SPRING 1997
Welcome to the ranch! We've just been doing a little spring
cleaning over at The Fishing Shack where we've
knocked down a winters worth of cobwebs. Now you can actually see The
Wall of Fame and The Old Map
that hangs next to it. Some winter traveler who knows us very well must
have slipped a Tall Tale under
the door while the shack was closed for the season. A few remnants from
last years fun were left lying on the table....some fishing catalogs, a
Chernobyl Ant, a travel guide to Argentina and about an
inch or so of 18 year old Macallan. We've turned the power on to the fridge
and fired up the pot bellied stove for chilly mornings and we're raring
to go...so Think Trout !
For the spring season we've hired on a crew of wranglers to help us with
the cattle... some old hands and a few newcomers. They're staying down
at The Bunk House where already it's getting pretty rowdy every
night once the sun goes down. Lucky for us our nearest neighbor lives over
50 miles away. One of the new hands remarked about the "curious"
graffito carved over the door which reads " things are gittin a bit
western around here". We are all confident that by the end of the
season he will come to fully understand it's meaning. This spring, there's
a band in residence along with a few artists and writers. A wizzened old
cow poke arrived from Nevada with a very powerful telescope which is now
set up on the roof so we can all watch the beautiful
night time sky.
Rumor has it that The Margarita Stand is
up and open for business. This years mixologist hails from Alice Springs,
Australia where they know a thing or two about DRY.... so we are all very
excited about this new development and the fact that he promises to make
stream side deliveries. We regret to report that last years mixologist,
W.H.McCoy was stricken with an incurable mental disease and is now unable
to tell the difference between a lime and a golf ball. The ranch sends
condolences to his family along with a life time subscription to Martha
Stewart's LIVING magazine.
The VR flag is flying at the main house so The
Ministers of Fun must be around here somewhere. As this reporter
rode out last week past The Fishing Shack .. up in the area where the T-Rex
was found, a lot of giggling and laughing was heard emanating from a cave
amidst shouts of "I HATE THAT TROUT!" and "Bunny didn't
know what to doooo with the asparagus!" So you guessed it.....they're
heeeeere.
The Ranch Proprietor had a very successful buying trip in
Ireland and has decided to leave the 7 new colts with the Juddemont Stud
in Newmarket for training with the Maktoum brothers. While in England the
RP attended several race meets and so enjoyed themself that they
are presently comtemplating the purchase of historic Aintree race course.
Upon completion of this leg of the trip the RP immediately flew
to Santiago, Chile to finalize the details of the Torres Del Paine/Easter
Island land deal and is now believed to be on Easter Island sketching the
Moai and conferring with an anthropologist about the annual Bird Man ceremony.
They are not expected back at the VR until some time in June
Yours truly,
V.S.O.P. Hickock Ranch
Reporter 
