Hibernation

Winter on the Ranch

Last night was a chilly 29 degrees, but the three of us were warm as freshly-hatched eggs nestled in the cozy feathers of the Mesa Ridge. Even Charles, whom I often have to put under the covers with us in the wintertime, was a little toasty marshmallow.

Winter at the ranch is quiet and undisturbed. The birds come out briefly to feed and then hurry back to whatever sheltered lair they’ve built for the season. The owls are around however, hooting way earlier than dusk, but hidden nonetheless from view.

We haven’t ventured outside much beyond our regular daily constitutionals, preferring to relax by the “fire” and putz around. We did meet friends at the Longbranch for dinner last night, forgoing an outside table and sitting inside for the first time ever. The restaurant’s present iteration has preserved the cowboy cred of its birth in 1938 - still very local, affordable, and delicious. The inside bar and pool table area can be a little intimidating, but we found a great table on the edge at which to watch the show.

The drive home from dinner was, as Chad’s Kansan mom used to say, “as dark as a pocket,” moonless, but full of stars. As we pulled down our road, we could barely make out multiple giant objects scattered in the meadow - the longhorn - weirdly visiting our side of the hill at night. They are usually morning visitors, preferring to graze in the gentle sunrise.

The area has already had some nice rainfall, so I’m excited for the promise of spring. My only resolution this year is to spend more time here. As I titled one of my previous missives - this land truly is nature’s medicine.