Another Year at Windswept Ranch

I have been getting a lot of calls to see when the ranch will open, and there are days I wonder if it will happen. It's not that I don't love sharing, it's just that there is a lot of work involved and the people who loyally donate their time to help out are really being stretched to the max.

When you open a place to the public, few people recognize the effort that goes into it. I am not just talking about cleaning pens – that happens on a daily basis and is handled by staffers – I am talking about painting and planting and building perimeter fences and scraping parking areas and grooming and creating educational materials and cutting carrots and – well, there is a lot to it. Everything has to be just right so that when the public shows up on Saturday, it looks easy. I have to say that the volunteers of the Animal Education Center somehow make it look easy every Saturday, but they could use some help.

I am asking for help for these loyal people. I am asking that if you have Saturdays to give, you step up. You will be asked to learn about the animals so that you can teach about them. It is important for people to know what it takes to care for the animals. This knowledge is important so that people can learn the responsibility that comes with animal ownership. Not just for the animals here on the ranch, but for the dogs, cats, rabbits, and whatever else you might choose to have.

The rewards are huge: You will make friends that share your passion for animals. You will get to learn about some amazing critters. Maybe you will get to pursue your passion for training, like Barbara Mason, who works with our horses twice a week. You might even make a new best friend, like volunteer Pat Dunn and his buddy Valentine the bison. At any rate, we promise to help you find your passion and pursue it.

We try every year to do better and this year is no exception: The reindeer pen has been expanded. We are putting up a new barn for the camels, and at the same time, creating an exhibit area for the sheep.

If you have been here before, you will see the changes. If not, maybe you will just be impressed with the way things look.

We are changing the way things work as well. We will be having special events every Saturday: The first Saturday will be a question mark (something new will happen!). The second Saturday of every month, we will have storytelling 3 times over the course of the day. The third Saturday we will bring back our popular "Pony Painting", and on the fourth Saturday of every month, we will offer camel rides!

To do this, we will need your help. We need more volunteers now than ever. They are the backbone of the ranch and without them, there could be no tours, the teaching would stop, and the ranch would be suddenly quiet.

If you would like to volunteer, give me a call at (661) 809-3965.

If you can't volunteer, come on out and meet the critters and be sure to thank the volunteers that make this happen. See our ad on the Front page of this issue for our location and other information.