Seasonal Transitions

March 3, 2023 by ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~ Leave a Comment

Howdy y’all, it’s your favorite South Dakota Cowgirl, Jenn Zeller here, and I’m here to talk about one of my favorite seasons: Winter. Now, I know what you might be thinking. “Jenn, winter is cold and dreary. How could you possibly enjoy it?” But hear me out, folks. Winter is a time of beauty, reflection, and yes, even fun. I know we are officially in Spring, but the snow storm that hit Tuesday has me reflecting…

South Dakota, will teach a person to appreciate all the seasons, including Winter. As a cowgirl, winter presents its own set of challenges, but with those challenges come moments of pure magic. There’s something special about waking up to a fresh blanket of snow covering the prairie. The silence that comes with it, and the realization that you’re surrounded by a winter wonderland make me slow down. And as my yoga instructor would say, “take time to pause”. She’s not wrong.

Winter offers that chance for reflection. It’s a perfect time to slow down. It’s a time to set goals, make plans, and dream about the future. I’m behind in sharing these thoughts, I know. Since we are heading into a busy season, this is the ideal time to pause if you haven’t already.

My favorite thing about winter is the way it brings people together. Whether it’s huddling together for warmth, having family game nights on the ranch, or simply sharing a smile and a wave, winter has a way of fostering a sense of community and togetherness. It is also a time to catch up on the indoor projects!

As, we leave the cold and dreary days of winter behind us, I encourage you to take a step back, slow down, and appreciate the beauty and magic that the season offers. I know firsthand that winter can be a wonderful and rewarding time of year. So take a minute, take a breath, soak in the last few days of cold we’ll have until Fall, and revel in the peace.

Happy Friday, Friends!

About ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~

Jenn Zeller is the creative mind and boss lady behind The South Dakota Cowgirl. She is an aspiring horsewoman, photographer, brilliant social media strategist and lover of all things western.

After a brief career in the investment world to support her horse habit (and satisfy her mother, who told her she had to have a “real” job after graduating college), she finally took the leap and stepped away from a regular income; trading the business suit once and for all for cowgirl boots, a hat, and jeans. She has not looked back.

When Jenn first moved to The DX Ranch on the South Dakota plains, she never imagined she’d find herself behind a camera lens capturing an authentic perspective of ranching, and sharing it with others. Jenn has always been called to artistry, and uses music, writing, images, home improvement, and her first true love of horses to express her ranching passion.

Horses are the constant thread and much of her work centers around using her unique style of writing to share her horsemanship journey with others in publications such as CavvySavvy, the AQHA Ranching Blog, the West River Eagle, the family ranch website, and her own website.

Using photography to illustrate her stories has created other opportunities -- Jenn’s brand “The South Dakota Cowgirl” has grown to the level of social media “Influencer”. This notoriety has led to work with Duluth Trading Company, Budweiser, Wyoming Tourism, Vice, Circle Z Ranch and Art of the Cowgirl, to name a few. She also serves as a brand ambassador for Woodchuck USA, Arenus Equine Health, Triple Crown Feed and Just Strong fitness apparel. Her photography has been featured by Instagram, Apple, TIME Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Oprah Magazine. Jenn’s work has been published internationally, has been seen in several books and has graced the covers of several magazines.

Jenn became a social media influencer by accident when she started to explore Instagram as a way to share her life on the ranch with folks that don’t get to experience it. It’s grown into an incredible platform that she uses to empower women, create an environment for self improvement and share life on the ranch.

When she’s not working, she loves to drink coffee, play with her naughty border collie named Copper, start ranch colts, and run about the country chasing cans. Her mother still thinks she doesn’t have a “real” job.