Rancho Sierra Vista

The “ranch” was established in September 2000.  It is a beautiful 80+ acres of hay and trees.  About forty acres are in hay/grass with side rolls to water it.  The other half of the land is treed and takes in a canyon with water running year round.  From the area the house will be built if we live long enough you can see mountain ranges in all four states making up the four corners region.

In the beginning dad and Justin spent a week putting in a road to where we have the barn/house built.  Since that first attempt to inhabit the land we have truly lived in a third world country.  No water, power, telephone.  After seven years and much work we have power, water, irrigation water under pressure, and a telephone line (s).  The barn is mostly done except for the upstairs where we will live, some day. 

This summer we harvested about 2,000 bales of hay and sold most of it to our friends on the reservation. 

The pond was dug out and filled, but not soon enough for the mother duck (wild) to come again and have her babies like she did last summer.

Now that the summer is over we are leaving home and heading back to the Navajo Nation.  We served last year, October to April in Cameron and the Grand Canyon.  It was a wonderful time and we made some really neat friends, and got to hike the beautifl painted desert as well as the whole of the top of the Grand Canyon.  We were the only belagonas so everyone knew where we were even if we didn’t.  We got found when we were sure where we were.

This winter we will be in Chinle, serving in Many Farms and Lukachukia.  Lots of belagonas here so we don’t stand out like we did last year.  We are looking forward to working with the people here.