Solitude on the Ranch

Being a spa health writer is fun...relaxing...and rejuvenating -- of course all of the words that are associated with "spa-ing". But really...most of my adventures and times of relaxation come from trips that bring epiphanies, characters, and things that surround the idea of spa health.

I recently took a roadtrip to Kay el Bar Ranch in Arizona. It was an amazing 3 days; the roadtrip itself lent conversation, adventure/laughter (ran out of gas in the middle of the desert) and a therapeutic value that made my heart smile. Ya see, I grew up on a cattle ranch; my dad was a cowboy and it was the most wonderful way to grow up. Spring time meant calving and branding season, summer brought rodeos and haying, fall and winter meant ice-skating on the frozen pond (my dad would scape the snow off with the tractor).

My dad passed away this past year and it has been an adjustment getting used to the idea of him not being here, but being at the Kay el Bar Ranch brought great happiness and memories. For me, it was just the "spa health" I needed; we rode horses through the desert, enjoyed the most wonderful meals -- presented with the meal bell ringing and of course the solitude of the big desert sky filled with beautiful stars.