Jane Fonda » ranch

NEW MEXICO NEW GARDEN

Jane — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:02:11 +0000

At my beautiful ranch. As I sat at my desk today writing, I watched the perfect snow storm…big, dry snow flakes coming down like in one of those glass shake ‘em up snow ball things. It didn’t last but so what. The sun came out and I saw a huge bird dive into the river and pull up a trout. At first I though it was a blue heron but then I saw that it was brown with a white breast…huge. Tried to see closer with binoculars but it flew away. Gotta call Ted and ask him what he thinks it was. He’ll know. He knows everything about birds. Wanted to get mad cause it ate my fish but then I reminded myself that I have to accept nature’s violence…the natural law of things. The big bird needed food. Still, with the money I’ve spent over the years making the river healthy, that fish was probably worth a grand! Once, while looking out my office window, I saw a deer swimming down the river, only its head above water. That meant it was escaping something. That’s how deer sometimes get away from cougar. It’s a bit cold for me to hike, but just looking out at the mountains and river makes me feel good.

View out the window at my desk. I was inspired to design this window when I saw the Hobbitt houses in "Lord of the Rings." My office is like a cave with ceiling to floor books and a vaulted ceiling. I call it my 'soul' space and I can see the river from here.

From my cliff, I can see the river coming...

...and going

Here a deep hole right in front of my house. I can see some fish but you probably can't from the photo.

A statue on the portal of the Black Madonna done by the folk artist Missionary Mary Proctor.

Having lost my vegetable garden about every year due to late Spring frosts, I’ve decided to invest in this hooped garden which will provide food even when it’s snowing. If one has even a little bit of land, there’s little that is as exciting as growing, picking, harvesting and cooking your own healthy vegetables and edible flowers. Young people can learn about growing. Older people can get the beds raised up so they don’t have to bend over. And over time, you save money. The manufacturer, Ken Kuhne, mentioned that he makes special fees for non-profits and has set them up in and around Santa Fe at homes for teen moms and seniors.

This is Ken. For more information visit his website: www.growyown.com. The beds can be made to cover a tiny amount of ground or a lot. Either way makes it possible to grow food year round.

This is what the garden area looked like this morning before the guys started work to install the 'hooped' garden.

We'll plant the beds tomorrow with all sorts of vegetables, edible flowers and strawberries.

Here are some pictures from beds Ken has done that are already growing.

A cottonwood tree that I had trucked down from Ted's ranch north of here 5 years ago (The Vermejo Park Ranch) died so I'm having it replaced. Those others are also from his ranch.

Julio has done a lot of tree work for me. I always say, "Julio, I'm too old for saplings. I want trees that are already big. Julio is a very talented tree transplanter!

Here I am with Julio and his sons and son-in-law.

POST HOLIDAY FUN

Jane — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:58:00 +0000

Here are some post holiday photos with the family from this weekend…Enjoy!

Day after Thanksgiving brunch: Vegetarian Lasagna, broccoli, Hummus, garlic bread. Yum!

I have had these plates for 45 years...each one has a Zodiac sign.

Katie Keenan and guess who?

My granddaughter, Viva, is interviewing me for a school project. She was a smart interviewer.

Last night we had a rousing game of Taboo. Here's Viva and Katie in front of the fireplace, racing against the timer.

Katie found this fossil. We think it is a fish jaw. We have lots of fossil and chards of Pecos Indian pottery.

This morning we celebrated Judy Keenan's birthday with a candle in her pancakes.

My New Website

Jane — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 22:53:14 +0000

It’s graduation day! I am moving from a blog to a website. I feel I am growing up as a techie and I am so excited. I am doing this because I want to be able to share more with you about things that interest me, things I am involved with, things I am learning about, and things I get asked a lot. I hope you will let me know what you think. This is all very much a work in progress—as am I!

Also, please sign up for my mailing list so I’ll know how to reach you with special stuff from time to time. Okay?

I haven’t blogged in the last few days because my team has been busy mounting this new website, so here are some pictures of what’s been going on during that time.

My daughter and grandchildren arrived in New Mexico last Friday. We could see the fires near Los Alamos in the distance as we approached Santa Fe.

Malcolm and Viva in the car

Vanessa, the designated driver

These 2 pictures are of the Los Alamos fires. It's so dry it's scary

I was worried that it would be super hot but this is New Mexico’s monsoon season and every afternoon there’s been enough cloud cover…even some rain…to cool it off and the nights have been splendid.

We dragged a lot of old lumber, wood palettes, pipes and stuff from the bone yard (where miscellaneous stuff we don’t need from the buildings is deposited) across the river and the kids (with Vanessa’s considerably skilled help) are building a tree house.

Malcolm built the stone stairs to the "front door." He is very meticulate

a baby bird fell out of it's nest onto the brick patio. Vanessa knew what to do right away and picked it up.

Vanessa putting baby bird back in the nest with Viva taking pictures.

Vanessa photographing the bird in its nest

Hard to see but it's in there.

Viva watching her mom

My friends Sharon and Howell Ferguson are here with us. They, Howell in particular, are avid fisherpeople and they’ve been out every day catching (and releasing) some nice fish. We use barbless hooks and always throw them back. The water’s low . We didn’t have much snow this year.

I have had so much to do around the upcoming release of my book on August 9th (interviews and stuff) that I have not had a chance to fish. I am headed to Atlanta for a G-CAPP board meeting. Then I come back to the ranch for another 15 days. So happy.

But I did ride the other day and I realized that my horse, a white Arab named Gitane, has bad arthritis and I think it hurts me more than her to feel her limp when we ride so I have decided —with great sadness–to put her out to pasture. I have another Arab mare that was my first —almost 30 years old now, who I bought from the film director Mike Nichols– who is enjoying her old age out in the fields. I’ve buried 2 horses this year and now another that can’t be ridden. Gotta start looking for some new ones.

Sharon, Howell and I went for a long ride with Cam, who looks after the horses and they got to see some parts of the ranch that people don’t get to see that often.

Me, Howell and Sharon Ferguson

the Los Alamos fires still burn!

Don’t forget to let me know what you think about my new website.

FOOTBALL AND FUN

Jane — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 01:16:59 +0000

Denard Robinson, University of Michigan’s star quarterback, has done it again. On the first play of today’s game against Indiana he ran 72 yards for a touchdown. With only one minute 15 seconds to go, he lead Michigan down the field, throwing a 42 yard pass and then running in the final, winning touchdown. First player in college football history to have two games in which he passed for over 200 yards and ran for over 200 yards. No college quarterback has ever done that and Denard has already done that with the season barely started! I guess I’m getting into football!

I have been at my ranch with Richard for 10 days! Heaven!! Tomorrow we leave. Ted, my ex, came and went riding and enjoyed the place for a couple days and that was fun.

I have pretty much finished my book. All that’s left is the cleaning up, gathering photographs and getting graphs and diagrams done. Hooray

Several of my dearest friends have just left for a month long trek at 18,000 feet in the Himalayas, bringing tons of medical equipment to Tibetan villagers in remote areas. I had so hoped to be with them but I did not have enough time to train–to get into shape–to be able to make it without being a drag or getting hurt. My prayers go with them and I await the full report — with pictures. Part of getting older is being able to admit when things are too hard and not beating yourself up about it.

All for now

FUN AT THE RANCH

Jane — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 19:18:23 +0000

Sept 26-27th

My childhood friend, Diana Dunn Coe, has moved to New Mexico, near Santa Fe, and she came to go riding with me and have lunch. When I first moved from California to Greenwich, Conn. at age 10, Diana became my best friend. We were both into horses and she got me into hunting/jumping. I was with her, at her house, during some pretty targic and difficult times. I found shelter there. I write about her in my memoirs. I had not seen her in 60 years when, in one of those coincidences that both she and I consider miracles, I found her again in Colorado and interviewed her for the book. Then we didn’t hear from each other for another 7 years or so and now she’s moved to NM and we have reconnected. I interviewed her for my new book. She brought me a photo of the 2 of us at age age 11 years and we posed here in the exact same position 60 years later on the lawn after our lunch and 2 1/2 hour horse back ride.

Yesterday I went fishing. They weren’t biting as much as I expected but I caught 7 or so. 2 were in the 16” range and 1 was 19”. It had been Waaaay too long since I last fished here. I used to do it all the time. Heck, I used to spend 7 months a year here when I was writing full time. Now that I am making more movies (and workout DVDs) I am not here as much which makes it even more precious.

Ted comes to visit on Wednesday. That’ll be fun!

HEADED FOR MY RANCH. HOORAY!!!

Jane — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 21:35:25 +0000

Yesterday Richard and I headed for my ranch in New Mexico. Here’s a photo of Tulea in her carrier on the plane

The moon was majestically full as we drove from the airport—1 1/2 hours—to my ranch.

Today it is sunny and cool. A picture postcard day! And I have been inside all day working on my book which I am supposed to turn in end of September. Yikes! And also doing phone interviews about my new DVD Prime Time workout programs. So far, the reaction from those who’ve seen them is very positive. They’ll be out on November 30th at Target for the first month and then Walmart.

View of my house from the upper road

admin — Sat, 08 May 2010 19:22:25 +0000

I saw 2 doe today. Here's one. And two rattlesnakes yesterday. I was leaning over the rock wall to see if a flower I planted last year was growing and I heard a rattle and stepped back to see the young snake. I was grateful for the warning. The other one looked as though it had eaten a few mice. I like snakes. I like mice too.

POST WORLD FITNESS DAY

Jane — Thu, 06 May 2010 19:20:04 +0000

I’ll keep posting photos of WFD when they come in but, right now, I’m back at my ranch chilling and writing. That means I am very very happy cause this is where I so love to be. The weather has been perfect. Sunny and not too warm. Brisk is the word. I went riding for the first time in more than 2 years. Wasn’t able to before because my body hurt too much before and then right after all my surgeries—knee replacement, back etc I couldn’t risk it But I’m Baaaaack. It was so great. You have a different perspective on the land from horse back.

I’m about to go for a long walk with Tulea, my little dog. Then hunker down to write. I’ve fallen way behind in the writing department what with the World Fitness Day and the move to Los Angeles. I love people’s comments about my loft photos. I wasn’t sure the vibe of the place would translate but I guess it has. It is a most unusual place. I have been so happy there. It’s the kind of space where I could be happy all alone but could also entertain 70 or more people comfortably…and often did. Lofts are often so cold and angular and I really sought to do the opposite with mine—make it warm, curves and feminine. I had a golden retriever at the time and so the floors were her color and I’ve always been fond of soft pinks. The truth is, I was rehearsing to perform in Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues” at Madison Square Garden in 2000 when I came up with the concept for the womb-like entry. So there!

See you next time.

MORE FUN ON THANKSGIVING

Jane — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:49:40 +0000

THIS IS THE BEAUTIFUL JEWELLE BICKFORD ON MY Arab mare, Gitane. And she thought she couldn’t do it!!!

...and here’s Nat Bickford. But what he really liked doing was fly fishing. Troy took him. It was cold but there were a few hits. He’ll come back in the summer and really get into it.

...and Troy and Simone, my son and daughter-in-law (I’m not a monster)

...Troy on the Argentine saddle that’s covered with sheep skin. Very comfy.

...Nathalie Vadim in foreground.

I cannot ride yet cause of recent and not serious back surgery. But I look forward to doing a lot of it in the spring and summer. Just because I’m falling apart doesn’t mean I have to stop doing what I love. I feel like Katharine Hepburn who said to me in her quaky voice while we were filming “On Golden Pond,” “ I’m going to live a long time, Jane, though I may spend the last of in in a chair.. All my organs are like spring chickens. It’s my joints that’ll get me.” Ditto to that.

See You Next Time

THANKSGIVING AT THE RANCH

Jane — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:41:10 +0000

AT&T were a no-show for the five days around the holiday in spite of our continuous cries for help and as a result I have had no internet access. Our offices in Atlanta were flooded when a pipe broke and we had to move into new digs and the internet was a non-happening. That’s why my blogs are all backed up. Oh well. When these things happen I just think that a couple of decades ago the technology didn’t even exist. So—can it really be all that important in the end?

We gathered at the ranch for a week and it was great fun. My friends, the Bickfords joined us over the weekend. They were with us on the Galapagos trip so it was a 6-month reunion of sorts…though I see Jewelle all the time when I’m in New York and she’s just joined the board of The Women’s Media Center. Emily and George’s daughters, Nathalie and Elizabeth somehow didn’t make the photos but they were a delicious addition to the otherwise adult gathering.

I took everyone into town on Saturday and in the fabulous store called Nathalie on Canyon Road we all put on cowboy hats to have our picture taken.

Left to right - Laura, Nick, Nat, Jewelle, Richard, Me

Nathalie, the beautiful owner of the store, with me and Jewelle

Me with Jewelle

It was a snowy weekend…very appropriate for Thanksgiving. We played games like this one where we each had a name attached to our foreheads and had to guess who we were. I was Beethoven but didn’t guess it. We also played a fabulously fun games called Taboo. Men against women. We won. Then we sang Christmas Carrols…a holiday tradition for my family although I’ll have to admit I always have to strong-arm the kids to join me (I grew up singing the old fashioned carrols and want my kids and grands to know there’s more to it than ”Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer,” tho that’s perfectly charming).

Laura Bickford, her sister Emily Lansbury and Nathalie Vadim

Richard who is trying to guess who he is (Marlene Dietrich)

Troy, George Lansbury, Nick Jarecki and Nat Bickford

Laura and Nick gave me a beautiful Mexican bowl with a couple of skeletons dancing on the bottom. I love it cause I love how Mexico isn't afraid of death

Richard's not the only one to wear my mug shot T-shirt!!

Today’s our last day and we’re going into town for some Christmas shopping. As always, I am slightly down cause I hate leaving.

See you next time.