October at the Ranch 2014 -- Part 2

We needed to do a little shopping for our weekend food and other necessities in town, so we headed on in around 8. While we were finding some deals (but mostly just really high prices) at Alco, Paul got a call from his parents saying they would be arriving in town about an hour earlier than they had originally said, so we had to hurry up to get over to our meeting spot at the IGA store. It is fun to revive these traditions every year, meeting our snowbirds at the ranch, shopping the little grocery store with them. We should probably warn them in advance when we’re all going to be there together, so they can batten down the hatches. At one point as Laurent and I were wandering the aisles wondering where everyone had gone, Laurent surmised that they were probably over by the relish having a party. Sure enough, there they all were, congregated around the pickles and gabbing, with toddlers darting in and out around their legs while the seven-year-old tried to play tag.

After checking out, we took the road to Springerville for a little luncheon at McDonalds, and then Paul treated us to a little outdoor fun at the Wenima Wildlife Area. He had been there last summer with some of the kids, and extolled it’s beauty to the high heavens. Even though I knew it would not be the same this late in the year, I was eager to see it nonetheless. It was not a disappointment! In fact, there were areas that were positively Shire-like, and the colors of the autumn foliage only served to add more layers of loveliness. There were even some critters we saw along the way: a bird nest, many grasshoppers, a cool spider web on a flower, and even a rattle snake the kids found sleeping, while climbing amongst the rocks. Fear not, this mama raised no fools. They know well enough to let sleeping snakes lie!