We found the perfect piece of land in Temecula.  It’s a corner lot and it is twenty-two acres of usable land.  What is usable land you may ask?  It is land that is flat enough to grade (level off) into buildable land for us to build our horse stables and teen center.

We are so excited to buy it; the serenity and tranquility of the fresh air and peace.  But some questions come up that we aren’t so sure about the answers.  Where does the water come from?  A well they say.  What is a well?  We’re really not that blonde, but almost.  Do we get a bucket to pull water up out of the well, so that we can heat it up on our stove and  take a warm bath?

This isn’t too far from the truth.  We do not have water, nor electricity, nor a sewer line, which means, we do not have a workable bathroom.  What does this mean, you may ask?  Trust me…I had the some questions.

A well means that we need to hire someone to come out and dig a well, about four-hundred feet deep into the earth, install a pump, and a bladder.  What is a pump and a bladder?  A pump will pump our water into our lines once it is installed into our homes and barn and a bladder is a holding tank of water that doesn’t need to be pumped because it has already been pumped from the well and into the bladder.  Who the hell knew all this stuff?  Not us.  Trust me, this is last time I take my running water, out of my faucet for granted.

Now I ask…what is a sewer line?

Written By:  Ask Ms Mandi

Photography By:  Ask Ms Mandi

Copyright:  May 19, 2019

Let’s start our adventure.

Our first task, seeking out some potential land for sale.  Let me tell you, Temecula and Hemet have a lot of land for sale, but is it usable…that is the question.  Mandi and I decide to spend a day looking at a few locations.  Easy enough, right?  Not really when there isn’t anything on the land as you drive by, such as a house, but thank goodness for modern day conveniences, like Google Maps.  I honestly don’t know how people found their way around back in the day before cell phones existed.  Yes I know, it was called a Thomas Guide, but then again that wouldn’t have helped because undeveloped land doesn’t have a physical address.  Perhaps relying on directions from the realtor.  Anyway…it was a challenge and this was even with modern day necessities.

However, the biggest challenge is when you’re driving a Ford Fusion and discover the map wants you to drive up this narrow, steep dirt road, that drops off hundreds of feet off the edge on both sides of you.  Some of you may laugh, but for two city girls, this is quite a dilemma.  First note to ourselves, we must buy a 4×4 truck!

Needless to say our adventures were short lived.  We made it to one of the properties on our list, but the other three just caused too much anxiety.  Besides, our rationale was, if we can’t drive up our own driveway, then how in the heck will we expect our clients to do the same:)

When all else fails…find a place to eat, relax, and have a beer!

Some days may seem impossible, but all we can do is take one step at a time.

When I was growing up, I never imagined I would be in the process of organizing and building a horse ranch in Temecula.  My childhood dreams were about being a model and living in the big city, perhaps San Francisco or New York City; living in penthouse, wearing glamorous dresses, and dining with the most distinguished guests.

However, life sometimes has different plans for your dreams.  Two City Girls and a Ranch, is a story about two girls following their exciting journey, as they navigate through this new life, exploring new options and challenges as they build this new dream, called a horse ranch.

Written By:  Ask Ms Mandi

Photography By:  Ask Ms Mandi