Ranch Report - day 63

Today was an eventful day at the ranch. Tomorrow is my last day here, but today was my last day with Pam and Gary, since they drive to Denver and back tomorrow for the Broncos game. This tells you something about Pam and Gary - a five-hour drive to Denver to watch a football game in fifteen-degree weather, and a five-hour drive back that will get them home at 2 or 3AM, but it also tells you something about what it's like to live in Colorado. I've been surprised at some of the things I've been willing to do, like the Durango drives, almost 3 hours for a cup of coffee, handling elk legs, or driving myself, Pam and Gary into town today in the snow. Okay, once we got out of the driveway and onto the road it was mostly plowed and clear, but still, it was a drive I would never have done in Seattle. Our bravery was rewarded when a herd of 13 elk crossed the road right in front of the car just after our driveway. That was the point in the drive where I realized I had forgotten my camera. Damn!

R.I.P Journeys

Our drive into town was a bit more eventful than we would have liked it to be. Our plan was to go to the post office, the bank, the hardware store, and have coffee at Journeys. Instead, we ended up standing there on the street in disbelief, looking at the burnt-out shells of the storefronts where the bank and Journeys used to be. You could see the sky right through the roof. Both places were completely destroyed by fire in the middle of the night last night. It was too early for them to say what caused the fire. Even though I've only been here two months, I felt heartbroken that we lost those coffee pot chandeliers, and the tile counter, and the funny loft with the bowling pin sculpture at the top of the stairs and the egg sandwiches and the lattes about which you are asked "would you like whipped cream?"

I would follow Pam almost anywhere, even when she's wearing death pants

When we got back from that sad trip to town (where at least I got Susan's socks in the mail, and bought my official Creede souvenir sweatshirt at San Juan sports), I made us lattes and then Pam and I set out for a walk in the snow so that neither the dogs nor we would have cabin fever tonight. Amazingly, I wasn't cold even though I sincerely doubt that I have ever in my life taken a walk when it was 16 degrees out before, much less a walk that lasted more than an hour, and came to a close with blowing wind and ice crystals visible on Pam's face.

MaryEllen enjoys the first part of the walk, before it started blowing snow

When Pam said she was going to take the dogs for a walk, I wasn't so sure I wanted to go. I've gotten so used to (dumb about) the cold here that I went to town in just a fleece over a long-sleeve t-shirt, so when I got home I was a little cold. I'm glad I brought out the gigantic marshmallow parka and went for the walk, though, since Pam was right when she said that I would warm up as soon as I got moving. We crossed over to the forest service land and I got to see some views that I hadn't seen before, plus an osprey and bald eagle.

After our walk, Pam took me out for a snow driving lesson, which I'm sure wasn't necessarily meant to be fun, but was. For those of you who might be concerned that I am planning to drive in the snow, let me assure you that I am plotting the least treacherous route possible, so this was really only a precaution.

On our way back home, we drove past a ranch where there were three very shaggy horses who took the occasion of our driving by to run and cavort and whinny as though we were bringing them hay. You can also tell from this photo what the weather had changed to towards the end of our walk.

Now we're tucked into the warm ranch house again, with a fire in the wood stove and mojitos coming up for my three-person farewell party. Pam is blasting old U2 and Gary is cutting up garlic for the buffalo steaks. I guess you know what I'm doing. Tomorrow this scene will change, and I'll be packing up all my gear and getting ready to hit the road Monday morning. Sigh.