Collorosso Ranch: a Bed and Breakfast with a twist.
Winnie looks bored with the scenery, somewhere in Nevada near Mina.
It’s that time again, time for another road trip. Packed up and hitting the road, I am all in. I love to see different vistas and the open road that opens my mind and my creativity. Winnie is still on the fence about a two-day drive north along the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada to do some ranch-sitting.
“I promise to spice things up by sprinkling in some nose work, Winnie.” I toss the words over my shoulder and see out of the corner of my eye, her eyebrows lift.
Mount Grant, Hawthorne, NV
Walker Lake, NV: After 50 years of taking water from the Walker River, the ecosystem in the lake is now devastated.
Beginning in Catalina, AZ, the scenery changes from high desert, to sub-alpine, to arid desert again as we traverse two states. We go towards Kingman AZ, then through Las Vegas, NV and into the Walker Valley along the western edge of the Great Basin. It is by choice I go this way to get to Smith Valley, NV, even though it is a bit of a longer drive. The alternative is to go all the way west to California.
“I bet the flowers are in full bloom over the Grapevine, but not for us today.” I say as we approach the off ramp from Hwy 10 West to head north towards Wickenburg, AZ, the cowboy capitol of the world. Winnie doesn’t even lift her brows in reply.
There are many things about California that I miss, the weather, the scenic beauty, but the driving is not one of them and if I am spared dealing with LA traffic and CA fuel prices, it is worth it to go around.
The second installment of what is becoming an annual commitment to my best friend since fifth grade, Lisa, this trip is vacation for me so my friend can go on vacation from her ranch. Ranching is a full-time, 24/7, 365 days a year investment of time and nearly impossible to take a break from. That’s where I come in.
Although livestock require the basics; food, water, shelter, and once that’s taken care of, there is little else to do during the day-to-day routine, if something goes wrong, all heck can break loose. With knowledge and experience from years of caring for and keeping horses, I am the perfect fit for the job.
A gallon-sized clowder of pint-sized cats born on Coloroso Ranch, Feb. 2024
We arrive at the ranch in Smith Valley, Nevada, in the heart of alfalfa growing country and barely settle in when it’s time for Lisa to head out. She will drive closer to the airport tonight and catch a plane to Maui, Hawai’i at o’seven hundred hours. From out here in the middle of nowhere, it’s a long drive to the airport. With just enough time for instructions on the latest details and changes of equine and canine care, I stand in her driveway, ironically waving goodbye, while Lisa leaves.
A litter of kittens were born in February in a nest the mama cat made between hay bales in the hay barn. I had imagined the joy of caring for a cavorting clatter of cats, but missed out by less than a week. People have adopted all of them. Coming from a line of good mousers, rodent patrol cats are valued and sought after.
For two days the wind has howled, making me wonder “what did I sign up for?” as the simple chore of feeding turns into a battle. Sand, dust, hay and all other particles flying around end up in my eyes until I can’t see. I can’t hear either, which is dangerous if the horses charged at me enthusiastically, if not impatiently, waiting to be fed.
“Back off,” I shout over the gale forces and even throw an empty bucket at the bold palomino, who tosses his head but gets the message. Dorado likes to steal from the slower eating Kingston.
“You are way bigger than him,” I tell Kingston. “Don’t let him bully you.” Kingston looks at me with his soft brown eyes. He’s a lover, not a fighter.
Dorado (left) and Kingston (right) try to get along. Dorado who stands at over 17 hh looks like a pony next to Kingston who must be the tallest horse I have ever met. A gentle giant.
And so I continue on. Now for the scooping of poop. With each scraping of the manure fork, more debris rises and flies on the wind and I breathe it in. The blustery forces prevent me from even blowing my nose as it rips the tissue right out of my hands. No worries, the wind just whips the snot away, too.
From the patio, looking east across the Smith Valley, even in the most seemingly hostile environment there is beauty.
Waking up to the low clouds across the valley lit bright orange by the not yet risen sun, I am thrilled to see the shrubs are not bent sideways to the ground. I can confirm how and why the area residents put up with the nasty wind. They wait for the day it stops and then it is paradise.
It was a pleasure lingering with the horses this morning during chores and I caught up with some duties I had let slide thanks to the Mars-like environment I had to endure. I am so blessed to play farmer for ten days at my friend’s ‘Bed and Breakfast Inn’ with a twist. I get a bed to sleep in and give the animals breakfast (lunch and dinner if needed).
In between chores, I take a break to sit and enjoy the views from inside. Behind me once again, but on the couch instead of in her crate in the truck's cab, Winnie sleeps soundly, her heavy breathing interrupted only by the squeaks and squeals as she dreams of catching one of the many Jack Rabbits and Cottontails that flaunt about just outside the windows.
As promised, Winnie got to do some nose work. I set some fun hides in the park in Gardnerville when we made the trek over the Jack Wright Pass into town for staples. Isolation is not the worst way to live. Our creature comforts are more than met. Internet speeds are remarkably fast. With the swoosh-whirring of the Keurig, I sit back, ready to enjoy my second cup of coffee and my time here at Collorosso Ranch. Cheers.
