Day on a Guest Ranch

BY: E. A. STEIN

Early morning. Birds singing. The sun shining brightly. The first gentle breath of a new day. Time to be up and about. The day on an Arizona guest ranch has begun. You come out to enjoy the winter sunshine and have fun so the earlier you begin the better.

This is a time of which most busy people know little. Back home they are either still in bed, or they are so absorbed with getting ready for the day's tasks that they have little time to pay heed. But out here on an Arizona guest ranch all that is different. After a night of gilt-edged sleep, getting up leisurely to the music of the thrush and the mockingbird is an enjoyable ritual. You take your time. You enjoy every moment of the process. There's just nothing that will compare with an experience like this. It's an event; the thing that starts you off on the right foot for the day. Then a steaming hot cup of coffee! Then breakfast. After breakfast is an ideal time for a short walk; so you set out. Most ranches have trails running all over the place. and selecting one that is interesting-well, you just can't miss. Along the trail there are the interesting western cacti to be examined, as well as the flowers and other growth abounding on our so-called "desert." The trees, different from those in other parts of the country, attract your attention and demand close inspection. And the birds are different, too. There's the brilliant red Cardinal who wears his feathery comb as proudly as a rooster. The yellowbreasted Kingbird, dashing about after insects. The golden Oriole, preening his feathers in the brilliant sun. Underfoot, the earth is covered with a generous sprinkling of intriguing rocks and stones that receive attention from all who come this way. After an hour of exploration a little "easy-chair" in the warm sun feels good. There's something about this Arizona sunshine that is definitely better. Hereabouts loafing in the sun is a rite and not a solitary occupation. Absorbing the rays of Old Sol is a fine art, indulged in by visitor and native alike; and most always in congregation. This may in part explain why the folks out west, even the newcomers, are so friendly and congenial. There is just something about soaking up sunshine together that melts the requirement for introductions and the like. Back home it may be a strict rule that you speak to no one until after being formally introduced, but out here you smile and speak to everyone without even thinking about it. It comes natural. About the middle of the morning one of the boys comes riding up to inform you that the first party of riders will be leaving in about thirty minutes for a ride along the back trail, and "would you like to go?" The answer to that question most often is, "You bet, I'm right behind you."

horse that takes precedence over all such new-fangled fire spittin' contraptions. Horses are friendly people, and once you get to know them they can be appreciated just as much. and on occasion perhaps even more than humans. The gentle pace at which they bear you from one place to another does more for you than just provide a means of transportation. First of all the horse is a personal conveyance. He gets to know you and your needs, and responds accordingly. He provides you with gentle exercise. And when you get tired he brings you back home without your having to give it a single thought, or touch the rein. The cowpony is an integral part of daily ranch life. To become personally aquainted with such an important member of the ranch family is, indeed, a privilege.

Not everyone on the ranch rides, however, and there is always plenty to enjoy for those who don't, but by far the majority of the guests take to the trail like eager children, seeking and finding new adventure everytime they go out.

And speaking of children, they too have their chance to play at being cowboy. Carefully supervised, they take their rides in the afternoon, after school is out. Adults are excluded from their number unless the children see fit to give special permission.

When all is ready for the take-off the riding parties are usually broken up into two or three groups, each with a competent "wrangler" in attendance. Pace is set to suit those who compose the group; the faster riders taking the long way around while the slower group takes the shortcut. On the trail the ranch visitor gets his first real taste of what cowboys sing so much about. In the distance there is scenery that thrills the soul. Overhead the sky is blue. And on a day when there are clouds, you would think that nature had piled up especially for your benefit the huge banks of fluff.

After you return from just such a pleasant venture into the realm of the cowboy a brief sojourn in the ranch pool is refreshing. It might be mentioned in passing that most of the modern guest ranches in Arizona are equipped with various sports facilities for the enjoyment of their patrons. You needn't worry. There is always something to do.

Waiting for luncheon to be served provides a "breather," and an excellent opportunity to meet the new arrivals. Here you have a chance to display as an old-timer your newly acquired accomplishments in western hospitality and friendliness as you have seen them practised from the beginning of your stay. As the newcomers turn to appraise your comfortable and colorful western garb with a glint of anticipation in their eyes, you ignore entirely their fancy hats and city clothes. You say, "Hi there" in true western fashion and the response is immediate. In no time at all you are engaged in animated conversation, and most often gratifying friendships are the result.

Afternoons after luncheon are left more or less open, but "... Call it 'atmosphere' If the afternoon of the day falls on a Sunday, a rodeo is most likely on the schedule. Here the visitor has his second oppor tunity to witness the doings of the cowboys at close range. All of the contests held at these affairs are actually duplicates of selected chores that the ranch-hand performs every day while working cattle on the open range. Each task has its special application, and today as of old nothing delights the cowboy more than to have an opportunity on Sunday, which is sup posed to be his day of rest, to display his prowess and speed at getting things done. Naturally a few races and a little prize-money help make the meet interesting but on the whole the rodeo is a ranch-hands' display of abilities. A sort of postman's holiday, so to speak. As for the people on the ranch, they have their choice of doing two things in the evening. They may stay at home, have a nice dinner and then entertain themselves for the evening afterward, or as an alternative they may elect to attend a "desert" picnic, scheduled to take advantage of a full moon. Guess which choice they usually make! "Desert" picnics are something that really give flavor to a stay on a ranch. Take the food, for instance. The food cooked over an open fire out in the hills still tastes better. The steaks have just that little seasoning of mesquite smoke that flavors them with a tang that would make them a delicacy even for a king. And the potatoes, french-fried in a large iron kettle to a golden brown, are so delicious that many an over-enthusiastic guest, stimulated by the tantaliz ing aroma of cooking food, has burned his fingertips picking up a sample too soon after serving. Rounded out by dutch-oven biscuits browned done to a turn, and a green salad freshly made from the products of Arizona's irrigated farms, and you have had a meal that would make anyone "well." Followed by apple pie and a cup of campfire coffee, such a feast makes the thoughts of even the worst pessimist dissolve into a feeling of well-being, and the conversation around the campfire that follows is bound to be pleasant and relax ing. Call it "atmosphere" or what you will, a day on an Ari zona guest ranch is definitely fun, definitely relaxing and restful.