Welcome to "Ranch Dressing"

On August 25, 2009 we moved to this five-acre paradise and named it "Chestnut Pinto Ranch." We needed to bring our horses (chestnuts and pintos) onto the property before the first snow but there were no stalls, no shelters, no paddocks and no fences. What follows are stories, poems, photos, videos, and ramblings on dressing up the ranch, not only for horses, but for our comfort and good old fashioned country living.

Autumn

Summer

Spring

Winter

                                                                                                                                                                                        
A huge "Thank You" to writer, Sherri Hoffman, who used my
scattered bits and pieces to assemble this beautiful blog.


Please enjoy the various words, images, and voices.

Spring

It is now Spring and our ranch

Is alive with flora and fauna. 

Quail, rabbits, robins, and towhees

Flit through our grassy five acres

Sequined with apple blossoms and daffodils. 

Our four horses graze

With an occasional nod toward the rancher

Who carries her muckrake. 

A flicker taps the top of our horse shelter

Like a jack hammer then looks up. 

The silence lingers.     

Poetry Corner

To the right there four poems and a speech from Shakespeare.  From top to bottom:

• Hamlet's speech to the players by William Shakespeare

• "When the Frost is on the Punkin" by James Whitcomb Riley

• "The Black Horse" by Archie Fisher

• "When the Poet Goes to Indiana" by Mary Oliver 

• "A Barred Owl" by Richard Wilbur

Please feel free to comment or make requests.

Sad day at the ranch

Picasso arrives at our ranch

Love at first sight

Vicki's horse, Picasso, her "Big Boy," had to be euthanized today due to liver failure.  Vicki and Picasso were "connected at the hip" as she often said. 

Brian's first meeting with Picasso

I'm ready to ride!

Latest Ranch work

New wild rose trellis (left) and the tomato patch (right) with soil amended and new paths.  The rose is in - a
"William Bafffin," but it's barely visible now.

                                             Brian kissing Star (or rather Star kissing Brian)

Snow in March

March 19, 21,


                                                                                   

                                                               and March 22

Fence Completed

The fence has now circumnavigated our property.
The old fence has gone to scrap metal.    (See photo to right)

The North fence below has now connected to the
East (or Front) fence.  See the old North fence
with doe and her two fawns to the right: