Birthday Activities: Day

I celebrated my 33rd birthday by trying out new activities. First, I went whitewater rafting on the Salmon River. We drove about 30 minutes north to Sunbeam and put in with the White Otter Company. The Ranch does trades with them so, we got to go for free. There were four of us, Rosie & Issac, Pat, myself, plus the guide, Luke. I was thinking it would be scary, but it wasn't. We went through two class 3 rapids (not big ones) and they were fun, I thought I'd be glad to get them over with, but I wanted to go through more. The rest of the time between the rapids was floating down the river looking at the trees. This is the first salmon season in 30 years, so there were a lot more fisherman than the guide was used to, but we didn't catch any of their lines. We stopped and put out feet in a tiny hot spring pool and ate chocolate and nut star bars.

Luke was interesting fellow. He's 24 and got into law school, but when he got to the orientation, decided he'd rather lead raft and ski trips for awhile before settling into normal life. He has a Chilean girlfriend, which is cause for the most expensive dates that he knows of.

Then we drove back to the ranch, had lunch and naps, and set for shooting! The shooting was near Stanley, basically just off a dirt road at a nicely formed dirt hillside. Anne-Marie and Lee joined the four of us from the morning. Anne-Marie brought her own 22 pistol and birthday balloons to use as targets. Pat had a shot gun and clay pigeons. While Issac brought a 22 rifle and a 45 something. I had a lot of fun trying them all out. I've got a small bruise on my shoulder from the shotgun, but I hit a clay pigeon! I think I look pretty tough in the pictures, perhaps it will help with evictions!

The girls posed ala Charlie Angels, so we made the boys try a Charlie's Devils pose too.

Overall it was a great day. I'd love to do both rafting and shooting again, but I'll put more of an effort into finding a way to shoot again.

Birthday Eve

Tomorrow is my birthday, which I’m celebrating by going whitewater rafting and shooting (not at the same time). Then we’re having a porch gathering with wine and appetizers. You’re all invited.!

Hot Springs

I thought I’d share a picture of the hot springs pool that I enjoy so much.

It is fed by a hot springs that is across the Salmon River, which is piped into the pool.

Fourth of July and Washington Lake

It has been another beautiful week here on the ranch. I found an out-of-sight flat spot on a nearby hill to do some yoga and Enya dancing, which is a wonderful release to run to after work. Friday morning I went on a hike with Jeff to the Fourth of July and Washington Lakes. It was a lovely hike up to the mountain lakes. A fire had come through the area two years ago, so there were a great deal of wildflowers and other new growth that was quite different from the other vegetation I’ve seen here….it was green! Fourth of July Lake wasn’t really that big, sort looked like a large puddle, but Washington Lake was very pretty. The water is perfectly clear. I’m reading Margaret Atwood’s Crake and Ornyx, which is helping me to appreciate things like clear water and fresh vegetables, more than I usually do.

Additionally, I have officially found the best Oreo milkshake in town and my Dominoes game is improving.

I also saved the pictures larger, so hopefully if you click on them, they should be bigger.

Moment by moment

I have had a lovely week here on the ranch. No particular adventures or lowlights. I walked to the top of Lonely Tree/One Tree Hill (different employees have different names for it) which is a three tiered hilltop with a single tree on the second and third tiers. And a pile of rocks on the top that a local author, John Rember, adds a stone to every time he takes a walk up. It was much steeper than I thought, but not a particularly long hike. The view looked like that from a plane. Everything on the ranch looked so small. Between the view from the top, finishing the book "The Shack" and seeing the moving "Into the Wild", I'm just a enjoying being a goopy mess of living in the moment. My neck hasn't hurt in a month. My heart hasn't any of it's dull aches that tell me I'm ignoring something in life. My job has been boring this week, but part of that is because the owners' were here, so there were no new people to meet.

Living with the people that you work with puts an interesting dynamic on "the job." Some people are still hard to get to know. Apparently some people are just naturally reserved and don't want to share what's going on inside no matter how much time they spend with you. I obviously relate to that, seeing as I have a blog on the internet. I guess nothing can replace time in getting to know most people.

I have spent a lot of my time talking to Jeff, the maintenance guy (no, nothing romantic). He went through a pretty bitter divorce almost two years ago and loves to talk about "what's it all about?"- which, as most of you know, is my favorite subject. Should you have goals, or just go with what comes you way? are there any shoulds? how do you let go of your plans? I have to say that I have come to be thankful for any bitter/angry time that I may have had- it sure makes me a lot more compassionate for others. Since I seem to be mostly over mine, I kinda want to slap him and say, "get over it, you're alive and well", but as many of you tried that on me at certain points, and I know how ineffective it was till I was ready to get over it, I'm attempting to let Jeff just be where he is- since apparently I can't change anybody anyways.

Other than that, I've been enjoying the pool most nights. Went into town on the 3rd of July and got to see a one-man band play everything from "Jump" to "Ring of Fire." You haven't really lived till you here a 60 year-old man squeal out "Jump" in the middle of an acoustic guitar/harmonica/trombone/kazoo version of the song. I was the designated driver on the 4th. I got to see some pretty good fireworks in Stanley (nothing compares to Sternwheel Festival in Marietta), but watching the Kids getting drunk and sliding over the dance floor made me feel sober and old. Partook in a fierce game of Dominoes with my housemates- (I remember playing when I was little with Grampy- so the rules came back pretty easily- what a fun game). Walked all over the meadows on the ranch.