The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond is a fun book to read. Ms. Drummond started out with a blog about how she met her husband. I had heard about her blog and read a couple of her entries online. When I saw the book, I knew I had to buy it.
A city girl meets a cowboy and the fun begins. Being from the city and deciding farm life wasn't for me after spending two days hand planting tomatoes, I was instantly interested. Ms. Drummond doesn't hold back on the reality of working with animals and ranch life.
I am one of those readers who can never get enough of stories about the West whether historical or contemporary. I love those cowboy and cowgirls. I grew up in the Midwest, but every Summer we went to South Dakota where my daddy grew up. I used to beg to move there, but daddy liked being able to pay bills and my mother was an only child who grew up in the Midwest and had no desire to leave.
The Air Force sent my husband and me to Western Washington, Eastern Montana, and finally Texas. So I consider myself a westerner since I've lived in Texas for over thirty years. I discovered Louis L'Amour in Montana where I purchased my first pair of cowgirl boots. I've been hooked since then. I might add that I have no desire to ride a horse. I'm scared to death of those huge animals.
I tried to write a ranch story once about South Dakota. I quickly figured out that I lacked knowledge to pull it off. So as I read her experiences, I could identify with her adventures. So if you want to know what ranch life is really like and measure it against what you might be tempted to write, this is the book for you. If you want to write a memoir, this is the book for you. And if you just want a fun read, get a copy of her book. She obviously loved her cowboy enough to become a rancher's wife while I parted ways with "tomato" man and found my true love in Air Force blue.
