Work Around the Ranch Never Really Ends

Just as things had settled down around the ranch, I came up with a list of chores in prep for the arrival of Pam and Joyce on the 13th.  Pam was flying in to spend another couple of days with me to make sure I was up to speed on taking care of the ranch and animals. We were able to work out the logistics for Joyce to fly into Denver on the same weekend to catch a ride to the ranch with Pam.  From Denver to Pam's ranch it is approximately a 5 hour drive.  

My plan was to have a nice dinner of Coq Au Vin with Jasmine Rice and Kale Salad.  I was doing a lot of the prep work so I wouldn't be rushed and it wouldn't be a late dinner. I was also very excited about seeing Joyce after being away from home a week and I didn't want to be spending the whole evening working on a meal.  I found out something interesting, though, about making a reduction sauce at high altitude....it takes a lot longer here than at home.  Still...nothing could dim my happiness at having Joyce here as well as getting a chance to spend more time with Pam.  Eventually we all three hung out over a leisurely meal.....talking, laughing, sharing.  These are my favorite times.....intimate conversation with smart, creative people in honest, non-judgmental dialogue where curiosity and critical thinking are the common ground.  

The next day was a full one.  Pam and I were going over more of the issues I would need to handle and some of the problems that needed to be dealt with before I was on my own.  One of the big repairs needing immediate attention was putting up a proper gate between the back corral and the front corral. Two rams have been segregated in the back corral after they had shown a propensity to harass the lambs, possibly even harm them.  This back corral was not affording much grass and was only about an acre of space.  We needed to take down a makeshift wire fence and put up an aluminum gate. The problem......the aluminum gate was just short of filling the space which meant adding another section of fence.  Our biggest and most difficult part of this job was digging a deep post hole in partially frozen ground.  Joyce was right alongside me on this project even though she was feeling the effects of altitude sickness.  This project wouldn't stand a chance without her as I'm not a very mechanically-inclined person.  I'm fine with some of the manual labor stuff but setting hinges and bolts is not something I've done much of.  

I was rather mollified at my attempting to dig a hole in the frozen, hard-packed ground near the barn.  When I finally realized that the manual post hole digger wouldn't cut it and that we needed a tamper head digging tool, it was getting late and we found out the local hardware store was out of them.  Even with this setback, Joyce made real headway in getting the gate attached with bolts to a solid post and swinging easily.  Later on this week she and I will finish it up so the rams can go out to the big pasture with the horses and donkeys for the grass. Pam says that the greening up of the pasture is just around the corner and it would be best if most of the animals were eating that and saving the hay for later in the year.  

Later on in the day, a friend of Pam's arrived to assess and make a plan for the old homesteader's cabin that is still on the property.  Pam is considering making a writing studio out of it but really wants to preserve the original structure in respect to the man who lived there for 60 years.  Rick Hoffman works in construction and customization.  He flew in from Vancouver, Washington to Denver; then drove a rental car to ranch where he would be staying overnight after he and Pam discussed their ideas.  When you manage a trek here, you generally are expected as an overnight guest.  Rick is a great guy who was interesting to talk to and pitched right in with never-ending ranch chores.  He did us all a solid by chopping up wood for kindling, setting us up for at least a week's worth of fire starter stuff.  

It was a really pretty day with much going on...Joyce and I working on the gate; Pam and Rick looking over and investigating the old cabin; and animals intrigued by all the activity.  At the end of our day, we were all pleasantly tired and hungry. 

Pam was the chef that night. Being that she is someone who considers her All-Clad pots and pans fourth on the list of things to evacuate in case of forest fire, she knows her way around a kitchen.  It was a late dinner so she kept it light with a spinach, avocado, tomato salad and pasta with homemade pesto.  It was delicious and we hung out talking over the meal for a while.  Before we settled down and headed for bed, we were asked by Pam to give a listen to an essay she had been working on for some time.  As a fan of her writing, it was a privilege to be in on the beginnings of a piece and be the first to hear it.  It was a lovely way to end such a full day.  

I was so beat I headed to bed earlier than normal and even the prospect of seeing a lunar eclipse didn't keep me up. Joyce was even more exhausted from working with me and dealing with a mild case of altitude sickness.  Pam and Rick stayed up though and to our benefit, took some photos of the lunar eclipse.  These photos are done by Rick Hoffman, custom craftsman, mountain climber, kindling splitter and photographer when he gets the chance.  Thank you Rick, for the great image.