Continuing on the theme from Ella's post ... what a difference a year makes! In the photo above, that's what the drive looked like this week. A year ago this week, here's what we were doing:
Here's the view south past the horse corrals today:
This next one is a more typical view this time of year of the same area ... this shot was from two years ago, on March 30, 2008:
This is the earliest spring we can recall having out here in 10 years ... we're almost a full month early. Of course, we are delighted in one sense because it makes everything easier in terms of chores -- but it doesn't bode well for stream flows, irrigation, and the fire season this summer. That we are almost entirely snow-free right now is due mostly to this being an El Nino winter. What we will need more than ever to make up for it is a lot of rain over the next few months.
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Please keep voting for the ranch in the Shelter Challenge -- and you can vote every day! We're currently in fourth place and still on track to win $3,000 for the animals, but every vote counts! We just slipped from third place to fourth, so please help round up as many votes as you can so we can stay in the running for the $3,000. Ask your family and friends to vote for the ranch, too!
Enter "Rolling Dog Ranch" and our state postal code, MT, for Montana, and it will bring up our listing.
Vote in the Shelter Challenge here.
Last year we won $3,000 in the first round and then won the $20,000 Grand Prize in the second round, so your votes really do add up and make for a wonderful gift for the animals here.
Thank you!
Congratulations on your new adventure! Your home in NH looks beautiful, and I have no doubt all the animals will settle in nicely and enjoy their new east coast home.
Keep the stories and pictures coming. It's great fun to watch!
We'll miss you in the West!
-Amy
Posted by: Amy | April 09, 2010 at 03:28 PM
I would also like to encourage everyone to vote, vote, vote in the Shelter Challenge. RDR is falling behind! I've got two laptops (work and home) each with two web browsers, so I can vote four times every day. I bet a lot of other people have either multiple computers or multiple browsers, too! And tell all your friends!
Posted by: Jeanne | April 04, 2010 at 08:21 PM
Everyone keep voting!!!! vote vote vote!
Posted by: Pennyheinrich | April 03, 2010 at 02:53 PM
I have a new post on my blog that is a tribute to your work (which I so appreciate) and an invite to vote for your sanctuary in the Shelter Chalenge. I don't have many readers but I hope it helps.
Clicking every day...
Posted by: Sandra | April 03, 2010 at 12:15 PM
So, do you have volunteers with vehicles and horse trailers ready to come assist in evacuating should a wildfire threaten the ranch? I'm betting you do and that you have written procedures and have conducted at least one mock evacuation.
The El Nino is something though. We had three measurable snowfalls in 13 months which is really, really weird. Yet you're warmer than usual.
Posted by: Lynn (in Louisiana) | April 02, 2010 at 02:46 PM
Thank God it's Friday and we get another blog! I used to hate weekends because they were "blogless" and now this new schedule!! It's a credit to your story telling abilities that you leave us wanting more and sorrowful when there isn't any "more". The pictures are fantastic and definitely enhance the stories. It all shows the care with which you do everything regarding RDR. Lucky animals! Lucky readers!
Posted by: Kathleen Rivard | April 02, 2010 at 10:53 AM
I wish I could send you some of the water we've been having here in the East. We're up to our noses, almost literally, in it.
Posted by: Janet in Cambridge | April 01, 2010 at 07:59 PM