"Just What Do You DO All Day?"

Napkins.

Today I did napkins.

People are curious and have asked what I'm doing as part of a 'caretaker couple'.  In simple terms: housework.  But it's housework on a large scale.

Today I cleaned out a large fireplace and detail cleaned a bathroom.  Then I took the entire store of napkins (I'm guessing about 400+) and spot treated, laundered, ironed, folded, and reorganized by color.

Other days I've changed sheets on 6 or more beds, cleaned bathrooms, swept and washed floors, and laundered bedding, towels and linens.  The ranch has a very large main lodge, 3 guest houses, a pool house, an exercise loft in the barn, and a saloon.  All are decorated in rustic western art and decor, and there are many, many edges and surfaces to dust and keep clean.

The summer season will be my busy time.  When there are family members and guests in residence, there will be much laundry, daily sprucing and cleaning, and I'll be involved in dinner prep, serving and cleanup.  During the winter will be annual cleaning projects and maintenance chores.

Dan is the gardener and chief fixer-upper.  His work is much more physical; creating new gardens, cutting down trees and bushes, digging out stumps, transplanting, planting new plants, weeding, mowing, etc.  Winter work will be plowing snow and repairing wobbly chairs, tables, etc.

There is variety and a never-end to things that need to be done.  We get to do this in a place that has stunning mountains and trees, horses grazng in the pasture, and wildlife.  Today I saw about 35 elk on the mountain across the valley, and 7 elk about 100 yards away.  A week ago I saw a yearling black bear 100 yards away (fortunately) going the opposite direction. We can hear elk bugling and coyote howling in the night. Our drive to 'work' takes about 1 minute and Dan and I come back home each day for lunch.

I'm happy.  :)