Last week we had a sculptor come to Stan's ranch to start sculpting a bust of his son Daniel. I mentioned that I was going to be going to Boulder to do some petsitting soon, and that I was a little tired of living in the tipi, so if she knew of anyone with a spare bedroom somewhere…. And bam! Serendipity strikes again! It just so happened she needed a petsitter this week for her ranch! Which has now turned into me living here through the winter!
Picture this: A small cluster of cabins and barns nestled into a tall, rocky canyon, sweeping yellow fields, red cliffs, emerald pine trees, fresh peppermint growing along the ditch, the swish of a river nearby, chickens clucking, roosters crowing, apples and chokecherries ripening - in other words, paradise!
I walked into the main house and thought I had walked into a movie set! An antique writing table sits in the hall, history books spilled open, notes taken, papers scattered around. To the left is a sitting room, the curtains are pulled to keep out the heat which lends the room a particularly mysterious quality as the dark shadows fall on the giant, stuffed big horned sheep in the corner, and there is just enough light sifting through to notice the tiger skin rug with head attached on the floor, thrown over another animal skin, a large antique couch, wood paneled ceiling, animal heads on the wall. The bedroom is all wood, silk, textiles, animal fur rugs, skeins of Navajo wool spilling out of a basket in the corner, boxed valances at the windows, stenciled in Austria. There is a stairway that leads downstairs, the light from the basement window shines bleakly up the stairway revealing larger than life murals of what seem to be the characters from Alice in Wonderland.
Outside there is a pool, slightly green because it is turned off, flowers spill out over the terraces above, a gorgeous oasis of a picnic area off to the side of the pool complete with teak furniture, antique grill, large candles. Under the main cliffs is a long, glass-enclosed art studio that looks down onto the living area. The "bunkhouse" that I stay in is one-story house with three bedrooms, a living room, a 10' long stone fireplace, a kitchen, dining room, laundry, a lovely bathroom, and many shelves filled with the oddest assortment of books, fossils, and little animal skulls. Everything here feels like it is at least 50 years old if not older.
Picture this: A small cluster of cabins and barns nestled into a tall, rocky canyon, sweeping yellow fields, red cliffs, emerald pine trees, fresh peppermint growing along the ditch, the swish of a river nearby, chickens clucking, roosters crowing, apples and chokecherries ripening - in other words, paradise!
I walked into the main house and thought I had walked into a movie set! An antique writing table sits in the hall, history books spilled open, notes taken, papers scattered around. To the left is a sitting room, the curtains are pulled to keep out the heat which lends the room a particularly mysterious quality as the dark shadows fall on the giant, stuffed big horned sheep in the corner, and there is just enough light sifting through to notice the tiger skin rug with head attached on the floor, thrown over another animal skin, a large antique couch, wood paneled ceiling, animal heads on the wall. The bedroom is all wood, silk, textiles, animal fur rugs, skeins of Navajo wool spilling out of a basket in the corner, boxed valances at the windows, stenciled in Austria. There is a stairway that leads downstairs, the light from the basement window shines bleakly up the stairway revealing larger than life murals of what seem to be the characters from Alice in Wonderland.
Outside there is a pool, slightly green because it is turned off, flowers spill out over the terraces above, a gorgeous oasis of a picnic area off to the side of the pool complete with teak furniture, antique grill, large candles. Under the main cliffs is a long, glass-enclosed art studio that looks down onto the living area. The "bunkhouse" that I stay in is one-story house with three bedrooms, a living room, a 10' long stone fireplace, a kitchen, dining room, laundry, a lovely bathroom, and many shelves filled with the oddest assortment of books, fossils, and little animal skulls. Everything here feels like it is at least 50 years old if not older.
Nearby is a pond full of white geese. There is a barn with a dairy cow (Blossom) and her baby (Willow), a whole bunch of grey sheep, and four huge horses that like hugs. There are four barn cats, two dogs, a bunch of chickens and roosters, doves, and peacocks - one of which is about to hatch a baby! Across the river is a rustic cabin with an old-fashioned, wood-fired cooking stove, and there are 2 old silvery campers permanently fixed into the ground, complete with quilted beds and wood finishings.
The cliffs that overlook the house are filled with Indian paintings, bits of arrowheads and flints, graves, and more. I can't wait to go exploring! I can't believe I am living here!
The cliffs that overlook the house are filled with Indian paintings, bits of arrowheads and flints, graves, and more. I can't wait to go exploring! I can't believe I am living here!
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