Uncle Jim and The Ranch

Uncle Jim is a REAL cowboy. Just ask all of my kids, and me for that matter! I just asked Violet to tell me something about Uncle Jim and she said..."He looks like a cowboy and I love him." Ahhh How sweet is that! In all actuality Jim IS a cowboy, a retired one. He grew up on the family ranch and then proceeded to run and operate it himself until he decided to retire a few years back. He ran cattle and grew wheat among many other very important farming duties, of which I am not even remotely close to qualified to write about. The first time I ever met Uncle Jim and Aunt Freda was when Brant and I were just dating and he invited me to branding (more on that in a minute). I was a young lady around 19years old and had grown up in Western Washington spending most of my youth on the beach looking for beach glass and sea shells or in the forest playing on moss beds...that is until I met Brant. He and his family introduced me to a whole new world...Eastern Washington, farming, Washington State University and AHHHH...Branding..Yes, old fashion branding at The Madson Ranch. That was my first introduction to Uncle Jim and Aunt Freda. I survived and am positive most of the family is still quietly laughing at the site of me being there...but hey...I actually loved it after I got over the shock of calves being roped, horns being ripped from their heads, and boy parts cut and well I don't know much more then that...I decided it was better to stop asking questions. Anyhow, over the years I have grown to love and appreciate all the history and family heritage that exists around "the ranch" and the people who have lived and worked there. We talk about it often with the kids and try and make a point to go up every now and then for a visit. The kids love it, we love it and I think Jim and Freda don't mind us in small doses.

Miss Violet hugging Uncle Jim. She brought all her library books on horses to the ranch for Uncle Jim to look at...Just in case he needed to learn a little bit more about horses. :)

Vi, Uncle Jim, Soren, Benjamin (wearing Jim's old hat) and Miss Helen...Tage was to busy breaking ice with a pitch fork to come in for pictures.