Hi everyone, Dean here.. I don't come to you today with happy news...instead I come with heartbreaking news. North Fork Ranch is no more, the horses are thankfully. The ranch itself is gone. We had been moving horses down from the mountain pastures, fall is coming and as the cooler air comes to the valley...the snow comes to the mountains, this is normally a week or more long project so the staff was limited at the barn to my 3 most trusted farm hands. We had never had an issue before, not one tht would change the life for everyone at the ranch. It was the 4th day and the 3rd herd to be brought down to the lower pasture, it was also this day while we were half way down the rocky slope that we saw the smoke. I knew, Rom knew as he was getting antsy under his saddle. Only moments after myself and the ranch hands saw the smoke did I see Mike, my head of command while I was away, come racing up the hill on Narrative. He had a burn on his face and his hat was no where to be seen. The panic and horror showed clear as day on the young cowboys face. "What happend?" "The tractor caught a spark while we were moving hay into the barn....everything's gone..." I could see the tears welling up in Jezebels eyes, she was worried for the only 2 horses left there at the barn. "Are you, the staff, and the other horses alright?" "Yes sir, everyone is okay. I got Rudolph out just before her stall collapsed." A shuddering breath of relief was ripped from my lungs without my wanting, everyone was okay. "Help the rest of the staff gather the remaining horses and move everyone to the south most pasture, I'm going to ride down and assess the damange and see where we go from here..." I didn't tell them I already knew...it was gone and it was time to move forward and rebuild. A new start...a new home.
2 Weeks later...
The damage was done, the barn was nothing but a pile of ash. The tack, the awards, and the trailers were all gone. But, at the end of the night all my staff and horses came through alive and well. As the morning sun rose, I found myself in the truck going down an old gravel road towards a hopeful new home. The view was lovely, the ground and rolling hills the perfect setting. It was the 10th place in 2 weeks I had visited hoping for a new start, something felt right about this place though. It was nestled down in the North-Eastern Valley between two tall peaks, a river curled it's way peachfully through the property to a lake which I was sure was stock piled with prime fish just waiting to be caught. As I pulled up to the ranch house my hear leaped into my throat, it was perfect. On either side of the house stood two large barns, one for mares one for stallions. Just down the road a ways was an arena, paddock, and round pen. There's almost 30 pastures, and plenty of space to add another arena or two. Another barn stood off away from the rest, a tractor and hay barn, no more risk of a fire destorying an entire home again...the horses would be safe here. I could build new ranch houses for the staff off across from the tractor barn.. this was home. I met the realtor inside and told him there was no need for words, this was going to be our new home...a new ranch. While we were signing the papers...I was told the ranch was never named and the new law states all ranches must include a name for registration and business lisense...I sat for a moment...and it came to me...we are proud to annouce our new home...new beginning.....
