"At Christmas, all roads lead home." ~ Marjorie Holmes
In the end, all turned out well at Thanksgiving. Michelle and Brian contributed another table to the barn, so now, we can seat 25 comfortably. Outstanding in the Field, watch out, here we come! In retrospect, though, we probably tried to accomplish too much, though. We prepared the feast for 25 in some of the coldest weather this area has seen in a long, long time, using both ovens, and making many trips back and forth to the barn. We did have a great time trying new wines, enjoying some new recipes, and meeting new friends and catching up with old friends. Stuart just rocked his portion of the feast, the rotisserie turkey and the smoked turkey. This was a time we wanted leftovers galore and there just weren't many. Michelle's parmesan wheel appetizers were wonderful and the grape jelly meatball appetizers were a hit. The numerous desserts were amazing.
The next morning, was beautiful and sunny, so bright and early, after feeding the little people, Michelle and I were on our way to town to pick up party trays for lunch. The only thing we blanked on was beverages. We had plenty of wine, but totally zoned on having enough sodas, water, and G2 for all the workers. We arrived back, got the food situated and began picking the olives. Our goal was to have nine trees picked by the end of the day, and that Stuart and I would keep them washed, crushed, layered on mats and continually pressed all day, so by a reasonable day's end, the olives were picked, crushed, and pressed. This was not to be, despite the 21 assistants that eagerly showed up to help pick and cut a tree down. We were plagued by equipment failures. First, the crusher refused to remain seated on its stand and continued to spin off, each time it was started, usually spewing an oily mess all over us. It took about two hours and three ment to get this malfunction corrected. Once getting the first batch crushed, we immediately got the malaxation processed started, which takes an hour, per batch. People began to eat in shifts, as that was occuring.
After lunch, we were finally able to begin setting out everything to begin layering the mats for pressing. Just as everything was set up, we heard a truck coming up the driveway, only to see Pete, Denny, and the cattle trailer coming to retrieve the last of the cattle, signalling the end of the rancho year for us -- except that the olives were not all picked yet. We thought it best for the sanitation of our olive oil that everything be moved back inside, lest the cattle kick up some dust. There was great excitement for all to be able to watch the sheep-herding dogs round the cattle up off the property and into the corral, and finally into the trucks. We watched the trucks pull away, and couldn't help but be a bit sad, as we are every year, to see the cattle go.
However, we were able to pull out of our reflective reverie in order to set up the tables again to begin layering the mats and get the press going, but since it takes approximately an hour to press each batch (thus requiring a full day), we were not destined to get the entire batch pressed that day. After getting the first press going and getting the second group layered on the mats and ready to go, it was time to celebrate with Zach's birthday cake. It seemed especially festive this year, with many of his friends there with him to enjoy the cake. We all got back to the business of pressing and layering, layering and pressing. As dusk began to settle in and our helpers needed to move on to their own dinners and touring, we realized it would not be accomplished in one day and the tree they were cutting down was not coming down that day, either. Stuart and I left the maxalator working, so when we returned home, we could press a few more batches after the little ones went to bed.
We all retired to our respective showers and headed to McLintock's for our family's tradition celebration of a birthday. Of course, just to add one more layer of excitement, it was the tree lighting in the square that night, so parking was tricky. We had a great dinner and returned back to the rancho, with many just too exhausted to continue working. When we arrived back home, the maxalator was not working, and the decision was made to discontinue pressing operations that night and start fresh the next day when we had time to quietly, logically evaluate the problem. So we called an end to operations, although a few late hours were spent in the barn cleaning it up and getting it more "food production ready."
The next day was blustery and cold, yet despite the damp chill, we had horseback riding lessons planned at Work Ranch for Zach and Jason, for Zach's birthday, and for the first time, Noah accompanied us, to see how he will be spending his time in the coming years. Roxanne, Helena and Jacob also joined the audience to watch the riders. We arrived back at the ranch, and just as we began to prepare lunch, the heavens opened up and it was coming down in buckets. Nearly every leftover and anything not leftover was consumed, and it was time to open Zach's presents, and begin to get family and friends' cars packed up and ready for their journey home, and we waved goodbye to them all, as they pulled away on a rainy and gray day.
The decision was made that we could clean up later, we needed to address the broken equipment issue. The evaluation yielded equipment that was beyond our repair, yet we had all these crushed olives that needed pressing and no way to complete the middle step. Stuart came up with a good idea, he used his paint stirrer attachment to his drill in attempt to complete the missing step, but it would have required him to hold it for several hours, so that idea -- while good -- wasn't really workable. It was the Ranch Manager who finally came up with the way to complete the middle step and get those olives pressing, but as occurred the first time, pressing did not begin until about 8:00 p.m., in a cold barn. Numerous trips had to be made back to the house, resulting in a soaked, wet Ranch Manager. We worked late into the night and got it all done except 12 quarts left to press, one batch of pressing mats.
Very late, we limped to the house in the rain, peeled off our soaked clothing, and literally consumed a dinner of cheese, wine, and cookies and fell into bed. The next day was entirely spent on the cleanup of the rancho from the festivities and we jumped in the car and headed back to L.A. During the return trip, an exhaustion fell over the ranch manager as has never been experienced, and her worst fears were confirmed two days later, as she became extremely ill, requiring heavy doses of antibiotics and sleep. It should not come as a surprise to her, however, because she had a very hectic schedule prior to arriving for the holiday, worked late into the night each night, long after everyone went to bed, was probably exposed to a germ, got soaking wet, stayed in a cold barn in wet clothing, got very little rest over the weekend, didn't take her vitamins, and finally, skipped a very necessary medical treatment she needed to stay healthy. This was an exact recipe as to how she could get sick.
However, since her health has seen improvement over the last year, with the assistance of antibiotics, she rallied after only a week (never before seen in her history) and returned to a regular schedule, including exercise, within seven short days. Must be what it's like for normal people.
With clear heads (literally) prevailing, focus has been turned to the scheduling of picking the rest of those olives (probably over New Year's), pressing them, and decking the halls and the gates at the ranch in anticipation of Christmas and taking a bit of time to enjoy the quiet, atmospheric beauty of the ranch in winter, tucking away in the deep recesses of our minds all the challenges and difficult times experienced over the year, recalling to mind all the good times 2010 has brought, and enjoying a few weeks of celebrations with family and friends. It is true, at Christmas, all roads lead home.
Happy Holidays to you all and a very Happy New Year!
The Ranch Manager
The next morning, was beautiful and sunny, so bright and early, after feeding the little people, Michelle and I were on our way to town to pick up party trays for lunch. The only thing we blanked on was beverages. We had plenty of wine, but totally zoned on having enough sodas, water, and G2 for all the workers. We arrived back, got the food situated and began picking the olives. Our goal was to have nine trees picked by the end of the day, and that Stuart and I would keep them washed, crushed, layered on mats and continually pressed all day, so by a reasonable day's end, the olives were picked, crushed, and pressed. This was not to be, despite the 21 assistants that eagerly showed up to help pick and cut a tree down. We were plagued by equipment failures. First, the crusher refused to remain seated on its stand and continued to spin off, each time it was started, usually spewing an oily mess all over us. It took about two hours and three ment to get this malfunction corrected. Once getting the first batch crushed, we immediately got the malaxation processed started, which takes an hour, per batch. People began to eat in shifts, as that was occuring.
After lunch, we were finally able to begin setting out everything to begin layering the mats for pressing. Just as everything was set up, we heard a truck coming up the driveway, only to see Pete, Denny, and the cattle trailer coming to retrieve the last of the cattle, signalling the end of the rancho year for us -- except that the olives were not all picked yet. We thought it best for the sanitation of our olive oil that everything be moved back inside, lest the cattle kick up some dust. There was great excitement for all to be able to watch the sheep-herding dogs round the cattle up off the property and into the corral, and finally into the trucks. We watched the trucks pull away, and couldn't help but be a bit sad, as we are every year, to see the cattle go.
However, we were able to pull out of our reflective reverie in order to set up the tables again to begin layering the mats and get the press going, but since it takes approximately an hour to press each batch (thus requiring a full day), we were not destined to get the entire batch pressed that day. After getting the first press going and getting the second group layered on the mats and ready to go, it was time to celebrate with Zach's birthday cake. It seemed especially festive this year, with many of his friends there with him to enjoy the cake. We all got back to the business of pressing and layering, layering and pressing. As dusk began to settle in and our helpers needed to move on to their own dinners and touring, we realized it would not be accomplished in one day and the tree they were cutting down was not coming down that day, either. Stuart and I left the maxalator working, so when we returned home, we could press a few more batches after the little ones went to bed.
We all retired to our respective showers and headed to McLintock's for our family's tradition celebration of a birthday. Of course, just to add one more layer of excitement, it was the tree lighting in the square that night, so parking was tricky. We had a great dinner and returned back to the rancho, with many just too exhausted to continue working. When we arrived back home, the maxalator was not working, and the decision was made to discontinue pressing operations that night and start fresh the next day when we had time to quietly, logically evaluate the problem. So we called an end to operations, although a few late hours were spent in the barn cleaning it up and getting it more "food production ready."
The next day was blustery and cold, yet despite the damp chill, we had horseback riding lessons planned at Work Ranch for Zach and Jason, for Zach's birthday, and for the first time, Noah accompanied us, to see how he will be spending his time in the coming years. Roxanne, Helena and Jacob also joined the audience to watch the riders. We arrived back at the ranch, and just as we began to prepare lunch, the heavens opened up and it was coming down in buckets. Nearly every leftover and anything not leftover was consumed, and it was time to open Zach's presents, and begin to get family and friends' cars packed up and ready for their journey home, and we waved goodbye to them all, as they pulled away on a rainy and gray day.
The decision was made that we could clean up later, we needed to address the broken equipment issue. The evaluation yielded equipment that was beyond our repair, yet we had all these crushed olives that needed pressing and no way to complete the middle step. Stuart came up with a good idea, he used his paint stirrer attachment to his drill in attempt to complete the missing step, but it would have required him to hold it for several hours, so that idea -- while good -- wasn't really workable. It was the Ranch Manager who finally came up with the way to complete the middle step and get those olives pressing, but as occurred the first time, pressing did not begin until about 8:00 p.m., in a cold barn. Numerous trips had to be made back to the house, resulting in a soaked, wet Ranch Manager. We worked late into the night and got it all done except 12 quarts left to press, one batch of pressing mats.
Very late, we limped to the house in the rain, peeled off our soaked clothing, and literally consumed a dinner of cheese, wine, and cookies and fell into bed. The next day was entirely spent on the cleanup of the rancho from the festivities and we jumped in the car and headed back to L.A. During the return trip, an exhaustion fell over the ranch manager as has never been experienced, and her worst fears were confirmed two days later, as she became extremely ill, requiring heavy doses of antibiotics and sleep. It should not come as a surprise to her, however, because she had a very hectic schedule prior to arriving for the holiday, worked late into the night each night, long after everyone went to bed, was probably exposed to a germ, got soaking wet, stayed in a cold barn in wet clothing, got very little rest over the weekend, didn't take her vitamins, and finally, skipped a very necessary medical treatment she needed to stay healthy. This was an exact recipe as to how she could get sick.
However, since her health has seen improvement over the last year, with the assistance of antibiotics, she rallied after only a week (never before seen in her history) and returned to a regular schedule, including exercise, within seven short days. Must be what it's like for normal people.
With clear heads (literally) prevailing, focus has been turned to the scheduling of picking the rest of those olives (probably over New Year's), pressing them, and decking the halls and the gates at the ranch in anticipation of Christmas and taking a bit of time to enjoy the quiet, atmospheric beauty of the ranch in winter, tucking away in the deep recesses of our minds all the challenges and difficult times experienced over the year, recalling to mind all the good times 2010 has brought, and enjoying a few weeks of celebrations with family and friends. It is true, at Christmas, all roads lead home.
Happy Holidays to you all and a very Happy New Year!
The Ranch Manager
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