June Rancher of the Month

This is Bruce.** Bruce is definitely his own person. He works 4 days a week at a local restaurant as a dish washer and pays his own bills here at the Ranch. He loves to watch TV, especially sports and the news. If we ever need to know what the weather will be we can always trust his reports.




Bruce's routine is very important to him. He lives by the preposted menus, the calendar and the schedule of activities. Deviating from his routine brings him unbelievable stress so things are very predictable in his life and we work hard at keeping it that way.




The Colorado Rockies is one of Bruce's favorite teams. We occasionally get free tickets from friends and donors and the outings to the games are some of his best times. Bruce takes his transistor radio with him to the ball park and listens to another game being played while he watches the Rockies play. He knows all of the statistics of nearly all of the American League and National League players. He's a wealth of information and very handy to have at a baseball game.
Of course, the Broncos are Bruce's other favorite team and he catches every game he can on TV.





Bruce likes to watch action movies with kissing in them. He laughs at each and every kiss, blushes every time and comments about the couples who kiss on the screen. Some of his favorite movies are The Mask of Zorro and Top Gun.





Bruce bottle fed his own Nubian kid this spring and named it, what else?, Bruce! Happily, the fact that Little Bruce was a girl didn't interfere with their relationship at all.

Bruce has been here at the Ranch for 22 years, longer than any other Rancher, board member or staff member. He has seen more than he is able to communicate in those years. He has recently come to the top of the federal funding waiting list and will be moving away from the Ranch to live closer to his job in a host home in Greeley. He's nervous and excited all at the same time. The uncertainty of where he will live and who his housemates will be is causing him stress, but the staff and Ranchers all tell him how much his new family will love him and how happy he will be. After all, what's not to love? He should move to his new diggs by the end of July.

Bruce recently told us that he "wouldn't even miss this place." He laughed after he said it and we knew he was starting to separate. It was sad for us, but a necessary step for him. He loves his house parent, Pauline, very much and depends on her for much more than help with daily living skills. She provides the sense of family, love and unconditional acceptance that Bruce needs to thrive. The local agency is doing their very best to find Bruce a family whose style is a lot like Pauline's.

Needless to say, we will all miss him desperately. This is the next step that God has for Bruce and once his routine is established, he will bloom where he is planted, just as he's bloomed here at Triangle Cross Ranch.

The best of God's blessings to you Bruce! We love you!

"...bursting with abilities, capabilities and possibilities!"

**Triangle Cross Ranch does not use our Ranchers' real names in our public posts.

March Rancher of the Month

Meet Laura!* She's our March Rancher of the Month. Laura is non-verbal, but she communicates better than most. She's been a Rancher for 14 years and never wants to live anywhere else.

Laura loves music and dancing. She sings long and loudly when given the chance and freeform dances until she drops--literally--whenever there is lively music. Laura is full of life and loves to tease. She uses sign language on occasion to get her message across, but her facial expressions say more than any sign language could.

Laura is in charge of the house dog, Tasha. She feeds her, walks, her, cleans up after her and watches out for her safety. She does an amazing job at it and Tasha loves her and trusts her. Laura also has a pet bunny that receives exemplary care. She takes care of her bunny all by herself and never needs help with this task.

Laura's room is organized and clean nearly all the time because it's very important to her--it's part of her routine and she thrives within her routine. She has pictures of horses, wolves and eagles on her walls. Her favorite movies are westerns that feature John Wayne, Roy Rogers and the Lone Ranger.

Laura loves gentle hugs, tickling and laughing, cuddles, and hand holding. She's an unrepentant tease, reveling in giving the staff a gentle poke in a ticklish spot, then running away and laughing at their surprised reaction.

Laura hasn't always been as relaxed and secure as she is today. She's had her share of stressful times and bouts with temper tantrums and such, but the Ranch has become her home and it's a good fit for her. The longer she lives at the Ranch, the happier she is. In fact, the longer we have Laura with us, the happier we are, too! She is a pearl of great price and a treasure to all of us here.

...bursting with abilities, capabilities and possibilities...!

*Triangle Cross Ranch does not use our Ranchers' real names in our public posts.