Home on the range, Part 1

Well, it's been quite some time since we last posted anything. Summer is a busy time around here...not that we're making excuses or anything...but between family visits, building fences, weeding and harvesting in the garden, writing books, hauling firewood, fighting fires, and being small-business owners...well, it's a lot.
Nevertheless, business is good, and we just finished up a two-week shoot that yielded some great photos! Of course, when you're photographing a historic, inspiring, and gorgeous location, it's tough to not wind up with a few good shots.
Our long-time friend was in the area visiting her family, and asked us if we could come take some photos of their cattle ranch. (You may have seen something about this on Rob Dow's World.) It was haying time while we were there, which added something special to an already beautiful place. Plus, the smell of fresh cut hay is one of the best smells in the world.
The ranch was established in the early 1900s by our friend's great-grandparents, and has remained in the family every since. It sits comfortably in a long valley filled with rolling hay fields and wooded hills, and a cold, clear river moseys its way south toward town. And as the sun sinks down toward the horizon, and the light turns golden, you wonder why anyone would want to live anywhere else.

So, without further ado, let's get to the photos!
There are a lot from this project, so we're going to have to do a series of posts.

~OTP