Turning over a new leaf with life at the K3 Guest Ranch

My favorite place

I started this spring month by putting the house up for sale. As they say, it is a bittersweet process; I cannot wait to move to Wyoming, but yet I hate to leave my favorite house at the foothills of South Mountain.  South Mountain is the largest city park in the U.S. and one I helped layout the trails for years ago and helped fight to keep the freeway from cutting it in half. Now some 20 years later they are building the freeway around the west and south side of the Park. I have always lived near or in view of mountains and feel I need to be close to them for some reason, maybe so I do not completely become a flat land urbanite.

Packed up and ready to roll

            I have not worked on my gourds since the end of the Arizona Fine Art EXPO. I have designs on paper and in my head but have not had time nor am I allowed to mess up the house in case a prospective buyer wants a tour. I think I will focus on washing several on the weekends not scheduled for open houses and I could draw designs in pencil on them, but definitely no carving or sawing. Most of my tools have been packed and some even are already up in Wyoming.  I really need to get a few designs onto gourds for my second round of glass casting.  I only have six pieces and a gallery will probably want more, so in anticipation of that, I feel I need to get at least three more pieces done this summer.

My dog 'Timen'...ready to go!

            I have a big three day meeting with ARCSA (the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association – my day job and a past passion) here in Phoenix to finalize the association’s new rainwater harvesting manual and then a board meeting on the third Thursday of the month. I need to figure out how all my art, rainwater catchment, and bed and breakfast activities will fit into this new life. Setting a daily schedule and sticking to it will be a requirement I am sure. I have tentatively set June 26th as my day of starting the new life and heading up to Wyoming.  I plan to stop at a cabin in Williams that my neighbors own and then finish the trip to Wyoming by July first.  Everyone that grew up in Cody tries to return at either the fourth of July or at Christmas, so I definitely need to be there for the fourth. It is getting hot here in Phoenix and it will only get hotter before it ends. My dog Timen is also ready to get out of this desert heat as soon as he can.

Grapes from my backyard!

            At the K3Guest Ranch the guests have started arriving and all the rooms have been cleaned for the summer.  The green house is planted and the strawberries, tomatoes, and cucumbers have started to show.  The grass has even been mowed a few times. It will be interesting to get use to the shorter growing season in Wyoming, I have been bragging that we have already harvested the grapes in my Arizona back yard and the apples will be ready before I leave. I missed the lilacs blooming this year in Cody, but will be around for most of the flowers and for all the summer events.  I have not heard if the buzzard family of 25 or so has returned yet to roost in their summer “retreat” tree that is on the way to the Ranch, but I am sure they will be there when I arrive.  I am ready for this new adventure and what it may bring. I am sure I will be inspired in many ways as I immerse myself in the art community of the west (as opposed to the southwest) and learn the operation requirements of the K3 Guest Ranch.