I’m not going to talk your ears off (write your eyes off?) about the myriad reasons Marlboro Man and I inexplicably decided one day last February to take advantage of a local contractor’s availability and ask them if they could come demolish the Lodge and help us build it back up again. Because whatever the reasons were then, they’ve since evolved, changed, gone away, come back, done the hokey pokey and turned themselves about…as I suspect they’ll continue to do in the coming months and centuries.
In no particular order, here are our reasons for redoing the Lodge. No single reason is responsible for the project; each one has contributed in varying degrees:
* Though beautiful and cozy, the Lodge was in disrepair. The electricity and plumbing were on their last leg and severe leaks in the roof had caused mold damage in several areas of the house. Termites had set up residence and were starting to organize family reunions. Mice had chewed wires. Raccoons and skunks were living together. Before very long, our only choice would have been to raze the house entirely and either rebuild or leave an empty lot where it sat. We decided to be proactive and keep the original structure, which seems as much a part of the hillside where it sits as the limestone rocks around it.
* We have no room at our own house for visiting guests, with our four children inhabiting the wide-open upstairs and a setup of unsightly weights and other exercise equipment occupying what was once our one and only guest room. Of course, it’s not like we have frequent visits from foreign dignitaries, kings, or even siblings, so it’s not a huge hardship. But we’d like to be able to welcome more visiting family, and without the convenience of any hotels within a hundred thousand miles, we’ve always been out of luck until now.
* Though the players have changed now that Cousin T. has found love again (the little whippersnapper), plans for “The Ranchelor” continue. We think a wholesome, chaperoned (to a point), knee-slappingly rural version of “The Bachelor” would be just about more fun than my tiny little segment of the internet should be allowed to have. Plus, Cowboy Josh really needs to find someone nice. And she’s out there. I just know it.
AND I’M GOING TO FIND HER IF IT’S THE LAST THING I DO!
Sorry.
* PW Cooks (uhh…that would be me) is going to set up shop in the new Lodge kitchen and use it to film video tutorials, host visiting food bloggers and chefs, hold live cooking classes…and just do a whole lot of dadgum cookin’. My girls will be my assistants. My boys will wash pots and pans. (Yeah, right.) And I’m going to have to get serious on that Stairmaster of mine or my bottom will soon take over the county.
(This Thursday night will be the first food-related Lodge event [a pretty dang cute belated birthday present from Marlboro Man; film at eleven], and I’ll be chronicling it every step of the way.)
* I’d like to be able to have occasional photography, cooking, and miscellaneous get togethers/retreats (free, of course) with readers and other bloggers. I’d be lying if I said my connection to the folks who stop by ThePioneerWoman.com ends the second I step away from the computer. My whole point in having this website is to share my weird life, my recipes, and what limited photography skills I have, and it’s only natural for me to work toward ways to facilitate more interactive gatherings relating to those things. And since I’m a self-diagnosed agoraphobe, The Lodge seems the perfect place to host such events.
And now, for a reality check: I realize this seems logistically overwhelming and psychotic, and it’s true that gatherings would have to remain relatively small.
If you have any ideas for managing such radical, in person—GASP!—gatherings, I’d love to hear them.
The rest of the reasons? We’ll just let them evolve and develop over time, and I’ll keep you posted. But in a nutshell, we redid the Lodge for our family, for the love of cooking, for website-related gatherings and events, and for posterity.
And so Marlboro Man and I could have a place to go on dates that didn’t require our driving three hours.
Love,
Pioneer Woman
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.
