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We’ve found time to move some new furniture into the cabins along with some new decor.  And I want to share some of the special, unique things about each of our cozy cabins

Early morning sunshine pours in.  There is a corner breakfast nook and a new quilt on the bed.  New curtain panels and valances add extra color to this room now.

A radio (yes it still works!) sits in the corner ready to tune into “Prairie Home Companion”.

Through the door you can see the other room of the cabin.

Here are comfortable chairs, books and a sewing cabinet for a night stand.  And an old, re-finished trunk sits at the end of this bed.

The leather straps are the old horse harnesses used to pull the wagons and plows in the fields.

More Cabin Showcases in the coming blog entries!

We had special guests stay with us last month.  They were the first to rent one of the new motel rooms my mother and father added in 1970.  The travelers remembered my folks and said they paid $24 for the best night’s sleep they had ever had!

Golden leaves, cooler temperatures, and SNOW last week!  We lost quite a few branches off of the trees on the center lawn.  The weight of the wet snow and green leaves (they hadn’t started to turn yet) were too much for the older elm tree branches.

We harvested our barley and flax-seed crops a few weeks ago.  The weather was beautiful!

 

Now travel back a few years to 1922.

This is a picture of Great Aunt Margaret to the forefront, with my grandfather and grandmother, D.K. and Eva.

 

The golden wheat of 1922.

 

And another picture of working in the fields.

 

What a legacy of labor.  A few pictures have survived.  A few moments are frozen in time. Women posing in the fields. My grandfather standing tall and proud in that field of wheat up to his chest.  He is wearing a suit and proud of his crop.    The other pictures are of horses and men, guiding and pulling machines to gather the crops.  What hard work.  I remember the stories of how much food had to be ready to feed the men working the harvests.  Loaves of bread, biscuits, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, pies and cookies.  Work for the farm women in the kitchen was no easier.

I keep this legacy alive in my heart and have created a flower garden I have named “The Heritage Garden”.  It showcases the few remaining pieces of wagons and wheels we brought from the fields in 2008.  It becomes more beautiful every passing year.

 

The flowers are about finished blooming now though the black-eyed susans are beautiful and bright.  The days are shorter and traffic lighter.  A few workers on local projects and spud harvest crews are staying with us.  We have our rooms cozy and warm for everyone traveling our way this October!  Travel Safely!

A quiet, relective Sunday in Ashton at The Rankin.  Our flag at half-mast to remember and honor those who were killed by the violence of the 9/11/01 attacks.  The war on terror continues.  Our son has completed 2 tours to Iraq.  We are proud he is serving his country.  He was a junior in high school when the attack occured.  That moment defined his future.

A memoir my family members published is titled “We Remember”  The stories are those of homesteading, the depression, WWI and WWII.  Cousins Beth and Lois each owned a single dress.  They planned dates carefully so as to have a different dress available for a date.  And woe to the person who spilled anything on the garment!  Cousin Winn flew over what remained of Hiroshima shortly after the atomic bomb was dropped.  He was overwhelmed with the destruction and evil that thing had unleashed.  His life would never be the same.

I worked steadily all afternoon in my pansy garden bed.  It is a small area around an old cottonwood stump, shady and protected.  A huge bumble bee was suddenly crawling on the stump in front of me.  As it flew off, I saw a bird taking a bath in the water fountain 4 feet away from me.  The bird splashed furiously and sent beads of water into the air and sunshine.

I worked several more hours into the afternoon and another bee!  Could it be the same one?  I had my camera this time.  He circled in the air several times again before leaving.  The beauty of everything surrounding me was overwhelming.  He had come back to make sure I was appreciating it all.

We welcomed guests later in the evening.  Travelers from Germany were eager to see Yellowstone and wanted to know all of the good places to see.  They especially appreciated the mileage / estimated travel time map we had.  It’s an easy guide to help you navigate the park.  Of course if you come across a buffalo standing in the road, you aren’t going anywhere!  And we always point out the Mesa Falls scenic drive- Robert shows them the road on the map to take, and I show them the picture of the falls we keep on the end table.   All of our other reservations made it safely.

 

We dedicate this post to our dog Rocky.  We remember.

We’ve had beautiful August weather to share with our guests this year.  The days are hot (into the high 80s) but evenings cool down delightfully so you can enjoy your favorite fleece jacket!

Numerous tour groups, fishermen and families have stayed with us the last few weeks.  Many have reserved blocks of time for their rooms while others enjoyed their accomdations so much they extended their stays.  Yellowstone Park, Bear World, Harriman Park, Mesa Falls, Cave Falls, Warm River and Fall River are such fun day-trips.  You can look forward to a relaxing evening when you return to The Rankin!  We’ll have the grills fired up and the fire pit ready to roast a marshmellow!

Now we take this opportunity to showcase some of the beauty our property has to offer!

Enjoy your morning coffee sitting in the early light of the day!

Relax as the evening pours the cooler colors of the day over the lawns.

Enjoy the shy pansy garden as it nestles in the shadows of the rugged cottonwood trees my grandfather planted so many years ago.

And wander to The Heritage Bed where flowers grow in and around the sleeping farm equipment that once farmed the Rankin homestead.  This is the first flower bed we put together the summer of 2008.  It has become more beautiful every passing year.

The Mesa Falls Marathon IS COMING!  Saturday August 27th! Stay tuned!  Travel Safely!

The 2011 VW Thing Rallye rolled into The Rankin on Saturday afternoon, July 17.  What a rainbow of colors as the fun cars pulled into our driveway!  It took a few minutes to get everyone checked-in and settled into their rooms and cabins, but then the fun began!  The grills were ready, picnic tables in place, and the the volleyball net set up.  The fire pit had coals just ready for toasting marshmallows and making s’mores.  We enjoyed visiting with everyone and making sure they had a relaxing evening after their long day of driving.  When I asked if I could take a few pictures of the cars in front of the rooms and cabins, they were so gracious and offered to line them up anywhere I wanted them for a morning photo shoot before they left in the morning!

So, EARLY Sunday morning everyone was up and ready to start their trek to Yellowstone.  Robert and I were up and ready to get a few pictures of the group as they lined up for take off.  The slide show gives you an idea of the excitement, the noise and controlled chaos.  I’ve never seen a more organized group of travelers who enjoyed each other’s company more.  We wished them well and watched them head north to Yellowstone country in the cool morning air.

The rest of the day was very quiet and I contemplated the gifts of friendship we are so fortunate to nurture with our business.  We hope to see you soon!  Travel Safely!