I remember our branding in the Sands on the Chico last year very fondly. We all trucked gear and horses out to the Waylen/Twin Mills water lot and camped out for the night so we could get out earlier to gather cattle. It was my first time camping out on the ranch and we had a lot of great company in between team Texas/New Mexico and our friends Brad and Matt. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset over some dinner we made at camp. Just as we were wrapping up dinner, this crazy rainstorm rolled in and we all retreated to Duke and Madi's horse trailer. We were packed in like sardines roasting marshmallows on the blackstone and passing around gin and tonics having a hoot and a half. Mike and Claudia's bed rolls were just rolled out on the ground getting pelted with rain and hail. We all eventually turned in when we knew the rain wasn't going to stop any time soon. We woke up the next day to bluebird skies and a three quarter inch of rain in the rain gauge. Mike somehow didn't get wet at all despite nearly floating away in his canvas cutter. I wish I could say the same for Claudia…

My shirt and jeans were both soaked, so Duke lll gave me the only other shirt he had. Luckily it was short sleeve and I got my good base burn to kick off my summer tan. Anyways, we trotted out at sunrise to gather cattle to the water lot and had one of the funnest brandings I've ever been to. Great day spent with great company.

As far as reflections go, I think there's a lot to reflect on. I've had the privilege of sharing this place with some of the best people I’ve ever met and have gotten to make lifelong memories with them. I’m still in awe about the fact that I got to call this place home. When I first came to the Chico there wasn’t much that met my eye. But then I got to explore the vastness of the Chico and got to know its features and started to discover its beauty. It’s now easily one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. I think places that take some time to get to know and understand are the places that hold the most beauty and are the most meaningful. The Chico is definitely the epitome of that.

I also think about how much I've learned here and how much I've grown as a person during my time at the Chico. I feel like during the past three years here I've accumulated the same amount of new skills and lessons learned as I have throughout the first 25 years of my life. I think this land will always hold a huge place in my heart because of that. I'm forever grateful to the people who have opened the doors to this beautiful home and have taken me under their wings to teach me everything that they have learned over the years. New ways to think, how to ride a horse and handle livestock, how to be a better person, the list goes on