At the end of the valley in Gardnerville, Nevada, the Amacher family bought one hundred acres many years ago and decided to run a horse farm which is still going strong today. My son, Michael rents a small trailer house there and is very happy in it. He knows the horses and dogs by name, and even a billy goat or two. There is yard art as you can see from the pictures and the tumble weed blows in the wind, and I am humming the old cowboy song 'Tumbling tumble weeds."
I walked out every day to get some exercise and fresh air. The weather was really warm and unexpected for November. We were lucky as the air began to change as we were leaving, winter is on the way. The high desert country takes some getting used to as my chapped lips and sneezing attested to. Walking out around around the rutted roads to the entrance gate was interesting as I got to see a lot of the yard art. There was a boat set in rocks with the American flag standing proudly. A statue of the Blessed Virgin surrounded by small rocks. The horses were in their pens eating some luscious greens and barely gave me the time of day as I interrupted their meal time. They are huge animals and although I talked to them I never did touch them. I had no sugar or apples for them. The entrance gate is not automatic. You have to get out of the car, open the gate, then drive the car through and go back and close the gate, annoying but necessary. I found myself locking the chain and I'm on the wrong side . . . well, some of us are brighter than others.
As you can see from the pictures the garden has 'gone' for the season. The last small pumpkin sat there looking like a forlorn forgotten ball of orange pulp, maybe the seeds are doing their thing and will recreate for the next season. There were several big bunches of chard still green and alive but not edible. The sunflowers were spent and the weeds were taking over. There are piles of 'horse feathers' on the ground ready to be picked up and put into the beds and fertilize for the next season. I would like to have taken some home for my garden, but thought better of it, as daughter Pat would protest loudly.
The big white building is the event area where the horses show off and exercise. I don't know if they have many events during the year but most likely they do. I was fortunate to meet Mrs. Amacher and she was very gracious and opened the gate for us. She came over to the car and shook hands with us and mentioned she had read all my books and is a fan., yeah . . . I'm puffed up.
The views of the Sierra mountains is still awesome. I never get tired of looking at it. The peaks had a little snow left on them from a short pre-winter storm. Soon gale winds and snow will abide and they will keep their white coat right up to summer. Progress has come to the valley and houses have been built by the thousands from one side of the valley to the other. Right now, in this down trodden economy, there are many of those homes for sale. The builders were not satisfied with building an economical home but went for those million dollar ones and now they sit. Why anyone thought retirees needed four bedroom homes is beyond me, but they went for bigger and better. Nevada has always had a water problem so it will be no surprise when the plains flood at some future date and the home owners find themselves in trouble. I hope not for their sake but it inevitable like the alluvial fan of the mountains that create mud slides and take over the land. Nevada . . . I am very happy I got to live there and even happier having had a chance to go back and visit.
I hope you are planning a visit to one of your favorite places. It does the soul good. Make today a special day and take your camera for a walk. I did.
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