Christmas on the Ranch 

 Christmas is always a time to remember friends, family, and memorable times that have passed. Having spent the better part of six years at what was once Rancho Encantado, 

I started thinking about what the first Christmas on the ranch may have been like. It would have been Christmas, 1936. At that time, it was known as Rancho Del Monte. A dude ranch that was first opened by Bess Huntinghouse, in the little Tesuque valley, north of Santa Fe. Later purchased by Betty Egan, it was renamed, Rancho Encantado. 

 I let my mind drift back to what was probably a cold winter day, in December 1936. Maybe a foot of snow on the ground, and the only way to access the ranch would have been by horse and sleigh. The old 1934 Ford pickup, owned by Bess, like a few other vehicles at the ranch, completely covered with snow and undriveable. The only road in, a small dirt path, completely covered with snow as if it was never there. Can’t you just picture a small group of hardy souls, gathered around a roaring fire in the large stone fireplace, when the large wooden door opens and a withered ranch hand enters with a freshly cut Christmas tree, dragged down the mountain by horseback. 

 I can almost feel those blustery winds howling outside. Inside, the laughter and holiday cheer of the small group of employees and a few guests fill the room as they decorate the Christmas tree, now in the center of the lodge. As the fireplace crackles, they sip fresh warm cider, and sing the age-old carols we are all familiar with. There were no worries about cell phone service or TV reception. No upset guests, simply good times with good friends. 

 Things were quite different then. In1936 the average cost of a new house was $3,925.00. The average wage per year was $1,713.00. The cost of a gallon of gas was a mere 10 cents, and the cost of a loaf of bread was just 8 cents. And, oh yes, you could buy a brand-new Studebaker car for a whopping $665.00. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to go back at least once in your lifetime and experience an event such as this? 

There’s a lot to be said about the good old days

It has been just a few short months since her Uncle Charlie’s passing, and Posey Summers is trying her hardest to keep the small antique shop she inherited from going under.

Then, unexpectedly, she stumbles onto Charlie’s well-kept secret. A secret shrouded by mystery, locked deep in the dark and dingy basement of that little antique shop on Water Street. It is a secret that will lead to more trouble than she could ever have imagined.

So then, why does she fail to heed the warning clearly displayed above the door? 

‘Voyagers must traverse the sequence of time ever so carefully, for your choices may be irrevocable’.

Did she let her heart get in the way of logic? That will become the million-dollar question.
Scrambling to justify her interference with history, the unpretentious Posey continues to create one complex crisis after another.

Danger, mystery, and love, complicate Posey’s life as she traverses the annals of time.