Wow, I had not realized two months have passed since I last blogged. Shows how much moving impacts life! Not just moving, either - in those eight weeks I have also sheared 34 alpacas, delivered two new ones, and battled the elements, all on my own.
Rain or shine, snow, sleet or hail...whatever the weather, I will be out in it. This is a working ranch - emphasis on the 'working'. Ranch life is not for the faint of heart. No matter what, animals must be fed, stalls must be cleaned, hay must be stacked and re-stacked, and water must be delivered. Routine chores take a physical toll, even on the best days.
People ask how I do this alone, usually in a tone of voice that implies I must be on a strange kind of suicide mission. I will admit that most nights I am asleep before I hit the sheets, and I no longer read before going to bed, because I end up asleep on my book! But there is a certain satisfaction at the end of each day, knowing that the animals are safe, clean, warm and fed, the barn is closed up tight for the night, and I have done what needed to be done.
Being the lone caretaker responsible for my creatures makes me very aware of risks and dangers inherent in living. I am all too aware that I am "it'. Every life here depends on me. If I get injured, even slightly, my ability to care for the critters that count on me will be reduced. "Safety first" has become my mantra, but it does not keep me from tackling really huge jobs, as long as I am careful about the risks.
While there are some things that I will not try alone (for example, I am NOT climbing the barn roof to replace the shingles ripped off by 70 mph winds), there is a certain sense of pride and accomplishment in learning how much I CAN do. "Girrl Power" is what my single women friends and I call it...the ability, through creative thinking and ingenuity, to accomplish tasks that in former days we assumed could only be done by a team of large, brawny guys.
Here are some examples:
- Stacking hay bales: the 'guy' approach is to pick up each bale by the strings and toss or walk it to the new location. The Girrl Power method is to slide, flip (end over end), or pull them in a shiney red wagon. Same result, less muscle!
- Moving large furniture: the 'guy' method requires lots of grunting and swearing, and banging into doorframes. The Girrl Power method: tip large piece onto movers blanket and pull it into place. No swearing required!
- Lifting heavy objects: the 'guy' way is all brawn. The Girrl Power approach is all about leverage. Giant barn door off its hinges? No problem. Lever up dragging bottom corner with crowbar, insert 2X4's or concrete bricks to hold at desired height, reattach hinges.
Don't get me wrong - all things considered, I would rather have my husband here to assist. But after over a year of running the ranch on my own, I have learned that there isn't much that a determined woman cannot do. Let's hear it for Girrl Power!
