The Ranch on Salmon Creek

Hip?

2009-12-18T23:04:00.000-08:00

We recently received some wonderful drenching rain. I no longer keep a range gauge, because I always worry we receive too much or too little, and without a gauge it is always just right! BUT, I am told by Eric the Bold that his gauge registered 9 inches. When we get such rainfall we travel the ranch roads and make sure that we keep as much as we can from running down the roads and creating ruts. A few months ago Eric the Bold bought this little heifer for his sweetheart and when the rains began back in October I offered her the use of the barn. The calf not the sweetheart! Of course, that means I am doing the twice a day bottle feedings most of the time. I like the little heifer even though she is a little introverted and unfriendly. Although she is quite taken with Charlie and follows him everywhere. He needed a new sidekick. His sweetheart, Charity, the filly with the broken hip, was accepted by a local animal rescue and the Kidd A and Kidd B are in the freezer and Frank the male goat is off working at the dairy goat farm and Flower the female goat is soon to go back to her old home. Whew. That is alot of changes on the animal front in one run on sentence!
This was our view this morning as we headed out on a road trip to go visit our daughter and son-in-law in Las Vegas. I had to get out of the car and take some photos and offer my love up to this place. We didn't make it to Vegas today. We had some unexpected delays along the way and stopped in Reno and... went ice skating outside. That was a first. The outside part, not the skating. Although it has been 15 or 20 years ago.
We were just glad we didn't break a hip!

Mystery Meat

2009-12-13T18:00:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted any gross photos lately. So here is a couple of carcasses for you to guess what they are. If you need a hint, click here.

BTW- They never were named. I'm learning....

Speaking of meat, we released the bulls today. Which means we should begin having calves next year right around September 21st. We were hoping all of our cows would have calved by now, but alas we had bull trouble last year and we are only at 50 percent calved out.

Max and Jerry turned out to both have trouble. Jerry had a genetic flaw that showed up a couple months into his service. His front legs became very crooked and he had a hard time getting around. He was recently replaced free of charge by a bull we named Lou, after the man who picked him out for us. Mark decided not to pick out any more bulls! Max got sick last year from ticks and he never fully recovered and the fever caused him to be sterile. A total waste and unfortunately we had to buy a bull to replace him. A friend and local rancher went to pick us out a bull and came back with 2 because the price was so good. We named these two Ralph and Jacob after the father and son who did the thrifty shopping! Needless to say our one good bull Clay had his work cut out for him last year trying to cover the whole ranch and our cows will be calving into the spring. Oh well.

As for the geriatric cows I bought last year... we got 12 calves from 11 cows. Not bad. We ended up sending 5 back to the auction yard, but 6 of the cows are really nice middle aged cows- with teeth! Definitely keepers.

First Snow

2009-12-06T21:32:00.000-08:00

Wood is stacked.

Hay's in the barn.

Dressed for success.

Let it snow.

(It almost never snowed where we grew up (twice in our lives), so when we hear it might snow, we get prepared!)

Dispatches from the Ranch

2009-11-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

mark- up to the wood pile, load the trailer, drive back down and out to someone's house. Repeat, repeat, repeat...

tj- clean, cook and feed the critters and do math. Repeat, repeat, repeat...

eric- run around with a love struck look in your eyes. Repeat, repeat, repeat...

all together now- enjoy the wind and rain and mists that swirl. Repeat, repeat, repeat...

Light Weekend

2009-11-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

Morning sun flits and flies, with the mists try to make a way through.

Here then there, the dance continues to enthrall onlookers and the dancers alike.

Midday sun's shadow is light, still,

the muted shape and form of the woods glitter and glow in faded yellows and gold.

Buckeyes now barren form stilllife on rounded hill,
the green of the grass seems almost from another time, another day when flowers come.

Afternoon sun makes it's prescence known. Boldly. Shadows dark and steep scramble, colors scream to stay a little longer.

While the last of fall's bounty and vibrancy is gathered-

And then savored under a cover of night.

Saturday's Ride

2009-11-02T12:44:00.000-08:00

A light rain/mist, or spit from heaven is falling and there is a slow glowing fire in the stove. Time to do a new post. This once a week post thing was supposed to improve the quality of posts and stop my mind from thinking in blog. It has accomplished the second, but when you stop thinking blog, then you just kind of lose it. If you know what I mean. Also, not having the hubby involved really somehow lessens it all. It is just not as much fun and the quality suffers; both in wit and grammar. (Like should that just have been a semi colon, comma or just its own sentence). Oh well, maybe next year he will grace these pages again.

This post is supposed to be entitled, "The Bella Diaries", chronicling our daughter's dog's visit to the ranch. But that will have to wait. I can tell you though that it is rated PG 13 due to some violent images.Instead, it will be another post about riding. Have you figured out yet, that I love horses! Here is the herd. I am no longer counting. So don't you either. I will add that 4 are not mine. But that still leaves an awful lot, and this photo doesn't even show all of them! Now that I have them all turned out on the ranch, I call them the "Brombies". Or is it "Brumbies? Anyone know where that reference comes from? Anyone care?This photo shows how to capture handsome head shots of your horse. Johanna is optional, something to shake is not.

Here is the handsome head shot of Shy-Anne. (Eric the Bold's horse...NOT mine). Her head wouldn't really be considered beautiful, but somehow it always seems so to me. BTW- this horse is half billy goat. She can go ANYWHERE, and she does so with verve. (See I can use unusual words even without the hubby).

After grooming all the Brombies, we pick a few, saddle up and take off. A beautiful sunny, now cloudy, now mysterious kind of day.
Off the road now we head up a draw. The quiet fall surrounds us. No wind noise here. The earth smells rich and musty. We are quiet. A silhouette shot. Wait is that princess Pocahontas or is she just waving her hand around in the air? Perhaps she has a bee in her bonnet. Along the ridge we had a dramatic change in climate with wind blowing and the fog flowing. Jo decided to try and fly, I think. Donkeys in the mist. Macho ain't named "macho' for nothin. He tried to work his moves on us, but we weren't having it, I tell ya. Evening came quick and we headed back. Another beautiful ride in paradise. Of course, you aren't really done until the fat lady sings. Or perhaps the skinny lady! Sequoyah wasn't quite sure he liked the song, but he did wait around to listen.

The end.

(Post Script: Isn't it pathetic that I have ended so many posts this way?)

Calf Crazy

2009-10-25T23:47:00.001-07:00

Photo of a brand new calf and her/his mama.

We have fairly mild winters here in the pacific northwest and we are told by other ranchers that fall is a good time to have calving. The fall rains bring up the new grass and the fairly warm temperatures give the grass some growth and vitality before cold sets in. It also makes our calf crop a bit more marketable as these young ones can be sold early summer after they fatten on the rich spring grass or held over for one more year and sold the following year to our neighbors for their freezers. I will keep you posted on how well this works. I worry that the cows could use more protein to make richer milk, so I like to supplement with a little hay. Or at least that is what I say, mostly I like giving them some hay at this time because their young are so dang cute and I really like hanging out with the cows too. I find that their presence is very relaxing. The cows are really beginning to accept me as part of their herd, so the really daring calves will come up and give me a good look, or maybe a lick! Sometime they venture close only to then dart off helter skelter with tail held high and- of course-with the occasional blast of flatulence! I really am pretty crazy about calves and they must think it odd to hear some two legged creature, bent over with nostrils flaring, making low grumbly noises, sort of like their moms do. All I can say is that it is a good thing we don't have any neighbors nearby.

Signs of Autumn

2009-10-17T11:57:00.001-07:00

Special Day

2009-10-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

What does this photo signify? Any guesses? It was taken this morning, or was it afternoon? Ahhhh. Can't really remember.
Here is a lovely photo snapped by someone at our daughter's wedding. I didn't take any photos and I lifted this one off of facebook. It seemed odd somehow to go around snapping photos while a professional was running around doing the same thing. The photos she took should turn out really well because it was a beautiful day, with a beautiful bride and groom and a beautiful wedding party at a beautiful park. Wonderful. But a little stressful all the same when it is YOUR daughter.
Congratulations honey.

Here is a photo I did take at the rehearsal. They are such a cute couple. We are so happy to have Donnie as our son. His father did such a wonderful job with his speech at the rehearsal and at the weding. He spoke of how we are not losing a daughter or a son, but gaining family. And the good thing is we really love the family. Congratulations Donnie on your marriage with Sarah and with us!

As promised, here is a photo of us all cleaned up. With me in the fancier dress that I found in a local boutique at the last moment. My daughter liked it and then her and her bridesmaids gave me a nice modern look. Check out that straight hair. Wow. It is amazing what a little silicone and a flat iron can do. And they did my make-up too. It was kind of fun to look really nice for a day. My hubby looks pretty special too, but everyone keeps giving him a hard time about his grey beard. But I love his grey beard, so no comments please.
Weddings are wonderful for married folks. They remind you of your own love for your mate and the roads you have traveled down; sometimes bumpy, other times smooth. I snapped the following photo of an older couple holding hands at another recent wedding. Somehow their aged hands clinging to each other sums up how I feel about love. It brings a warm glow to my heart and a tear to my eye. Wonderful. Special. Here is another aged couple that I snapped a shot of at Brian and April's wedding. Perhaps you recognize one of them. The one with the grey beard? LOL. The other is Mark's best buddy and they always have a great time together. On this particular day they were sipping beer and hoping that their deep pit worked and that they would have meat to feed the 200 guests that were waiting. Luckily, it did. Almost 130 pounds of beef was eaten that day by only 200 people. Wow. They must have liked it. I like their aprons. Don't you? So cute! So special.

A Week Later

2009-09-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

Last week was a little off kilter.

We had planned on traveling south last week to get hay from the family farm and meet up with my daughter and mom to go dress shopping for our daughter's wedding that is less than 2 weeks away. Of course the bride's dress is chosen, but my mom and I are still in need.

After the accident we needed a day to just breathe and then the following day we had calves that got sick. Runny nose, cough.

We haven't really had sick calves before, and we don't want to use antibiotics, so we did the old fashioned remedy of, "feed a cold, starve a fever". Since they don't really like chicken soup we fed them copious amounts of alfalfa. It did the trick. They are all looking much better now, a
week later.

Other things happened to friends around us too. Sad things.

So needless to say, we did not head south. Now, I have nightmares of showing up to the wedding wedding with nothing on, or dressed way too sexy, or in some old dowager's dress. Really. I have. Just shows how neurotic I am. So, off to Eureka we went last week in pursuit of a dress. Pretty slim pickings in our neck of the woods. Although I will say that if you are a man, it is easy to get dress clothes.

Mark walked into the western store, got a nice pair of black boots. He put them on and then walked a short distance down the mall to the men's clothing store and said he needed a suit. First suit he tried on fit perfectly, they pinned it up for the tailor and we were done. They even had a buy one get one half off, so Eric the Bold got his suit too.

Easy.

Why can't it be so for women?

A week later and Geanie, our recent accident sufferer, is managing. I wish I could say she was back home and all better, but broken bones take time to heal. I can tell you she is an amazingly strong lady with a terrific family. I feel claustrophobic and anxious just thinking about her injuries of a broken hip AND pelvis, ankle AND elbow. Everyone is thankful it wasn't worse, but still, that's bad enough. She is as of now in a rehabilitation center, near her home in Redlands, Ca with hopes to be home as soon as she can manage a few things on her own. Speedy Recovery to ya, Geanie.

And we are hoping this week is a little more balanced. And that I find a dress.

(photos taken at Humboldt Bay after an afternoon of shopping)

50th Birthday Ride

2009-09-24T15:55:00.000-07:00

A Fall at the Falls

2009-09-21T17:39:00.000-07:00

I sit here decompressing after an eventful day. Our good friend Melody came out with her sister and her sister's husband and daughter. I took them on a very nice, quiet and uneventful ride.

It always worries me a bit when I take beginners out riding the trails. Our horses are safe, but they aren't saints, and any number of things can happen in the woods that you can't account for. As I lead a trail ride I try to seem relaxed and chatty, but I am constantly assessing the horses, riders and the surroundings. Just in case. Today's ride was great though. No problems. Everyone seemed well mounted and to be enjoying themselves. We rode what we call the creek crossing trail that passes near the water falls. When we got there it was decided that they would all walk down and take a look at the falls before continuing the ride. I tied up the horses, but opted to stay with the horses in case they had any problems. It was peaceful. I scratched ears and then sat down on a rock in the shade to wait.

Soon, I heard the group coming back and I was ramping up and going over how I would proceed to get everyone mounted again without the mounting block and thinking about possible things that could go wrong. All of a sudden I sensed a stillness, a pause, a break in the rythm of the walkers that were returning. Then the "oh, no!", "Jeannie's fallen!", exclamations began pouring out the trail. No word from the fallen. Not even a peep. My heart fell. I stood frozen, transfixed, afraid to look. But I hollered and they hollered back that it appeared she was fine. I hurried down the trail to see her at the bottom of an eight foot cliff that a small section of the trail traverses. She was at the bottom splayed out on the rocks with her family around her. She was in pain, but quiet. I then realized I had no phone. NO PHONE> how did I forget my phone? Luckily, my friend had her phone and it worked. I called Mark who, unfortunately, was no where near. He said he would handle the necessary phone calls. I then realized that mounting the horses was not going to be a problem and that we were going to need a vehicle, so I took off up the hill on Buddy to go back home to get the Land Cruiser.

Buddy tried to run up the steep hill for me, but the boy is out of shape and all he could mostly manage was a brisk trot. Good enough. Eric arrived at the house in his truck about the time I got there and I was so happy to see him. He is calm and capable and, since farrier school, he really knows anatomy. He headed on down to the accident site and I regrouped.

Eventually we had all sorts of people arriving. First on the scene was our own local Salmon Creek volunteer fire fighters. Thanks so much Lisa for hiking over in such a speedy manner. Seeing you coming up the creek took a huge load off . Then came the ambulance, with my hubby Mark in close pursuit. Then the fire crew, then the convict crew of about 15, then the helicopter. Amazing! It all came together and they got Jeannie semi comfortable with a little morphine, strapped to a board and then the convict crew carried her out. Everyone was great and it took a lot longer than I just made it sound, but still, we are out here in the middle of no where, and someone fell and all of these wonderful people came and a helicopter was able to land right nearby, in the middle of no where, on a grassy hill. Amazing. Crazy. And I had no camera either. My friend did though and maybe, later, when I can look at the photos I will post them. Maybe.

Right now Jeanie is in a hospital with a broken elbow, ankle and hip. Pray for her and her family. Thanks.

I Got My Eye On U

2009-09-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

Today is someone's 50th Birthday. I won't say who. But I will say he is pretty darn special. And in honor of his birthday I sat down this morning and wrote him a little story about someone else who is pretty special to this ranch. A silly story really and I am not quite sure about it. But hey, the birthday boy is an easy audience, so I will go ahead and post it.

CHARLIE HORSE

Charlie Horse came to this ranch when he was 24 years old and 6 months. His previous owner was a 14 year old girl who lived along a wide meandering river with sandy beaches along each side. She loved to take Charlie down to stand in the middle of the river and she would lie on his smooth back and look up at the sky overhead watching for big fluffy clouds to float by. She also liked Charlie to run along the river’s edge. The wind blew Charlie’s mane back and he sometimes thought he was a pony express horse delivering important mail, and other times his rider was Paul Revere informing the colonist’s that the redcoats were coming and sometimes he was a famous race horse winning the Kentucky Derby. Charlie’s life along the river was one of imagination and stories.

Before Charlie was a river horse he lived in a stable and was used for lessons for children. This was important work that Charlie did not take lightly. It was important that he did not stumble or fall with the little ones on his back. He had to pay attention to the young rider’s cues about when to go and when to stop and when to turn left and when to turn right. Sometimes he might be asked to race around some barrels or some poles. Other times he might have to do jumps or maybe even chase around some cows. Charlie’s life at the stable was one of doing a job well, or as well as he could! He took this job seriously and when the day was done he rested well knowing that he had done it.

Before Charlie lived in a stable he was a vaquero rodeo horse. His beautiful reddish brown hair was brushed to a high gleam and his hard black hooves were polished. He wore a fancy saddle with shiny metal and dangling strings, and his bridle sparkled too. He pranced and he danced and he made people and horses alike ooh and aah at his high stepping feet, gracefully arched neck and his thick, beautiful black tail held high and blowing in the wind like a flag. Charlie’s life as a vaquero rodeo horse was one of beauty, grace and speed.

Before Charlie lived as a vaquero rodeo horse he lived in a large pasture with his mother. Days were spent grazing on sweet grass and racing his friends and taking a nap in the warm sun. His mother and his friends taught him that it wasn’t nice to crowd, or bite or kick. She taught him to not be afraid, and to always do his best. She was a good mother and he was a good son. Charlie’s life with his mother was one of learning to be a good and useful horse.

Charlie Horse is now 27 years and 8 months old. That is pretty old for a horse. Ancient really. Over the hill. But don’t tell him that because Charlie is a horse with many stories yet to live and old ones to remember.

Most days now you can find Charlie meandering around the ranch. He never goes too far, but he stays pretty busy. Sometimes we find him in his imagination station where it seems like his mind is far from here. He also has some goat, donkey, and horse friends that come by often to say hi and play and swap tales under the apple trees. On the ranch he is sometimes also asked to be a child’s horse and he has to pay attention and do a job well. Occasionally he is still asked to run like the wind and he arches his neck and holds his tail high and moves with beauty and grace. We all ooh and aah. Sometimes he even gets to chase the cows and he likes it. He wrinkles his nose and lays his ears back and he chuckles to himself when the cows run away from him. No, Charlie is not old yet. Call him semi-retired and definitely call him loved.

A New Member of the Family

2009-09-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

Amelia Antoinette Harris came into the world.

and we are all happy.

Painting

2009-09-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

I just downloaded 133 photos to my computer and while perusing through the last week or two on the ranch I realized there were a lot of things going on that I could do a post on. Like I could have done a whole post on our Sunday school round-up where Charlie was one of the featured events. With the stick horses coming in as a close second. But I'm not.
Or I could do a post on Johanna learning to shoot a bow,
and drive the Land Cruiser under the close tutelage of Eric the Bold. "Snappy"! I seriously contemplated doing a whole post on the beautiful sky we have been having lately. Beautiful! Simply beautiful.
Or perhaps I could post about the fall round up. Again, note that sky. But I didn't. We have also had a lot of day visitors to the ranch. Like this wild and crazy family who took the Cruiser to the falls. And I could have done a whole post on such visitors. But I didn't. No, I did not post about any of these events. This post is about painting. Can't you tell? The title says, "painting", come on get with the post here. This is a worthy post about how our house went from a peeling mess to a beautiful shade of red! Yes RED.
Well, a rustic red, beige and white. We tried to match the red to the color of madrone oak bark. It is one of our favorite trees and very notable on the ranch. Perhaps we shall call our home, "Madrone Cottage", or maybe, "The Christmas Cottage"?
A BIG thank you to our dear friends who spent almost 2 weeks away from their homes, and over 202 man hours, to make our home nicer. .... and the bunkhouse too!

Almost September

2009-08-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

September

The breezes taste

of apple peel.

The air is full

of smells to feel-

Ripe fruit, old footballs,

Burning brush,

New books, erasers,

Chalk, and such.

The bee, his hive,

Well-honeyed hum,

And Mother cuts

Chrysanthemums.

Like plates washed clean

With suds, the days

Are polished with

A morning haze.

-John Updike

Out walking yesterday under a cloak of clouds and a dribble of rain I realized how fleeting summer was. The buckeye trees (above photo) and the maples are turning yellow, the grass is completely golden and beginning to get short from all the cows grazing, apples are falling and the morning has a briskness not felt for a while.

I am not ready for summer to be over because it feels like it barely begun. Our summer was busy. It seems like there was always something to do or somewhere to go. Lots of firewood cut by the men, gardening and guests tended by me. I remember fondly back to childhood and the endless open summers that I enjoyed. I was a privileged child who had little to no chores. Spoiled brat really, but aah, those were the days. Skinned knees and sun burned skin, cool water and riding with friends. Watermelon, peaches and apple pie, sitting out under a star filled sky.

Now fall's door is just opening and we await the first calf's arrival, begin feeding until the rains bring up new grass, Mark makes countless trips up and down the road delivering firewood, I plant the fall/winter garden, harvest apples and pears and hope for grapes (they don't look too good this year) and I also begin another online college course. Someday when I grow up I might actually get a degree! Actually, I take classes mostly for enjoyment and mental stimulation. It is easy to let one's mind go the way of a lazy body. And while I might let the old body get a little flabby, a mind is a terrible thing to waste. Or so somebody once said!

A Blue Eyed Beauty

2009-08-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

A while ago I posted about an injured horse I was tending too. She has hence been named Charity Rose and has been moved onto our property against our better thinking, but at the leading of our hearts. Poor, pitiful little thing. We just got the official diagnosis for her hip problem and she has a broken pelvis. We suspected something serious. The vet says that within 4 to 6 months it will heal although it is healing crooked. One hip is a couple inches higher than the other. He says she will not have pain and will eventually be suitable for light riding. We had some folks lined up who wanted to adopt her, but I am afraid that after this prognosis they have all backed away from taking her. So now we have the dilemma of deciding what to do.

As I mentioned before, she will be number 13 in the number of equines on the ranch and that is absolutely CRAZY~ how did this happen!? It seems ludicrous to think of keeping her, and yet, she is so sweet and gentle and loves attention of wee little hands that we just hate to put her down. And it might just break old Charlie's heart. Yes, that old fart decided he wasn't too old after all for a little courtin'. He spends most of the day nuzzling her and keeping himself between her and the fence that separates them from the other horses. It is wonderfully cute and yet probably not a good enough reason to save her. But then again....

So for right now, she stays. Tommorrow we will see.

Bye, Bye Goat

2009-08-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

Well, apparently my hubby gives and he takes away.... what a power monger. LOL.

Last January for my birthday he got me a billy goat to romance my female goat, Flower. I loved my sweet big boy and couldn't have asked for a nicer goat. Now, after complaining and gagging and all around being miserable with my male goat's cologne, which, by the way, I couldn't seem to smell, my hubby took him on a road trip to a nice goat dairy where 200 females awaited. I have to admit the old billy goat was pretty happy. His eyes glazed over and he curled his lip as if to smile.

Flower was a little sad to see him go for he had romanced well while he was here and she has 2 kidds to show for it and some more on the way, and he was also the perfect kiddsitter. The old goat liked to lay around in the barn and nap while the kidds scampered around . My birthday present served his purpose well, but he will be missed a little...by some.

Bye, Bye Goat! Called Pollen, Frank and Little Man. May you always have a head wind.

Nobody Cares.... according to Mike!

2009-08-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

Our nephew and his family came for their annual visit. The Daddy likes to drive around in the Land Cruiser looking for bucks to stick his arrow in. The kids like to ride quads, swim and just have an all around good time. The Mom does mommy things. You know what that means.... clean, cook and bandage up skinned knees. Emma decided that her daddy didn't drive to good. So here she takes a try at it. She is cute as a button, isn't she?

Hi, says Mike. My sister's trying to kill us. YIKES!
Brandon says this is the dumbest face he ever made, but he thinks his sister is pretty cute in the photo so it is ok to post it.

Here is the cutie again, riding Charlie. She loves all the animals on the ranch and the ranch dogs have been spoiled all week by little treats and lots of petting!

Mike riding Charlie with no hands. He also crossed a little creek while riding and Charlie jumped it, boy was Mike surprised. But he stayed on. Good job Mike!

Brandon wearing his Uncle's black hat for the requisite photo shoot. Cool!

Brandon rides the trails all by himself.

One of the challenges they had all week was trying to catch the baby goats that I refuse to get attached too. I think they did eventually convince the kidds to let them pet them. I think treats might have been involved. It is always all about the treats!

And the dad did get his buck.....

Got Wood?

2009-08-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of busy woodchucks working on the ranch. There are piles of thier industry everywhere. Here is a photo of the largest pile and our two resident chucks: Tater Chuck and Eric the Bold Chuck.Zac Chuck and his friend after a hard day of chucking! This is not an easy way to make a living and is not for the weak of mind or body. Well, perhaps mental weakness might actually be beneficial!

It has just been announced that after 2 years of holding the price at $300 per cord delivered (2 cord minimum), the price will be raising to $310 a cord for all orders placed after October 1st. If you live in So. Hum and haven't got your firewood for this season give us a call at 599-0516.

Johanna Rising

2009-08-03T07:36:00.000-07:00

A music fest called Reggae Rising has been going on all weekend down along the South Fork of the Eel River and we could actually hear some of the music on the top of the ranch, even though it was happening 20 miles upstream. This is an outdoor music festival that draws around 15,000 world music fans who dance, play and party along the river.

In honor of this annual event Johanna dressed accordingly. She seemed just a tad overdressed to clean the cabin for our next guests and buck hay, but she is just that kind of gal... always setting the tone.... even cool enough to wear a scarf in summer.

This was Johanna's 4th year to grace the ranch by choosing to celebrate her birthday here. This year turning 19. Look out world!

Happy Birthday Jo Jo!

Melancholy Summer Day

2009-07-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

Nothing quite says 'summer' to me as well as a freshly picked, crisp cucumber, sliced thin on thick, chewy whole wheat bread slathered with mayo. Yum. As I eat this sandwich I contemplate just how blessed I am. I don't deserve it. But I will take it with thanksgiving just the same.

It has been a while since I've posted. Just haven't been in the mood I guess and life has been busy with gardening, animals to tend, and guests coming and going. In Mark's case, he has had a lot of firewood to deliver, plus he also spent a week backbacking along the Pacific Crest Trail in the Marble Mountains with a troop of boyscouts. Good times, all of it.

But yesterday dawned melancholy and I have wallowed in it a bit. Savoring feeling; experiencing tears for no real reason except that they exist and I am alive. And blessed to live in an incredible place with a wonderful man surrounded by all my adoring animals. It is good to be queen! But serioiusly though, there are so many in the world who life doesn't smile so brightly on. I cry for them. And for my friends who have lost loved ones this year and for all of the 'wrong' things in the world. Well, at least the ones I am aware of. It doesn't do a bit of good to cry over these things, but it makes me feel better somehow. Weird as that sounds.

This morning I read a quote that sort of sums up my thoughts on this melancholy summer day. It is by one of my very favorite authors, Madeleine L'Engle. She is writing about the irrationality the damage a tornado has done.

I couldn't stop myself from asking, Why the old apple tree? Why the grand maples? Why did the twister skip the ancient willow, fading with age, or a sapling which wasn't doing well, and attack the strongest and healthiest trees? If the tornado wasn't consciously evil, it was still evil.

I wrestle with these questions which do not have logical answers, wrestle with mysteries, much as Jocob wrestled with the angel. How do we even attempt to understand the meaning of tempest and tragedy, love and hate, violence and peace?

I stuggle, and as always when I struggle to find the truth of something, I turn to story for illumination. And, as I grapple with the angels of difficult questions, I think of Jacob who saw a ladder of angels, reaching from earth to heaven, with the angels of God ascending and descending, linking heaven and earth, the creation to the Creator, not separated from each other, but participating in each other. Delight. At-one-ment.

For God is beyond all our forensic thinking. God is Love.

And this is more than enough.

An Afternoon Visit to the Ranch

2009-07-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

The three caballeros enjoying a soak in the wood fired hot tub after a busy afternoon.....

digging 'tators,

swinging,

riding Tono double, "look, no hands",

Noah riding solo,

Abe all by himself on Charlie,

Caleb on the trail,

and riding the range,

and more Sequoyah love.

You boys come back now, ya hear!

Love at First Kiss

2009-07-16T06:51:00.000-07:00

This young lady came visiting the ranch with her family and stopped to enjoy some Sequoyah love. He is the sweetest little colt. After this photo was taken by the young lady's mom and after her sister did some cuddling and petting of the herd as well we headed back up to the house. Soon we all turned when we heard a plaintive little neigh and the pitter patter of baby hooves. Sequoyah was leaving the herd and following! That is the first time he has ever done this. I think it was love at first kiss.

Three Falls and Coyote

2009-07-11T09:09:00.000-07:00

Check out this native american story about how the falls came to be. The perspective in the photo is one we've not shown before either. Cool.