It’s been a week of first-of-the-years, and it’s about time!  I happen to believe we deserve to kick back and chil-lax a little bit after the winter we just survived.

I skipped out on the daddies-and-kids campout last Friday night (read First campout of the year!), but on Saturday night I by golly got my s’more on — when all of us living here at PV Ranch headquarters met at the brand-new fire pit for delectably gooey marshmallow, chocolate, and graham concoctions.

Mr. Tucker and Mr. Bill, Beau’s coworkers, spent a few hours on Friday evening building the fire pit, which immediately improved the aesthetic value of the ranch.  It’s located within a holler from all our homes.

Then Mr. Bill fired the mower up for the first time this year and mowed the ultra-green spring grass that’s growing alongside the irrigation ditch and around the fire pit.  And — ta-da! — we now have a community meeting place.  And rightfully so, because we kinda have our own little town of co-workers going on here.  (There are other PV employees living off-site or at cow camps.)

This green sanctuary above the feedlot is going to be perfect for roping the dummy, visiting with neighbors, roasting marshmallows, and — someday soon, I hear — tossing horseshoes!

Our kids are loving the warm air and green grass and everything else that’s good about spring:

(Marsi.)

(Emi.)

(Asher.)

(Can’t leave Baby Muggins out!)

 

There are friends living here at PV headquarters now — a family with four kids, all interspersed in age between our oldest and youngest.  Including twin 2-year-old boys!

The hiring of this new family makes for 17 (!) underage kids living on the PV now — and 2 more are on the way.  Guess you might say we’re raising up our own branding crew?

 

This guy, Mr. Bill, handyman extraordinaire, made me my first s’more of the year:

Ahhh.  A lifetime spent working for a corporate ranch has its downfalls.  But it has its benefits too.

© Tami Blake