The ranch, La Cañada de la Virgen (see previous posts and link), is an enormous property about an hour and a half from San Miguel, and it has been very much part of my life since moving here and meeting the family.Among other things, La Cañada de la Virgen is a working cattle and horse ranch with real cowboys (some of whom are rather hot if one is into cowboys). There is no electricity on the ranch, it is difficult to haul propane out there and consequently, life is rather primitive. Alex’s family does not live on the ranch. He and his mother live in town and his sisters elsewhere in the world. However, they do have rooms adjacent to the caretaker’s quarters, called Casa Chica, for those occasions when they chose to spend a night or two.
The caretaker, Pedro, and his wife, Elena, are up to 8 children and there are countless dogs, cats, chickens and turkeys running around the common areas. To afford herself some privacy and escape from the commotion, Alex’s mother Regina had a small house built for herself on the other side of the river, away from the ex-hacienda ruin and caretaker’s home, on the site of the old school house; i.e., “Casa Escuela”. Alex is putting the finishing touches on the place, including a solar hot water heater and enough photovoltaic electricity to operate a couple of light bulbs. He asked me to help with the landscaping and setting up the furniture, and to spend the night so we could check out the infrastructure of the place; like does the solar hot water heater work and will it last through two showers.
The morning of our departure we met at a nursery to pick out plants. We debated over various varieties (“That takes too much water, that won’t survive the sun . . .") and at points argued like an old married couple. (I should mention that Alex is one of my straight friends.) I think the proprietor was amused.
Both cars were filled to capacity, mine with plants, Alex’s with tools, food and supplies.
Upon arrival we set to work unloading and moving plants around, trying to decide where they should go. We were smart enough to clean out a bedroom and set up single beds so that we could crash when we ran out of energy. It had not rained in months so the ground was as hard as rock in many places. We worked our asses off. I don’t think I’ve ever worked that hard on my own home.
Exhausted, we carried a cooler over to Casa Chica where Elena had prepared us dinner. We ate outside and were served by one of Elena’s daughters, a shy pretty girl who could barely look me in the eye, even though I’ve met her on countless occasions.
I’m accustomed to having all the dogs around while we eat. They don’t beg, per se, but lie close by in case we get sloppy and drop something. What was new to me was the turkey. He walked over, stood next to me and didn’t take his eyes off my plate the entire meal. We were eating chicken so I wondered if he’d had a bad run-in with a chicken and this eating it thing rather appealed to him. Whatever, his beady black eyes were slightly unnerving. If I pointed my finger at his head, like I was going to poke him or something, he simply puffed up his feathers and sat down, his eyes never wavering. A begging turkey; a first for me.
After the meal the blood rushed to my stomach and I thought that I was going to fall asleep in my plate. Alex arranged for a couple of guys to help us move furniture the next day at about 1:00 PM, and then set off to check on the new well-water system. I picked up the cooler and headed back to Casa Escuela.
As I stumbled back I had to pass a rather large bull who was eyeing me curiously. I then became aware that the cooler that I was carrying was bright red. I avoided eye contact and stepped up my pace.
Back at Casa Escuela we opened the wine and summoned the energy to dig a fire pit and build a fire. About 1:00 in the morning we staggered off to bed.
I awoke the next morning about 10:00 AM, with a splitting headache, and walked out of the bedroom to find a cigarette. I stepped over the threshold and looked up. Staring back at me were two young men and about five small children. There I was, in my pajamas, hair sticking up, eyes undoubtedly red, facing a small audience. “Buenos dias,” I said.
“Buenos dias” they replied.
I talked to the young men and was able to glean that they had come early to help with the furniture because they needed to be elsewhere on the ranch that afternoon. I went to inform Alex.
“How long have they been waiting?” he asked.
“I don’t have a clue. What I don’t get is what the kids are doing here.”
“They’re probably bored and wondering what the heck we’re doing. That is totally not cool. What if my mother was here and walked out of her room in her nightgown? She would not be happy.”
Alex got dressed and went out to tell the young men to meet us as Casa Chica in 20 minutes.
We turned Casa Chica upside down. It had been my idea to turn one of the bedrooms into the living room and to turn the living room into a dining room. Alex also wanted to rearrange all three of the bedrooms. Where we had problems was with the size of the furniture and how to configure it in each of the rooms. The poor young men were hauling stuff back and forth and we’d have to stop them time and time again and re-think our design.
We finally figured it out and sent the men off. (They were terribly good sports.)
Back at Casa Escuela we set up Regina’s bedroom and dressed her bed. I took a king coyote pelt and curled it up in the center of the bed to look like a sleeping dog.
As we drove off I had to wonder what these ranch people say about us after we’ve gone. These gringos who have only a remedial grasp of the language and tend to butcher what little they speak. Guys who stay up long after the sun goes down and sleep well after it has risen. Guys who decorate rooms and plant gardens. Guys who are unnerved by a begging turkey.A week later my cell phone rang. It was Regina who was positively gushing about our work. She is even leaving the coyote pelt on the bed. Her enthusiasm made it all worth while.
Alex and I spent the day in Queretaro yesterday, shopping for things for Casa Escuela. This week it is being painted and the floors sealed. We lost some of our plants to leaf-cutter ants and will need to replace them. Next we tackle the kitchen and living room.
