The Wilcox’s have been searching for a mountain place to call their own since the pandemic started. We watched prices double in just a few years, made an offer on a few more reasonable houses, but nothing seemed to work out for various reasons. Now it is clear that God had a plan, and I couldn’t be more ecstatic about the final outcome. While vacationing at Grand Lake, my real estate-focused daughter-in-law found a jewel in the rough. The online pictures didn’t do the house justice, so I had ignored it for several months. Since we were driving home, directly passing this home, the kids insisted we stop by for a look-see. The front of the house was just a precious little doll house nestled into the side of a mountain, with an aspen-filled yard and a forest of aspens next door. The view from the street was awe-inspiring, with breathtaking views of Granby in the valley below, surrounded by rocky peaks. Then there was Dora the deer, a sure sign from above. The owner was the listing realtor and even though she had family visiting, she graciously offered to show us her home. With a few hours to spare before the showing, we headed to Winter Park for a nice lunch.

We found the Heberts sitting on their balcony surveying their kingdom, their son from NYC had come in to say goodbye to the home he grew up in. They were a salt-of-the-earth mountain-loving family who clearly were dealing with letting go of the place they called home for over two decades. We loved them as much as their home. The views were beyond anything we had seen before, and the floor plan fit our family perfectly. The backdoor neighbor was Linke Ranch (think Yellowstone of Colorado:) One small problem was, although the house was not overpriced for the current market, it was a wee bit more than I had planned for. After sleeping on it, I called my realtor and made an offer, substantially below the asking price. Then, as Mamou has been known to do, I prayed. The answer came back within 12 hours. They took my offer, no counter, no argument! They loved us as much as we loved them. They visualized my grandangels learning to ski and sled down the side of the adjacent hill. They were leaving the piano, which my granddaughters enjoyed while we visited. We had talked of my passion for lowing cattle nearby, something I enjoyed in my youth at our family ranch, LaBelle. They were glad to pass the torch to a family they knew would enjoy their home as much as they had. My realtor, a young man not given to spiritual comment, said it was a “God Thing”.

The rest is history, we headed up for our first weekend in our mountain home after closing. We enjoyed our first night, soaking in the views of the city after dark. Both grandpuppies and grandangels were entranced by the views from the back deck, where I imagine porch swings will be added in the spring. Currently, I’m focused on getting all outside areas prepared for the winter, which can be in the teens more often than not.

The next morning we had to discover the neighborhood hiking trail, then on for brunch at the delicious Fitch Ranch Cafe, complete with a meat market dedicated to the cattle of Fitch Ranch. Their specialty was smores pancakes, which the kids loved, needless to say. In fact, the kids loved just about everything related to Mamou’s mountain house. I look forward to many weekends with the grands, discovering the Rockies. They did sleep peacefully all the way home, which the adults were grateful for.