I'VE LISTED MY RANCH FOR SALE

I traveled down to Southern California to put my 2 1/2 acre ranch up for sale. I left it up to my GPS to do the work for me and it started me out through beautiful farmlands. My usual route would be just to go down the 50 Freeway to the 90 Freeway. It was a curvy drive, as usual, but there were areas where I've always been curious about. It took me about 10 hours, as usual, a guelling trip, but not too much traffic.

I arrived at the ranch and found it to be in perfect condition inside except for a year's worth of dust on everything. Luckily, I had cleared out all of the small stuff so that cut down on the dusting. I filled up my van again with some more stuff. Yes, I got my loved oil and acrylic paints, brushes, canvasas, a drawered cart with small, valuable equipment as well as my large Biggie pads, easel and past artwork and idea box. I decided to still leave all of my paintings and other wall hangings and just lean them against a wall in the walk in closet where they would be safe and clean. I arranged the furniture in a pleasing manner and made sure there was no clutter around. There still remains some small stuff, but it's pretty well hidden and when the realtor takes photos for advertisements, it will really show pretty nice.

The realtor arrived, we talked a bit, and I signed him up for six months. We both believe that the price we listed it at was fair, not giving the property away, but yet not where it wouldn't be able to appraise and sell fairly quickly, but in this economy, who knows. This realtor sold the ranch next door fairly quickly because they priced it correctly. The old neighbors trying to sell the property had another agent who listed it way too high. She had put a lot of money into it with building a porch, garage, furnished, new rugs, paints and window coverings. Boy, did she lose her shirt on that house. It's a bit larger in square footage than mine and is on a main paved road. The lady who lives there now said to the realtor while she was looking at it to purchase said she wished my ranch was for sale. My ranch is not only more desireable in the set up of a horse property, but also off a fairly trafficed road.

After arriving at my ranch for about ten minutes, my neighbor, who lives kitty corner from my property, came walking up my drive. He's an old, retired Marine, 76 years old and has helped me on several occasions with some small things that needed to be done around the ranch. His niece, great niece and great nephew came up my drive with him. We chatted a while and invited me to stop by when I got a chance.

I thought who was coming up my drive when I saw a baby, was the new neighbor who moved in while I was away. She really did a nice job on the ranch next door. She grated her whole 2 1/2 acres, did some really nice things to her small barn and put up pole fencing. She has three horses and three dogs, one of which is a beautiful black Lab. She keeps her property spotless and hopefully that will help me sell my property.

I slept at my ranch in my temperpedic bed that night and started packing the van the next day. I had dinner with my other friends who have a 17 acre ranch, with two horses, two dogs, chickens, two horses and a koi pond with a resident turtle. They have Bob Cats as well as Mountain Lions and Coyotes. Of course, let's not forget about the snakes. She invited me to stay at her place again for the days I had planned to stay, but I really wanted to spend my last days as much as I could at my beloved ranch I lived for 13 years, minus the last year and a half. She graciously offered her bathroom facilities so I showered there. She made a beautiful pot roast dinner, wine, salad and desert. This couple has helped me a lot by taking all of my old electronic equipment and properly disposing of it for me at the recycle place right near their feed store they frequent. They also took a lot of other things to put in a dumpster they were planning on getting for what is called "The Clean Team" that they belong to who go out into the desert and pick up couches, mattresses, TVs and anything else they can find that people have illegally dumped.

I again went back to my ranch to spend another night and be able to pack the rest of my van early enough before the real heat came in. The temperatures there were only supposed to be in the low 80s, but for some reason it just felt hotter and it really affected me. I stopped by my old Marine neighbor's house where he was making a crock pot chicken, noodles and vegetable lunch. I didn't think I was that hungry and since I just came out of the heat, I told him I didn't want any, but he put some in a bowl anyways and I ate it. He's originally from Texas and we have had a number of his barbequed dinners. They really know how to barbeque those Texans.

That evening I took my other friends to a restaurant of their choice. They chose Applebees. Boy, was that place noisy.

I spent another night at my ranch so I could rise early, pack whatever was left to pack, make sure the ranch was how I wanted it to be viewed for any prospective buyers and headed back to Northern California. It was another ten hour drive this time taking the 99 Freeway back to the 50 Freeway.

The realtor said I'd be receiving today the advertising he planned to put in about a half dozen papers as well as a couple sites on the internet.

I've gotten so excited about all of this happening and knowing I'll soon (hopefully) be out looking for a new home up here and getting out of this apartment.

In the meantime, I've set up my apartment with my painting area, left most of the stuff I packed in boxes packed, unless I want something out of them, because I don't want to unpack stuff I really don't necessarily need and have to pack them up again when I move into my new home.

I've also brought up my rotisserie and deep fryer I had from my ranch and soon I'll be able to do things in them again, which I missed doing. First thing is a rotisserie chicken.

Another big thing my friends have offered to do when I sell my ranch is to drive a moving van from Southern California to my new home. They want to also take their car so they can have a three day vacation going back down to Southern California. Boy, was that a load off my back. I just didn't know how and if I would know how to drive a moving van and have to go back again to get my van. Getting professional movers to do all of that would be prohibitive in cost.

So I've got all of my ducks in a row waiting patiently for my realtor to call and say we've got an offer.

Wish me luck!