Williamson Valley Ranch House

By: Miska Paget

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Capricious windchimes, fickle and delightful, enlivened by Western winds

Dance on their stage above the front door, tickled by breezes that serendipity sends.

A treasured, broad view of cattle ranches below from the front door of this house on the summit.

Our shady cool porch, a full covered vista, of Prescott cattle history we can see from it.

Across the train tracks, down the grama graze hill speckled with juniper and scrub oak

Rests the broad grassy valley and the mountains beyond, home to cattle and ranching folk.

The Longmeadow and Las Vegas are sprawled out close by; I can hear their cattle bawl.

The K4, tucked in snug at the base of the hills, crowned by golden cottonwoods every fall.

More broad sturdy trees mark the old Simmons site that I can see far off toward the west.

The town is now gone, but the cottonwoods live on and honor past citizens hard-pressed.

The graves of brave settlers who made our valley their home lay well-tended on Las Vegas land.

1800’s families, first to establish roots here, lived bravely in our valley so grand.

It is a gift and a blessing to reside where I do, in this modest wood home on the ridge.

Towering Granite to the east and ranch country to the west, I wouldn’t change this view a smidge.

Though at times cold winds rage and prickly tumbleweeds invade, that I can warmly forgive.

Rosy dawn visits from mule deer and bugling elk calling near are a few joys of the life that I live.

A large family of quail start their day on the grass sipping morning dew from the yard;

Ten busy chicks, to their momma they stick, papa perched on the gate standing guard.

The collared dove pair that return every year and start a sweet family anew,

Red fluff balls of house finch that peer in my windows and observe everything that I do.

I delight to watch the horses graze: a palomino, two shiny bays, a short, stocky red roan

Are the view from my kitchen window on most sunny days in this ranch house that I call my home.

I have seen, though rare, a pronghorn or two curiously approach our barbed wire fence.

The last few I saw were down near the draw, and I haven’t seen any more since.

Unwanted guests at times visit our place, and the cow dogs then quickly alert.

Red merle hackles will raise, then a quick race to chase javelina scrounging grubs from the dirt.

A few months back, a mountain lion attack left us short our best barn cat.

Lion found days later under the horse trailer—flushed him out in 3 seconds flat.

At the base of the ridge where our small ranch house sits rests the home of the horses, their barn.

It is flanked with old wood, but the bones are still good; it keeps them dry and protected from harm.

I savor to sit in the eve on the porch and delight in sounds of the stock munching hay.

This is, I opine, the high point of this ranch life of mine: to soak in beauty at the end of the day.

Pink hues on Granite to the east and our sun-peached valley to the west, I know that I am blessed.

My heart requests solace: to imbibe the beauty of the closing of the day, I peacefully acquiesce.

My gaze floats to the distance, and my soul feels the rhythm, as the train goes galloping by.

My grateful spirit feels the glow as the glistering sun sinks low in the copper patina sky.

More Pictures

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About The Poet

DR. MISKA PAGET

As a career horse woman, Dr. Paget combines a lifetime of passion for horses with over 20 years of experience as a large animal veterinarian. Dr. Paget is a 1998 Magna Cum Laude graduate of Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Following veterinary school, Dr. Paget completed a specialty internship in equine neonatal and perinatal medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Wendy Vaala at The Mid Atlantic Equine Medical Center in Ringoes, New Jersey. Nearly a year as a resident in Large Animal Internal Medicine at the University of California at Davis reinforced her love for private practice, and she left the university to practice as an associate veterinarian with a busy large animal practice in east San Diego County. In 2006, Dr. Paget established Giddy Up Large Animal Veterinary Practice in the small cowboy town of Ramona, California–a community she adores dearly. In 2019, Dr. Paget and her husband, Keith, relocated their ranch of 11 horses, a pet pig, a pet goat, a rescued alpaca, 5 dogs and a barn cat to beautiful Williamson Valley, and Dr Paget is excited to offer large animal veterinary expertise to the Prescott region! Dr. Paget deeply enjoys all facets of veterinary medicine. Though she admits that neonatal care is still one of her favorite endeavors, the further she has grown in her career and as a horse woman, the more passionate she has become about lameness and the equine athlete. Undoubtedly, however, she emphasizes that the most important job she has as a vet is ensuring that all creatures in her practice, from the smallest baby goat kid to the largest camel, all have access to routine, thoughtful healthcare. In her free time, you will most certainly find Dr. Paget riding, either on the trail with her husband, Keith or at a local horse show or rodeo!

At the 2019 Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering open mike session Miska Paget gave a very impressive recitation of a cowboy poem she had written. Committee members present all agreed we wanted to invite Miska to the 2020 Gathering and we did but we had to cancel the 2020 Gathering due to Covid. We discovered she had written poems about her experiences as a Veterinarian and her love of animals for some years but had not performed publicly at cowboy poetry gatherings. She had performed at small family and friends events. Miska performed for day sessions at the 2021 Gathering and began to make many friends in the cowboy poetry and music world. She began to receive invitations to other gatherings and her outgoing and charming personality along with a growing repertoire of poems gained more popularity. She was invited to perform on a night show for the 2022 Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering and was loved by the audience. She also recorded a CD of her poems titled “The Best Horses in Heaven They Have No Tail” which has become a major hit. She is a 2022, International Western Music Association top five contender, nominated by her peers for “Female Poet of the Year” and her CD is a top five nominee for “Cowboy Poetry CD of the year”. The awards will be given to one of the five nominees, November 12 at the IWMA Convention Awards Show. The Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering is very proud of being a small part of bringing Miska Paget to everyone who loves cowboy poetry!