2026 Ranch Memories

Located as we are on the southern rim of the San Bernardino National Forest, we get a lot of wildlife visitors. This Peninsular bighorn sheep is an example. We don't see them often but it's always a thrill when we do. One of the unexpected features of this region is the abundance of wild grapes. The bear, birds, and deer eat most of them, but there are usually a few left for us. To protect them for those freeloaders, we wrap them in organza jewelry bags so they can ripen

Springtime is also the season during which our local rattlesnake population wakes up. There aren't too many but we always have to be watchful. For that reason, we asked Snakeworx to conduct some rattlesnake aversion training for our eight dogs. With periodic refresher courses, the dogs will stay away. Peninsular bighorn sheep that inhabit our foothills make the occasional appearance around the ranch. This one looks to be in robust health. Here at Lost Creek Canyon Ranch,

The venerable Eldorado Country Club in Indian Wells (founded 1959) gathered up its members and joined us recently for a hike, stretch class, and two meals. Some of the participants found themselves so relaxed by the setting that they dozed off in between exercises! Among our biggest events of the season was a fundraiser for the Bighorn Institute of Palm Desert. More than 60 people came up to enjoy the ranch, gobble down BBQ from one of our favorite restaurants (Cornerstone)

Our dog population is now up to eight, and they're all big. We go through an awful lot of dog food. Poet is our latest addition, an Armenian Gampr puppy that has been growing like a weed. He's nearly as big as our Great Pyrenees and still has a ways to go. Still, he's a complete sweetheart and loves to play with our younger dogs. We have an old bee house at the ranch, built long ago and entirely of stone. Evidently there was an active beekeeping business here for a while

February was a tour-heavy month with a number of groups passing through the ranch. Among the notables were board members of the non-profit organization Animal Samaritans, a huge provider of health and welfare services to our valley's animals. KESQ weatherman Patrick Evans was among the attendees. Another event that took place at the ranch this past month was a yoga retreat with some 20 participants. Their day included a ranch tour, lunch, yoga sessions, animal intros, and

The new year kicked off our peak winter season here, and we have quite a few tours already on the books. Our citrus is ripening and soon we'll be awash in grapefruit, lemons, oranges, and tangelos. Our weather too is nearly perfect this time of year, and we can bask in the sunshine while the rest of the country suffers in deep freeze. Many of our tour groups are from the north, and they are especially appreciative of our winter warmth. Not surprisingly, our various family