When it was sold in 1974, the ranch had been in the Arthur family for 72 years. Writer Kathleen Arthur evokes a powerful sense of what it was like to grow up as a member of the fourth generation of a cattle ranching family. She and her sister, Tammi, grew from toddlers to teenagers surrounded by the daily workings of a cattle ranch. As the family worked on the ranch, the girls learned independence, self-reliance and satisfaction in a job well done. With almost 1000 acres as their playground, the girls were free to roam and play, expanding their boundaries. They knew they could go no further than where they could hear the pickup horn honking if Mom wanted them to head for the house. Hauling wood, chasing horses and chasing water were much more than chores, providing life lessons in hard work as the girls tagged along and then helped as they got older. The family worked long, hard hours because the land demanded it. Work on the ranch never let up but it did change with the seasons. In winter cows and horses were fed the hay grown on the ranch. Early in the spring, calves were born. Later, when the snow melted in the high country, the hayfields were irrigated. Early summer, calves were branded and the cattle moved to the upper pasture. Mid and late summer was haying season. Fall was for canning and hunting season. And the cycle began again. Ranching knew no holidays, weekends or vacations and there was no calling in sick with this job. Ms. Arthur's detailed descriptions give us insight into a lifestyle that is quickly disappearing as family ranches are sold and subdivided into housing developments. As the tale unfolds about trailing horses cross country to hunting camp, the reader can almost feel the fresh mountain air and hear the creaking of saddle leather. Accounts of stepping in fresh cow manure, working in the hot, dusty hayfields or chasing a calf out of the brush are vivid and colorful. Only the haying crew knows just how delicious ice cold water from an old Clorox jug can be. It is both funny and touching as the writer relates being startled by a snake or unexpectedly walking home after being thrown by her horse. For their part, the girls had roles to play that made them feel like an important part of the operation. They opened gates, put in the hubs on the four wheel drive pickup, hauled wood and constantly fetched things for their folks. They worked hard but when they took a few hours off, the family played hard too, spending many happy days camping, picnicking, fishing, plinking away at tin cans with the .22 rifle and generally romping around in the high country. Whether moving cows, putting up hay or fixing fence, the whole family pitched in to get the job done. The Arthur Ranch on East Divide Creek is a compelling account of a disappearing way of life, told from an insider's point of view. If you have an interest in the land and the critters in the Rocky Mountain west or a passion for country living, this book is for you.
About the Author: In her professional life, Kathi worked in a job she loved as computer programmer/analyst for two community colleges while raising a family as a single parent. She is an avid genealogist and is happiest in the high country and hanging out with the nine grandkids. Kathi and her life partner, Lee, live "up a gulch" in western Colorado where their cats Gabby and Shadow are in charge.