My favorite part of driving from the Lodge after a day of shooting (we’re making new shows for the next couple of weeks)—well, besides getting to relax and nestle into the sofa with Marlboro Man, the kids, and Charlie (it’s a very full sofa)—is driving across the creek that leads to our house. For some reason, it seems like our ranch horses are hanging out at the creek right around the time I head home, and I get to roll down my window and say hi.
Hi, L.B.!
I don’t think I’ve ever rolled down the window of a vehicle to say hi to L.B. and not have him walk over to see me.
That was an awkward sentence. Grammarians, how would you improve it? My mind is gone.
Sometimes if L.B.’s feeling punchy, he’ll stick his head right in the window.
He’s probably looking for Sonic tots. He’s come to learn there are usually a few on the floor.
Aw, L.B. I just love you so much.
You carried my baby safely across the highway when he was little….
You carried my older boy across the pasture…
And you carried my nephew when he worked cattle with us a few summers ago.
Along the way, everyone in the family has ridden L.B.
You’ll carry anyone we ask you to, and we love you for that.
You helped Marlboro Man gather mustangs and you didn’t even flinch.
You never mind it when the kids give you a big kiss…
Or a big hug…
Or when I gaze longingly into your eyes.
There are probably horses in the world that are shinier and, on paper, from finer stock than you. But I think you’ve always been the most beautiful horse in the world.
Even the back of your head is special.
Love,
The Redhead With Tots in her Truck
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.
