Rancho Sierra Vista

It is the middle of August and already the weather has begun to change. It is cool to cold in the mornings and then warm durng the days. I love fall and it looks like we might be getting it a little earlier than expected this year.

Dad has cut the fields once again and today begins the baling process. We will not get the crop we had with the first cutting as the water got turned off early again this year. It is maddening to have to deal with the “old boys” and their ways.

We got the stairs put up in the back of the barn “upstairs”. Now we can actually move stuff up there if we need to. Dad and Jerry will cement the porches front and back on Wednesday evening. That is one project we have trying to get done for three or four years.

The lamb, larger, now a ewe, thinks she is a dog and runs with Emma and Charlee. To get her into her pen at night one must show her a dog bone treat and she will gladly go into her pen. The duck people have decided that the pond is not too bad a place to go and have to be driven back to their pen at night to protect them from the foxes and the coyotes. If they could be trusted to remain on the pond all night they would be okay, but with the duck people its hard to tell what they get into their minds to do.

Dad has cleared the bottom few acres of sagebrush and we have a hand line that will water the grass mix down there. The ranch looks really good with all the green, it is almost like an english estate with rolling grass, when you look at it from the french doors upstairs.

Dad put electric wire down both sides of the middle area of the fields that need to be groomed. This is the area we put the water and power lines in and it needs to be worked so we can plant a grass mix there. The horses have done a great job of eating down the weeds and helping to make the job easier for dad to get it fixed and planted before winter and our retreat to the Arizona bad lands and the Navajo Nation.

I learned to do stained glass and I think I will really love it. The lady who owns the store called and asked me to work for her and I filled in for several weeks until she and her regular helper worked out their differences. That was interesting. It confirmed to me that I like to do stain glass, but I don’t like to work in a shop that you have to stand around a lot. Even though Wal-Mart has its problems, at least you work work work when you are there and the time goes by quickly. Not saying I’m going back to W-mart, but I did enjoy the people.

Rebecca and her boys came for a month at the beginning of the summer to help out and work “our projects”. She wants her boys to know the ranch, and love it as much as she does. It won’t be long before Craig, “4″ will be driving the truck while grandpa “pa pa” loads the hay. I’m sure we will have to attach blocks to the pedals, but so what, I drove a bus this past spring with blocks on the peddals. The bus barn people had put them on for the lady who normally drives the route. Anyway the boys will get first hand lessons on farm life, if we all live long enough.

John and Erin, Jared and James came down for a weekend and that was fun. I truly miss not seeing my children and how they react with each other and how they enteract with their children, or siblings children. Grandkids are the best.

The summers highlight was witnessing Kimberly’s graduation from Western Governors University, with honors. She also spoke at the commencement exercises. It only took her eighteen years to get there. She is now going to teach sixth grade at Layton Elementary school. She is excited about her new job.

James graduated last December, but officially walked, at our request in April, that was fun.

John will graduate in December and move his little family and extended family back to Massachusetts, I know I will never see them again, only in pictures. But each of us have to do what is best for our families. I just feel sad that his children will never be a part of my life.

Jared was scheduled to graduate in October, but found out he needed to take an additional class. He is now to graduate in April. That gives the family six out of eight with degrees and two to go. All the spouces have their degrees and some with masters, while others are working towards theirs. Education is a good thing.