Campfire Legends

Future Guest House

(The water tank is to the left and the frame of the windmill is to the right.)

WARNING:  This post contains pictures of one of the "mansions" at the mysterious Ranch Headquarters!  (Tell your friends.)

The Ranch is "mysterious" to most locals.   Before we moved here NOBODY was allowed through the closed gate at the entrance to the long driveway, which follows the land up over and hill and disappears on the other side.  The driveway is almost two miles long.  Some talk about a large Ranch Headquarters with corrals for cattle and horses (true), mature trees (true), barns (true), shops (true) and "huge mansions" (uh...WHAT?).

As we were moving over to the ranch we were approached by one of the younger locals.  "Is it true that there is a big place behind there with fancy houses?  Can I come see it some time?"  You can actually see the cluster of mature trees (barely) from the highway on the other side of the hills, so (of course) the rest of the legend MUST be true.  *wink*

Betty is a beautiful, well-groomed, classy lady with glowing skin and snow-white hair.  One day we saw her at church and she started to talk about the Headquarters.  "You know," she said cheerfully, "my first husband helped build that MAIN house in 1947.  They built the basement first, put that old pool table in there and then built the rest of the house around it.  You couldn't get that pool table out unless you took a chainsaw to it and brought it out in pieces." (chuckling)

Well, the other legend around town is that Wyatt Earp used to play on that pool table at an old bar in Tombstone, so I guess we should leave it.  (Just kidding: I believe THAT one is just as true as the one about "the mansions.")

Betty and I laughed about the stories,

"Have you heard the one about.....?"

There IS a two-bedroom house at the Ranch Headquarters.

We aren't sure how old it is, but if it was built around the same time as the MAIN house (with the pool table), then it is about 6o years old.

We think SOMEBODY put new maple cabinets in the kitchen (and tile in the bathroom shower), but besides that it is up to us to renovate this classic Arizona Ranch-style house.

What are WE going to do with it?

It is going to become a Guest House for visitors of the Ranch.

This is officially my project, so I decided to take some pictures before we start ripping stuff out and putting stuff in.  I will keep you posted on the progress of the process.

Looking at the front door in the common area.

Standing at the front door looking into the room.

The kitchen is on the other end of that doorway.

Look at the difference in color between the rock-work on the wall and the rock-work on the floor.  Ewwww.

I have some good ideas for this hallway.

The two bedrooms are at the end of the hall.

The bathroom.

The laundry closet and water heater corner of the kitchen area.

The kitchen with the stinkiest fridge.

Right now I have been using the kitchen window as my greenhouse.  My geraniums are lining the other countertop.

One of two bedrooms.

*By The Way:  Today is the 8th anniversary that I MET my husband.

"I love you."