These are just some of the residents at The Ranch. This photo was taken the last day of the "Roundup". If you find Carol, you will find me next to her.
After the "party", it was time to get back to the grind of R&R (retirement and relaxation). Carol is back to beading, I am still working on lot beautification. I also decided to become part of the water committee. The committee is responsible for monitoring, and caring for the wells on the Ranch.
A couple of my morning starts before taking my readings checking the well houses and evaporation pond. We volunteers usually do one week shifts a month.
Some of you may know what I am talking about when I say that the middle of nowhere is a happy place.
I haven't really said too much about the Ranch itself. 
When I say that this community is in the middle of nowhere, you can see what I mean. it is about 15 miles, in either direction, to a big town. They are big enough to have Walmart in each of them.
It is pretty quiet out here, but there can be a little excitement once in awhile, for example...
I was on one of my walks one night and thought I saw a stick in the street, the wind had been blowing pretty good. I was wrong, it was a snake basking in the warmth of the asphalt road. I hurried to the trailer to get my phone, and by the time I got back to the snake, it was heading for cover. I'm not sure if it was a rattlesnake or a bull snake, I didn't get a good picture of its head. Either way, I did not get close to it, just enjoyed its company.
ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL SUNSET
Events are simple here at the Ranch. One of those such events was a combined Veteran's Day celebration/Flag raising ceremony/memory of passed on residents.
While Carol beads, I continue upgrading the outside...
Carol and I took a ride into Carlsbad (NM) to shop for some yard ornaments to spruce up our gravel. There is a neat shop in town that sells metal work in one side of the facility, and pottery on the other side... oh yea, a main street separates the two areas.
The bee swings some when the wind blows. Our peacock's tail is suppose to spin in the wind, but I think I have him positioned wrong for action. The address sign was a bit of creativity in progress. We were looking for a three tile holder, but it was not to be. With some assistance from the pottery owner, we came up with tiles that would work, and a holder for them. We brought them back home and I painted it to draw out some of the color in the tiles.
Thanksgiving has come and gone, but we did celebrate our first turkey day at the ranch.
Our donation to the festivities was a meat stuffing. My meat stuffing usually contains the giblets and the neck meat from the turkey, however, it is tough to find just giblets these days. My solution was to add thighs and wing meat with the kielbasa, ham, and small bit of brown sugar.
It is time to prepare for the Christmas season next.
