jealous that you are still doing hard labor while the other 98% of the population is relaxing on their porches after they are off work. But the ranching girl knows to take advantage of what time is given to her. So during her down time during the day, she does her inside work, she reads her books, and even might watch a movie with her family. Or she just takes a nap.
#3 Embracing the Ranching Chaos
Summertime is a break from the routine. School is out, babies of all species are growing, and there are things to be done! With school out, longer days, and lots of work to be done in a limited amount of time everyone is off their usual schedule. This can be slightly troubling for someone who thrives on routine and order, but sometimes the ranching girl just has to throw her stuff in the truck and go. Sometimes she has a hard time enjoying the small moments when she has the nagging feeling that the dishes still aren’t done or the house is a wreck, but sometimes she just has to take the good times as they come and worry about the dishes later.
#4 Embracing What You Can Do
Being a ranch girl can be a little disheartening when everyone else is carefree and going away for the weekend, while you are stuck at home with the animals, doing the same thing every day, seven days a week, just waiting for that one week that you have carefully been planning since last summer. So, to prevent the ranching summertime blues, the ranching girl embraces what she can do. Like spontaneous picnic dinners while checking the cows or trips to town for ice cream or her favorite coffee shop. If she has children, the ranching girl knows how to use her local resources; they are regulars at the library, local extension office activities, and local state parks. Just breaking up the monotony of ranch life can brighten a summer.
So, Dear Reader, you now have four practical ways to embrace ranch girl summer, or whatever type of summer you want to have.
Sincerely Yours,
The Rancher’s Daughter
From the Rancher's Daughter's Desk 