End of summer 2008

What a job to think of everything needing to be done to leave gallery and ranch. We thought we would drain ranch house and winterize so we didnt' need to leave heat on, but when we thought through the trouble, we decided to leave it at 40 degrees like we have done in the past. I don't have any indication anyone will use it this winter, but it is there for whatever.
I have wondered what would become of the ranch. It seems the third generation is busy with their own life and that doesn't include Southern Utah much.
Here is something I wrote in one of my Hummmmmm moods.

Once upon a time there was a family who struggled for survival on a piece of land consisting of an exclusive stream, called Buttler Creek, It came magically out of the earth and ran through the ranch and into a bigger creek called Panguitch Creek The first two generations occupying this piece of land off and on for 75 years were in survival mode, which meant work, work, work Some of the second generation were among those needed to help with just holding the land and had no time to explore and play and try boy-ideas. Now in 2009 the third generation have gone into the world and made money and sunk roots elsewhere. Wha will become of the land now?
One fact of life at this time is that there is a fourth generation mushrooming up and many in their later childhood years with an excess of energy, imagination and need for adventure.

What if…….
The parents of this group, including the fathers, in fact, definitely including the fathers, because there are mostly boys in this group, organized themselves and took turns helping this group of little people have “experience”. Real experience, experience that will make lasting good memories and a lasting network of life-time friends.

The infrastructure is largely in place with two big, nice homes on the property. Older grandparents are still alive to “be there” for whatever they are still capable of doing, which they would be interested in doing, but are not capable or inclined to do the imaginative work of organizing and helping with the time spent by whatever “kids’ are there at the time. So many things have to be worked out. Most kids in the group are involved in sports and music and other things in their main homes. The ranch is just a once in a while thing to go to. There is still some “real” work needing to be done there, like the irrigating. It would be possible to take care of this fact, if the “fun” were organized around this need. Instead of a hated fact of the place, it could be a good place for real responsibility to come to kids. With eight or ten fathers taking turns, there likely wouldn’t be more than a week a piece to be involved. (hopefully at least two at a time, if more than a few kids involved.) They would need to adjust to the children with just what works for individual cases.. A scouting project geared to the circumstances could be develped. Rewards to work toward. Etc.etc. Tebbs family special thing.

The men in the family would need real organizing, that’s for sure….. planning. A few women could be worked in and as women usually organize better, they might take over. But the men need to be there. Yes, chances would be taken in that kids should be free to explore and do things not usually done in the city. So mothers would need to deal with their fears and opt in or out. In other words, not make special rules for just their kids, except, of course, health concerns. Well, dreams are still there to be dreamed. I still do it. Veda