Celebrating Diana and Daniel

 When Daniel and Diana were married last year, we had always planned to have a reception this year.  We hoped and hoped that we would be able to fit it in with Covid beginning to erupt again, and luckily we did.

First, the weather last year was hot, hot . . . so hot . . . 105 degrees hot.  This year the high was 88, and though it was very rainy, it was far better than last year.  The only bad part about the rain was that it poured right after we had gotten our hair done, but oh well!

Barr Mansion had responded well to the rains Austin had been having.  Green gardens and flowers rimmed the pecan tree, but we decided to have the ceremony inside because the promise of rain was too great.  The ceremony began a little after five with the flower girls and Caleb leading the ceremony.  Daniel's nieces, Harper and Claire, led the way - perfectly.  Then Tessa and Caleb began walking up the aisle.  Tessa threw some petals on the ground, and then she stopped to pick them up.  "No, Tessa, you're doing it wrong," wailed Caleb.  "Don't do it that way.  Tessa . . . " and then he ran the vows to Max, the celebrant, and came back to grab Tessa.  In the meantime, Tessa continued to pick up the petals, just like she had practiced at home.  She threw them on the floor at home . . . and then picked them up and put them back in the basket.  Eventually, her daddy went to get her, and the ceremony continued.

No, Tessa!

 

We dismissed to the barn for the cocktail hour, and while Di and Daniel were taking pictures, the guests ate delicious snacks and were treated to a few surprises.  Diana had arranged a Bingo game for everyone to play - we had to find different people who had been to one of the places on the Bingo card - from Indonesia to Iceland to Florida to Texas.  It promoted discussion among all of the guests, which added to the festivities. Also, we had arranged for Ears with Beers to bring their miniature burro to the reception.  Each burro had two baskets filled with ice, pop, and beer.  They were quite the hit!  And Caleb had his first taste of root beer.

Friends at the Party!

Barr Mansion is a farm-to-table event center, and much of the food was grown onsite.  The dinner included beef tenderloin, barbecued chicken, baked carrots, potatoes, bread, and they made the wedding cake and macaroons.  They had special settings for Di and Daniel, a bar for everyone, and Di and Daniel hired a fabulous DJ.  

 

After the toasts and the Father/Daughter dance, we had the Anniversary Dance, where people sat down as the number of years they had been married was called.  The final two couples standing were the Gaskills and the Nuttalls - both married 48 years and married on the same day - June 2, 1973.

After much dancing, the Electric Slide, and many laughs, the night ended with a final dance by Daniel and Di and an exit through a line of sparklers.  It was a wonderful evening, and we feel so lucky that we were able to experience it, albeit a year late!

Interesting Visitors

 When we arrived back at the cabin on May 21, we were greeted with an interesting sight.

First we saw one hummingbird feeder on the ground; then we saw the second one on the ground, too.  The finch feeder dragged up the hill was a clue, and the muddy footprints on the window confirmed that we had had a bear visit us.  Over the 60+ years we have been going to the cabin, never once has a bear come near our cabins, so this was quite the event.

We went to bed that evening, and at about 2:00 a.m. I heard something in the kitchen.  Thinking it was the dogs, I reached down to see which one of them it was.  But both of them were in bed with us.  Then I heard another sound, much like a dog getting ready to vomit.  Again, I checked the dogs, but they were both sleeping away.  Then I heard another sound, and perhaps it was Don rattling around in the kitchen.  But no, he was sleeping away, too.  "Don," I said quietly.  "I think someone is in the house."  He woke up in time to hear something else that made him jump out of bed . . . "No, that's a bear," and he yelled in his loudest airplane voice, "Get out of here."  

We opened the blinds to the patio to see Mr. Bear standing there.  He quickly hightailed it behind the barn, and we went back to bed.  Interestingly, the dogs never did awaken until Don yelled.  They bark at everything . . . except bears!

We talked to Katie, my game-warden sister, and she was much more concerned than we were.  Bears who are becoming habituated are nothing to play with, she warned, and since she was coming up that day, she brought my brother's turkey gun and some rubber bbs to shoot in the air - and at the bear, if we had to.  Saturday night/Sunday were calm, and we guessed that Mr. Bear had left the Canyon.

Monday morning, Don awakened early and was sitting at the table.  He had opened the blinds so that he could see outside, but it was still fairly dark, since it was 5:45 a.m.  He looked up, and to his surprise there was a bear right up against the house.  "Katie, he's back," Don yelled, and Katie, in her satin, lime-green shortie pajamas and "bare" feet, jumped into action. By the time she grabbed the gun (which Don had loaded), and headed out in the 32 degree morning, the bear had again run away.  

Luckily, we had placed a game camera on the patio, hoping to catch a picture of whatever might be there throughout the night.  Mr. Bear must have seen the LED light, and we think he came to see what it was.  Before he came to the patio, however, he took a terrific picture:

Such a photogenic guy.  We feel very fortunate that this was the only encounter we had with him, and he appears to have left the area . . . we hope!

Falling Trees

 Many trees have died in the Holy Ghost Canyon, and falling trees are certainly one hazard we face.

I was sitting at the table at The Ranch working on the computer when I heard a very loud sound.  I had no idea what it was until I looked outside at the tennis court and saw a tree on the ground - that wasn't there a minute ago.  Because it was in an area where Don had been working, I raced outside to make sure he was ok.  He had been using the blower and didn't hear a thing . . . but when we looked at the tree, we realized how lucky we were.  The tree hit the fence surrounding the tennis court, but it missed the corner of the house by what Don calculated was 1 degree.  If it had fallen even two inches over, it would have caught the house and caused much damage.

We were so lucky Don or Chris were not there - they could have been badly hurt - and that the tree only created an unsightly fence.

Cabin Adventures

 Although a lot has happened between Christmas and now, nothing was noteworthy . . . well almost nothing.  The fact that we were excited to receive our vaccinations - and had no reactions - says something about how Covid-19 has affected us and our lives.  We were then able to go visit our kids a little more easily, which made it all worth it, and we celebrated Caleb's and Tessa's birthdays in KC.  But in mid-April we decided to go to the cabin to get a jump on cleaning and preparing for the summer - both with the cabin and with the Ranch.

Don has been doing a lot of planning and thinking, including creating a brand and signage for the Ranch.  He made a sign, put the logo on towels, and if he had his way, we would have branded towels, bath mats, and who knows what else!

 

During the month of April and May, new windows were installed in all of the bedrooms.  Not only will they insulate the building better, they will keep the flies and bugs out.  By the time our first visitors arrived, the windows were installed and finished out inside . . . and the crew began working on the exterior.  We added one set of windows to the northernmost bedroom, and what a huge difference it makes in the room. Now those in the bedroom can watch the goings-on on the tennis court and beyond!

Before the window

After the window

By the time we returned on June 20, we had had four sets of visitors, including Daniel and his friends, Diana and her friends, and Kenneth and Caleb.  I made rhubarb and strawberry jelly for all of them, which was great fun for me, and I have perfected Spirit Ranch Coffee Cake.  My plan is to greet every group with their own coffee cake . . . that is the plan, but we will see.

Don and I worked very hard over the two months, but it has paid off.  The Ranch looks wonderful, and we anticipate that we will enjoy it for many years.