Moving parts
The one constant in building a ranch from the ground up is the need to remain flexible.
The one constant in building a ranch from the ground up is the need to remain flexible.
The second week of July means one very essential thing in New Mexico and much of the Southwest---it’s monsoon season! It’s been an incredibly arid year for much of the West, with wildfires raging in Colorado, New Mexico, California and Arizona. The parched, dry land bears silent testimony to the protracted drought.
The second week of July is also the time when riders gather in New Mexico for the Fort Stanton Pioneer Endurance Ride. The marriage of monsoon and trail riding can make for some interesting footing in camp and on the trail. After a late-afternoon thunderstorm on this ride some years ago, my Morgan mare Annakate slipped going downhill into a sloppy wash and I ended up coming off, mired in the mud. She looked back, saw me, shook her mane and trotted off. Fortunately, my riding companion and I caught up with her and we all finished the 55-mile ride in time.
This year, my husband Kenny Weber and I have been working steadily to prepare for our summer migration from Hondo, Texas, to Pie Town, New Mexico. As the cool early spring Texas days slipped into the heat of summer and Kenny’s day-job workload became heavier, our progress slowed considerably. Sometimes it felt like we were never going to get out of Texas. We looked forward to returning to Pie Town to pick up where we’d left off last October: setting in electric, digging a septic field and running water lines from the well to the house and barn.
If not for a black Tennessee Walking Horse named Jazz and a determined young endurance rider friend of ours, we might still be stuck in Texas. Audrey Hager and Jazz have completed more than 300 miles this season, a record that puts them on top of the Central Region Middleweight Division. Audrey was also heading to the Fort Stanton ride and we decided to go together: We’d combine taking a load of materials along with four horses, stop at the ride for three days and then continue on, shuttling materials and horses out to our ranch three hours to the west.
We’d take two rigs and Kenny, Audrey and I would alternate driving. It all sounded good, and we had health certificates drawn on four horses. But just days before our departure date, Kenny hurt his back while trimming our neighbor’s horses. Not only was any heavy lifting impossible for a while, but he wasn’t too sure that he could manage the general rigors of a long distance haul. We decided Kenny would stay home, and Audrey and I would go on with Jazz and a buddy horse, Phoenix, in a single rig.
After the ride, we’d come right home to Hondo. I had cataract surgery scheduled just a few weeks later, so I would have that done before heading back to Pie Town. By then, we hoped Kenny’s back would have improved enough for him to make a run with materials and a few horses.
However, the very first night Audrey and I were on the road, fate intervened again. Kenny texted me at 2 a.m. that he was driving himself to the emergency room with severe abdominal pain.
Should I turn around, rent a car and head straight home? His prognosis was uncertain. The emergency room doctors determined that Kenny had an
intestinal obstruction and it would take several days of supportive care to learn whether he would require surgery. I tried to rent a car, only to find out that such a thing does not exist in west Texas. Kenny insisted that I did not need to return to Texas and urged me and Audrey to keep going.
When we arrived at the base camp in New Mexico, the weather was cool and lovely. And each day the trademark Fort
and his he surgery at the was It laptop by was Fort the on necessary! wonderful and the Stanton third road his day Stanton on I three of was why this. just back improved coffee. ride may to to Pie was Meanwhile, full recovery---no ahead! reminded we see Paradise in and hours have Town, calling display. I Texas, were sunsets old knew steadily meet fallen short friends but doing was Kenny for of then new I were ones Audrey ing days. the are and its details. number following 105 can while I was were miles recite Many Jazz touched of complet- this over folks many and posed series two who by of the your Texas the Kenny question: same plan ranch?” question was to sell “What’s asking the the remaining realized hospital, that in and maintaining Texas when he with viewed he new got two the home eyes. home- work from He steads apart on the was in road, two too not states difficult to mention nearly for us. 1,000 the The worry miles time of was ensuring simply too animal great care of a at burden. both places, We have sues both and want been to dealing maximize with our health quality isof life We’ve in the barely time had we time have to left ride, on Earth. not to individual mention attention giving our they 12 horses crave. As the a result, we are considering seeking new
homes for our two most “eligible” young gaited horses. I’m going to focus on riding my Icelandic mare Gloria, given her smoothness, short stature and sweet nature---the perfect combination for this aging boomer.
As for a timetable for moving, we’ve decided that at least one of us will stay in Hondo until the ranch is ready to sell and all animals can be moved. We will make brief trips (lasting only two to three weeks) to Pie Town to get things rolling. In addition to completing well construction and piping to the house and barn, putting in electric and propane, and building a septic field, I envision a major addition to our manufactured home, which is considerably smaller than our Texas residence. This will involve expanding and remodeling the kitchen, adding a laundry room and building a deck. Once we’ve spent some time there and the Texas ranch is sold, we can decide on structures for hay and tractor storage and run-in sheds.
We are quickly realizing the need to hire additional help (a tough awakening for a do-it-yourselfer like Kenny)---for hauling away junk, cleaning up the ranch and getting it ready to put on the market. Along those lines, we have an appointment with a ranch property realtor in one week. Our faithful, longtime ranch caretaker will be relocating to our neighbor’s ranch.
While we will be missing much of the cool New Mexico summer and fall this year, it will be a relief to have the Texas ranch wrapped up and ready for its new residents before we head out to stay. “Starting From Scratch” is proving to be more of a challenge than we ever imagined. But the goal remains fresh in our consciousness. We know we will get there. Stay tuned!
linda carpenter recently moved with her hu•band and •ix hor•e• to a new farm in kentucky about an hour-and-a-half drive from her old place. she ha• given me •age advice when i’ve veered toward moving-related meltdown•. Whether you are contemplating a move of your own or are •taying where you areL you’ll probably appreciate her word• of wi•dom.
• hLife is full of choices, decisions, deadline•L hope•L wi•he•L problem•L opportunitie• and nece••ary action•. moving i• no funL whether you do it all in one fell •woop or in •mall increment•. a•k me how i know!”
• h3omeone needs to be in 0ie ToWn to make progre•• on your homel electricL barnL fencing and myriad other project• a••ociated with •etting up and building out the new ranch. it’• almo•t impo••ible to do •tuff like that when you are •o far away. someone need• to monitor whether the contractor• actually •how up and keep a clo•e watch on the quality of their work.”
• hThe less fUrnitUre and other per•onal •tuff you have to moveL the easier the move Will be 0acking, loading, unloadingL unpacking and organizing take timeL •trength and energy. it’• better to make tho•e deci•ion• before you move rather than afterL when you di•cover you really don’t have •pace for everything.”
• h(oW mUch do yoU have to do to get yoUr (ondo ranch ready for sale What can be done to •peed up the nece••ary repair•L painting and other preparations Remember, the Weather is Way too hot to hUrry The dangers of overheating are real.”
• h9oU have so mUch going on in your life right now—•o many deci•ion• and choices RelaX "reathe 9oU ll get to 0ie ToWn, one Way or another, sooner or later %nJoy the JoUrney 9oU Will come oUt at the other end in 0ie ToWn, my (ill country friend.”