:: Spring MUST be here for good, since the arrowleaf balsam root is in full bloom!
:: This Canadian Geese family has made the Ranch House Pond their new home.
:: 1st ice cream of the season at Sherri’s Sweet Shoppe (1st of many Ayla reminds me daily!)
:: Awesome Arthur Shwab and his lovely wife Tracey were our honored guests this weekend. I met Arthur last year when he shot some gorgeous wedding photos for one of our couples and we are so lucky that he agreed to come back to Winthrop and shoot the Ranch for our new website. Thank you! Check him out at www.arthurshwab.com

~with thanks and birthing thoughts for Amanda Soule.

A little bit of fire helped us work at Spring Creek. We cleared away old leaves and grass from the pond and along side the irrigation ditches and planted new iris and peony bulbs.

After years of “talking about” cleaning up the edges of the pond before it fills with fresh spring runoff we are so glad that it timed out this year.

With 35 years of wildland firefighting experience between Daren and I, we felt really comfortable working with fire around the Ranch House, the shop and our children!

The whole family came out to help, though some had their own ideas about how to spend this beautiful spring day! How can I blame them?

Riley and Jorge, both 8th graders at our local Liberty Bell Junior High also came to help…and I dare say that we might have some future firemen on our hands. Thanks for your work guys!

:: homemade (previously frozen) chicken soup

Before we could start moving trees (at 9 am on a Saturday) we had to have our first picnic (or second breakfast) at Spring Creek- of course!
The tree spade makes the new hole in the ground home for one very old homestead Plum Tree.
Many reading breaks needed to be taken in the big truck ….
Here the Plum Tree gets gently placed in her new home, next to the Mulberry tree.
And there she stands, away from her crowd of sister-plums, with lots of sun and water from the irrigated lawn and alfalfa field… we can’t wait till she flowers.