Just the Boys

Last weekend I had the chance to nip away for a quick little two-nighter up at the ranch with just the boys.  I loved the chance to spend time with my honey and Jacob and Junior, run around the ranch taking some pictures, and relax; and of course, The Boys love everything about the ranch, from hiking to playing in the dirt, running up and down the driveway, eating chips and roasting hot-dogs; and for Jacob, not having to share any of the Potter books he brought along as reading material —  so it was entirely satisfactory for everyone.  Even the drive was uniquely enjoyable in that Paul brought along his Kindle, and one of us would read aloud while the other drove.  The book Signs of Life: 40 Catholic Customs and Their Biblical Roots is the perfect choice for that sort of thing, with its short chapters and wonderful variety.  It’s a book I highly recommend, sort of like a miniature encyclopedia of Catholic stuff – highly informative and of course, engagingly written as all of Scott Hahn’s books are.

Saturday morning we were up bright and early, and before we made off to town to do our shopping, Junior spotted the little bucket of ranch toys on the top of the metal shelf behind the door, and down they came. They’ve been up there for about 10 years, and they’re still a hit!  We made a photo stop along the way at one of the picturesque wind-mills that dot the landscape and they were wonderfully tolerant of my picture-taking.  On the way back I had to stop when I saw a profusion of the most delicate daisies growing along one little stretch of the road.  So sweet and sort of displaced in the rough, rocky, mud-brown terrain.

After our morning out, we had a little quiet time at the cabin while Paul visited the neighbors and tried to provide a little IT support. When I say quiet time, of course I mean that I tried to rest, and Jacob tried to read his book, and both of us were foiled by the three year old, who was much more interested in roping and tackling big brother.

When Paul got back to the cabin, we had our sandwiches and then went for a drive on the north end of the ranch, to see some different sights than we normally see down on the south side of the Carrizo.  It was a fun little jaunt, beginning with a surprise encounter with a neighbor’s donkey in the road. The Boys all got out to greet her, and Junior was fascinated and fearless in approaching and petting the large (but very gentle) animal.

From there we continued on our little journey, including wandering down an unfamiliar road all the way to its ending, a glimpse of some far away antelope, a photo-op with The Tree In The Middle Of The Road, a gate to nowhere that was a sad reminder of dreams that don’t always come true, and another sad little shack that only a couple of years ago was brand new, yet is now falling apart.  Coming back into our end of the ranch we happened upon some cows resting in the afternoon sun.  I was surprised to see a brindle cow – I think that was a first for me!

Back at the ranch it was nearly late afternoon, and the light was golden. It was almost time for our campfire, but first, Paul took my camera with the macro lens and tried to get some pics of cactuses he’d seen earlier in the day.  He also found a piece of bread Junior had thrown out for the birds after lunch that made an interesting closeup study. Meanwhile, Junior got to play with an old broken toy bow that was almost as big as himself, which he called his “Robin HOOD!”  He also discovered that he could make the bell ring.  That was fun for a minute, and then I was glad that the rope was so short and he could not more easily reach it. 😀

At last it was time to enjoy our one campfire of the weekend. It was lovely — not too cold, not too windy, plenty of time to enjoy the setting sun in all its glory.  Our simple hot dog supper was sufficient – even without the usual macaroni salad, and nobody even wanted any s’mores (that was definitely a first!).  Cleanup was easy even in the dark, and then we said goodnight to the stars and each other and hit the sleeping bags after a fun and full day.

To say that I’m thankful for a weekend at the ranch with absolutely NO CAR TROUBLES is an understatement.  The same cannot be said for the rest of this week, but that is a story for another blog entry.