The M Lazy C Ranch is nestled among the beautiful pines of the front range  of the Rocky Mountains.  This is a family owned, historic working cattle ranch, originally homesteaded by the Thatcher family. With easy access off Highway 24 the ranch is surrounded by thousands of acres of the Pike National Forest. Rustic log cabins and RV sites,  Horseback riding, hay rides with chuck wagon meals, overnight pack trips, cattle drives, corporate retreats, team building,  hiking, and other amenities too numerous to mention,  are available all year long.  Whether you are interested in a one night stay or an afternoon’s worth of enjoyment,  the  M Lazy C has plenty to offer guests of every age.  For more information about the M Lazy C see their web site: http://www.mlazyc.com/

Barb and I arrived here on June 30th and were met by a most helpful and hospitable staff. We quickly settled in and started our journey of discovery. As in most horse camps there is a certain camaraderie that exists and all are eager to share their experiences, their knowledge of the area and in general, are just a bunch of plain 'ol   good folks. And that is exactly what he have experienced here thus far.

As regards horseback riding, the trails and roads are well marked, navigation is aided by the almost ever present views of Badger Mountain and Pike's Peak. Unlike any other place I've been, you can ride right through the forests as there is very little brush or ground cover to impede traveling and the trees are well separated. Numerous old mine diggings and primitive cabin sites are prevalent throughout the area and conjure up visions of old-timers  grubbing for the gold strike that would make their fortune. It is hard to imagine, over the course of the next month or so that we will be here,  that we could even begin  to see all that exists in the areas that are available to us .

Of interest is that Barb brought one hummingbird feeder with her. We immediately attracted hummers so picked up another feeder on our first trip to town. There are three kinds of hummers here at our feeders, the Ruby Throated, the Broadtail and the Rufus. The Rufus is a mean little booger and reigns supreme over the feeders but all seem to find a way to partake of the nectar. Bluebirds are in abundance as well and the first day here a little fledgling lit right at my horses' feet and then made it's way to a bush.

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We have a lot of laughs as I sit here in the passenger seat on my computer and Barb at the dinette table. She doesn't have a photo program on her laptop, which is wirelessly networked to my 'puter, so I just holler back at her and say, "Here comes a couple of pics, I'm e-mailing them now!!"  She can then send them to whoever she wants to.

I am anxious to break out my metal detector and see what treasures are to be found around all the old sites here. Of course I will first obtain permission and check on existing laws, etc., prior to doing any detecting. Perhaps I can find a flake or so of gold. My friends just returned from their two weeks at Ganes Creek in Alaska and they had a very successful trip. They found over 42 ounces of gold!! One find was a 10+ ounce specimen that has approximately 4-5 ounces of gold mixed in the quartz. I will going there again next summer for three weeks.

July 14th

Barb and I attended the weekly Friday night Chuck Wagon dinner. We enjoyed a hayride, some incredible cowboy  cooking, and some great western musical entertainment. This was truly a nice evening and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves, especially us!! The steaks were done to perfection and cowboy beans, corn on the cob, home made rolls and baked potato complimented the steaks. And for dessert we had some fabulous cherry cobbler. I managed to help myself to seconds!  See pics of the activities at the "Photo gallery" above.

During the next few weeks I will be updating the web site with any new pics or exciting happenings.