The Purple Martins are back! I was worried because we usually start seeing them in February. They arrived this year right along with the Campers on Mission, who are here to help us catch up on projects and oversee a rowdy bunch of frat boys here on a spring break mission.  The first to arrive were Paul and Pat Cude, and Lee and George Singleton.

The COM bunch are old friends and have been volunteering at the Ranch for years. They arrive in their RV rigs, hook up to the water and the electricity, set up their TV dishes, and get right down to work!

This morning the pictures were jumping off the walls in my office in the barn between the restless horses kicking their stalls at the west end  and the COM guys whacking away on the other, installing sliding doors on the east.

I heard the men laughing about our plans for the chicken house, looking at the pile of lumber we had delivered for it. They might think we’re a going a little over the top and building a regular Chicken Hilton, but hey–with 33 people living at the Ranch we need a lot of eggs! The Ranchers and I can’t wait to actually go and pick up our hens and rooster. More chores added to the workday, but ones that they'll love (mostly).

The Pi Kappa Phi guys begin arriving Friday night and Saturday. They’re part of PUSH America. They’ll build fences, a large deck, a chicken run, and other things while here. They’ll get their ritual spring break sunburn, even though we’ll try to convince them to avail themselves of our gallon-size jugs of sun screen.

The Ranchers will take it all in stride, enjoying the hustle and bustle of the week. They’re old friends with the COM folks, and will enjoy spending time with the college guys, too.

And at the end of the week the Ranch we’ll have made a lot of progress. Everyone will settle back into the routine, such as it is, and be thankful for good friends who help Down Home Ranch be what it is.