Wednesday, April 14, 2010


If you are lucky in your life…..special people will be a part of your world. They are the fabric and the thread that binds it all together…the guidance, the stories and the love that keep us going. I am so blessed to have had many special folks come in and out of my life. They always seem to be put there when I need them most. It is a subtle placement by the universe of just the right person to guide me when I struggled to find my way for whatever reason. One of those people in my life just passed on. His name was Charles Picket. His family owned the original parcel of land that is now the Fur Peace Ranch. They were farmers and had a unique relationship with the land and passed that on to us. Farming, for them, was a way of life and it helped build the state, give sustenance to it’s communities and provide them with a special sense of place.
And despite some of the difficult economic circumstances in the last century, agriculture is still a significant part of the state economy. Agriculture took on a whole new meaning in the 60’s around here….and farmers became….well……growers….of all things green. That’s all I’ll say about that.

All the old timers around here seemed to have sprouted from the earth and they know things about the signs of winter months before it happens. It borders on magical. Charles and his family were and continue to be part of that history. He and his wife Anna raised four boys….a lot like him, rugged, kind and terribly funny. Charles’ land (the piece they kept) has a million dollar view. He and his wife over the years have allowed Pete Huttlinger and some of Pete’s students who like to fish like him….catch and release anything that was in his pond. They always come back with great stories….and like boys…covered in mud, fishing poles slung over their shoulders.

There is a hole in my heart right now for this loss…..but like all things…it will pass. When we met him twenty years ago…he insisted we call him Uncle Charles. So today, I honor his memory and the gifts he gave us through his stories and his neighborin’. Long may you run Uncle Charles……

2 comments:

  1. I will miss Charles Picket all the days I have left until we meet again in the glorious land of Love.
    I was kept awake last night with memories of my old cowboy and the love and many moments we shared the past 20 years. He will be missed more than words can say and the memories held tight in my heart like golden nuggets. G

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  2. Well, I'm crying again (with love) four months later. Thank you, Ginger and Vanessa.

    Charlie Pickett

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