It was with some sadness that we left the ranch today. It has been almost one year since I bought it and started the remodel on this small house sitting on 2.4 acres with a large garage, small missile silo, pole barn and rickety stable, and fallow pasture.
We have enjoyed sharing it with family and friends, especially the last two months as it finally came into shape. Collie, my city boy husband has been a trooper, getting into all kinds of things he never dreamed of, including a manure pile. We are a stop for the neighborhood dogs, cats, an occasional chicken, and are now foster grandparents to the painted horse Milo.
There have been so many emotions since I first saw it in about April or May, 2011. I have laughed (at the mess), giggled with glee (at the antics of various animals, birds and people), cried (from exhaustion), had panic attacks (why am I doing this?), been angry and screamed in frustration, mostly at various contractors. We are really into the "buy local movement." If the economy is turning around in the Valley, we feel quite responsible, having done about 90% with Valley labor and materials.
We have a new roof, new overhangs, gutters, new floors, new appliances, new interior paint, new windows and window coverings, and a wonderfully funky garage that also has new windows and new lift doors. We have rejuvenated the 1/3 acre of grass, moved a building, removed another, planted some lawn, painted, and painted and painted! The lovely old shade trees have been properly pruned along with the apple trees. The drive gets a slurry coat on Tuesday.
We now have furnishings, linens and accessories. I love buying junky antiques and restoring them into funky useful ones. We have six English school desks as dining chairs, 2 dining side chars that are perhaps alder, a pine dining table (not antique, but a good buy), some side tables and a coffee table that is an old army trunk. We found space in the small master bedroom for my antique amoire. It has traveled from house to house with me for 30-plus years.
The downstairs is done up with furniture and fixtures moved
from the Eden condo. Everything fit perfectly. Eden was painted and is
nowleased for a year. Whoot Whoot!
This week renters take possession of the ranch for two months with an option to extend. It is absolutely turn key for them - all they need is to bring their luggage. They plan to make good use of the garage for art projects and yoga while working on real estate projects in the Valley.
As we were driving home, feeling temporarily empty, we wondered aloud what we would be doing with our weekends. We will definitely do some relaxation, like see some movies again. However, we are homeless in the Ogden Valley after years. I keep teasing friends, saying, "Do you have an extra bedroom? I will cook your meals if we can stay for the weekend." A friend grinned and said, "I have to think about that. My mother lived with me for a year and a half."
This has been a very special and social week for us. Last night we attended Linda Knudsen's Harvest dinner at Harley & Bucks in Eden in the Ogden Valley. What a wonderful way to say goodbye to the summer growing season. Most of the food was all locally produced, a good part of it grown at Linda's Stony Field Farm. We had 5 or 6 courses with three wine parings. All diners raved about Chef Craig Bonham's preparations, beginning with garlic humus, followed by raspberry sorbet, a rich squash soup flavored with a hint of cinnamon and cumin, wonderful salad with goat cheese and a vinaigrette dressing, a platter of roasted vegetables (corn on the cob, beets, potatoes, turnips surrounding beef short ribs. We had two desserts - a creme brule followed by fresh peaches in whipped cream. Everything was excellent.
