Believe it or not, we have finished the major improvements at the KT Ranch! It’s taken a really long time but we are very happy with the results. This year we were able to enjoy them (at least most of the time) and share them with family and friends.

We didn’t get out to the KT until the end of April this year. Our time in the spring included enjoyment of all the new spaces, plantings and pond. We took a short side trip for Terry’s birthday, staying at the wonderful Casa Paloma in Tumacacori and having dinner at our favorite Tubac restaurant, Elvira’s.

Near the end of this trip, Karen planted the first garden in the raised beds. Among the experiments was a Stella Blue Winter Squash, advertised as regionally adapted to the western High Desert. Fingers were crossed …

When we returned in August, we were surprised by two unexpected extremes. On the positive side, the garden was unbelievably abundant! That Stella Blue squash had taken over and was heading for the house! We were amazed at the plants, the size of the squashes, and their delicious flavor. Many other plants, from oregano to rhubarb, were also thriving. Considering that they’d spent the summer with irrigation but no other attention, this was really remarkable.

On the other hand, a July electrical outage caused everything in our new freezer to spoil – a horrible mess to deal with on arrival. We spent several days trying to dispose of things and clean the freezer, only to decide that it too would have to be discarded. Yuck!

Our final trip to the KT this year stretched from late October to early January 2025 (with time in between in California). It’s been good to get settled into our new studio/offices and we’ve begun to establish routines for creative work in these lovely new spaces. 

Luckily for us, we have a great caretaker – Beto always brings his cheerful spirit and creative problem-solving to every issue that comes up and every problem we have!

We’re fine-tuning our outdoor areas now. We’ve added a few new plants since the major effort last year. The pond seems to be working well but we’re still waiting for more water birds to discover it.  We hope the appearance of 35 Green-winged Teal in November will start a trend.  At the end of the year, we started a new trail system on the property so we can walk for exercise or stroll to enjoy more remote places. Thanks to Nancy for helping us rediscover one of these destinations! Come visit and you can add to the speculation about what was once there.

At the Ranch, our birds have taken over the place! They seem to be quite at home on the porch, the outdoor kitchen and at the nesting boxes and feeders. It’s great to have these companions! 

Both spring and fall migrations this year were sub-par, with numbers of species and numbers of individuals down from “normal” visits of yore.  Undoubtedly the intense fire seasons in Canada, Oregon and California have taken a toll on nesting species.  We hope for a recovery soon.