The Weathervane Ranch

by Cliff Hudgins

The Weathervane Ranch was an oasis in a dangerous and anxious historical paradox. Lawlessness was a part of daily life and yet there was the law. The need for justice was paramount but often those who found justice did so with their own strength, the law was simply too far away. They struggled to find a place in life dangled between the owl hoot trail and honor. The difference between the two directions could be changed by circumstances good or bad, events controlled or beyond control, and by people caring or dangerous. An oasis offers its precious gift to any who happen upon the scene; young, old, different, and especially the defenseless. The Weathervane Ranch offered acceptance but not complicity. It recognized that everyone had the right to a second chance at discovering life at its best. One man chose to open his life to others and in doing so found a life richly blessed and profoundly indebted to those who came to receive.