Carolyn and Ryan Stubbs: Ft. Bridger Mountain Man Rendezvous

Labor Day weekend is a special time for my Dad's side of the family. Years and years ago my grandfather, dad, and uncle built a cabin in Robertson, Wyoming.

It is just a cute little thing:) One bedroom downstairs with 2 very large sleeping rooms upstairs. They built it so that a large group of the extended family could stay at it all together.

They just didn't realize that it wouldn't be OUR extended family that would be staying there....

because the cabin has squatters.

My grandpa doesn't call them the squatters. He calls them Darrell, Marie, and all their children and grandchildren.

The rest of us call them 'The Squatters.'

The problem started years ago when Darrell and Marie asked my grandparents if they would mind if they went up on our Wyoming property for a weekend. This wasn't a problem. They took their camp trailer, stayed the weekend, and then went home. It was pretty good.

Then the trouble started.....

Pretty soon they were asking my grandparents if their children and grandchildren could also come up for the weekend. Could they sleep in the cabin? Could they stay more than a weekend? Could they stay forever?

It was ridiculous. Pretty soon, every weekend 'The Squatters' were staying up in our cabin with 40 of their closest friends and family members. They were putting up decorations. They even put up pictures of themselves! They seriously think they own the place!

This was causing some fridgid tension in our family. We don't go up to the cabin very often, but we ALWAYS go up on Labor Day weekend for the Mr. Man Rendezvous. They were starting to make US bring our camp trailers and tents!! Can you believe that? They wouldn't even clear out for OUR family to come up for one weekend!!! We would have to haul a camper/tent up, and then just try to fit in around the squatters. They had control of everything. Kitchen, fridge, t.v., bathrooms. You name it, it was theirs.

This went on for the last 3 years.

This year, we put our foot down. We talked to my Grandma and told her that she needed to call 'The Squatters' and let them know that we were coming up for the Labor Day weekend. We also made sure that she specifically told them that we were not bringing our campers or tents and that they would need to clear out of the cabin because OUR family members would be using it.

VICTORY!!!! When we arrived late on Friday night (very late because Cassie made Katie and I wait in Provo for her and Ryan hit a deer in Katie's Tahoe....), we had the cabin completely to ourselves and our own beds to sleep in.

It was the best Wyoming weekend that I have experienced in a very long time.

ON TO THE RENDEZVOUS!!!

So this was Ryan's first year attending the Ft. Bridger Mountain Man Rendezvous. I was a bit nervous that he would be disappointed because I've talked it up so much during our dating and married years.

I had nothing to worry about.

We watched the archery competition:

Yep. That is his arrow on the right side of the picture. I thought it was pretty cool.

There was a knife and tomahawk throwing competition.....

They were suppose to hit the center....

The blackpowder competition. This was the ladies and youth. It takes forever to load their guns! I'm surprised the indians didn't kill everyone while they were reloading!

At the demonstration booths this woman was showing how to spin wool....

This is Jay Red Hawk. He was on the show Deadliest Warrior as a Native American weapons expert. He was so stinking cool to listen to. He makes traditional indian bows and arrows. He also hunts buffalo on horseback with his bow and arrow. He said he hasn't gotten one yet, but he also hasn't died, so he feels pretty successful. My favorite thing he said was, "We can't say that we stole horses and murdered members of other tribes anymore. That isn't politically correct. We have to say permanantely borrowed from others that had more than they needed."

This man's loin cloth was quite small. He walked directly in front of Ryan and I when we were sitting down and we saw quite a bit of his butt. It was kind of white and hairy. Ha ha!

Blacksmithing demonstration

Medical demonstration. Did you guys know that George Washington died because he had a sore throat and the doctor bled him to death? Oops! That doctor would have been facing a hefty lawsuit these days....

That was pretty much the end of our Rendezvous. We headed back to the cabin and the men-folk proceeded to have a shooting competition. I would have played, but I didn't want to make them feel bad for losing to a girl.

Men have such tender feelings.

My hot hubby manning the thrower.

My even hotter hubby shooting

My cousin (Carson or Cole...I can't tell from this pic. I didn't get a pic of the other twin, so let's count this as both boys. Ha ha!)

Cache shooting

Uncle Jason working the thrower now....

My cousin Chase. He is pretty tough. Roman told us this weekend, "Chase's arms are ALMOST as big as Uncle Ryan's!"

My nephew Michael. He is a crack-shot. The kid shoots a 4-10 shotgun. It is harder to hit clay pigeons with this gun because it's shot pattern isn't as big as a 12 or 20 guage. He can still out-shoot pretty much everyone.

My nephew Brandon, lurking in the trees. He didn't want to shoot guns. He preferred his sling-shot. Ya know-give them a fighting chance.

Roman was desperate to learn how to use the hand-thrower to throw pigeons. He really isn't big enough yet, but Uncle Ryan will do just about anything for that kid. Here they are adjusting the pigeon and recieving instructions.

And after a few failed attempts.....