Ranch Hand Ryan

Ranch Hand Ryan - Jack-of-All-Trades

Doug’s nephew Ryan is here working on the Double Circle Ranch. He is becoming quite a jack-of-all-trades, which is a prerequisite for any rancher. On this ranch, especially since we are so far from town, we must do all work “in house.” No plumbers, electricians, vets, farriers, carpenters, etc. make house calls this far out. So Ryan has been installing well pumps, building solar systems, finishing sheetrock, building erosion ditches, repairing trucks, doctoring cattle, putting tin roofing on, patching fences, feeding stock, and even cooking supper when I get finished riding after dark.

Fortunately, Doug has a lot of mechanical skills and can show Ryan how to do the chores that are new to him. Ryan picks up new things quickly and has been quite a big help to us. Double Circle is a far cry from the city life Ryan is accustomed to – but he seems to like the remoteness. This place does grow on you. It gets hard to go even to Morenci for groceries- and Morenci is by no means a city. In fact the whole huge Greenlee County, Arizona area only has about 8000 people. Last I saw, Greenlee County still qualifies as a frontier based on population and acreage. That suits me fine – and I believe it is suiting Ryan too. Hope he stays a while.