Page 5 of Wannabe in Wyoming
With the help of some local guys, I got rid of the old, very outdated furniture (think of the 1970s if you need a visual), junk that was lying around, and anything else I didn’t want to keep. There are a bunch of boxes and trunks left, mostly filled with papers and stuff, but I put them in the attic until I have more time to devote to going through them. Thank goodness I also now have satellite internet and TV access—it was really quiet here without them for the first two days. I’m learning a lot about living in the country, thanks to Google.
Tomorrow, I’m going to do the craziest thing—well, at least the craziest thing I’ve ever done besides leaving Pennsylvania to move to Wyoming where I know absolutely no one. I’m going to buy some chickens! Me, the tattooed, pink-haired chick from Philly is going to get, well, some chicks (lol). Two of the guys who helped me clear out the house came by yesterday and fixed up the coop in the backyard for me and put up some new fencing around it. The other night, I spent three hours researching chickens, from which ones to get and what to feed them, to how to collect their eggs and know when there’s something wrong with them (just in case). There’s a local vet who deals with farm animals, so at least there’s someone nearby who I can consult with. I was surprised to learn you don’t need a rooster for the hens to lay eggs. You only need one if you want baby chicks. I’ll do without the rooster for now.
I must be crazy (well, the last paragraph probably confirmed that), but I’m actually thinking about keeping the ranch. At first, I was seriously thinking of fixing it up to sell, but the longer I stay here, the more I like living out in the middle of nowhere. Weird, huh? There’s really no reason for me to go back to Philly other than it’s familiar. People move all the time and start over in new places, so why can’t I? The only thing is I’ll need to figure out what to do with all this land I now have (1200 freaking acres!). It used to be a cattle ranch, but I sold the last few cows, steers, and horses to my new neighbor, since I have no idea how to take care of them or what to do with them. He’d already been taking care of them, so it just made sense to let him buy them.
I want to raise some animals or plant something I can sell, but this is all so new to me, and I have no clue how to be a rancher. If you have any ideas on what I could use the land for, I’m all ears.
Oh, I forgot to mention. I have a new friend. He’s a white-tailed prairie dog that comes and hangs out on my back porch. After the third day of him showing up, I named him Fred. I had to take a picture of him with my phone to find out what in the world he was because, needless to say, we didn’t have prairie dogs back East. The guy who owns the feed store, whose name is Ducky—if you can believe that—gave me a quick education on them. Thankfully, they’re herbivores. I bought some seeds that Ducky said I could leave out for Fred. I can also give him some vegetables. From what I’m told, he probably has a family somewhere nearby, so I’m sure he’s sharing the meals with them. Maybe one of these days I’ll follow him and see where he lives.
Anyway, I’m obviously rambling on about nothing, and I’m sure you have lots to do. If you want to write back, that’s great, but I’ll understand if you don’t. In the meantime, thank you, again, for your service, and I hope you’re back with your loved ones soon.
Sincerely,
Willow
Wannabe Rancher
P.S. - I know it would be easier to exchange email addresses to write back and forth, but if you don’t mind, I kind of like writing letters and mailing them the old-fashioned way. We did that when we adopted a soldier in my fourth-grade class, and it was so exciting when the teacher announced we had a letter from him each month.
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June 15
Dear Wannabe (I love your name but got a kick out of Wannabe lol),
Getting your letter did what you’d hoped it would—it brightened my day. And I don’t mind writing snail mail. You’re right—it is more exciting to receive a handwritten letter as opposed to an email. Getting letters here is like Christmas morning for us. A lot of the guys I know carry them around while on missions, so they always have that connection to their families. The Army is known for its ‘hurry up and wait’ attitude, so having letters to re-read during downtime is a treat.
My name is Nathan, I’m thirty-three years old, and I grew up in a small town in Colorado that sounds a lot like where you’re living now. There are good and bad things about small towns. One of the good things is neighbors help out neighbors without batting an eye. One of the bad things though is the gossip. The minute you let anyone know a secret there, it’ll be running through the rumor mill faster than you can say, “Don’t tell anyone.”
You didn’t say who you inherited the ranch from, but I assume that means someone close to you passed away and left it to you in their will. I’m sorry for your loss.
It sounds like you’ve done a lot of work on the place already and have plenty more to do. With 1200 acres there are a few animals you can raise other than cattle. Hogs andsheepcome to mind. The hogs andlambs(baby sheep) would need to be slaughtered for their meat, and I’m not sure if you’re up to doing that (I know I wouldn’t be), but sheep and llama farms are known for their wool or fiber, and you don’t have to kill the animals to get it. Either way, you’d have to research what you would need in order to raise any of those animals. You’ll also need to hire people to work for you to maintain the herd, since it’s not as simple as just giving them food and water. As for crops, there are a few options for you there too. I looked it up (thank you, Google), and it seems like hay, barley, wheat, beans, and corn are the main crops grown in Wyoming. Again, you’ll have to research them and will likely need to hire at least a few people to help you throughout the different seasons.
Speaking of Wyoming, isn’t it beautiful there? I was only there once, the summer between my junior and senior years in high school. My friend’s parents took us and another friend camping in Glendo State Park. I’m not sure how close that is to you, but it’s gorgeous. If you get a chance, you should visit it. That was a great trip. Even though his parents were with us, they were cool, and we had an amazing time.
How are the chickens doing? Glad to hear you didn’t get a rooster since you don’t need one yet. Those damn things wake you up at the ass-crack of dawn. Not to mention they can be mean little bastards sometimes—actually, most of the time.
What tattoos do you have? I have two—a Celtic cross above my left shoulder blade and Celtic knot over my heart. I’m Irish by the way.
Tell me about the town you live in now. Does it have a hamburger joint on the edge of town that has the greasiest yet most delicious burgers and fries? Oh, and don’t forget a chocolate shake! How about a town square with a gazebo? A movie theater that only shows one movie at a time or is there a drive-in nearby? If it’s like the small town I grew up in, you’ll probably be having a parade and/or carnival coming up for the 4th of July weekend. I’d love to see pictures of it if you take any. When I was growing up, I couldn’t wait to be old enough to move to a city, or at least a much bigger town, but now there’s so much I miss about living in a small town. I guess your perception of things changes as you get older.
Well, I’m heading over to the mess hall to grab some dinner. Hope to hear from you again soon. Tell Fred I said hello.
Sincerely,
Nathan
Pen Pal Extraordinaire
Chapter Five
June 29
Dear PP Extraordinaire (I like your name too, but the nickname gave me the giggles.)
Thank you for writing back. I was so excited to see a handwritten envelope in my mailbox. Yours has the honor of being the first one I’ve ever received at this address! Congratulations! You win two-thumbs up and a huge smile! Sorry it couldn’t be more. LOL.
I wanted to respond the other day, right after I got your letter, but I’ve been so exhausted every night after working all day. I didn’t have the energy to do more than fall asleep right after dinner. I’m proud to say I’ve become an expert (sort of) on hammers, nails, screwdrivers, and drills. I also have a new personal library of how-to books for plumbing, electrical, woodworking, tile, general home improvements, and more. A lot of it is gibberish to me, but at least there are a bunch of things I can do now instead of paying someone to do them for me.
