Some days it feels as though the Lodge remodel is just barely moving along. For the last month, most of the work has been centered around both constructing the deck outside and behind-the-scenes, non-flashy stuff on the inside, like plumbing, electrical wiring, and insulation. But every time I drive up there and look around, I see that progress is being made, no question about it. C’mon…I’ll prove it to you.
Here’s the view from the (bumpy) road below. That I’m ever able to get a semi-focused shot from here is a modern miracle since Marlboro Man never slows down.
The stone pillars/columns are almost all done, and the stone mason is scheduled to have rotator cuff surgery tomorrow.
Not really. But maybe.
The deck is starting to become an actual deck! If I wanted to, I could go ahead and pitch my tent out here. There’s only one problem: I don’t like to sweat. I also don’t like bugs much. Fresh air, either. Or the threat of being eaten by a bobcat.
And besides, I don’t think 99 degree weather can be considered “fresh air.” I don’t care what anyone says.
I miss Nell. She used to come up here with me to check on things.
I like these little perches Marlboro Man designed. I plan to stand on this one and watch for enemies approaching. With my water gun.
We wound up replacing all the siding on the exterior of the house, and Marlboro Man and I have been trying to select a stain color. Of course, I always love the look of new, freshly cut wood so I’m leaning toward a color that most resembles the natural color of the wood itself. But I want the stain to be very thin so it’ll show all the natural textures and color variations of the wood. You’d think this would be easy, but we’re about on our four thousandth try here. This is our current batch, and I think it might contain a winner.
See any you like?
Keep in mind that part of the house is in the shade and the color will appear considerably darker there.
Choosing paint/stain colors is, to me, one of the hardest things about remodeling. It’s right up there with actually DECIDING to remodel in the first place.
Meanwhile, back inside…
Things are moving along nicely. We’re still trying to decide whether to patch up and add to the old wood floors in the bedroom (at $4/sq. ft. installed) or just go ahead and put the same flooring in the bedrooms that we’re putting in the rest of the house ($13/sq. ft. installed). Money-wise, it would sure be cheaper to go with the former; but will we regret not going ahead and biting the bullet now? Is it best to have all the floors in the house matching? Remember that the wood flooring we’re putting in the rest of the house (the floor you chose!) is totally different than the existing floor in the bedrooms. Is this a problem?
Why can’t decisions be more cut and dry?
I miss Nell.
Then there’s the kitchen. We haven’t even finalized the design yet. Too many choices; too many different directions we can head.
See that new window on the far right? That used to be the front door. It’s where I stood many a night when Marlboro Man used to kiss me goodbye. In fact, I think those two blue “X’s” represent exactly where Marlboro Man and I stood.
Except we were closer together.
Here’s the pantry. Inside, we’ll have two freezers to store all our meat, and shelves galore for supplies. Outside the pantry, on this wall I’m facing, we’ll have the fridges and range. We just can’t figure out exactly how to lay it out. Should the two fridges be on either end of the wall, with the range and cabinets in the middle? Or should we put the two fridges side by side on one end of this wall, with the range on the other end? Do we go for symmetry? Or not?
Too many choices; too many different directions we can head. If I had a Starbucks in my hay meadow, I could think much more clearly about these matters.
This general area—the rock wall and corner—is the baking center, and there’ll be a rectangular island in front of it. Somehow, someway, that corner—the area without the rock—is going to be the home of two ovens, either side-by-side or stacked. We’ve drawn it up a million different ways. Any brilliant ideas?
Who wants to move here and live with me until we get the kitchen planned? I’ve reached the point that every kitchen I see in books and magazines looks the same. I’m actually having hallucinations about appliances being suspended by cables from the ceiling, and wondering if that might be a new twist on things.
My point is, I need help. I’m going to read all of your kitchen suggestions again and see if any lightbulbs go on.
Lotsa Love,
Perplexed on the Prairie
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit ThePioneerWoman.com every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:
New York Times Bestselling Author
Ree has written two memoirs (Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Frontier Follies) plus nine bestselling cookbooks:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl (2009)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (2012)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays (2013)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! (2017)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier (2019)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy (2021)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner’s Ready! (2023)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes (2025)
Food Network Host
Since 2011, Ree has been sharing simple, family-friendly recipes—and the occasional kitchen prank!—on her award-winning show The Pioneer Woman, filmed right on Drummond Ranch. Ree is also a regular judge on Food Network competitions, including Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Founder, The Pioneer Woman Collection
Ree has been creating and selling kitchen and home products at Walmart since 2015 and she’s involved in designing every piece and pattern. The line now includes best-selling appliances (you have to see the floral blender!), plus hundreds of pieces of cookware, tableware, and more. Ree doesn’t like to play favorites but the Agatha print has a special place in her heart.
Restaurant and Hotel Owner
Together with her husband Ladd, Ree has opened several bustling businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, including The Pioneer Woman Mercantile—a bakery, restaurant, and general store that draws visitors from across the country (many come for the biscuits alone!), P-Town Pizza, Charlie’s Ice Cream Shop, and The Boarding House, a charming hotel with eight different rooms decorated by Ree and Ladd.
Media Personality
Ree appears regularly on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America and more—all while managing to keep flour off her shirt.
Wife, Mom and…Grandma!
Ree’s kids (daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce and Todd) are all grown up, and as of December 2024, Ree is the proud grandma of the cutest baby ever, Sofia Scott, born to Alex and her husband Mauricio. Ree still cooks for Ladd (and the kids when they’re home), and she also looks after a few mischievous ranch dogs.
