Latest / Just Us Sisters / Episode 22: The Ranch (Part II)
Transcript
- speaker-0: Welcome to the Just Us Sisters Podcast. Life doesn't come with a manual, so we made a podcast. speaker-1: This is episode 22, The Ranch, Part 2. Let me first introduce my sisters, Susan, our little cowgirl, number one, Cheryl, number two, and Stacy, number four. And I am the host today, Shelly, number three. My grandparents owned a 7,000-acre ranch called Channer Ranch in Stiegler, Oklahoma, for seven years. And today we're gonna talk about that. Looking back, What did you appreciate the most about the ranch? speaker-2: I think the simplicity of life out there and just cowboy life, you know, working together. You didn't have a new truck. You didn't have new furniture. You used pots and pans that have been there. Matter of fact, I think the furniture that was there at the ranch when they bought it is what they used. speaker-3: I have the desk. speaker-2: Yep. Cool. So, you know, I just feel like the simplicity of life. speaker-4: I think just being in nature and riding horses on that ranch because it was not flat. There were lots of hills and in the very back it had the the most beautiful views and it backed up to the Haiti River. Yeah. And so it was just speaker-2: Maze quicksan. speaker-3: Quick sand. Mm-hmm. speaker-4: Red Quicksand. Yeah. Yeah. speaker-3: Mine's dirt roads and the need to latch gates after you've gone through. I know it. So but the dirt roads, you know, it's a different type of life. And it's it's what dirt roads? speaker-4: Yeah, I hated those. speaker-1: So as I said earlier, it was another world coming from the suburbs of San Antonio to the ranch and that I just appreciated it and our time there so much. So if the ranch could talk, what it would it say about our family? speaker-2: Mm. I think speaker-3: Yeah. speaker-0: Ha ha. speaker-2: I I think what it would say is what a faith. What a faith. Because Pop depended on God for watering the oats and the alfalfa. I mean, just to feed, you know, for the hay. If it rained after they cut, that was not good. And just just the faith that God would provide what they needed. And I think that's what it's says about our family. speaker-3: Agree. Agree. speaker-1: I said that we worked hard, played harder, and loved the hardest because that was our life on the ranch. Yeah. So what part of the ranch do you miss the most? speaker-4: Everything. speaker-2: Yeah. Everything. But you know, the people also made it very special. Y'all've mentioned Foster and Lawana Johnson and Ed, just so giving and sweet and just loving. speaker-4: Stanley Holt. speaker-3: The whole only hole. Made them pass out once. speaker-2: Yeah, the Crittendens, the pastor. speaker-4: Didn't you have a relationship with their son too? Yeah. speaker-2: I did. I like those Oklahoma boys. speaker-3: Yeah. Who is the cowboy? speaker-2: Yeah. speaker-1: I miss spending time with Grant and Pop. Yeah. Seeing Pop in his element, up on that horse, wrangling cattle, well into his seventies. And I just miss that. speaker-3: In his dress pants. speaker-4: yeah. speaker-2: Never wore blue jeans. That just never crazy. That is crazy. Just speaker-3: Pants and and button up shirts. speaker-2: And he had his Sunday hat and his work hat and his work boots and his Sunday boots. speaker-3: This one can. speaker-1: So tell me your favorite spot on the property. speaker-4: Mine was definitely the tank. There was just so much to do down there. When it would rain, it would overflow and it you could hand pick the fish up. I remember gran would love it because she would make a bunch of fish and hush puppies and and French fries when that would happen. speaker-2: Mine was the front porch swing. Many conversations were held there, lots of talking with the Lord, talking with Gran, just sweet times on that front porch swing. speaker-3: Yeah, I already mentioned under the big tree and the hay barn, but to add to that the road to get there, because we would walk up and down that sometimes run because we were being chased. And then there was a spot behind that old house that had an old tractor that didn't run anymore and an old truck that didn't run anymore, probably because you wrecked it, Cheryl. But I would love to sit on the old tractor and in that old truck and pretend like I was driving. All I loved that. I had more fun doing that probably by myself than any person should have. speaker-1: Well, I accepted Christ when I was nine and I was bound to determine to share God's word with anyone that would listen or anything that would listen because my favorite spot was sitting on the fence preaching to the cows. So if there are cows when you get to heaven, it might very well be because I taught them the plan of salvation at nine years old. speaker-4: That's awesome. speaker-2: And I sang you light up my life to them. speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: They would come, of course, they probably thought I was gonna feed Yeah. But they would come and gather. I mean like twenty or thirty cattle would gather around me and I would just be out there just preaching away. speaker-3: It was just a a wood fence. speaker-2: Yeah. Of ranch fans, yeah. speaker-3: Put it on. speaker-4: Do you remember when we'd go into Stigler and Drag Main Street when we got older with all the kids that we and then I don't know if you ever went up to the gym and we played basketball with everybody? speaker-2: Yeah. They thought maintenance those Texas girls were good. speaker-4: I know they they didn't know what hit Yeah. speaker-2: Those were fun days. speaker-1: How about the favorite season at the ranch? speaker-2: Summer. Love summers. speaker-3: winter and summer, but for different reasons. I liked winter because we are always there for my birthday every year. And and then just summer because you would wear little shorts and tank top and just run around all the time. Unless you were doing cattle and you had to rush. Yeah, yeah. As we got older we did. But at four, no. Four, five, six. And we started having to work. speaker-4: Yeah. speaker-2: Didn't have to speaker-4: That's why. speaker-3: Right, Shelly. speaker-1: So I didn't do any hay hauling because I was severely allergic. So if I did anything I rode in the cab with the windows completely closed up, but I missed out on the opportunity to haul hay like Susan and Cheryl did. So speaker-4: Yeah, but it it wasn't the kind of hay hauling that Johnny had to do. They had to take those bells and throw up onto the back of the truck. Pop had a hay elevator. Yeah. So you had a driver and they would come up and the hay bell would go tick tick tick tick tick tick up and then drop and they you'd pull it off and just put it down on the truck. So it was a lot easier. speaker-2: But you had to be careful of snakes being You did. speaker-4: We have to be careful of snakes, yes. speaker-3: And remember that purple medicine that you would put on the cows once if they had to like after their horns or their nuts and all that? speaker-1: Y'all got paid pretty good for that though. speaker-4: my gosh, we made so much money for for kids because Pop yeah Pop didn't treat us like child labor and paid us good. Yeah. We did work hard. speaker-3: Because you worked hard. speaker-2: And we were so exhausted at night. We would just come eat. I mean, b sometimes you could barely eat. You were so tired and just go speaker-4: I could always eat. speaker-1: My season would have to be Christmas and I'll be sharing my story near the end, but Christmas because coming from San Antonio, we didn't see snow much. So that was my opportunity if if I was gonna see it was going to be at the ranch at Christmas. So tell me one word that describes the ranch for you guys. speaker-3: Mine's adventurous. speaker-2: Mm. Mm. Mine would be fake. speaker-4: Magical. speaker-1: Mine's otherworldly just because it was just a whole different world for us. And I I love that. One thing you would say if you could take only one object from the ranch. speaker-2: I knew exactly what mine was. It is the long kitchen ranch table. It's at about twelve people. 'Cause our family would sit around it plus some of the ranch hands. And I I just I love that feeling of community and all being there and that's one thing I would take from there. speaker-3: Did you get one of the chairs? Yeah the green chairs. I did too. Yes. speaker-4: But we all got one. I was gonna say the the old water pump. I would love to have that like yeah as a decor, but Dad reminded me today that wasn't on the ranch. That's true. It was across the road. It was a community. So I would say the the old pool table. It had the you know, leather pockets. It was a good one. speaker-2: Yeah. speaker-3: gotcha. speaker-2: Sure. Many pool tournaments were played on that thing. speaker-1: So heavy though that if there was a tornado warning, we got under the pool table. speaker-2: Yes, yeah. speaker-3: Mine would be the bell, the dinner bell. yeah. speaker-2: On speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-4: I forgot about that. speaker-3: Yeah, I think I wanna get a dinner bell. If I ever get a ranch, I'm definitely putting a dinner bell on it. Okay, thank you. speaker-4: I'm looking for you. speaker-1: Second would be the tree out front. I'm gonna try desperately to find pictures that we took with everyone sitting on that long limb. Yeah. That tree, it just holds special memories to me. So if you could relive one single day at the ranch, exactly how it happened, which day would you choose and why? speaker-3: yeah. speaker-2: Yeah. speaker-4: Just speaker-2: be everyday shelly. I l I loved every day that we were there. it was sad to go home. But dad had to work and we had to go to school. It was just so much fun. speaker-4: couldn't take one thing either. There was too many things. speaker-3: Yeah. Yeah. It it just the the horseback riding, if it was working or if it was for fun, you know, it I couldn't nail one down either. I know yours though, Shelley. Well speaker-1: going to take the opportunity to share my precious memory from the ranch. It was when I was nine and we were headed up to the ranch as we often did for Christmas. And one of our parents' friends was sick and not doing well at all, Mr. Pinsorn. And we got there and we went to the Christmas Eve service and they were, you know, going through the the typical Christmas story and preaching. And at one point the pastor said, Does anyone have any prayer needs? And my little nine year old hand shot up in the air and he was taken aback because he didn't expect it. And I said, Would you pray for Mr. Pinshorn? And he was like, Well, yes, little girl, we'll pray for him right now. And I said, and one other thing, Will you pray that it it snows this Christmas? Because there was no snow in the forecast and no snow on the ground when we went into that church. And he said, I'm gonna stop this service right now and we're gonna pray for the needs that this little girl has mentioned. And so we finished out the service and walked outside and God's honest truth. There was a dusting of snow. already on the ground and continued to snow as we made our way from the town out to the ranch. And it actually continued for three days. And my grandfather came to me in his very speaker-0: Just speaker-1: Everyone can recognize his voice. Shelley, you got this thing started. Now you're gonna need to shut it off. Yeah. And you know, it's just a reminder of the faith of a child. Scripture talks about that. And there was not a doubt in my mind that Mr. Pinsorm was gonna get better and that we were gonna see snow. But I thought maybe I had built it up in my mind so much and you know, maybe it didn't happen as as I always thought it did. So I did a deep dive into the W National Weather Service website. And it went on to say that there was a significant event, a three inch snowfall in a single night, that took place on December, the evening of December 4th, leading into the December 5th, and traces for the next three days. And I I just it I started crying. I was bawling because it just confirmed what I always had built up in my mind that took place. And that's such a special. When we talk about special Christmases, that always comes up. But obviously it's associated to the ranch that meant so much to each and every one of us. And you know, as some things happen, nothing stays the same. And I just found out from my dad today that it's been split into three different parts. And he even warned Cheryl, don't go there, don't go to Channa Ranch because it's not the same. And that's unfortunate. And so we're gonna hold these memories close to our heart as we remember them and not in what what is the the here and now. So speaker-2: Don't go. speaker-1: I know that this is one that we were just reminiscing, but it's a special thing for the four of us, our family, and how much we miss Grand and Pop and the the impact that they had on our lives. As listeners, let us know if there was a place that you went to with your family or grandparents and and had such a significant impact on your childhood or into your preteens and teens. we would love to hear that from you guys. Until then, life is messy, meaningful, and better when shared. Thank you for listening. speaker-2: Don't forget to like us. speaker-4: Cheers. speaker-1: Comment speaker-3: Subscribe. speaker-4: Bye.