December

and December opens like a fairy tale at The Outsiders Ranch.  The forest is tamed by boughs heavily crusted in white crystalline. The snow works its special winter magic by amplifying light while absorbing sound and the ranch feels elevated into a new level of hallowed and expectant ambiance. The grounds, first made bare in fall, are now blanketed for rest. Winter’s hollowness has carved our familiar landscape into an amphitheater of the unknown. It offers a place to stand in wonder under the stars and muse on life’s mysteries. It is a soft and silent space for holding vigil through the longest night of the year and the promise of returning light that it brings.

With the barn  iced like a gingerbread house we are reminded that another magical gift of winter is the call to childlike playfulness. Pearl leads the way by creating snow angels in her pasture. From there the fun is on a roll...snowmen and sledding, snowshoeing and skiing, brave explorations on the frozen river, all crescendoing, like a perfect pirouette, into a winter sunset skate on a heart-shaped pond. Guided by nature we turn in early each day and sleep deeply. The ranch is a blank white canvas inviting us to dream up the new year.