I have often said, I have moved a lot. Mostly by myself, sometimes with the help of family or friends. This time my brother said he was coming from Ideeho to help.
"Seriously, your driving out from Ideeho to help me move to RB!" I said.
"Yes, we are! I will rent a trailer there and we can get it done in one go!" Buzz said.
"Well dang, it's only going to happen if you take my oak table and chairs back with you for your cabin, and all my tack for your mules. Otherwise, you can't help!"
"Fine with us, see you in a couple days!"
So he and my sister by marriage, drove 650 miles to move me 85. They were awesome help, and have called to see how I'm settling in, and tell me how much they are enjoying the table & chairs.
There is a bit of history in that table & chairs: the old oak table, came out of a barn somewhere in the back of beyond and took lots of hours with 0000 steel wool to give it life again. The pressback chairs were given to my mother by a rancher's wife while the folks were on an elk hunting trip. The seats were gone, spindles and legs loose. I re-caned the seats and re-dowled the spindles. They have held up pretty well for cowcamp furniture that has moved in more stock trailers than some horses...
I'm blessed to have a great brother, who I know will always have my six. Same here, Brother O Mine.
A friend called today and asked me to come and redesign her office. She is very kind hearted but a bit of a packrat, I on the other hand, tend toward ranch minimalist. A member of the "be packed, loaded, and ready to head out by the time the last stock truck is loaded" group. So why she chose me to do this redesign was a mystery. Until we walked the space, and I turned to her and asked, "How do You see this space functioning?" She said, "See, that right there is why I asked you, of all the people I asked for help with this, you are the only one that wants to know what "I" need this space to do." Oh great, no pressure there. After four hours of moving heavy furniture, bagging the stuff that needed to go away, and putting a few things in storage, we had a clean neat workable space for her. I have a few things to place to make it function even better and we will call it good. She's happy, her man friend is happy, and so I'm happy.
Even a ranch minimalist can have a soft spot. So I told her of the time when moving cowcamp, the Cowman saw a lone box by the door, grabbed it and proceeded to load it in the nose of the stock trailer. "Jeez, what the hell is in this box?" The box was plainly marked, but he hadn't seen the label. I asked him to put it in my truck and I would take care of it. As he loaded it in my pickup he saw the label... "Box of Rocks". "So what's really in this box?" he asked.
"Rocks" I said, "there are three grind stones: two I found on the home ranch, and one I found up on the Sprague. The others are the heart shaped rocks the grandkids and I have found over the years. They remind me of special people and places." The Cowman just shook his head and said, "You know, most women collect china, or silver, or jewelry, or shoes, but not you!" "A Box of Rocks!" He whistled up the dogs and headed out with a shake of his head...
Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while, still working on getting moved back to Red Bluff.
Have a few more trips to make, and the final clean of the old bunkhouse before I can call it good. This is move #31 for me since I married the Cowman. I'm talking everything you own moves. My getup and go is lagging... it can't be age related, I'm sure.
Have always said that Home is carried inside me, this move is testing that to the max.
A few tales of flying, moving, an awesome brother, grandkids, golfing, hunting mules, friends, and the arts are waiting for me to get past the move. Later...
Since The divorce I've been winnowing thru my stuff. Files that I've no idea why I kept. Pictures have been sorted, and the twelve million duplicates and the picture of a rock are now residing in a landfill. I brought with me a few pieces of furniture that have a long and sorted past. The press back chairs are from a ranch wife in the wilds of Nevada via my mother and father's hunting trips. The round oak table wandered into my care from a neighbor's barn sale, as did the pie safe. The old white chippy cabinet with the blue interior was left on the curb when a store closed, down the street from where I worked. Stuffed that sucker in the back of the ol SUV and away I went. And yes I did find a free sign on it. A painting or two, a pot, a fry pan and a box of rocks, pretty much covers it.
In days gone by himself would back the gooseneck up to the house, and tell me to have it packed and ready to go by the time the cattle where finished being loaded. I got pretty good at packing and traveling light. We moved so much that I guess it stuck.
I like this lightness of being.
