Chapter 23: Twin Springs Ranch

The turnoff was deceiving, and the sign for Twin Springs Ranch was small, so you really had to watch for it. That is unless you already knew where it was, and Anna did.

We turned off the highway and headed west on an unpaved gravel road. It was barely wide enough for two cars to pass. We followed the gravel road up over a small hill and entered a stand of trees. It was noticeably cooler as the large trees blocked the sun. After another half mile, we emerged from the woods to a panorama. We were on the low rim of a canyon, overlooking a valley that stretched lengthwise towards the west-northwest further than the eye could see. It was not as wide as it was long, because we could see the mountains marking the northern and southern borders and rising to heights that were taller than our current vantage point.

Anna pulled the big Suburban into a cutout and we all got out to look at the view.

“I always loved the view from here,” Anna told us. “Not only is everything you can see here a part of the ranch, but this means I’m almost home.”

The road in front of us widened now as it transitioned to a paved road. It was lined with shrubbery and small trees fronting the split-rail fence on each side of the road. It reminded me of the way they maintained the roads in National Parks. Soon, we came to a security checkpoint. It was a small stacked-riverstone structure with glass on three sides, sitting in the middle of the road. And it was manned with armed personnel wearing the uniform of a local security company. Off to the right was a motor home with an impressive antenna array. I had a feeling that the motor home wasn’t a normal part of the landscape here.

“Looks like the Army is here,” Anna said absently.

“That must be because of us,” I thought.

After leaving the security checkpoint, we came to a fork in the road. There were small signs for the ranch to the left, and the art institute to the right. We went to the left, towards the ranch. There were also signs advising that this was a clothing optional resort. And another one that said all cameras would be confiscated.

The drive down into the valley was beautiful, and the first thing I noticed was the smell. It was invigorating after being indoors all week. As we drove through the pristine pastureland, the girls squealed when they saw a herd of horses in the distance. Soon, the road began to parallel a small stream, and we ended up crossing it several times. After a couple of miles or so, we began to see several buildings; barns, stables, bunkhouses, and a couple of long metal buildings.

“Those are what Uncle Buddy refers to as the support facilities. It’s where we store supplies. It helps to limit deliveries to the guest areas. The same is true for the stables. Most of the horses are kept here. However, they do keep a few horses down at the other barn behind the cabins, for the guests to use. They have to rotate them regularly for rest and any necessary medical attention. I used to spend a lot of time in there, especially if we had a mare that was foaling.”

“Do you think there will be one giving birth while we are here?” Jenny asked.

“I don’t know. Why don’t we check with Sandy when we get there? She’ll know. If there is, I’ll be glad to take you,” Anna told us.

Anna pointed out the two bunkhouses. They looked fairly large.

“One’s for the guys, the other is for the girls. During the summer, and at roundup, we hire lots of local students,” Anna explained.

“Do they have to work nude, like the guests?” Nicky asked.

“That’s a little hard to explain, but all the workers are usually nudists at heart. It’s not a very good place to work if you aren’t. In general though, if the task is guest related, and allows nudity, they usually do. But if the work requires clothing for safety, then safety always comes first,” Anna explained.

“Also, the attendance is seasonal, starting in the spring, peaking in the summer, and waning in the fall. So the workers are seasonal too. We usually attract a lot of college kids, and some locals. Most of the permanent staff lives on the main ranch. And they are almost all related somehow.”

Finally, we came to a second security gate with the same style security building in the center of the road. Another heavily outfitted motor home was parked to the side. This one was decorated, like the other one, with a whole bunch of antennas. This time, Anna had to show her identification and a phone call was made. I could see soldiers, dressed in combat fatigues, standing near the motor home.

“Yep! That must be because of us!” I thought.

The drive to the main house stretched over a mile up the valley, ascending and then descending a small hill, which effectively blocked any view of the ranch from the second security checkpoint.

The tour bus sat empty near the entrance to a building marked Reception and the staff was busy unloading the luggage. It looked like the rest of the family was already here.

As we pulled into the almost full parking lot, Anna explained it was always busier on the weekends. There were several families loading their luggage on modified golf carts, driven by the seasonal staff members we had just discussed. The staff all wore khaki shorts and a light-blue collared shirt with the Twin Springs Ranch logo on their left breast.

To the left of the path everyone was funneling down, was a large sign that said:

500 feet to the Clothing Optional Area.

Keep Your Britches On!

Pulling to the side of the reception building, Anna parked in the employee parking lot and took us in a side door. These were clearly the offices and two ladies greeted Anna with hugs and kisses.

“Guys, this is my Aunt Jaye, and her daughter, Sandy. Auntie Jaye, Sandy, this is Jennifer, Nicky, and Michael,” she said. “He’s the one I warned you about!” she added teasing me.

“I’ll be glad to watch him for you,” Sandy teased.

“Actually, he does bear watching, but that’s what these ladies are for,” she said laughing.

“It is so good to see you again, Anna. We’ve missed having you visit. It’s great you are going to be here when your dad comes next week. I know he has missed you too,” said Aunt Jaye. “Your Uncle Buddy is out on the north range with a bunch of tenderfoots. He’ll be back before suppertime. And you know your uncle; he hates TD so he’s sure to be in a surly mood. But once he lays eyes on you, I’ll have a much nicer evening,” she laughed.

“Excuse me, but what’s TD?” Jennifer asked.

They all laughed, and then Anna explained.

“TD is ‘Tenderfoot Duty’. It means we take the guests that don’t know how to ride a horse and try to teach them how to become a cowboy in just a weekend. It’s a favorite with the guests, but the help isn’t that thrilled about it. If you think about it, it would be like taking a group of obnoxious fifth graders, and trying to teach them all about high school in two days. It gets old real quick.”

“I don’t think I’d like that either. Fifth grade boys are yucky!” Jennifer said.

“Anna,” Aunt Jaye said, “Sandy and I need to get back to work. It’s the weekend. Would you show them to the lobby? You all can help yourselves to a snack. Lunch is just starting up in the Dining Hall, and we’re going to try to get your whole group over there as soon as Bucky gets here with the wagon. We’ll process everyone afterwards. We should have your rooms ready by then. We’re going to use the Lodge. It’s not finished yet, but the guys are there now working on the punch list.”

With that, she went back into her office. Sandy had already discretely disappeared.

“What’s a punch list?” Jennifer asked.

“When you do a construction project, right before you use it, the builder walks through with the owner and looks at every detail. If something is not right, or not quite finished, or needs attention, it goes on a list. Then the builder knows exactly what final details he has to do so the building can be used. As he completes each detail, he punches or marks it off the list. Then it’s usually checked again. If everything is done right, the building can be used for whatever it was built for,” I explained.

“And the builder can finally get paid too!” laughed Anna as she led us to the lobby, which was the main room of the building. Besides the offices, there were two doors marked as restrooms. The rest was one big, wide-open room with a counter for checking in at one end. There were also four double doors that led to the big deck out back.

Anna showed us into the room, leading us to the table with the snacks.

“Help yourselves. I’ll be back,” Anna said, leaving us there.

Most of the folks in the room were my new family, but not all of them. I made my way across the room, to where Catherine, Liz, and Jeff were talking. When there was a pause in the conversation, I asked Catherine, “Grandmother, may I speak with you?”

She said nothing but walked with me out onto the deck that overlooked the ranch in the distance.

I was surprised because I had thought this group of buildings was the ranch, but Catherine explained that the actual ranch was over a mile on down the road.

As we admired the view, I told her, “I need to share something with you.” When Catherine nodded, I placed my hand on her arm and fed her my memories of the final conversation in the car.

“Nicky hasn’t said anything to me yet. Do you know if Jennifer has approached her mom?” Catherine asked.

“I wouldn’t think so, not without you and Liz,” I told her. “I just thought that forewarned is forearmed.”

“Do I need to know what happened in there this morning?” she asked. It was a mark of her respect that she trusted my judgment, while respecting our privacy.

“I have no secrets from you. I’ll be glad to show you,” I said. “But, you should probably sit down first!” I grinned mischievously.

“Oh my!” she said and fanned herself exaggeratedly. “I’ll get my vapors!”

She led me back inside, to a pair of chairs in the corner of the room, and sat down. I pulled mine closer to her and again laid my hand on her arm. Before I could start, she spotted my bare hands.

“Michael! Your hands! You got your casts off! Are they OK?” she asked.

I grinned real big as I flexed my hands for her.

“They’re a bit stiff. And look how white they are. But they feel fine and I’ve already started exercising them,” I said, pulling my squeeze ball out of my pocket.

Then squeezing my ball in my left hand, I laid my right hand on her arm and started feeding her my memories of the morning, all the way up to getting in the Suburban. I suspected she had thought I might just be teasing her about the morning’s activities in our bedroom, so she was more than a little surprised as the scene played out.

“Oh! I think that may have been more than I wanted to know!” she said, blushing.

I laughed.

“Do you need to excuse yourself? You know, find some privacy maybe?” I asked.

“I’ll privacy you in a minute!” she mock threatened me with a grin. “It’s hard enough that I keep forgetting you’re my grandson. But to be intimate with my granddaughter’s sex life is not something I was prepared for. How about next time, just giving me the overview?”

“You could look at it as a clinical overview,” I told her, chuckling. Then added more seriously, “Did you notice her tendency towards exhibitionism?”

“Now that you mention it, yes,” she replied.

“Well, I think it really turns her on, especially during sex...” I said, sort of leaving it hanging.

“And...?” she asked.

“And I just want you to be prepared,” I said.

“Prepared for what?” Catherine asked.

“In case you just happen to be the one to be her voyeur, of course!” I answered laughing.

“Michael!” she said laughing with me. But I could sense she was slightly intrigued by the idea.

Nicky and Jennifer approached Catherine and me.

“Excuse us, Michael, but could we talk to Grandmother?” Nicky asked, winking at me.

“Of course! I was just leaving,” I told them.

“Good luck!” I thought to both of them as I left.

I grabbed a banana from the snack tray, and wandered over to where Natalie and Grace were talking with Randi and John.

“So, there you are. We thought you got lost or something!” Grace said, hugging me.

“I missed you, too!” I told her, kissing her cheek.

“I’ll bet!” Grace replied. I could tell from the images in her mind that she had already talked to Nicky.

“Good morning, Sis! Are you getting used to having a little brother yet?” I asked Natalie.

“It’s tough! But I’m adjusting. I think I may make it,” she teased back. Then she asked, “Where have you been? You weren’t on the bus.”

“Geeze!” I whined loudly, “Not even twenty-four hours!”

“What...?” Natalie asked.

“I mean it’s not been twenty-four hours since you became my big sister and you’re already keeping tabs on everything I do. Next you’ll be bossing me around, just like Grace and Nicky!” I said with an exaggerated sigh.

Natalie took a step towards me, raising her hand to take a playful swat at me.

“I’m gonna teach you to pick on your big sister,” she said.

“I was just teasing,” I said, holding up my hands in mock surrender. It took a second before Grace noticed.

“THEY’RE GONE!” she shrieked, as she hugged me.

“Congratulations!” Randi told me. “You got them off. Now we won’t have to listen to your curses in the middle of the night.”

I should have caught it then, but her reference to ‘hearing’ me just flew over my head.

With my arm around Grace’s waist, I told the story of the women’s clinic, embellishing it a little. Well, maybe more than a little, as I told them how all these beautiful girls were fighting over who was going to help me.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever had an X-ray with seven girls holding me,” I told them.

They giggled.

“And I didn’t realize you had to be naked, just to have your wrist x-rayed!” I continued.

Grace punched my arm as everyone made their own cracks.

“I also didn’t know the technicians had to be naked too! Something about radiation, I guess,” I added.

“YOU WISH!” Natalie and Randi said at the same time. We all laughed at that.

We kept talking until Bucky arrived with the wagon. I assumed it was Bucky, because it was a wagon, and it was pulled by a team of mules. There was another staffer with him, a girl with short black hair. I noticed no one had nametags. The wagon was long with six rows of wooden benches. A quick calculation told me it would probably seat up to thirty guests. I guess that’s why he had an eight-mule team hitched up to pull it. I thought it was cool that they kept all the cars and buses away from the living areas. Anna had told us our luggage would be taken to our cabins separately, so all we had to do was climb onboard the wagon.