Saturday

Thanks to my wonderful mother, who well understands the appeal of a ranch (we lived on a cattle ranch for many beautiful seasons of my childhood) my husband and I were married at the 4 Eagle Ranch in Wolcott, CO in the late summer of 2006. We had not been back to revisit that spot since bringing home our daughter in 2008. Our first day in Vail dawned grey, but cleared into a stunner of a highcountry winter's day - warm, clear and dry. The very best of Colorado weather.
So we decided it was high time we introduce Q to the ranch.
4 Eagle's homesteader cabins date back to the 1880s. The larger ones are used for events, while the smaller ones are fitted out homesteader-style so that when you step inside, you can imagine yourself in another time.
In one of those small cabins, fitted with a small Christmas tree for the holidays, Q found a tin heart with a little cowboy hand-painted in it. Now, the Q has very definite ideas about what things in life she wants, and which she can do without. She had picked up various small objects in that cabin - a beaded star, a horseshoe, a couple of decorative coathangers, but put all of them back except for the heart, which she clutched possessively to her chest.
In turn, she pressed the heart to daddy's chest, and then to mine, before running across the snow holding it high over her head to see its shadow. Sometimes, you can buy some of the artifacts that you find scattered around the ranch buildings, so we set off to track down one of the ranch owners and ask if we might purchase this little tin heart for Q. Not only did she let us, but after hearing that we'd been married there, she decided that it would be a gift.







Out back of the ranch buildings, we found a rabbit hutch and a pair of Pygmy goats to nibble at our fingers. I don't know about you, but I love having my fingertips nibbled by goats. I indulge in it every chance I get (which isn't, let's face it, all that often).


I may have mentioned before, while I may be partial to goats, the Q is a bit of a rabbit afficionado. We had to physically carry her away from the rabbit hutch.

Inside the dancing tent, where the dance floor is strewn with fresh straw, and the doors made from layered Indian blankets strung on jute rope.

What a beautiful spot. It's lovely to revisit good memories and build new ones on top of them.

13 comments:

Merisi said...

Looking at your images took me to a magical place, such beauty, as if time paused for a moment or two, standing still just long enough to let one catch one's breath!

So many timeworn treasures collected and cared for, that in itself is worth a visit, not to speak of the beautiful landscape. I love those old tractor seats, the blue sky above all this beauty even more!

Your photo collage is stunningly beautiful, I truly enjoyed perusing this virtual gallery of very real images.

Good tidings to you all and a Merry Christmas,
Merisi

caramelcaramelo said...

how lovely! and the joy! thanks for sharing. kenza.

Juniper said...

Such a winter wonderland of photos! Love the line up of coloured lanterns and the story of the heart that Q chose! What a great shot of her holding it high to see it's shadow. Looks like this trip was bountiful in terms of the good memories you made to savour on into the future. Happy Holidays to you all, x J

Merisi said...

Your new office space would not leave my mind.
I lived my formative years in Italy, where I discovered Maria Montessori, the great Italian educator. She gave grave importance to the need for order, in every aspect, to leave our creative mind the space to thrive (she also said that nothing is more important to science than imagination, science being more than mathematics, but a place where beauty and poetry reign):

If we can, when we have established individual discipline, arrange the children, sending each one to his own place, in order, trying to make them understand the idea that thus placed they look well, and that it is a good thing to be thus placed in order, that it is a good and pleasing arrangement in the room, this ordered and tranquil adjustment of theirs -- then their remaining in their places, quiet and silent, is the result of a species of lesson, not an imposition. To make them understand the idea, without calling their attention too forcibly to the practice, to have them assimilate a principle of collective order -- that is the important thing.
( Maria Montessori)

Fei An said...

I love Q having fun in a place like a winter wonderland and outdoors. Beautiful,beautiful pictures.

Daan said...

OMG! what a great place!

nath said...

we are poles apart but that snow and lifetsyle sounds amazing at christmas...

Jen Laceda | Milk Guides said...

wow, this is like a classic country winter wonderland. i love that image with the hurricane lamps! it's so worthy of a magazine shot - Country Life or Cottage Life or one of those publications! Have a great holiday season!

Liza B. Gonzalez said...

dreamy collages...one thing remains constant in your musings...your love for Q...what a bond! happy holidays.

Carol Jeandel said...

i really want to joy the snow season this year it looking so good ; )

Palmer and Co said...

Oh, beautiful! What a fun spot & fun memories!

Kickcan & Conkers said...

Wow - what an amazing place! Love the lanterns too - beautiful pics and such special memories you're giving your lovely daughter.

Evelyne said...

La mémoire du passé, entretenue grâce à ta divine maman.Et maintenant l'offrande de ce lieu à QQ..un moment magique!