Malpai Borderlands Group April 20, 2008

Sunday evening you get in the Cab at the ranch house of the Malpai Ranch 18 miles East of Douglas, Arizona. This is a time of the week when the most of the American population has had BBQ, been to a race, a park, the beach, a movie, etc... At the Malpai it was just another day, the Sabbath, but just another work day.
What is going on at the Malpai, as on most (not enough) other Ranches in the West is feeding all of the livestock and checking them for health issues, checking the water tanks, securing the pasture gates, resetting mouse and rat traps, turning on or off windmills etc. You watch the sun fall to the horizon faster than the time available to finish the chores for the day. You do steal a few minutes to enjoy the rich warm western beauty of this Arizona sunset. Arizona sunsets are so unlike any anywhere else, that a magazine, Arizona Highways features them in every issue.
All of these late day activities are daily necessary chores just to maintain the status of viable 'Ranching'. Since all the chores don't get completed by sundown, a rancher (Cowboy and/or Cowgirl) works by lights either hand held or high on a pole where the light is so diffuse by the time it reaches the ground that the crawling, flying, walking nightlife are only sensed, not seen. Imagine walking in the dark along a dirt drive from out buildings to the ranch house. You know that in the morning this same dirt might have javelina, coyote, rabbit, badger, skunk, LION, deer, rat, mouse, bird and/or sidewinder tracks on it. These tracks will be atop your cowboy boot tracks from the walk to the house after the chores were completed.
As you get to the house, you exhale in exhaustion. You wash up and begin the winding down of the days events with the spouse and family, the 'hands' and household activities. There is some discussion of what has to be done tomorrow and when. You go sit on the patio/deck with your ration of beer. A Coronita, (7 oz. Corona) is about it, as you still have a full evening of planning and working out how to get everything done.
The government reports, taxes, bills and correspondence. (it seems these Ranchers seem to have an inordinate amount of mail.)
You recognize the night sounds and enjoy the clean warm fresh air and rustling in the yard. You know the rustling and animal sounds are not your 'pets' as they are either inside or locked down at the 'barns'. You know the sounds of the bats, rabbits, javelina, and of course you can imagine the hawks that have nested in the top of that biggest tree in the yard. Just about the time you go in for dinner, the 32 hounds in the kennels down at the barns 'go off.' There must be coyotes at the barns already.
Dinner is blessed. The conversation is lively and animated with joy and love. Fresh tamales, beans, green salad made at a salad bar. Huge choice of dressings, calabcitas, tortillas, soup of meat balls and flavors of Mexico. Desert is home made apple Crisp with vanilla ice cream.
The telephone rings, the 'hand' at the North ranch checks in. One of the heifers has it seems lost her calf, or else it is hiding. Tomorrow will tell. If she has indeed lost it, she will be bawling loud and clear. You see, if she has lost it and she is still producing milk, she will need to be milked or medicated to stop her making milk or... All else is fine up there.
Bed time is about 8:45 as we will all get up and go at it again at 3:45 AM to have a day at the Malpai.
Goodnight,
Oh yeah, I turned the meter off for the night.