Life on a Ranch

 Today may very well be the quintessential fall day. Technically, it’s just starting, so I can’t say for sure, but it has all the makings of a great day. For starters, the air isn’t so cool that I need to build a fire or turn on the heat, but it’s just cool enough to need a sweatshirt and slippers. And since it’s fall, I made myself some chai tea. Chai isn’t the only thing I'm making this morning—I also cut up a bunch of apples and have them warming up on the stovetop. I’m occasionally stirring the apples, ones I picked up from Platz Produce. But most of all, I’m enjoying their smell. I added cinnamon and a little water to get the warm juices flowing out of those honeycrisp apples, and the sauce as well as the apple cake I’m preparing to make later today, are just two more reasons to love the simple flavor-filled fruit that you might (or might not) recall is my favorite. In addition to the cooler temperature and the fruit, we have some fall pairs grazing in the “milk cow pasture” (named after Elsa, our old milk cow who used to reside there). The real joy of the milk cow pasture is that we can see it from the kitchen as well as dining room windows. We don't always have cows this close to the house, but I sure love it when we do. I love watching the cows graze while the curious calves play and I really love it when they all settle in for an afternoon nap in the sunshine. I can watch the pairs while I do household tasks—laundry that has piled up over the week and the applesauce I'm tending to. In addition to laundry, Cooper and I have a project to finish today. He has officially moved into Lucy’s old bedroom. He started sleeping in there as soon as she left for college, but I asked him if we could make the room shift happen slowly so I could get used to one life change at a time. He’s a gracious kid and didn’t seem to mind a bit. The real motivation to get completely moved into his new room came from the successful archery season he had this past week. His old room didn’t have a spot for it, but he has a 4-point buck he's really excited to hang on the wall. Speaking of archery, let me tell you something. I’m going to tell you this while the apples simmer… I just turned them down to low and they’re simmering, really hot, while I type. Here’s the thing—I grew up with avid hunters, both my dad and brother. They hunted enough that we primarily ate wild game. When I married Buck, I gave little thought to the fact that he archery hunts; it always seemed completely normal and even expected—especially considering his real, given name, is Buck. For years, Cooper has had small bows and shot arrows into hay bales, so when we bought him a new compound bow for Christmas, I still didn’t over think it. He worked hard to pull it back and learn good technique and he’s spent hours out in the bale-lot shooting his bow, preparing for his first archery season. When the season opened, he and Buck took every opportunity they could to get out at sunrise, and again before sunset, to try to find a buck. On several days they saw a few. And one day, they saw one close enough to shoot, but Cooper came home really frustrated that he shot high and missed. Every time they went out, I was hopeful he was going to get one, but as the season continued, I realized it might take more than one season to get a good shot. All that to say, last weekend, they spent an afternoon working on fence and when evening approached, they set out to hunt. In a story much better told by Cooper, they snuck in after some bucks, and after waiting with focus and patience, with Buck’s whispered guidance, Cooper took one really great, fatal shot at about 30 yards. When they called to tell me, my ignorance about archery hunting vanished instantly. I stared at the picture they sent and (surprise!) got really teared up about it. I’m still just amazed that he did that! All those years of playing with a bow and shooting fake arrows and then transitioning into the real thing and practicing enough to be not only confident, but accurate. I’m so proud of him! And not just him—my respect level for skilled archery hunters just went up 100-fold. While I told you that story, the apples boiled down, and I let them simmer with a small amount of dark brown sugar—mostly because I like the color it adds. Then I used an immersion blender to blend it all into apple sauce. Of course I gave it a taste test, and I’m happy to report that it tastes as delicious as it smells! I’m planning to can it in small jars this year so I can send individual portions in lunches and on long sports days. They’ll be good fuel for Katelyn for cross country meets, for sure. Speaking of Katelyn, this afternoon, she and I are headed to a baby shower in Cove. Buck and I have had the privilege of watching the “Ander son girls” (from Wallowa County) grow up and, although one of the three girls, Beth, is now a “Stitzel”, we’re excited to go celebrate the new baby she’s welcoming with her husband, Bryson. The shower is planned to be outside and there couldn’t be a better day for it. And with that, I’ll leave this autumn column to go enjoy the day, one that looks to be filled with a bunch of the good stuff- yummy food, warm drinks, cows grazing, lovely weather, friends to catch up with and one of my most favorite of all favorite things- a new life to celebrate… and it's all happening right here in Union County! -Chelsea