"When the ranch is at peace, no other life is more perfect"
Charles Goodnight
Windmill on property.
Our dear friends Tim and Darla Rogers have the most beautiful ranch and are the most gracious hosts you could ever ask for. From the moment you pull in the drive and see this beautiful home on this majestic land your heart slows down a pace and peace takes over your whole body. The home is covered in rock that was found on their land, a portico covered by dark beams and of course a hand forged chandelier.
Double wood and iron doors lead into a large open floor plan with wood slated cathedral ceilings. Decor that is as fitting and beautiful as you would expect. Your first view the lake and never ending land. Then you move on to a large dining table, open kitchen with open shelves to show off Darla's gorgeous dishes, wine glasses with etched cowgirls, and a copper farm sink. There is a breakfast bar that is faced with re-claimed wood in a perfect circular design. Of course Darla serves all meals on the long wood and hand forged dining table with quilts and or table cloths draped just so in different patterns across the table. Dishes laid out with antique napkins, hammered silverware, chunky Mexican glasses, and then there is the food. That's a whole post on it's own.
Darla and Romeo getting breakfast ready.
From living room looking into dining room and the view.
Looks like Laura is making a drink?
Kitchen. Great place to cook and fun to wash rocks in!
The living room has a huge rounded leather sofa with two comfy chairs surrounding a rock fireplace where a dinosaur skull sits that was found on their land. A stone and hand forged coffee table and an antique console with a silver vase filled with sheddings (who knew when a deer gets to a certain age they lose their horns called sheds). Then there are the deer heads hung high watching over the main living area and a wild boar head stuck over in a corner looking pissed off as all wild boar do. The wood ceiling with beams just belongs like everything else does.
Why is Laura the only one in the kitchen....ever???
Rock, wood mantel, and flagstone fireplace.
Looking towards front double doors.
Two master bedrooms, and of course I always get the second one, long friendships pay off! Let's talk about "my" room (it really is their son Hunter's room but when he's not there...), a big tall wood headboard with old round end tables styled with antique books and silver heart box, layers and layers of bedding, leather and linen euro pillows, woven woods with textured window treatments. The bath is terracotta tiles with dog prints where the dogs ran through the tiles when they were being made in Mexico, a "rug" made out of accent Mexican tiles, large jet tub, copper sink set in an antique cabinet. An armoire with memorabilia from her children when they were babies, little cowboy boots, little work boots, antique cars, books then friends and family photos. Darla doesn't miss a trick. If all of this isn't enough behind the woven woods and draperies sits two french doors that go out onto a balcony that over looks a lake, a beautiful pool, and land as far as you can see.
Hunter's (really mine) room.
View of deck outside my room.
Just off my room is another bedroom with a tall leather headboard, perfect size end table and Bella Notte bedding with tons of pillows. An armoire styled to perfection. Just off that room is the bunk room. 2 sets of Colorado wood bunk beds decorated with mounds of bedding and pillows. Up the stairs there is the girls loft (her daughters Taylor and Lola) that is precious beyond belief.
The stairs leading down to the game-room are open wood stairs with a hand forged hand rail. A wood bar made of re-claimed wood with a granite top. There is another living area with sofa and chairs just off the bar. A pool table/ping pong table that Darla claims I cheat at. Then there is the shuffle board game with the ranch logo in the middle. All of this leads out double french doors to the pool, fire-pit, grill. and of course the view of the lake and land.
There is so much to do, from riding four wheelers all over this beautiful land, to shooting, swimming in the pool or the lake. Wave runners, fishing, hunting, or one of my favorite is just sitting in the circle of huge rocking chairs, drinking wine, and watching the hot pink sunset.
Here's that beautiful sunset that you drink wine to.
Dry stack rock's on columns.
Beer, lake and friends. So much fun!!
Laura, Amy, Darla and me, July 4, 2013.
Colorado River that runs through their property.
Wildflowers that grow all over the land.
Apparently he found a lot more humor in whatever this was about than I did.
We just spent spring break at the Ranch and brought Channa, Justin (although I didn't take one photo of them) and the babies for the first time. They were in heaven! From riding four wheelers, fishing and even collecting then washing rocks. The only problem was Tim. Yes, apparently Tim was fine from a distance but not OK to ride on four wheelers with? He was fine to shoot play guns at and stay close to on the four wheeler but other than that he was way too scary! Now if you met Tim you would know how funny that is. He is one of the nicest guys on the planet.
Fishing, Truett only liked the reeling in part.
Truett taking a peaceful moment, a very quick peaceful moment.
Washing rocks. You would have thought they were at Disneyworld!
What a way to bring in a sunset! Right up until Channa had to jump in to save Truett from drowning fully dressed, in leather boots and all.
So this is what ranch life is like. I really didn't understand it and it sounded like a lot of work to me but I got out there and fell in love. I think the work for Tim is the part he loves. Darla loves the entertaining and the peacefulness of it. I know I am blessed to have such good friends with such a great place, but really blessed to have the friends and family.
Ranch on..........
Sue "CiCi" Cook
