For Saturday, A Song

hills and clouds

At an Easter gathering at the cabaña last week,  Ron Smith, the writer of this song-poem, read it aloud to Papa Jack, and it was a lovely listen indeed. I think it captures something of the feeling of this ranch, and I asked if I could share it.

ANOTHER BLUE AGAVE DAY on PAPA'S DECK by Ron Smith

If you close your eyes and listen,

You might just hear the sounds of long ago

The whistles of the caballeros​

And the baying of the cattle down below

If you listen carefully on a still day​

You can hear the waves crashing a couple miles away​

Or the whistle of the S & P ​as it echoes up the Canyon Del Norte

And a gust of wind may make the old acacias dance

​Another blue agave day on Papa’s deck​ in old Hollister Ranch

And two hawks upon the wing cast a shadow​

Then disappear over the hill

A lizard stands frozen

​As a hummingbird hovers by the window sill

And clouds that look like dumplings roll slowly across the morning sky

And the lizard and the hummingbird are gone in just a wink of an eye ​

They tell of days when all this land was part of Mexico

And how it came to be a part of Californio of cattlemen and cowboys and movie stars

and those who ride the waves and time stands still on Papa’s deck on a blue agave day

The chugging of a freight train echoes off the canyon walls

and the cattle in the distant hills look like statues frozen as a lone coyote calls

What’s this? A yellow monarch has stopped by to say

Buenos días, Cómo estás…enjoy another blue agave day