Marlboro Man had to sort some cattle a couple of weeks ago.
It was a damp, dark, desperately cold morning.
The dogs and the cats were smart enough to stay inside.
Man, do they have a nice life.
And it was oh, so foggy.
Unusually foggy.
Eerie foggy.
You don’t see foggy mornings like this very often.
I think I’ll say foggy again at least seventeen more times in this post. You have not hit your annual quota for hearing the word foggy, and the end of the year is near. And if I can’t help you meet your quota for foggy, then what am I even doing here?
Foggy foggy foggy.
There. My work is finished.
By mid-morning, the fog had lifted.
But within thirty minutes, it had moved back in…and even heavier than before.
As in, my camera started losing the ability to focus.
As in, I had no idea how they were going to finish gathering the cattle.
As in, I had no idea whether I’d ever see my family again.
They disappeared into the mist, then I started having strange visions about all the horses returning sometime later without anyone on their backs.
Wouldn’t that make a great horror film? I mean, aside from my standing in a foggy pasture all alone and not knowing what had happened to my family? All these cowboy-less horses finally emerge from the thick fog, running in different directions, and maybe one of the horses has a boot still attached to the stirrups, and I run over to the horse, grab the boot from the stirrup, and see my husband’s initials?
Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
I like clear mornings better.
I’m going to call this photo “Foggy Cow.”
I’m going to call this photo “Foggy Cow Running Off.”
I’m going to stop talking now.
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.
