‘Tis the season. For us, that means it’s time to get busy working on projects around the ranch. It’s hard to tear the place up too much when there are guests here, so when the ranch is closed down, our work ramps up. And there is always a lot to do!
Right now Bill is busy in the cabins, fixing all the little bumps and bruises that occur over the course of the season. Banged up baseboard heaters, holes poked in screens, dings on the walls, and nicks on the furniture. Later today I’ll do a walk-through to make a list of all the window coverings that need to be replaced or fixed. The non-washable items are all at the dry cleaners, and new towels have been ordered.
Moving down to the Lodge, we tore out all the dining room carpet in anticipation of the arrival of our new carpet. It was just time, as the old carpet wasn’t going to make it another season. And, when I say “we” tore out the carpet, I should clarify. Meagan and Devyn took office breaks last week and got their hands dirty ripping up the old carpet and pad. Those two can do a lot more than just have a nice voice on the phones, you know!
Up in the barn, Nate has been working hard on the improved barn loft. He has had help from “little” Ben, Tim, and Troy, as he encloses, insulates, and winterizes the barn loft this fall. We’re excited to finally have a space to hold barn dances in the winter, as well as be able to spread out a bit for yoga classes in the colder months and when the weather doesn’t allow for outdoor yoga. An official name for the new and improved Barn Loft is still undecided, but we can work on that as the snow piles up.
When Nate isn’t up in the loft, he’s multi-tasking by working on our new fitness room. Now, we know that most of our guests never even touch the fitness center, and why would they when there are miles of trails to explore with amazing scenery and natural intervals? But, for those who want to hit the elliptical or treadmill, we are moving the equipment to an air-conditioned spot near the Machine Shed. This will allow us to move forward with adding a new unit for our guests. Named North Fork and South Fork, these two duplex units will be ready for Summer 2016, and will be ready to accommodate smaller families by Summer 2016.
Lastly, Charlie and Ben took on the project of getting the ranch hands an official headquarters, where they can check in on any office work as well as hang their wet and dirty gear to dry in between shifts. It’s not glamorous, but it gives them a home base to meet up and plan out their days.
So many projects, and so little time. The beautiful weather made it a lot easier to work on these projects, but the snow rolling in now will scoot us along a little quicker to get them finished! Because ’tis the season for snow to start piling up too.