The Ranch

This is my parents ranch in New Mexico. It is where my mother was raised.  It is where I spent many, many weekends of my childhood.  If you look at the map of New Mexico, the ranch is located in the "boot hill" of New Mexico.  Recently, my husband and I went to spend some time with my parents and went to The Ranch for a few of those days.  My parents do not live here full-time, I guess you would call this their second home!

 As we drove along the dirt road to the ranch that was homesteaded by my grandparents before my mother was even born, the memories of my childhood were so overwhelming.  I remember my parents dropping us kids off with our bicycles and we rode them the rest of the way;  I remember sometimes the wind blowing so badly that all you could see was dust for miles and miles;  I remember my Grand-dad meeting us on his horse and letting me sit behind him on the saddle as we rode the rest of the way. 

This is the old house.  My grandmother and my grandfather built it when they were a newly married couple in the thirties.  It is built out of twelve inch thick adobe blocks.  It is amazing how warm and cozy this house is.  My grandparents have been gone for many years but when I stepped into the house it was like they were still there.  I love that my mother hasn't changed a single thing in the house. 

My grandmothers cast iron skillets, seasoned to perfection! 

This is the window above the kitchen sink.  Everything exactly how it was when my grandmother was alive.  From the mirror hanging to the old bottles to the ice pick sticking in the hole.  (Don't ask me why but that was always where the ice pick belonged!)  Notice the thick walls. 

I just loved being there and seeing all the old things that were my grandmothers'.  She didn't have much, or anything really special but it was her home and it was wonderful. 

My grandmother saved funny little things that we kids had given her and it was fun to dig around in the china cabinet and look at some of the little things. 

The coolest thing were the records, still in their rack next to the record player in the living room!  My Mom said, "We still listen to them"!



And that night we did!

Things were pretty much unchanged on the outside too.  The old water tank...

 and the tool shed...

the old wash buckets...

the classic tractors...

and the windmill.

The land is so dry and so dusty, it is hard to believe that anyone can still ranch there.  A person can look at my pictures and just get a feeling of remote, lonely and dreary.  I look at the pictures and I'm thankful for all the wonderful childhood memories of time with my grandparents there on The Ranch.  I'm thankful it is still in the family today.

These are my wonderful parents.  Mom is sorting ear tags and immunizations for the calves, Dad is getting branding equipment ready.  They are true blue New Mexico Ranchers! 

My mother wrote a book about her Mother's life in this area of New Mexico.  It is such a wonderful book full of history, pictures, letters, poems, and other memorabilia.  Click here for information about the book and how to order it. 

Hope you are having a wonderful week!