Archive for the ‘Wintervale Ranch’ Category
Our Stars
Inside the igloo at -21°F/-29°C, Marco (dad), Marco (son), Jose, & Dunia
For the last two weeks, the stars of our show have been our precious friends, the Morales family. Cyndie and I have been richly blessed by their visit to our home. We have been able to share Christmas and New Year celebrations, and a hearty dose of a northern winter, with them and they have made every event more special for us.
We are lucky to know them and proud to be able to call them friends. What a sweet way to kick off the year 2014.
Happy New Year everyone!
.
.
.
.
.
From Elysa
(While we were at the lake, our daughter, Elysa, was home running the ranch. That was blessing enough, but she has gone beyond the call of duty and has also written a guest post for us, too! The photos are both taken by her, as well. Thanks a million, E!)
I was in charge of the ranch over the weekend, and I’m happy to report that it went well despite my parents’ absence!
Saturday morning was as beautiful at Wintervale as it was reported up in Hayward with the long crystals of frost covering every surface. As I walked down the driveway toward the barn, the sunrise lit up over the snow and glistened on the frost. It was breathtaking! However, I tend to find myself lost in the moment without any camera most of the time. I went back to the house after feeding the horses to grab my phone for some quick photos while getting in a walk for Delilah. My dad posts wonderful scenes at Wintervale here on the blog, but they just cannot compare to the experience of viewing it all in person. Luckily, I had the opportunity to watch both sunrise and sunset when I went to feed the horses each day.
While the horses ate at dawn, the dog was up even earlier than that. Working on farm-time was a bit of an adjustment for me. I was getting up almost four hours earlier than usual. Delilah was a delightful challenge (most of the time). She got me up early, kept me busy all day, and gave me a whole set of reasons to be skeptical of her doggie kisses, seeing what she puts in her mouth. She also got caught chewing one of her toys to shreds on multiple occasions (covering herself and her surroundings with bits of batting and leftover squeakers) and trying to sneak small branches into the house. 
To give her some credit, she did let me “sleep in” until 7am on Monday and later spent some time quietly cuddling her favorite toys. I definitely have a new respect for all the work my parents are doing each and every day!
I’d have to say caring for the rest of the animals was easier than the demands of the dog. The horses probably noticed that I wasn’t that good at putting out their hay without showering myself in it. I found myself picking out bits and pieces of hay from my hair and clothes for a while after each feeding. The cats were pleasant roommates. Mozyr snuggled up next to me through one of the cold nights. Pequenita was an instigator of over-excitement as she taunted the dog time and again. Though it was challenging at times, the farm life has been a welcome experience to balance my everyday life in the Twin Cities.
Many thanks to my parents for sharing it all with me as they build their Wintervale wonderland! I’m so glad they could take a break and enjoy their stay at the cabin. (So are we. Thanks, Elysa!)
.
.
.
.
.
.
Lovely Lips
It looks like Legacy has tried to apply some red lipstick, but it is just the result of what we have come to call our “horse-sicles.” Cyndie found a recipe that involves cutting up fruit, carrots, and celery and putting it in sugar-water that has some food coloring added, and then freezing it.
The first time we set some out, they gobbled them up overnight, and we didn’t have much chance to witness them enjoying the treats, so we have been saving the last two for a time when we could hang around and watch. Legacy was the only one inside the paddocks when we showed up, and the three chestnuts were happy where they were at in the big field, so he got first shot at the fruity-sweet popsicles all by himself.
We pulled up chairs and spent a little time lounging in the bright winter daylight of the cloudy afternoon, amid sprinkles of light falling snowflakes, and watched Legs savor the sweetness.
Earlier in the day, we had taken all 4 horses out at the same time for a walk through our woods. It is the first time since the horses arrived here that we have had enough experienced horse handlers available to do this. It was a challenge to walk in the snow, but the horses all behaved well and nobody got spooked, which is a testament to the handlers all remaining calm and projecting a confidence that communicated everything was safe and under control.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I was the least experienced one of the bunch, and after leading Legacy out, Cyndie switched me off to get some pictures of everyone, and Jose took over the lead with Legs, Cyndie was with Hunter, Marco Sr. had Cayenne, and Dunia walked with Dezirea. After a switch, I ended up with Hunter and was able to experience the cooperative communication of being in charge of such a large animal who could easily toss me aside and do what he pleases.
After heading toward the labyrinth and then doing a loop through the woods, we strolled past Delilah’s kennel and she quietly and (mostly) calmly stood at her door watching the parade pass by. We then headed back down the hill and returned to the big field where we removed their harnesses after the gate was latched. Three of the four then proceeded to lay down and roll in the snow for a little bath.
We enjoyed a spectacular winter day with the horses, continuing to fulfill visions we had when news first arrived that the Morales family could come from Guatemala to visit us here over the holidays. We are feeling truly and richly blessed!
.
.
.
.
.
Snow Fun
‘Twas the day after Christmas and all through the house… (speaking in my silly vernacular) we is sleeping in and recovering from the hardships of non-stop eating, visiting, and all the frivolity of holiday celebrations with friends and extended family. We had plenty of Christmas snowfall, which gave me an opportunity to go out and play with the Griz. While my camera has been out for repair, I have been blessed to have others supplying me with pictures to post here.
With that, I want to give credit for yesterday’s picture, because I failed to note that I did not take it. That beautiful image of our horses was taken by our friend from Guatemala, Marco Morales. He has a good skill of capturing images. While we were out clearing snow, I asked if he if he would take a picture of me plowing.
.
Doesn’t it look like fun?!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Disrupted Normalcy
What routine? My days have become a blur of disrupted normalcy. Of course, on the one hand, that is a fantastic blessing. On the other, it means doing my daily writing has become a challenge of stealing time from either sleep, or choosing to miss out on some of my favorite time lounging by the fire with the precious souls currently sharing our home. Add to that, the occasion of Christmas and all the scheduled events related to it, and I’m finding it hard to even remember what all my normal daily activities were.
I hope bills are getting paid. What day is it again?
I am even without my camera, which is usually in one of my pockets to help me capture glimpses of my days. Although I still have my phone for taking pictures, it doesn’t work as well for me, and I often forget that I even have it. It’s curious that I tend to remember when I have my camera, but never seem to think about the phone which is always with me. Happily, I have received notice that my camera has shipped from the repair facility, so it will soon be back in my hands.
I wished I had it with me the other day when I spotted a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers outside our front porch. I was able to get the attention of everyone in the house in time for them to see at least one of the two before they flew away into the woods. That was a real treat. I did what I could to capture them with my phone, and I’ve marked up the image to help you spot them.
Our weather seems to be stuck in a pattern of light snowfall, just enough to be a nuisance, but not enough to make significant impact, and temperatures that bounce from the relative warmth of near-freezing down to serious levels of cold below zero (F).
There has been a lot of transposing between Fahrenheit and Celsius around here lately. I have been telling everyone that if it gets cold enough it won’t matter. The two scales cross over at -40° so the reading is the same in both at that temperature.
It would certainly be abnormal for it to get that cold, but it would be fitting, since not normal has become my new normal around here lately. We are loving every crazy minute. We are richly blessed this Christmas.
We hope those of you reading here will find your own blessings revealed in the days ahead! Christmas eve is a magical time.
.
.
.
.
.
Big Drama
You just never know what adventure lies around the next corner. Yesterday, our plan was relatively straight forward, but it was a full day and included a couple of events that required we adhere to a precise start time. Cyndie began the morning in the kitchen, whipping up her now-famous caramel rolls and a variety of quiche dishes, plus a mountain of fresh-cut fruit for a brunch.
We weren’t sure how many guests would show since Cyndie offered open invitations to a wide range of friends, families and acquaintances, and it gets a bit unnerving when the appointed time arrives and nobody has shown. It so happened that there was a fair amount of snow falling in the Twin Cities at the time people were trying to drive, which slowed them down a bit. Our guests from Guatemala had spent the night with another family they know in town, after having gone skiing and snowboarding at Afton Alps ski resort the day before, so we were also hoping they would make it back in time.
In a blink, after our son and his girlfriend arrived, the house was filled and buzzing with the energy of twenty-some people who came to share in the brunch and then head to a nearby farm for a sleigh ride. 
Everything seemed to be moving along perfectly when we arrived to see the horses all decked out in their special colors for our festive event. Our group was larger than could fit on the sleigh all at once, so we put most of the kids on bales of hay and off they went, the bells on the horses jingling.
The rest of us were milling about the farm, checking out the ducks, chickens, goats, sheep, and horses. As we wandered back toward the direction we expected the sleigh to be returning from, I spotted the horses moving at a pretty good clip as they came around the house. I was excited to see that they were running and thought the kids must be having a thrill, …but there were no kids.
There was no driver either. Then we spotted the sled was not sitting properly on top of the runners and was dragging behind in the snow. The horses came to a calm stop as they arrived in front of the house, belying the drama that we assume must have just unfolded. We were all alarmed, and fighting the urge to fear the worst, but we knew there was every possibility that our kids might have suffered a serious calamity.
Luckily, just bumps and bruises and one little scraped nose, but I fear that the real harm was psychological. Some of the group seemed to shake it off, others may have been stuffing their true feelings, as they seemed to have no reaction. There were a couple who are old enough to know how serious the situation was, and I think they are suffering the most, as a result. For that reason, I think I am glad that I didn’t witness it. Seeing the empty sleigh return was bad enough.
We were able to bring the gang back to our home for some hot chocolate and debriefing of the excitement. There was general agreement that now the drama was over and the stories to be told for years to come would make this sleigh ride one that will never be forgotten. It was certainly not the adventure anyone expected when they showed up yesterday.
.
.
.
.
Beautiful Fail
There is something about the pattern of that broken window that evokes a sense of a bird in the abstract. As if the window was trying to make something that didn’t quite turn out. Maybe I see it that way because it reflects a lot of my experience. I like finding art in unexpected things, and I’m finding the window is tugging at two different parts of me as a result. 
On the one hand, it is a failure that must be remedied. In that regard, it frustrates me because it is just out of my reach. I cannot just fix it here and now, on my own. It looms overhead with the ever-present threat of crashing down in a shower of glass.
On the other hand, it looks interesting. I like the spontaneous pattern that appeared, unaided. Part of me is wishing we could keep it. Of course, I am all about balance and symmetry, so I would need the window on the other side to somehow fracture, as well. Picture me trying to initiate that happening. Epic fail.
.
.
.
.
.
Why Now?
Of all the possible times for this problem to occur, the week before Christmas while we are hosting a family of guests from out-of-town, seems a bit like unnecessary roughness to me. We awoke on the second day of the visit by our friends from Guatemala to discover that one of our windows had spontaneously fractured. Unfortunately, it is the window above the Christmas tree, one of two that adorn each side of the fireplace up at the second level facing the back hill.
It is the inside panel of the double pane window. It created a beautiful pattern that has a certain similarity to a pair of wings, but otherwise it’s a total nuisance, sprinkling glass dust, flakes, and shards of lethal sharpness on everything below.
I called the service number for Andersen Windows and was told I needed to look in the corner of the window to find their manufacturing information etched into the glass. Up the ladder I went, camera in hand. Back and forth our communication commenced as I followed their instructions, sending them pictures of what I found. No surprise to me, they said it is out of warranty.
The most exciting part was, trying to pull the trim off without bringing the whole pane crashing down. As I timidly hammered a chisel to get under the wood, pieces of glass continued to fall. Very unnerving. Luckily, our friend, Marco, suggested I put some tape on the window. I would have thought of that at the moment all the pieces let loose and came crashing down.
Instead of thinking of the tape, my mind was busy hanging a tarp under the window to protect the Christmas tree from falling glass.
At least I now have something special to put on my Christmas wish list: we need a new window!
.
.
.
.
More Everything
Yesterday was a fantastic day filled with a little of everything that caught our fancy the day before, and more.
Waffles window horses snow sledding fire iPhone camera photos Delilah music guitars mandolin walking sunshine rainbow labyrinth cloud jump turn shovel more snow burn campfire cookout hot chocolate wood smoke bratwurst book nap shower hay feed horses drive truck Guitar Center shop more shop laughter love sounds essence energy burgers Five Guys snow cold not cold slideshow home together bonding growing being loving knowing up late planning showing calm quiet wind down sleep soon to do all and more again. 
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Relative Something 