Montana Moon - a modern story about a good ol' fashioned cattle roundup and the lady who takes over the camp and the hearts of the cowboys along the way.
Penny Harden lives out the dreams hidden in my heart. She gets to go on a Fall Roundup in the Montana mountains. She has horse traveling companions and a loveable Rottweiler. Now, I've been on a miniature cattle drive (moving a herd from one pasture to another) which was awesome! I've had horses that I trailered around with me, even realizing a lifelong goal of camping on the coast of Oregon and riding my horses down the beach. It was awesome! Grim, chilly and damp too, but still awesome. I have had many dogs, but the best was a Chocolate Loveador (Labrador) and the current owner of my affection, a Schnauzer-Terrier mix pup that we "accidentally" acquired from a friend. She's adorable! But decades ago, I met a Rottweiler that sniffed me once and promptly plopped down on my feet, refusing to leave me until I had to get up and go home, hours later. I've wanted one ever since.
However, many of the things Penny experiences in the camp, are based on my own life experiences, such as solar-powered shower bags and the smooshing power of a gate combined with the weight of a cow. Being the camp cook is a job that I delight in and spend at least a week prepping for before a big camping trip.
Grant Clark reminds me so much of my husband. Large and in charge. A force to be reckoned with. Protective. A fantastic father. At one point in this book, Grant is called upon to handle nearly 300 lbs. in an emergency situation and in that frantic moment he does so, seemingly without noticing the weight. You'll have to read the book to see what I'm referencing. :) My husband and I were 4-wheeling one time in Alaska and we were both novices, so picking our way through a treacherous spot on the trail hesitantly. My ATV hit an unseen obstacle and flipped over on me, pinning me in the mud beneath 2 ft. of icy water (there was hail floating on top from a recent storm). The machine weighed about 450 lbs. and I was losing the battle to free myself. When my husband turned and saw me struggling to survive, he got to me in about 2 steps (from 30 ft. away), picked up the 4-wheeler with one hand and flung it (it landed 5 ft. away) while yanking me up by my ankle with the other. I blinked at him through the muddy ice water sluicing over my face from my helmet. I was sure that hypothermia was setting in quick. I'm dangling upside down at my husband's eye level and he's demanding to know what in the world I was doing. "Trying not to drown?" was all I could think to answer. He was mad, just like Grant was when...well, again, read the book! You're gonna love it!