Mecham Ranch
Leaving Utah behind, we rolled into Carey, Idaho along with storm clouds and rain. As we pulled into the driveway at the Mecham ranch, we saw an older man and younger woman outside feeding a baby horse. The horse looked like it was maybe just born and they were force feeding it. We looked on after saying hello. Rick answered our questions about the horse and Audrey quietly helped him with the feeding.
We went inside and sat down for dinner where we were introduced to Rick’s wife, Stacey, along with the other workawayers. A Canuck through and through, Stacey is a speech pathologist who sees clients at their homes throughout the week. Mustafa, Nisreen, and their 5-month-old baby girl, Sina, had been there since April and were from Egypt. Audrey was from France and had been on the ranch for about a week when we arrived. We didn’t realize there would be other people staying, but after that first dinner, we couldn’t have been more pleased that there would be a full house.
Scott and I felt so lucky to not only have Rick and Stacey as hosts, but also to be able to meet others from around the world. We were all able to share our stories, recipes, and experiences from a variety of cultures. Not to mention Nisreen was an amazing cook and did the majority of the cooking throughout our time on the ranch. We also learned that it was the month of Ramadan, so Mustafa was fasting from sunrise to sunset. Nisreen was breastfeeding so she couldn’t fast, but to see this dedication and discipline was intense and also eye opening to their religion and culture. We finished up dinner, Rick drinking down his second or third glass of milk (we expected nothing less from a former dairy farmer), and went to bed eager to start working the next morning.
Unfortunately, on our first morning, we found out the baby horse from the night before did not survive. She had been born with bent front legs and was unable to stand to drink milk from her mother. She died that night from what was most likely dehydration, though Rick said he couldn’t be sure.
A sad and tough lesson to learn, but to think that this lifestyle is easy and carefree would have been extremely naive. This uncomfortable initiation into ranch life, though sad, did not deter us from wanting to learn more.
Our work on the ranch varied from “moving pipe” to feeding all of the horses to yard work to loading cattle up for sale. Our main responsibility that had to be taken care of every day was “moving pipe.” This was slang for making sure each part of the field was properly irrigated by either a wheel line, a hand line, or a pivot. The hand lines had to be moved, as the name indicates, completely by hand. Each morning we would go out and move multiple aluminum pipes, each one nearly 35 feet in length, to a new riser (or spigot). The amount of pipes depended on the field, but on average at least ten would have to be moved about fifteen feet over before turning the water on and making sure each sprinkler head was in working order. The first few times this chore felt awkward and difficult, but by the time we left, Scott and I were moving pipe like it was nobody’s business!
The wheel line was a completely different beast. You would think that because the wheel lines have motors they would be easier to maintain and move. This was not the case. These finicky machines have to be in just the right position, the motors have to be in working order, and they have to be properly flushed and drained in order to work properly. The first day we were there, the entire wheel line had been busted apart the day before by strong winds. Not only did we have to move piece by piece back together, but multiple parts of the pipe had to be repaired by Leon the “pipe man.” He had all the necessary tools on the back of his trailer and within minutes the pipe was repaired and ready to be put together. With a bit of elbow grease and a lot of teamwork, we were able to get the wheel line running again.
Feeding the gentle horses and mares was one of my favorite parts of the work day. We would load up the truck with hay and ride out into the pasture before pitching it out to the mares and their foals. As soon as they noticed we were pitching hay out, they would all come running after the truck. These mares were essentially wild horses. They had never been ridden and were handled minimally by Rick and Stacey. Each time we would feed them, I loved how close we would get to them and getting a closer look at the little ones.
My other favorite part? Feeding a baby colt whose mother had died less than a week after his birth. Lou had to be bottle fed a milk replacement five times a day and was kept separate from the other horses for fear that he would get hurt. One day, Rick decided he would try to graph this colt onto the mare whose baby had died. We had to get the mare into a sort of pin so that she couldn’t really see the colt and also in a position so that the colt could still get milk. We tried but the mare just wasn’t having it. She refused to let any colt other than her own milk off of her, and even tried to bite the colt. We put her back in with the other mares and continued to bottle feed Lou.
Our first weekend, Scott and I went up to Sun Valley and explored a bit. A beer fest in Ketchum was enticing, but for a $20 entry, we decided to head for the mountains instead. We were able to quickly find some camping nearby with some great fishing and a beautiful view.
That same weekend, we were able to share Father’s Day with the family. Rick’s sons were all together and we also got to meet his grandchildren. Watching Rick with kids was such a joy. His patience and love shines through any time he’s interacting with children. Any time Sina came into the room he would address her with a low “Heeeyyyyyyyy Bug!” Each time, Sina’s face would light up and a smile would spread ear to ear. Rick was no different with his own grandchildren and found great ways to relate and interact with each of them. Seeing this kind hearted quality in a tough cowboy seemed contradictory, but it fit Rick perfectly.
Getting to know Rick was like opening up a set of Russian nesting dolls. You would think you had him figured out, only to realize there is so much more to this cowboy. Not only is he this kind hearted grandpa, but he is also apparently one of the only true cowboys left in the area. Most people nowadays move their cattle by ATV, while Rick sticks to using horses. Continuing that tradition may seem “old school” to some, but to Rick, it’s the only way he’s ever known. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?
In the Mecham’s living room was a sign that both Scott and I loved and most certainly fit Rick to a T: “A cowboy is a man with guts and a horse.”
In the midst of working and learning all that we could about ranch life, we decided to make tacos for a family dinner. For many in the group, this would be their first time having tacos! We cooked up all the fixins from guacamole to sautéed bell pepper and onion to marinated pollo asado. Everyone sat down, and we all got a laugh as everyone waited to see what Scott and I did first so that they would know how to make their own tacos. First bites were taken and all agreed: it was delicious.
After about of week of working on the Mecham ranch, Scott and I had the routine down. Get up, eat breakfast, get to work. Maybe break for lunch, maybe work until it was time to just plain stop for the day. Unfortunately, right as Scott picked it up, he was off to Costa Rica for some filming. During this week, I was able to go on some evening rides with Audrey, practicing my horse riding skills and breaking in my legs. We also perfected the yard and garden by fixing the sprinkler system, mowing, edging, and weeding again and again.
That weekend, another workawayer joined us from Finland. Minna was a middle-aged woman who was a lecturer at a university in Lapland. On her first day here, Minna, Audrey, and I hiked up to Baker Lake in the Sawtooths before grabbing a drink in Hailey. That same weekend, I installed our newest addition to the van!
When I dropped Scott off at the airport in Boise, we found a cargo carrier on craigslist that was perfect. Some new holes had to be drilled and the roof rack was difficult to maneuver around, but after a day’s worth of work it was installed and Buster was cleaned out head to toe.
Scott was back “home” soon enough, and just in time for Canada Day and the 4th of July. With Stacey being from Canada, we went all out on July 1st. Watermelon cut into maple leaves, small inukshuks made from veggies and deli meat, poutine, chicken fried steak, and red and white cupcakes left us stuffed, satisfied, and ready for fireworks.
Before the fourth, Scott and I accompanied Rick to their newly bought property out in Chesterfield. We loaded up a heifer and made the drive out to the property. A doublewide sat on the property that we stayed in for the night. We arrived late. Rick’s son, Clayton, met us there and the two of them worked on the motor for one of the wheel lines we would (hopefully) be moving the next day. In the shed, Scott and I looked around at the variety of objects strewn about in the large space. A bird flew around the rafters as Rick and Clayton worked, and Scott and I couldn’t help but think what an awesome movie set this would make.
Scott and I woke up early to fish. With no luck, we turned to helping Rick with the wheel line and checking the pivots on the back of a four wheeler. Once we were finished, we put up panels to create a pen for the cattle that would be transported to this property sometime this summer. The heat of the day crept in and the panels seem to get heavier by the minute. We put up the last panel and headed back to Carey.
For the 4th of July, we made a day of going out to a lake near Ketchum where we fished, grilled, ate watermelon, and swam to our heart’s content. That evening, we all went to the Hailey rodeo and watched the fireworks show that followed. I don’t think it gets any more American than that…
The next morning, it was time for goodbyes.
Our three weeks on the ranch flew by. Getting to know Rick and his family, working on the ranch, meeting our fellow workawayers, celebrating holidays, gaining knowledge and learning lessons was everything we could have hoped for, and more. Our first workaway experience was done, but we already can’t wait to return. We even thought about spending another week on the ranch.
But the north was calling, so north we will go.