The Double-MD ranch in summertime, just above the sunflower. Ironically, this view is overlooking the 80 acres that we almost bought.

A month or so ago, I mentioned that we were making an offer on 80 acres of land in Wyoming, ner my sister's ranch. We love her place so much, and spending time with her and her husband Clark, that we wanted a place nearby of our own where we could enjoy the amazing beauty of the area and their company now - and probably retire (seasonally at least) later.

When we decided to let the acreage go, we were both pretty disappointed. Mona and Clark always make us feel welcome, but their place is a little small to have people around more than a few days. We also wanted to feel like we had an investment of some sort in the future in Wyoming, where a land rush of sorts seems to be underway as folks flee deterioration everywhere else. We hear of people coming from the East coast to buy up the nicest places. Some have bought sight-unseen from local realtors, paying prices that the locals find outlandish. Soon, Clark says, ranch land will be too expensive to buy for agriculture.


Clark presides over barbequed turkey and elk steaks last weekend.

As our wonderful Memorial Day weekend drew to a close a few days ago, I had an inspriration while walking arounf the house in the early morning light. Many times Pat and I had discussed ways we might help with improvements around the ranch, and tried to figure out ways we might build on the property if Mona and Clark were on board. As I looked at the corner of the house where the kitchen is located, I could visualize turning a window into a door, and adding a den, bedroom, bath, and mudroom.


I sit right in front of the window that would become the door to the addition.

I brought Mona outside, and described the changes. She was excited about the idea, and we got Pat involved. We all sat around a table outside where the addition would rise, and drew a few sketches and a list of expenses to come up with a rough total. Clark arrived from his chores, and we told him we had been scheming and had some stuff to run by him. He gave us a look and said maybe he needed to get some coffee if we had some new notions, and when he returned he had a bottle of Jim Beam in the hand that didn't hold his coffee mug. Although it was about 11am, we all flavored our coffee, and started in with what we had in mind.

True to his unflapable character, Clark just nodded agreeably, and pointed out a few practical considerations while signing up for whatever we had in mind.


Everybody takes a break down by the stream that feeds the pond.

So for now the plan is to do some fixing up around the place, and add on enough extra living space so Pat and I can occasionally be a regular part of the household - and maybe someday be seasonal residents during the part of the year that is tame enough for woosey-boys like us.


During one of our early visits to the ranch.


Mona says goodbye before the painful separation when I returned to Califonia to regroup after the failed Denver relocation a year and a half ago. This image sustained me during the hard times that followed, and with our new commitment to the ranch I feel like I'm coming home.


Mona takes in the sunset at the pond's edge.

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