The Ranch House

A few weeks ago, I blogged about our wood gettin' trip to our friend's ranch called Sink Valley. Marty has worked for this family since he was a kid - hauling hay, fixing fence, running the saw mill, welding equipment and helping with the cows and horses.

One of the things that makes this ranch special is the ranch house. Back in the olden days, (I'm not sure exactly when that was, but a really long time ago) the family ordered this house out of a catalog - it was either Sears or Montgomery Ward. The house was shipped - in pieces - by train from back east somewhere until it got to Utah where it got on a wagon and came to the ranch. It was then assembled like a jigsaw puzzle.

I've just always thought there was something really cool about this house and it's story. I've always wanted to take pictures of it. I love the little details - it's got metal shingles and pressed tin interior walls.

Isn't this roof beautiful?

And then there's the living room ceiling:


And this is one of the bedrooms:


Here is the pantry/storage room with some cool old bottles on the shelves:

As you walk through the front door into the tiny kitchen, the first thing you see is the old Arcadian wood burning stove. When Marty was a kid, his friend Darlynn's mother, Coleen, made all the meals for the ranch hands on this stove. From all accounts, she was a great cook and managed to put out some pretty excellent cuisine. How many women do you know today that could still produce a great meal for a crew of hungry cowboys on a stove like this?!

I totally love it, what a great old character. (And notice the pretty patterns on the wall behind it. There are several different patterns throughout the house.)

And speaking of character, hows about this old relic ~

I can just about guarantee it's boiled up thousands of pots of water and never, EVER been washed. I don't think it needs it, do you? Washing would totally ruin it.

Here's a view from the outside of the house. The brown section on the end is the bathroom which was added on much later. Yes, that's right, this house came along before indoor plumbing. I told you it was the olden days.

It still feels like the olden days anytime you step into the Sink Valley Ranch House. No electricity, no running water, no telephone. That's what I love about it. And this old International pickup is still a daily driver from town up to the ranch. Darlynn has a whole fleet of antique International trucks that still do their part to help him keep the ranch running.

And an old International tractor, as well.


I feel like we're lucky to get to go the ranch and enjoy things like this that a lot of people will never get to see. I hope it never changes.