Ranch Living

The ranch is a pretty wonderful place to live. The space, the freedom, the access to river and gardens and family is so amazing. It is an ideal living situation.
Lately we have had some pretty magical moments and I thought I would share them with you.
The other day, Davis was at school and so I took Sam out for a walk around our four acre yard. We went over to the side of the house to check the rose bushes. Sam wandered out toward the pear trees, bent down and held up a pear. "Apple!", he said and proceeded to take a large bite. I ran over there to yank it away from him, since I had looked the trees over a month or so prior and decided they were ornamental. But when I got there I saw he held a perfect, slightly soft pear. I smelled and then tasted. It was delicious. I grabbed the step ladder and a huge plastic paint bucket and filled it up! I can't wait to can them and make some awesome Christmas presents. Isn't that a nice unexpected gift from the land?
A few days later I loaded Davis and Sam into the wagon for a walk up to the front of the ranch to see the cows and to check the mail. On our way back, we got to witness a mother cow cleaning up her brand new calf. She nudged the new calf until it stood on it's wobbly legs for the first time and then found her way to the udders to taste her momma's milk. It was beautiful.
Then last Thursday we had book group out on my mom's patio overlooking downtown. She lives down the hill from us on the ranch, so I walked over. By the time I left it was late and the ranch was very dark. As I headed up the gravel road, I heard guitar from the road ahead. I got closer and realized it was my Uncle Mike sitting on the tailgate of his truck and playing his guitar. My aunt and uncle were staying with my grandparents and he had gone outside to play so as not to disturb their sleep. I climbed up on the tailgate with him and we chatted and laughed really enjoyed some one on one time together that I don't think we had ever shared. After about a half an hour, I decided to walk the rest of the way home. My uncle offered to sing me home and so I walked through the dark night listening to crickets and wind and the sound of his voice and the guitar keeping me safe as I made my way home.
I love this place. It's so beautiful and free. There is the safety of having my family close by, and the joy of living without observation or rules and of living so closely with nature and the water and the animals. I love that there are so many secret places in the gullys for the kids to find. I am so blessed that I can trot over to the garden to grab peppers and onions whenever I please. I am so blessed that if I need half an hour of sanity I can run the kids over to my grandparents or uncle or cousin or parents and leave them for a bit. Love it.
I am so grateful.