The View Out Here

Hi.  The name’s Gus.  I’m the ranch manager at Stillwater.  Since our ranch-sitter Dee has written a blog post on our place before (that can be found here where she included more pictures than you could shake a stick at) we thought it would be interesting if I told you all a little about myself and narrated this batch of pictures she took on the ranch this past February/March.

Speaking of stick…No, I’m not a smoker.  It’s just a stick in my mouth that looks like a cigar.  I think it gives me a John Wayne/Humphrey Bogart look.  Dee was throwing sticks for me one afternoon and when she asked me to stop for a minute because the “light was so pretty” I thought I should oblige her.  I’m patient like that.  Plus, I wanted her to keep throwing stuff I could chase.

This is the beautiful piece of property I live and work on.  It’s nestled between a couple mountain ranges and just off the Pend Oreille River.  I have a wonderful mix of pasture (for ground squirrel maintenance) and woods (for stick hunting).  There is water from the river to play in but I’m usually so busy with ranch affairs that I don’t get down on the water as much as you may think.  Or as much as I would like.  But hey that’s the way it goes.

I have brown eyes and a black and white coat.  I am told I am of the Border Collie breed.  When I’m not working I enjoy a good long session of Frisbee, Run After the Stick or any other retrieve/chase games till the cows come home. 

By the way…no, we don’t have cows, steers or bulls on this ranch, just Shire draft horses.

Eight of them actually.  These are four of them out on pasture.

Are you shocked that this was/is Dee’s  favorite cup?  The wording on it says:  Life is good.  Isn’t that so true?

Her and I had coffee every morning after chores.  Well in the interest of full disclosure (whatever that means,) we’d have one or two cups before chores then one or two with breakfast after we got back from the barn.  And oh, it was just her drinking coffee.  I don’t touch the stuff.

This is a shot of the flip side of “the cup”.  Another true statement:  “Do what you like.  Like what you do.” 

Amen.

Going on in the background of that picture?  Morning Yoga.  Stretches are a must in my line of work.

Above is a shot of an afternoon snowstorm rolling in across the mountains south of the barn.

Unfortunately for Dee, we got the majority of our snows the month of December and January.  But, we did have plenty left over for her to enjoy when she came to help me out when my parents went away on a little R&R. 

Palmer and Emerson love to stand outside the barn when it’s snowing.  Not sure what that is about because they have a choice to be in or out.  Maybe they’re having a contest between the two of them to see who can get the most snow piled up their back.  I should ask them one of these days.

It did pile up from time to time in March but it melted as fast as it would come down.  That’s spring snow for you I guess.

Morning over the water as seen from the deck.  She took this picture while sipping coffee. 

Late afternoon as a snowstorm was rolling through.  She was probably sipping tea at this point.  She liked to do that every afternoon.

Late afternoon.

I kind of like those big snowflakes, don’t you?

Dee calls this one:  “Yes.  Yes, breakfast would be nice”.  It’s exactly what I was thinking!  So weird.

Eventually, the grass began to pop through and show itself.  The horses sure were excited about that.  I don’t hold the same affinity for the stuff…but hey, to each his own.

Green grass to me means warmer weather and I’m kind of a cool weather guy.  However, it does mean that the critters (skunk, ground squirrels, deer, moose, etc.) will be more active and that means more work for me.  I like work.  Also, warmer weather means people will want to play Frisbee and Stick longer and what’s not to like about that? 

So I think I just changed my mind about the whole warmer weather thing!  I’m really looking forward to it.  I’m glad we had this little visit.  Thanks.

~Gus