Rest assured, I have no intentions of revealing my dietary roughage patterns or bowel regularity; we have two bits of news on the ranch’s fiber optic front.
First, we are getting upgraded this summer, in waves. Blanca is coming out and upgrading equipment and then we can get far faster connection speeds. The lower end of Nordman, for example, I can confirm has already been upgraded.
Second, Blanca is adding about eight more miles of fiber to our system in the ranch. Just yesterday they completed a section that now runs from the Brophy/Spangle junction, down to and fully out Grey Place. We have two homes out there that must be super pleased.
The weather is in a holding pattern down here. Nightly lows in the forties. Daily highs in the sixties. Rain showers now normal. Morning cloud cover fully expected. The ten day forecast shows us holding quite still in such a state. Much to the north of us is under extremely different conditions, and chill usurps the excess heat that some are now enduring.
Another busy weekend is planned on the ranch. I expect the houses to fill up again over the long weekend, and company is visiting here as well. Two of the last four weeks I’ve dined with others. The other two weeks I’ve had folks dine with me. There is much openness and warmth from my neighbors and new friends. It pleases me greatly.
Drive safely this weekend. I have a feeling a touch of liquor might be flowing some where, some how, within this ranch. I know, it sounds strange, but I believe it to be true.
The residents of this magnificent, special, and beautiful ranch received an email this morning of someone who left their trash outside the dumpster because it was full. Strewn and scattered by animals, I wonder what else this person expected to happen. If the offender might be a reader of this site, shame on you, and please take better care of our pristine home.
I ventured down on Saturday for a large mail run with two large green bags of trash to discard. Alas, the dumpster was full, so I did two things:
1. Texted someone on the board to let them know it was full.
2. I brought my trash bags back home and put them back in my storage bin.
Not only is our ranch looking trashed, we now have an animal predisposed to hunt for food scraps, having gained such access. We also have members of this community who now have to literally walk along behind the offender and clean up their filth. We should treat our neighbors and friends with more dignity.
Please respect your Self, your neighbors, and this gorgeous place we are privileged to call home. If the dumpster is full, take your trash home or take it to Fort Garland. It is common sense and it seems silly to have to write that out as such.
This weekend denoted a mere ten months living on the ranch. In some ways, it feels like three years. The pace, the calm, the quiet, how quickly I felt at home in these surroundings. I have met so many kind, giving, generous and open people here; the community truly is a gift.
Had a good friend over for dinner Friday, a classic plan, steak and whiskey. I had another visitor stop by and share for a while, we ate, we drank (oh we did), and caught up on stories. He is wiser than I in many ways, and proffered a succinct summation.
I had an old friend I have known for half my life. Crashed at his place when traveling the country, he the same on his trips. We visit at times, we email regularly, we hike when allowed, it is what it is. He’s now retired and planning a full month to explore our lovely state; plans were coordinated. He just proclaimed there was no time to see me, not a drop in, not even a hello. Time for two days to camp just south of La Veta, time to spend a day at the Dunes, time for a day in Crestone, yet he will venture past the 160 gate this Friday with no time for me.
As my new, true and whiskey-softened friend quickly summated, “Then he’s not your friend; he’s just someone you know.”
Life is life. It is what it is. I have folks offering to (and often do) feed me, share equipment with me, give me firewood, help me lift heavy things, make me homemade preserves and proffering fresh ranch meat. Life is good here. People are amazing here. I will do my best to be an equally good neighbor and friend to them all.
I started cold brewing my coffee long before moving off grid. An insignificant fact but it is a fundamental aspect of this incident. Cold brewing means I daily end up with a mason jar of rinse water and organic coffee grounds. I scatter this mixture about the lawn which seems to enjoy the treatment.
This morning, however, mid-toss, a hummingbird entered the path the fluid was about to venture upon. She weaved to and fro, amazing me how she managed to avoid all the large droplets, but alas, she did get splattered. I wish her well. She shook herself off as she headed for the feeder, with a little extra buzz and a new scent to take back to the nest.
Photo of the day. We have all felt it. Sitting still, minding our own business and suddenly, you get the feeling you’re being watched. Sometimes, you are.
I have been told to check my eye sight. I have been told I was crazy, but this morning makes two mornings in a row that I have watched a pronghorn antelope wandering about the fields between Spangle and Grey Place.
I have confirmed the black horns, the white butt and belly, the distinct head bob when he walks slowly. It is a pronghorn. I am not crazy (at least in this particular sense), but I wonder what the old boy is doing out here, all alone and wandering about.
My long lens doesn’t do well in early morning light, but the best proof I can muster is below.
