It’s been such a fun March at the Merc! Spring Break is in full swing in various parts of the country, depending on the week, and we’ve had the best visitors.
(I’m also so proud of, and grateful for, our staff at The Merc! So many smiles, such hard work. They’re amazing!)
We are also having Drummond Lodge tours all through the month of March (and we’ve set dates through the summer!) Visitors to the Merc, if they wish, can drive out and walk through the Lodge and take pictures of beautiful Osage Country.
(Just wait until it’s green outside. So pretty!)
It’s so fun to see families and groups of friends come out to the ranch and enjoy the Lodge.
There are no skyscrapers anywhere. Ha.
We admire anyone willing to risk a flat tire to drive out here!
Everyone is welcome to browse and have fun.
And if they want to bake me a pie, that would be great, too.
My biggest nightmare is that visitors will open the drawers, as I have a hard enough time keeping my drawers at our house organized.
Also, who knows what they might see? My lipstick, a fingernail file, a little can of hairspray…
A mouse? Not common, but it’s the country. You never know.
It’s really fun to be able to offer the Lodge for tours. It just adds another layer of activity for Mercantile visitors, and we want to do all we can to make sure their trip is extra fun.
Hey! I’ve been looking for that hat! Ha.
I’ve shared in the past how important Walter is to the Lodge tour scene.
Well…that hasn’t changed at all.
The kids love the big lug!
And Walter absolutely loves the kids.
There had to have been a very laid back mama standing back and watching this. (And most likely a dog mama.) Walter loves to kiss!
Doesn’t it look like they’re laying hands on him and praying?
Walter is in heaven.
Did I mention Walter is a big lug?
So here’s what happened:
Winter came.
It was cold forever.
Walter went inside the house and got on his bed.
He stayed there for two months.
He must have gained a solid ten. He and I are going to start our evening walks soon!
“It’s just in photos. The camera adds ten pounds.”
I forgot to keep my voice down. Walter is a little sensitive these days!
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.
