THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 11, 2010
15
sOwell from 9 job by refusing to work
From the redwood forest...
Formerly
RFD
#
ork Island
Enter politicians. By for less than the wage
H
3
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e
,

T
h
e
r
e
.
.
.

to the New Y
& Everywhere!
mandating a minimum rate that has been man-
wage that sounds rea- dated. Now that choice
From California...
sonable for most workers, has been taken out of
to the gulf stream waters by Lorrie Baird jim-lorrie@earthlink.net
they put a price on inex- their hands, with the
perienced and unskilled hidden cost in this case
Wo R l d ’s la R g e s t
labor that often exceeds being higher unemploy-
what it is worth. ment rates.
Mandated pay rates, It is of course no se-
du d e Ra n c H
like mandated insur- cret that there is no free
ance coverage, impose lunch. It is just an incon-
on buyers and sellers venient distraction that
“in” we went! It took five anything…except maybe alike things that they gets left out of political
miles before we arrived at meeting Sarah Palin. would not choose to do rhetoric.
Westgate River Ranch’s “And horses live here.” I otherwise.
front gate. Acres of white said wistfully. Workers of course pre- Thomas Sowell is a se-
fence stretched out to I thought Jim would fall fer higher wage rates. But nior fellow at the Hoover
encompass not horses, out of the golf cart when the very fact that the gov- Institution, Stanford Uni-
but a herd of bison. The we toured the waterfront ernment has to impose versity, Stanford, CA
by lorrie baird
horse stables and pas- sites along the river. “This those wage rates means 94305. His Web site is
ture came further down leads to the Intracoastal that workers were unwill- www.tsowell.com.
the road. This 1,700-acre Waterway and the Atlan- ing to risk not having a
I’ve loved horses ever dude ranch near Lake tic. “And there’s even a
since I was big enough to Wales FL is so big it’s in marina here,” he observed
grow a horse collection. no hurry to impress. But through wide eyes.
It didn’t matter which impress it did. “…And horses live
color, shape here.”
or size the “ T h e r e ’ s
horse came
That’s why when we saw a sign
also a private
in; if it had
that read “World’s
airport here.
f o u r l e g s ,
a mane and
Largest Dude Ranch”
I fly my own
plane in every
a tail, it was
I had to go in to investigate.
weekend,” said
beautiful to our host.
m e . B l a c k “But horses
Beauty was the live here,” I re-
first “big kid’s” book I For this frustrated cow- peated with a sigh.
read. I cried for a week girl, Westgate was like By the time we finished
when I finished it and heaven on earth. The wel- our tour of this dream-
slept with it under my come center boasted a come-true resort we un-
pillow. I spent my entire humongous western lodge derstood for the first time
growing up years asking with a stone fireplace that why some RVers opt to
Santa Claus for my own looked like a skyscrap- purchase a site in a resort
horse and I got one every er. There was a petting like this to use as home
year: another knickknack zoo and horseback/pony base.
for my collection. My room rides, an exclusive Saddle As for us, River Ranch is
became so cluttered with Club and “cabins” dis- where we’re spending our
plastic horses they be- guised as houses, even next vacation.
gan migrating all over the a tiny little western town Why?...because horses
house. My parents never with its own post office, live there!
did share my affinity for western store, general
horses. store, saloon, restaurants
When I grew up and be- and much more. Every
came gainfully employed Saturday night Westgate
I rescued a tall skinny hosts a genuine Wild West
horse whose coat looked rodeo. It even has its own
like moths ate it for lunch. picture perfect little white
Within 6 months Shane chapel often used for wed-
was a sleek and power- dings.
ful steed and we turned The dude ranch flows
YOUR ICE PREVENTION EQUIPMENT
heads wherever we rode. seamlessly into River
Three years later I became Ranch RV Resort and
HEADQUARTERS!
ill and had to give Shane its here where we could
• Circulators • Thin Ice Signs
up. So I donated him to hardly believe what our
4-H and Shane went on to eyes were telling us. A • Timers • Thermostats • And More...
become a regional cham- resident offered to give us
pion. I still get a lump in a golf cart tour. www.docksource.com
my throat when I think “Wow! These sites look
about him. like miniature estates.
552
To this very day I am Love those tiered decks.
crazy about horses. That’s The recessed fire pits and
why when we saw a sign built-in barbeques are
that read “World’s Larg- cool too,” this, from my
est Dude Ranch” I had to husband who doesn’t
go in to investigate. And raise an eyebrow about
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