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, spring is the...

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), and bid on a...

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, and there is...