My view of the sunset when looking West
As I sit in the chair and watch the beautiful sunset, my mind looks back on the last two weeks of my life. My body is sore, there are aches in places I didn’t even know I had, my hands are becoming calloused again. I have learned many things in my short time here… and there are many more to learn. But I have noticed one thing… it’s quiet. Not devoid of sound kind of quiet, but the quiet that comes with being away from cities. There is a highway that intersects the land I’m on, but being a city boy, I’m used to the sound of cars. But our nearest neighbor is two miles away. I have always wanted that kind of seclusion.
I awake in the morning, and step outside to watch the sunrise and listen to the animals prattle on about whatever it is they talk about. Sometimes I cry because of the beauty of it all. Have you ever seen something so beautiful that it made you cry? It’s actually a good feeling. Not like that crappy feeling when you cry because you’re hurting. After watching the animals for awhile, I have breakfast and get to work. Work could be anything. It could be fixing the barb wire fence where some jackass drove through it, remodeling a room in the 130 year old house, or digging a big ass hole for the start of a foundation (btw, holes are dug with a shovel here for most part) LOL
There are many things we do here, and there will be more as we get the place up and running. During my spare time I can usually be found learning some type of new skill. I have taken a liking to survival skills. I have learned how to make fire from multiple different starting points. IE: magnesium stick, flint and steel, etc… I’m learning and practicing some tracking skills, and I have learned (in theory) how to gut, skin, and cut a rabbit up for food… and to tan the hide. (If I’m going to hunt rabbit, there will be no wasted part) I haven’t hunted rabbit yet, but eventually the time will come. I also know how to skin and cook rattlesnake. They’re all plentiful out here. I am also learning the different leeching processes for removing the tannins from acorns so I can learn to make acorn a part of my diet. The natives used to fight over some of the old white oaks because the health benefits were so great. 🙂
It’s not all roses though. There are downsides. There are Coywolves out here. That is a wolf and coyote hybrid, that are pretty much all the bad things about the two animal wrapped up into one. They will attack you if they get the chance. So you need to be very aware if you’re outside of the house at night. It’s nice being far removed from neighbors… but that also makes us vulnerable. There have been times when people just come on our property. Some are harmless, and then there are some like when the two guys were looking at my bosses truck, and one was trying to distract my boss. I miss my son more than ever. (He is doing well though) And let’s face it… there’s no way I’m going to meet a woman out here on the ranch. I’d have to go into the city if I wanted to meet a woman… but I’ve got too much on my plate already. LOL I’ll live though.
I better get outside, as I’ve already missed the sunrise while writing this. Have a great day everyone. 🙂
Grinningbear 