The Ranch

I left the church around 7:45 in the morning.  It was cold and still outside.  As I was getting back on 114, making my way North, I heard the last howls of the coyotes for that night.    

I was riding down the highway.. thinking.. trying to make sense of the events of the evening before.  Jammye pulled over about an hour down the road to offer me a ride the rest of the way to the ranch, where she invited me for breakfast.  

We loaded my bike into the back of her SUV and chatted a bit.  

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When we pulled up to the ranch I started to grin.  It was like what you read about in children's books.  The little white houses with the red trim, on the prairie...  A beautifully self sustained community.  Horses, cattle, land.   Quietness.  Friendly folks.  Cowboys.  Real Cowboys!

We pulled up to the kitchen house.  Jammye introduced me to Stella (the office manager) and Linda (the boss in the kitchen!) ;).  They offered me some breakfast.  Some stew and beans.  Authentic, delicious, country cooking!  Stella and Linda asked me questions about my trip, and insisted it was much too dangerous being on the road on my own.  

Jammye had to head the work.  We unloaded my bike from her car while Linda kindly heated some food for me.  Jammye wished me safety and luck... and kindly donated to my trip.  She has truly been a moving  presence on my ride... only after 2 breif meetings in a couple of hours.  We hugged for a final time (although I have a feeling I will see her again very soon)...

I went back in to eat and have some coffee.  Stella, Linda, and I talked about life in the country.  Life as a wife.  Raising children on the ranch.  Private and public schools.  And cowboys, of course :). 

Stella invited me to stay, rest, and shower.  Instinctively, I turned down the offer, knowing I needed to keep to my "schedule"...  

While finishing breakfast... quite a character arrived at the dining hall.  

Ross.  A true icon of a cowboy.

Stella gave me a short tour of the dinning room photos, and Ross kindly agreed to drive me up the road about 20 to 30 miles, over the flat.

As much as I wanted to ride through the hills, I didn't want to miss out on a chance to talk to this guy!

Ross and I talked about the land.  We talked about the ups and downs of what the ranch goes through.  We talked about his life as a cowboy.  He told me stories of spending his winters on the lake, shooting the quail off the cattle's feed.  Now-a-days he takes care of the breeding mares.  

About 30 minutes down the road, after Ross dropped me off at the top of the flat... I was rethinking the offer Stella had given to stick around.  I fantasized for the rest of the day about helping in the kitchen, reading in my hammock and riding horses.  

Learning about life on the ranch.  

With really kind, interesting folks.

Life on a ranch seems pretty damn ideal to me...