We’re in the heart of orientation week and the level of energy at the ranch is at a high. Dace has given his talk about the mission statement. Ben has given his talk about the realities of living, working, eating and playing with the same people all summer long and how to foster a positive community spirit through it all. Bill did his vehicle orientation. The new staff have been paired with returners to learn the ropes of dish duty. Oh, the glamour of ranch work! Now we are into more of what we call “department time”. That’s when each crew gets to really learn the ropes of their specific jobs. The kids wranglers were out practicing the riding orientation yesterday while the housekeepers were spring cleaning one of the cabins. With all this work, we also find time to fit in some fun social events. Game night in front of the fire in the Great Room was Tuesday night instead of a hike because it rained. And last night it was Barn dance practice. Yee-haw!
In the midst of all this, we also are seeing the final touches coming together around the ranch. The new patio dining area was cleaned up of equipment and debris yesterday so now we can see what it really is going to look like. Wow, no one is going to want to ever go inside! There’s a cool new walkway over the creek to a fire pit by the pond. The pond was expanded a bit and has now filled up again (thanks to said rain). It’s just blissful to sit out there and watch the reflection of the mountains on the water.
Well, the crew is showing up for breakfast now so it’s time to go get to know some of the newbies a bit better. Lots of names to learn, hometowns to remember and stories to unfold!