The holiday season is fast approaching and the staff here at MMR are busy preparing the ranch for the upcoming events.  This week ranch owners will host their friends and neighbors at a very special Thankgiving dinner together in the Cookhouse Lodge.  Over 30 people are expected at what is sure to be a  beautiful meal full of delicious food, good wine, and excellent conversation.  In celebration, holiday decorations are being added in tasteful locations across the ranch.  Garland and lights have been laid out, draping over eaves and doorways to give everything a warm and welcoming feel while wreaths adorn the entryways and barn.  The our main entrance gate has also been decorated to fit in with the theme, bringing a bit of holiday spirit to everyone that passes it. 

Jen and Montana working on the main gate

The weather continues to give us warm days full of sun, perfect weather for putting the finishing touches on our new snow fence at Price Cabin before the winter sets in.  Terry and Steve have put in a lot of hard work to create a fence that adds to the rustic feeling of the cabin; they have created a true piece of working western art.   

Steve setting snow fence posts with the bobcat

For those of us lucky enough to have been in Westcliffe this past week there was a unique benefit concert and dance held at A Painted View, a cutting horse training facility just down the road from MMR.  Waddie Mitchell, nationally known cowboy poet extrodinaire, was the headliner who graced the stage of the heated indoor arena to give area residents a taste of storytelling in the cowboy fashion. 

This description is taken from Waddie’s full biography which can be found here.  “From his earliest days on the remote Nevada ranches where his father worked,  Waddie was immersed in the cowboy way of entertaining, the art of spinnin’ tales in rhyme and meter that came to be called cowboy poetry, a Western tradition that is as rich as the lifestyle that gave birth to it.  Within his stories, told in a voice that is timeless and familiar, are the common bonds we all share, moments both grand and commonplace, the humorous and the tragic, the life and death struggles and triumphs that we each recognize.  And yet, Waddie presents his material with personal insights and the lessons learned during his life spent as a buckaroo.”  

Listening to the poetry of such an insightful person adds to the feeling one gets while living in such a spectacular place such as MMR.  When riding the ranch you can feel how the characters of his poems and tales truly felt, whether it be tailing a rogue cow through brush or bonding with that once-in-a-lifetime horse.  His stories will make you laugh and cry, but it is the full understanding of the lifestyle that he imparts that makes seeing him such an experience.  To find out more about Waddie and his recordings visit WesternJubiliee.com. 

Waddie Mitchell Photo From marketplace.publicradio.org

Garden of the Gods Park, Colorado Springs

Tucked away between the snowy Pike’s Peak and the borders of Colorado Springs lies what could be called the world’s most unique city park.  A getaway for city dwellers that makes a quick picnic lunch feel like a mini-vacation, this park has trails galore for hiking, mountain biking, and riding.   When the snows get a bit thick in the upper elevations and the mountain trails begin to look more appealing to snowshoeing rather than mountain biking this is the perfect spot to check out with your horse.  I took a day trip there with Latigo, an MMR ranch horse, and my own horse Maggie, to see if the park itself could match the hype.

Jen and Maggie in front of the Siamese Twins

This park feels more like a trip thru Moab than a place you will find in the Rockies.  Impeccably groomed trails roam over slickrock and up log steps, revealing views of the aptly named rock formations such as the kissing camels, siamese twins, and balanced rock.  In mid-November it was bright andsunny but not too hot, a perfect day for riding.  The horses did fantastic in the new atmosphere; we don’t get too many paved parking lots or road cyclists on the gorgeous ranch trails around here but they took it all in stride.  They clattered up steep inclines and over the slickrock without a misplaced stop, and even provided entertainment for a few kids and dogs.   I never thought I would head to the city to go riding, but it turns out that in Colorado you often get more than you expect.   

Riding through spectacular formations

Details on the park, its history, programs and events can be found on their website at gardenofthegods.com.  The park is a registered National Natural Landmark and they have a new HD movie playing in the Visitor’s Center that is worth the trip there even if you don’t have a horse to take with you.   While there are always a plethora of activities on the ranch to keep you busy, it is good to know that such unique, other-worldly sights await you just down the road.

Latigo taking in the view