Thanks for a great year!

Well here we are on the eve of another year at the ranch. It was a great year with all of the wonderful friends we made at the B&B,  the wine tasters who came to the winery and all of the old friends who came back this year. Plus several of our children came back to visit this year. We would love the rest to come by and see us too. So from Charlie, Holly and me (Rusty of course, I am hiding under the toolbox) Have a Happy, Happy New Year! we look forward to more walks, hikes and swims in the pond with our wonderful friends!

Lost in the Fog ~ at the end of 2011

Scenes from a warm winter morning

Fall Colors

Fall colors around the B&B

Back deck of B&B

End of Harvest

The grapes are all picked and it is time to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Oscar & Miguel bringing in the last of the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Scenes from a Day of Harvest

Tex, overseeing harvest

The crush is a spectator sport!

What an exhausting day of harvest.

Time to bottle, but wait isn't it harvest time?

Our high tech filtering process
This week is all about getting ready to bottle, bottling and  then preparing for harvest which is imminent.

The Changing Landscape

Topper grazing with Sippling and Kool

Working in the office

We are under Susan's desk, there's lots of work to do in this office.

Working on the ranch

Summer on the ranch

Charlie, Holly & Rusty enjoying this beautiful Summer evening.

Stacy's Ridge grazing in his pasture on this peaceful evening.

Father's Day at the Ruidoso Downs

The winning ticket?

The horses warming up before the race

Jim,  Beth and Gary watching intently, will it be the exacta or the trifecta?

Enjoying Racehorse Red in Arabela, NM

Jim enjoying wine at a winery in Albuquerque

Enjoying Rustridge Racehorse Red on our vacation in Arabela, NM.
Frank, Susan and Donna

Our thoughts are with you Budge

Our friend, neighbor and fellow vintner Budge Brown

Jim and I have known Budge Brown over 10 years. We shared the good times and the bad times. We had serious conversations and a lot of laughs. He overcame every obstacle put in his way to build the winery he dedicated to his wife and to the cure for breast cancer. Celebrate his life and legacy by supporting Cleavage Creek and Budge Brown wines. www.cleavagecreek.com

After the rain

The bed & breakfast after an unusually late spring rain storm

Charlie checking out the area around the B&B

RustRidge is in full bloom

It's a great time to visit and picnic!

Time for Spring Planting

Miles in the strawberry patch.

Matthew planting beans and peas.

It's definitely Spring!

81 degrees, yeah, it's spring!

So do you think winter is over yet?

Rocky, Soda Pop, Blade, Commander and Stacy's Ridge having a discussion about the weather.

George and Holly

Keeping warm on chilly winter nights at the ranch

My Brother is an actor

Watch Ridge perform on this video. He is a rising star:)

What Happened to Winter

Another amazing day...we have been running all over the hills chasing rabbits and ground squirrels as well as digging up the vineyard in search of gophers. We are just taking a break and sunning ourselves.

Commander spent the whole day in the vineyard eating among the mustard plants.

Jim has pruned the entire section of Zinfandel around the tasting room. Commander is now mowing it.