In the country, there are just certain realities one has to face. Flat tires, for one. Water and electrical outages, for another. Manure—well, that’s obvious. It’s everywhere. The list goes on and on.
Another cold, hard reality of ranch life is that dogs will never be clean—at least not like city dogs. And okay, in our case, not at all like city dogs. Our dogs are free range dogs and have the run of the place, and they are happy, happy dogs indeed. But that also means they have a tendency to swim in mud puddles, get covered in seeds from running in the tall grass…and find bones and carcasses out in nature. And sometimes those bones (and carcasses) wind up in our yard, on our porch, in our lives.
Sometimes I forget this reality when it comes to Charlie, however. He is very much a human to me, and I often lose sight of the fact that he is a canine, he doesn’t care what he smells like, doesn’t care what he eats, and has no sense of responsibility to his fellow humans. I mean to humans. So when I see ol’ Charles walk into the house and he’s looking all cute and droopy and cuddly and floppy, I suddenly block out all that I know to be true about country dogs. I pick him up and lay him on my chest for a late afternoon snooze. I rub his ears and play with his jowls and nestle in all snug as a bug in a rug. I sigh and think nothing on earth is better than this—it’s just me and my dog, my loyal, beautiful dog, just the way life should be.
And then I wake up the next morning, look out the window, and see him lying comfortably on our porch, gnawing contentedly on a leg.
And I go take another shower.
Love,
Ree Drummond
Children’s Book Author
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.
