Author of Get Organized Books runs out of Gas! 

If you're a SHE (Sidetracked Home Executive) you can understand how easy it could be to run out of gas and how logical it could be to blame it on a bunch of baby goats! So here's my story.

I can't tell you where we went because I'm sworn to secrecy, but I'll get to tell you some time down the road. For now it's a secret. What I can tell you is what happened at this secret location.

The day started out early in the morning as we drove to Oregon and then up I-84 which goes through the Columbia River Gorge. My heart was broken as we drove through the huge expanse of hillsides once covered in lush old-growth evergreen trees, now scorched and devastated by the wildfire that was started by a teenager last summer.

We live 50 miles from the fire and yet we had to stay inside many days because of the smoke. The skeletons of huge cedars, furs and pines stretched for miles-upon -miles. I cried as it seemed to never end.   

Once out of the forest we headed south on some little two-laner and promptly lost our GPS which was our planned source of direction. The next three hours Terry (my husband) drove and I prayed we were going the right way. We saw the word gulch at least ten times, but I can't remember their specific names. They were like, Frog Gulch, Big Thumb Gulch, Little Indian Gulch, names like that. 

When we arrived at our destination we were invited to lunch at the owner of the "secret" ranch's home. It was a very interesting home, huge and elegant, yet ranchy. For example we sat at a dining table for 20 and one whole wall was floor to ceiling windows looking out over, you guessed it, a horse room as big as a football field.

It was the kind of space where rodeo horses run around barrels and stuff. There wasn't a show going on while we ate and not a steed in sight, but I could imagine watching cowboys on frisky horses riding around the indoor field roping, branding, and doing what cowboys do on a ranch. 

At lunch there was a lot of talk about goats. The day before 54 goats had been born and we learned a lot more were being born as we ate. I love baby goats! I wanted to see them! Terry informed me we could only go 16 miles because we were low on gas. The closest service station was six miles away, so he told me not to worry, we could go see the goats. 

There was just one problem, this ranch is 144,000 acres and the goat part was eight miles away. We had no idea where the goats were and imagined driving a little ways to the goat barn. When we got to where they were we knew we were in trouble. More on that later.

The goats on this ranch live in heated and air conditioned barns and the place where they were being born was like a huge hospital for goats. I'm sure while we were there we saw 20 babies be born! There were new baby goats everywhere! I got to hold a day old baby and just holding her and getting to bury my face in her soft hair was the highlight of the trip! When I saw the photo Terry took of me, I have to say I look happier than I've ever looked in a photo! 

After leaving the goat facility, we were informed by our gas meter we could drive 2 miles so we ended up back at the owner's home where a ranch hand directed us to a building that housed a gas pump. Nothing like being guests for lunch at someone's home and then having to bum gas off of them! Not something I hope I have to do again.

Being on this ranch was a very spiritual venture for Terry and me. Somehow seeing all this new life, and the instinctual love these mothers have for their babies gave us a feeling of hope that all is well. The animal kingdom supplies much of our well-being and whether we know it or not, it benefits us.

If you live and work on a farm or ranch I hope you are very proud of what you do. Thank you.

Love,

PS I write for food. I'd love you to buy one of my books. If you haven't read "The Joy of Being Disorganized," you'll find it very helpful in getting you organized just enough to please you. I wrote the book for SHEs who are ready to acknowledge how incredible they are no matter kind of mess they find themselves. If you think you're ready just click on the cover to order.