Soulmate is defined as “a person with whom one has a feeling of deep or natural affinity.” I object to limiting this cosmic connection to humans alone, and suggest any creature, place, or thing that meets the latter criteria can be a soulmate. Many certainly would describe their animal companion as their soulmate, I mean c’mon…
But for this purpose I propose that Hummingbird Ranch is akin to any soulmate I’ve ever had - a living, breathing entity that gives and receives love, and with which I have a deep and natural affinity.
Her life force is never more vibrant than when we have visitors come to stay. This past weekend, I thought my heart would burst with joy when we hosted both of our kids and their sweethearts. The other bonus of hosting four 20-somethings? They take gorgeous pix and you can just enjoy the view!
We ate, we drank, and we made merry. The weather was a perfect 70-ish during the day with chilly nights and mornings. We walked the ranch en masse, wading through hip-high grasses and wildflowers.
The flora wasn’t the only thing showing off - the wild fauna were in full effect from the polygamous family of turkeys (two hens & a tom) that have made their home in one of the arroyos, to the bobcat Wyatt and I locked eyes with on the afternoon dog walk. Also, Charles may or may not have killed a rabbit with the mere force of his enthusiasm. Whatever the case, Wyatt buried it with pomp, circumstance, and a few tears.
We visited with old friends and introduced the kids to some of our favorites - Lebber's Pizza, Longbranch Saloon, Aliyah's, The Range, and Castoro Cellars.
Over the last three plus years, selling HR has been on the table a few times, but thankfully the discussions have never progressed to execution as the thought of never again setting foot on her soil literally breaks my heart. My attachment to this random 40 acres, on this random dirt road, in this random town, doesn’t feel random at all. It feels absolutely pre-ordained and correct. She is mine and I am hers.
