Driving Past South Fork Ranch

Yesterday we drove into town to pay the property taxes. They weren't due yet. In fact I had until today which was a good twenty-fours left. So I paid them early, thankfully and gladly, grateful that they are not included as part of our mortgage payment.

It makes me stop and think about the math. We've been out here over twenty years and in that time our taxes have quadrupled. I keep telling myself that we are lucky. If taxes were added to our mortgage payment I'm not sure we could manage the payment. It is hard to set aside that amount every month for the inevitable invoice that comes due.

But that makes it easier to keep tabs on how much they increase over time. Still, it is a small price to pay for the freedom and beauty we enjoy every day of the year.

So anyhow, on the way into town I passed by South Fork Ranch, and stopped to take a new picture of the view from Parker Road. Next time I'll get a pic of the front but they had street construction going on.

South Fork Ranch from Parker Road

Thirty years ago my friend from Florida came up and we drove over to South Fork after visiting at Miss Jeannie's horse ranch. We found out it cost $4.00 each just to go into the house, so we stood outside at the gate and took pictures of each another instead. I'll have to dig those out and scan them in.

Okay, on the way back home I decided to stop in at Target and fill up the wagon with supplies, you know. And when I parked and went inside, I noticed how unusually dark it was in the store. I asked the guy by the door why. When I noticed that the entire shelf that usually holds the specialty cheese and ready made containers of deli food was totally empty and he was wiping it down.

He told me that their power went off the night before and didn't come back completely on.

"Well, wouldn't the food spoil? I asked.

"Yep. That's why we had to throw all this out. Meat and everything. All we've got is what came in on the truck this morning." He seemed sad about the whole thing. And so was I.

I couldn't begin to imagine the cost of the lost merchandise and then I thought about all the hungry people in town and why didn't they hold a free barbecue or something. But the lawsuits would rule that out just in case someone were to get sick. So they tossed out a fortune in meat, dairy, deli and more. It was sobering.