The Ranch Shuffle

It was a fun, unique and interesting weekend in regards to getting to know my friends and neighbors, as well as moving items about the ranch. Many times people call it generosity out here, but sometimes we are also cleaning up after ourselves in the process.

I have a neighbor that has generously offered me piles of firewood, cut, split, and stacked, only needing to be relocated to my home. Alas, much of this is simply too long to fit in my stove, and the effort to chainsaw every stick of firewood makes it seem impractical to continue with such. I offered this longer wood I’d collected to a neighbor whom has a larger stove that can eat the ready-cut wood, so I shuffled a load over to his house this week. Another neighbor noticed this, and offered appropriate length wood that needs be split, but is less labor over all, so I shuffled a different pile home.

In the process of talking and sharing as such, a bed relocated from one house to another, drill presses were relocated, and men helped me load my trailer with wood upon the return drive. Some people got stuff, some people relieved themselves of stuff, some people got heat, but everyone appeared to go home happy with the shuffling. We shared, we exchanged, we bonded, and we helped each other. It feels how life should be. It is how I would like life to continue to be in our little oasis.