The Round Corral of Charles Rifner

"The Round Corral of Charles Rifner"

In the Greensprings mountain range between county lines
You can just barely see it through the pines
Now not many folks know
But to my family it is home
Back in the days when the west was still wild
A young cowboy set out from Ohio with a team
The cowboy was quick to laugh and was rarely mean
He arrived in the snow covered pines of the Klamath Basin just in time
Johnson Prairie was the land he had chosen
With strong hands and heart he build part by part
The ranch they called the CD Bar
With his team he built the beams that would become
The small ranch house with the wooden porch swing
And not far he built the barn and the round corral
Now this round corral where he broke colts is not far
From the house and barn
He even trained a wild and whooly stud
He raised his two girls Dode and Mabel as willing, and able hands
His youngest red headed daughter Dode who was awfully petite and smiley
She met up with a young man named Guiley
The months and years soon went by
He soon passed on
And  the days of the round corral became history
But his spirit lives on
I am here to tell you young buckaroos the story
Of how it still stands in all of it's glory
So say not a word as you gather the herd
Slow your pace and listen for the sound in the pines
Of the memories that surround

The round corral of Charles Rifner

the round corral today 

The ranch back in its day

Spring!!!!

As I traveled from Nevada to Oregon yesterday, spring was all abound on the ranches that I drove by in between the two states that I now call home, new calves on the ground, groups of horses and cattle grazing the new green grass. Living in the desert, I don't see the flowers and green as much as one would in California or Oregon (depending on what side of the state you are in, Eastern Oregon is just as much the desert as Nevada is)

Looking outside the windows of my mother's house here in Southern Oregon, I see sights of my youth such as the tulips that Daddy and I planted many years ago, start to pop up. The daffodils and crocus that my sister planted in memory of our beloved Daddy, are already flowering and look absolutely amazing!






And spring also means Holy Week and one of my favorite holidays, Easter Sunday. As a child I always figured it was all about bunnies, lambs, and baby chicks, as well as egg hunts and chocolate! Now that I am an adult and attend church, I understand the significance of the holiday. But I still like my baby bunnies and Cadbury Cream Eggs however!

Spring means wearing lighter clothes in pinks, light yellows, light purples and airy colors. Pink lipsticks and pastel eye shadows are perfect colors to wear this time of year.

Soon the farmers will start spring planting and thinking about what hay and crops to plant. Branding season will be in full swing soon as well.

So get out there and SOAK IT UP!!!!