Gould Ranch

Several years ago, I blogged about the fun Luke and I had at "Camp DuBoff" while house sitting for some friends. Now that we have a baby and a dog of our own, I assumed our house sitting days were over. I should just learn not to assume. Some clients of Luke's and good friends of ours asked us back in the summer if we would ever consider house sitting for them, as they've had trouble finding good people to stay here when they visit their son and his family in California. I was a little dubious of the proposition at first, but we decided to give it a shot, so here we are! We arrived Friday evening and, I admit, by Saturday morning I thought we had made a huge mistake. The house is BIG, not babyproof in any way, shape or form, Clara slept horribly (as did I) Friday night and Saturday morning got knocked over by the very friendly, but very large black lab, Jeb. The Cairn Terrier, Fanny, is a watch dog extraordinaire - she sees and hears things even when they aren't there! Her bark woke Clara once in the night and then scared Clara to the point of frantic tears early Saturday afternoon. I was seriously regretting our decision and wondering how we'd survive the next ten days.

But Clara had a great nap Saturday afternoon, and things have been much better ever since. I think we will not only survive, but greatly enjoy our stay here at the Gould's beautiful home. Along with Jeb and Fanny, there are two cats, Crash and Jemmer, who look remarkably alike except for the fact that Crash has long hair and Jemmer's is short. I have been amazed at the cats' patience with Clara, who is fascinated by them and follows them around the house saying, "Mow? Mow?" (pronounced like meow without the "e") Jemmer especially has been extremely tolerant, allowing Clara to "share" her toy balls with him, pet him all over, and put her face right down next to his with intense delight. She has done a good job being gentle, but still I don't know many cats who would simply sleep through her happy squeals directly in their ears.

In addition to the four house pets, there are five horses: Dan, Charlie, Tuffy, Jubil and Mercedes (Mercy). Most of these horses have been with Pat and Roger for most of their lives! The horses are just as much a part of the family as the other animals, and they are one of the main reasons we are here. Being older, they all have their quirks and some have had health issues, so it makes Pat nervous when a "non-horse person," who may not know if something is wrong, stays here to house sit.

Clara, of course, adores the horses and squeals whenever she sights them. Riding on the EZ-go to take their hay up to the pasture every morning is a big highlight of her day. Driving the tractor and manure spreader with Luke yesterday was also a huge hit - there were major tears when the job was all done and it was time to get off.

Friday and Saturday were rainy and blustery, but today was better and the weather is supposed to be nice the rest of the week. Although the house is fascinating in its own right (originally built in the 1880s with a new wing - where our bedrooms are - that almost doubled the size of the house), we are looking forward to spending time outside enjoying the beautiful property.

Pictures will be coming once we get home to take them off the camera. For now, it's time for bed!