Larry and Menny head back to the beach

Larry and I discovered Stand Up Paddle Boarding on a trip to Florida at the beginning of the month and instantly fell in love with the sport.  We bought two YOLO boards (You Only Live Once) and brought them home.

You Only Live Once

LuLu boards for the first time

The boards are very stable.  Even first timers feel comfortable after a few moments.

Pam on Carters Lake

I had a hip replacement last fall, and I’ve had balance problems due to an injury, but even so this was easy..and so much fun.  You pick your destination, your speed, and head out.

Carters Lake

Care to join us?  We are now giving lessons and taking guests for excursions on area lakes. In the heat of the afternoon or early evening, it’s refreshing, peaceful and just a bit magical.

Little Brother arrives at Law Office

We found him on the front porch of the law office early in the morning.  He was injured but affectionate and wanted very much to get out of the cage he’d been left in.

Little Brother meets the rest of the family

We brought him home to the ranch.  He’s five to six months old, so Amelia on the left, and Julia on the right, are perfect playmates.  Mad Max is behind him, checking him out.

Lots of Love

He needed a flea bath, wormer, and his hurt leg examined.  He got all of that, but we started with the most important thing, above.

Settling in

Larry named him.  And I think it suits him well.  Little Brother is at home on the ranch.

This morning's pick

We have come to look forward to the first juicy, sweet tomato so much that this year we planted more…

They top our burgers made from Seventy-four Ranch beef, grace white bread and mayo on their own, and they are showing up in scrambled eggs, with our bell peppers in the morning as our guests stroll in for coffee.

The Resurrection Lily

Years ago we planted a Resurrection Lily.  Sometimes known as the surprise or magic lily. It disappeared into the soil during the drought, and then the 100 year drought. I wondered about it.  And watched.

This year it is back.  Pale fresh pink blossoms.  A joy to behold.

Amelia and Julia had never seen so much water.

For a few glorious moments they were water dogs.

These pools aren’t constructed to last.  It was one of their sharp baby claws that doomed it. But we had a few, short moments of summertime bliss.

Each morning for weeks I awakened to an incredible bounty.  Hundreds and hundreds of blooms from three antique rose bushes.  So many that I had the incredible luxury of picking a bouquet just for the night.

The cold wet winter brought forth this simple abundance, so rich and stunning.

That’s Amelia on the left, and Julia on the right.

Amelia is our little explorer.  Named for Amelia Earhart, the woman who’s dream was to fly around the world.  Amelia is super-bright and alert.  She misses nothing and is always on the move, searching for what’s new and interesting.

Julia is named for Julia Child.  Pioneer of French cooking in America.  Julia loves to eat and she likes to stand under my feet in the kitchen.  She is sweet,  and Monkey, our toy fox terrier, is smitten.

So Menny and I went out in Ole Blue to take a look at her.  It’s the first time I have seen her in awhile. We stopped the truck, I got out and called “Annabelle!” just like I used to, when she was a baby and living with us after she was orphaned on day three of her life. She began to trot toward us.

And the bond held.  I have hope now that it always will.

She let me scratch her head and around her horns, just like I used to.  After a while,  I got back in the truck.  But she wasn’t finished.  More head scratching was in order.

She rubbed on Ole Blue until we left.  But we aren’t far, and the Baby Watch is underway…..

But is it?  And if so, who is the ghost?  The land has seen three tragic periods: the Cherokee Removal, the War between the States (the Civil War), and the Moonshine War, when three members of the home were murdered or killed.

So we let some avid ghost hunters see what they could find out.

Members of the Tri-State Paranormal Society spent one whole night at the ranch monitoring any paranormal activity inside the historic home (circa 1850) and in the Saddle House, where one of the many unexplained events was reported.

Jamie McLain de-briefed  the investigators on their initial feelings  upon walking into the house, and then cameras were wired from rooms into this central screen.

The groups rotated after an hour or more in one location, and then again were de-briefed on what they may have seen, or heard.  The video, stills from digital cameras and voice recorders are all being examined.

The investigation should be wrapping up this weekend, and Jamie reports they have a couple of “interesting things” to tell us about.  Stay tuned!

We don’t get a lot of snow up here in the foothills and so when it graces the farm it is big news.  Time to grab the camera, and also time just to breathe in winter, and listen to….nothing.  No trucks on the road, just the faint wind sweeping over the earth.

But neither sleet nor rain nor snow will stop Blue’s Bengal Wonder from crossing the pasture to see me.

Bengal, like of our foals, was imprint-trained.  We were with him when he was born, touching him, talking to him, letting him breathe our breath, the way horses sense who you are

Bengal will be my saddle horse this year as I begin to ride again after getting a hip replacement.  So hopefully, this is the start of a good year for us.