Burntwell Guest Ranch

2011-12-23T20:03:00.000-08:00

The black female, #4, is the only one left.

Two puppies left.

2011-12-22T12:40:00.000-08:00

We're down to two puppies left. The solid black female and solid black male. # 4 & 6

Three Borgi puppies left

2011-12-20T13:25:00.000-08:00

We still have three puppies left. One female (#4) and two males (# 5 & 6). We are traveling to Fredericksburg, TX, by way of Lubbock, for Christmas, so if your close to the route from Roswell-Lubbock-Fredericksburg we can meet you en-route and deliver them to you!!

They are REALLY cute and starting to show their personalities.

Borgi Puppies 8 weeks old Christmas Day!! Puppy #8 (SOLD)

2011-12-07T19:37:00.001-08:00

To recap:
We’ve got Borgi Puppies again. Our Border Collie,Biscuit, had 9 pups again, but the runt didn’t make it, leaving 4 females and 4males. Look below to see which ones are still available. They were born Oct.30. The females are selling for $200.00 and the males $150.00. Ican start their shots at 8 weeks old (which is Christmas Day!) for anadditional $50.00.

Puppy #8 (SOLD)

Pictured: ~~#1 female~~ (SOLD)

~~#2 female~~ (SOLD)

~~#3 female~~ (SOLD)

#4 female

#5 male (SOLD)

#6 male (SOLD)

~~#7 male (~~SOLD)

~~#8 male~~ (SOLD)

Let us know at chesser@pvtnetworks.netor 575-347-2668 if you would like to claim one. Kim & PatriciaChesser

puppy # 7 - (SOLD)

2011-12-07T19:35:00.001-08:00

Puppy #6

2011-12-07T19:33:00.000-08:00

Here comes the males - Puppy # 5 SOLD

2011-12-07T19:24:00.000-08:00

SOLD

Borgi Puppies just in time for Christmas!!

2011-12-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

Puppy #1 SOLD

We’ve got Borgi Puppies again. Our Border Collie, Biscuit, had 9 pups again, but the runt didn’t make it, leaving 4 females and 4 males. Two of the females are already sold. They were born Oct. 30. The females are selling for $200.00 and the males $150.00. I can start their shots at 8 weeks old (which is Christmas Day!) for an additional $50.00.

Pictured: ~~#1 female~~ (SOLD)

~~#2 female~~ (SOLD)

~~#3 female~~ (SOLD)

#4 female

#5 male (SOLD)

#6 male

~~#7 male~~ (SOLD)

~~#8 male~~ (SOLD)

Let us know at chesser@pvtnetworks.net or 575-347-2668 if you would like to claim one. Kim & Patricia Chesser

Puppy #2 - SOLD

Puppy #3-SOLD

Puppy #4

"Woo-Hoo"!! Double Good News

2011-09-16T20:56:00.001-07:00

We just got home from a trip to Lubbock to the Dermatologist for Kim’s 4 month check up after removing a melanoma in May. Had a couple of routine pre-cancers burned off his face, but everything looked good and there was no suspicious spots!!! Thank you God!!

And we drove home through MUD!!!!! We had 9/10ths of rain before we left Thursday morning (a nice slow rain through the night) and when we got home about an hour ago there was another inch and 4/10ths in the rain gauge and the creek in front of our house is standing full of water!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you God!!!

:-D ;-O ;-} :-] J

We’re doing a happy dance!!

"NEVER FORGET" a 9/11 Tribute

2011-09-10T22:28:00.000-07:00

We just came from a musical production by Waymaker Church, here in Roswell, which was a tenth anniversary 9/11 tribute called ‘NEVER FORGET’. A very top notch, class act performance by members of the: Waymaker church choir, New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) vocal ensemble, and Roswell Symphony Orchestra.

The guest speaker was Major General Jerry Grizzle, who is now the president/superintendent of NMMI. The whole program was VERY well done, touching and once again made us so proud to be an American! The patriotism ran high in the hearts of those in attendance.

Our thanks to Waymaker Church who make productions like this and the annual Christmas Program available to our community. And always giving God the glory for our freedoms and blessings.

Thank you!

A Long Weekend of the 3 R's (x2) !!

2011-09-06T12:40:00.000-07:00

We spent the long weekend hiding out in a cabin in Ruidosoto celebrate our anniversary (33 years!) and enjoying the 3 R’s:
Repose

Rest and

Relaxation

Came home yesterday armed with the next 3 R’s:
Refreshed

Recharged and

Rejuvenated

Ready to get back to work!

The cool mountain air and evening showers were soappreciated! We know now that it still can rain. As of this date,we’ve only had two ½ inch rains, a week apart since last September! Please pray for a reprieve from this drought! Our cows will be sograteful!!

You are NO accident!!

2011-09-04T06:12:00.001-07:00

If you see a watch, I hope you assume there’s a watchmaker. And if you see the precise atomic flux of the universe, I hope that you don’t believe that happened by chance.

Evolutionists believe that if you take billions of years and add time plus chance, that you
can turn frogs into princes. In
school they call that fairy tales.
In the laboratory they call it
science.

God spoke your life into existence.
His Word sustains your breath.
His Word can silence your breath.                                          Thank Him for your life today!

A FULL AUGUST AHEAD!

2011-08-01T21:01:00.001-07:00

We left going 8 hours in opposite directions today. Kim to Colorado Springs to move Haley. She is relocating to the Lubbock area. Patricia to Fredericksburg, Texas to spend a few days with her friend, Gail, and help her some on her fixer upper house project. Then Kim and Haley will catch a ride with his sister, Leesa, on Thursday for a Chesser wedding this weekend. Wade, Kim’s nephew is getting married Saturday in Center Point. Kim is officiating and Patricia will provide prelude fiddle music plus the Bridal Chorus. Then back to the ranch on Sunday after picking up Sabine from Germany for a week, overlapping with Francis from France for two weeks, which will overlap with Thomas and Kirsten from Germany for two weeks. A full August!!

2011-07-25T06:23:00.001-07:00

We went to a fun outdoor wedding over the weekend. Perfect weather, beautiful views of the mountains, great local Mexican cuisine, a good dj and lots of dancing. By our local definition a casual to semiformal affair: Casual means no tie, but get a haircut, shine your boots and tuck in your shirttail. Semiformal means you’ll need a tie, a coat and all of the above. Black tie formal means you probably don’t wanta go.

2011-07-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

Still the most important words to get along in life: Please. Thank you.

And with that said, “THANK YOU, GOD” for the ½ inch of rain a couple of nights ago and another ½ inch last week!! So we know it can still rain! Not any sign of grass greening up in the pastures, but it washed the dirt off of things, has given us a starting point, and my yard is very happy!

2011-07-22T15:11:00.000-07:00

We are now listed on the Top50Ranches.com. We along with some other member ranches have recently been featured on ABC News! It's about 1/4 of the way in as you're watching(be patient as it loads!). It will be featured live today at 2pm and again next Friday. Here is a link to it:

http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/video/top-learn-vacations-14126761

It will live at ABCNews.go.com forever after airing!!

2011-07-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

We had a nice weekend at the Weed Bluegrass Festival, There were 7 different bands, each one playing two different 45 minute sets of music. Live music all day with some really talented musicians!! It’s quite a challenge and a bit intimidating rubbing shoulders with the caliber of some that were there!

The drive up there was discouraging. It is SO VERY DRY, and you don’t have to drive many miles in any direction to see some (or a lot) of devastation as the result of wild fires that have ravaged our state and beyond this year. PLEASE PRAY FOR RAIN!!

2011-07-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

July 15, 2011

July has been packed with activities of all sorts!! Well it actually started mid June when Kim landed in the emergency room, followed by 3 days in ICU following a horse shoeing accident that broke three ribs and gave him a serious puncture wound along with it. He’s recovering remarkably well, with hardly a trace of discomfort.

Wednesday we had our first measurable precipitation, ½ inch, since last September or October. It’s not much to many people’s standards but we are so grateful. Even if it doesn’t start the grass growing, just washing the dust off the grass, trees, houses, etc., makes everything seem so fresh this morning! The birds sound better, the ants are out in force scavenging, the cows even don’t seem so desperate for the feed pickup to come by!

We started the month with some great guests arriving: Mandy from New Zealand, Markus from Switzerland and Shannon and Delilah from Oregon. Thankfully they were very content to ride easy and very helpful with the handling of the saddles, giving Kim’s ribs more time to heal. With Kim banged up, Haley stepped in to fill his shoes on the ranch rodeo team when they competed in Colorado Springs on Saturday, the 2^nd. We loaded up our camping gear, Markus and Mandy, and headed to the springs to watch the rodeo. Our team wasn’t a very big threat but we had a good time. Haley had a great time taking Kim’s place and Kim did pretty well being an observer! We said good-bye to Markus there and headed back to the ranch. Mandy was with us another week when we got some calves branded, she was right in there flanking! Had another good week with her then drug her along with us to the first night of our church’s Mountain Family Fellowship campout before taking her to the airport on Saturday.

Home to Patricia’s band members waiting on her to get a marathon practice in Sunday night and all day Monday in preparation for the Weed Bluegrass Festival, that we will be off to this afternoon for the weekend, where Kim is also the master of ceremonies!

Cowboys & Indians magazine

2011-05-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

We're in the 'Cowboys & Indians' June/Special Collector's Edition magazine! Burnt Well Guest Ranch was listed as one of the top 11 "Working Dude Ranches Worth Waking up Early For" in the Best of the West section.

Another Burnt Well/cowboy perspective on the economy, value of money, and we’ll add work ethic to it:

2011-05-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

Good things come to those who wait and work like crazy while they’re waiting......

more to follow.....

More Burnt Well/cowboy perspective on the economy, value of money, etc.:

2011-05-04T16:34:00.000-07:00

The cost of a thing usually has little to do with its value. Stay tuned for more.....

Burnt Well/cowboy perspective on $$ values and the economy

2011-05-03T19:18:00.000-07:00

· Some people spend more time wanting what they don’t have than enjoying what they do. Stay tuned, more to follow.

Spring Bonney Drive, new camp mascot

2011-05-03T17:02:00.000-07:00

This spring's cattle drive was completely out of the ordinary! Fewer guests than normal (no surprise with the economy and uncertainty of the times), fewer days at camp (and a cold one at that), Wed.-Tues (instead of Sun.-Sat.) and our firs...t doggie/ bottle fed calf (we've had doggie/bottle lambs and lots of puppies over the different drives). But all that said, it was right on up there with the best of drives, and the point of it all, we got the job done, had fun doing it and got to know great people in the process!! And the best bonus of all for Patricia, Haley came up and joined them over the weekend!! Thanks for the sacrifice it took to come, Haley!

Happy Easter!!

2011-04-24T05:38:00.001-07:00

This week’s thoughts from Burnt Well: Two great stress reducers: I’m sorry. I forgive you. And on that note something I heard on the radio yesterday: Let’s celebrate the resurrection today (and this week) by forgiving someone, whether they deserve it or not! And by John Harrigan: ‘People need loving the most when they deserve it the least.’ Happy Easter!!

BURNT WELL'S TWO STYLES OF CATTLE DRIVES

2011-04-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

Dude Ranch style cattle drives:

Drive any number of cattle from point A to point B, which could be from one to ten miles. On these drives we typically sleep and eat most, if not all meals, at the ranch but may have the occasional need to pack a sack lunch in the saddle bag and can take just about any age, riding and/or adventure level. This type of cattle drive is very common, if not the norm, at Burnt Well on most regular ranch stays (unless you specify that this is not what you want to do). Since we are a working cattle ranch on 15,000 acres and there is always plenty of cattle work to be done, the need to round up the cattle and drive them the various distances to the pens to work them could very well have you in the saddle for many miles/hours a day. Our guests have told us that our cattle work on a regular ranch stay is more than many of the ranches “specified” Cattle Drives.

Authentic ‘Old West’ style cattle drives:

As with our dude ranch style cattle drives, on our authentic ‘old west’ cattle drives we are actually doing a job, not just moving cows in the name of a ‘cattle drive’.

On these cattle drives we camp out on the trail at least 3 nights, sometimes 4 or 5. We provide you with a 'cowboy' bedroll (a 3" mattress made up with sheets & blankets and rolled in a tarp). We have 'cowboy' teepees in case of inclement weather and there are also cots available, for those who are a little squeamish about being right on the ground. We usually make between 10 and 15 miles a day with the cattle and are in the saddle between 5-10 hours a day. We start early, are driving cattle by sun up, and will try to be at camp by early afternoon.

The hot breakfasts and suppers are cooked dutch oven style and over the campfire while out on the trail, where there’s always plenty to eat (Patricia says, “If you leave Burnt Well hungry it’s your fault!”). After breakfast you pack your own lunch for the day, choosing from a vast array of choices along with a delicious wrap made with the extra ‘Chesser natural beef’, from supper the night before.

Nightly campfires, a blanket of twinkling stars on a New Mexico black velvet sky and, if you can get Patricia away from her camp kitchen, you could enjoy an evening of sweet fiddle music. Since we are out for the duration of the drive; actually doing a job, and living and eating in the elements, the conditions can sometimes be unpleasant. Therefore, our authentic ‘old west’ style cattle drives are adult only and for the adventurous adults with plenty of stick-to-itouvness! The stuff memories and bucket lists are made of!

Food for thought from Burnt Well:

2011-04-03T20:47:00.000-07:00

Almost anything is easier to get into than out of.

Something to ponder:

2011-03-29T14:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a Burnt Well quote for this week: You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try!

Borgi puppies ready in time for Christmas

2010-12-02T17:29:00.000-08:00

We have 8 Borgi puppies, mother is Border Collie, dad is Corgi. $150.00 w/o shots. Email me at chesser@pvtnetworks.net if you want more information or to claim one. There is one male and three females left.

New 'Chesser Casita Retreat'

2010-12-02T17:25:00.001-08:00

Check out the 'casita' page for info on our new vacation rental. It turned out really cute.

Awesome Rain

2010-07-01T06:59:00.000-07:00

We had such a beautiful, slow soaking rain yesterday. Couldn’t stay in the house afterwards, but had to get out on the 4 wheeler and see how much it had rained around. Everywhere from 2-3.4 inches and the creeks were running! It is awesome! Thank you, thank you, thank you God!!!! It was the kind of rain that will grow that hill grass that the cows and sheep love so much and is so nourishing! In a few weeks you won’t even be able to see the rocks on the hills, they’ll be covered with grass!!

Check out the rest of the pictures on our Facebook page.

"Borgi" puppies

2010-05-26T14:39:00.000-07:00

Time has got away at Burnt Well Guest Ranch again, what with the 2^nd cattle drive (that was great) and guests before and after. Here are our eight ‘Borgi’ puppies that are for sale for $150.00. The mom is Biscuit, a full blood Border Collie, and the dad is Gravy, a registered Corgi. We usually have these puppies for sale at the World Championship Ranch Rodeo finals in Amarillo in November, but weren’t able to keep them apart this year during the earlier cycle. They are sweet little dogs! We will be going to Oklahoma City on June 9 and coming home on the 12, so can deliver any of these while en-route, Clovis, Amarillo, Oklahoma City, or anywhere in between. If interested give us a call at 575-347-2668.

View from Carlsbad Caverns

2010-05-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

The beautiful vista from the parking lot of Carlsbad Caverns, even on a windy, hazy day. We took Steven, Isabelle (from Quebec) and Mary (from Chicago) there as a day trip and also to escape the high winds forecasted for Monday.

2010-05-10T04:48:00.001-07:00

We hope all mothers had a happy Mother’s Day! Here are the results of a couple of young mothers living here at Burnt Well.

Biscuit, a full Border Collie, is the mother and Gravy, a registered Corgi, is the dad. We call them ‘Borgies”. They are such sweet and happy dogs. They’ll be 5 weeks old on Tuesday. This is Biscuit’s third litter of Borgi puppies and we have had very good reports from the new owners.

American Cowboy article

2010-05-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

There is a paragraph about Burnt Well Guest Ranch in the American Cowboy June/July issue in “The Best Ranch Vacations of the West” article. It reads: Why go: In the few short years since opening in 2003, the Chesser family has built an intensely loyal clientele from all over the world. The Chesser’s literally open their home to guests--a maximum of ten at a time--with family-style meals served at their own dinner table. The relaxed conversations are always rich and intimate. The riding: Cattle drives are the specialty here. And when you saddle up to move the herd, it’s not just for show. This is a working ranch. You’ll likely get a chance to ride with other working cowboys on neighboring spreads. If you’re looking for the authentic cowboy experience, this is your place. by Mark Bedor, thanks Mark

2010-05-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I got caught in another whirlwind and over two weeks have gone by! We had a great group for the cattle drive!! Great sports in spite of some very unfavorable circumstances out of our control! We took the puppies along, their 4 weeks old now. Here they are in their very own ‘puppy’ tent!

The weekend before the drive, the guys, Kim, Tye and Tim along with our other team members were in a ranch rodeo in Lovington. Here’s a picture of them in the grand entry. Lots going on, will hopefully add more before too much time goes by!

Blooming Yucca's

2010-04-17T20:45:00.000-07:00

The Spanish Daggers (Yucca’s) are blooming everywhere! They’re so beautiful! Here’s a shot of some of the ones near the bunkhouse. You can see Gravy in the foreground sniffing out something? Oh, by the way, our Border Collie, Biscuit, has 8 “Borgi” (Border Collie/Corgi [Gravy’s the dad] mix) puppies born April 6! They’re still under the house, but when she brings them out, I’ll post a picture of them.

A Crazy Few Weeks!

2010-04-13T09:21:00.001-07:00

Where did the time go! Lots going on! Since I last wrote, Patricia’s mom lost her husband to a very quick battle with Lymphoma. Our sympathies go out to her! The same week Tim Ballard (Kim’s ‘cattle drive’ right hand man and Tye’s best man at his wedding) and Alison Hammill got married. Alison is our kid’s friend that they met while working at Lost Valley Ranch in Colorado. Burnt Well was host to many of the Lost Valley staff that attended and were in the wedding.

During that time, also, Kim got 15 horses shod for the upcoming cattle drives and Patricia and Sarah (our neighbor/friend) started painting the ‘casita’. We’re enjoying guests this week from Oklahoma and have a new helper on the ranch, Marty, from the Chicago area. He hit the ground running, working on some native landscaping around the ‘casita’.

Spring Break guests

2010-03-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

We just completed two weeks of two amazing and delightful families each of those weeks. Thank you to the Mathison’s and Boyce’s for sharing your sweet, healthy families with us! You make what we do here at Burnt Well Guest Ranch feel FAR from work! We have two weeks before Tim & Alison’s wedding, lots of guests staying here for that wedding, regular ranch guests then gearing up for the first cattle drive and a busy May. During these two weeks we hope to get some painting done on the ‘casita’ and maybe begin some of the finishing work! I’ll be glad to get to the furnishing of it so I can uncover my treadmill and empty out the storage shed, both of which are buried under and packed with stuff for the ‘casita’!

Thirsty cows!!

2010-03-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

We had a close call this week with our cattle on the Kerr Ranch that we lease from the city of Roswell. The man that lives on that place called Wednesday night to tell us that the cows were out of water. He had noticed that they were hanging around his house for a while, and when he investigated found them with nothing to drink. When we called the city to see what was going on, they said that they were having issues with a reservoir and had turned off all the pumps. It had been over a week. Up until now, they have been really good to let us know about even the smallest of water issues, so Kim wasn’t too worried when he hadn’t been down there to check the water in several days. The city assured us they would get water back in the troughs ASAP. When Kim and the guests went down there to drive the cattle back to the water, he found them in drastically poor condition and looking over the fence longing to go somewhere else to find water. But thankfully all the cows were accounted for, alive and provided plenty of water to drink. The next morning Kim took a load of feed to them to hopefully give them a boost to overcome the slump they were in. He found them in much better shape and again all accounted for. Just a reminder not to take too much for granted. At least it has been cool and not the heat of the summer!

Coyote at the house

2010-03-06T19:53:00.000-08:00

One morning earlier this week Patricia looked out the bedroom window and there was a coyote standing on the other side of the yard fence next to the stock tank looking at the house and the cats! They are getting thick! Hence our drastically decreased sheep numbers in comparison to just a few years ago!

We were mentioned in "Southwest meetingsg + events" publication

2010-03-05T16:17:00.000-08:00

When I picked up the mail yesterday, there was a “Southwest meetings + events” publication with a couple paragraph on Burnt Well in the “Hey Dude” article, written by Christine Bailey, beginning on page 33. Here’s what was said,

‘Most of the ranches in the Southwest are small and accommodate groups of four to 30. Burnt Well Guest Ranch, which can host up to 10 guests at a time, is a working cattle and sheep ranch on more than 15,000 acres an hour outside of Roswell, New Mexico.

“It’s unique but strenuous,” says Patricia Chesser, who owns Burnt Well with her husband Kim. Most of their guests are looking for this type of ranching experience and Burnt Well delivers. In addition to ranch activities like horseback riding and cattle branding, Burnt Well offers several week-long cattle drives each year. On the drive, guests spend three to four days on horseback as they herd cattle 20 to 30 miles from one range to another.’

Cold days then warm days!

2010-02-27T13:33:00.000-08:00

We had yet another snow earlier this week, giving us a total snow fall this winter of over 2 feet! That’s a lot for us! It was quickly followed by warm sunny days, so it didn’t stay around for long.

Kim took 19 yearling heifers to the sale on Monday after leaving them on hay fields, down near Carlsbad, for the winter. He quickly brought them home after these days started warming up and the alfalfa started growing, which can bloat the cattle overnight and be deadly! We did lose one before we could get them off, but got the rest home, sorted out the ones we wanted to keep for replacement cows and sold the remainder for a good price. He also bought 5 bred cows to replace some dry cows he sold a few weeks ago.

Waking up after a gray winter

2010-02-19T06:13:00.000-08:00

Well, here at Burnt Well we’ve had our third sunny day in a row!! A very welcome sight after our gray, cold, wet winter, which is very uncharacteristic for New Mexico winters. The warmer days are making us ready to dive back into the completion of the ‘casita’ project, which entails finishing out the inside from plumbing, electrical, to insulation, etc. We are eagerly anticipating the beautiful desert wildflowers that this unusually wet winter should provide, which are a rare treat for us to enjoy! And we are gearing up for our spring guests and the two big spring cattle drives, the Bonney Drive, which has filled up, and the Kerr Drive, which still has some availability.

2009-03-29T15:18:00.001-07:00

we want to come back

2008-07-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

Some say return visits can be rather a let down,

Best memories are made the first time.

But this is the third trip we've made to the ranch

And believe us it's been "mighty fine"!

Along with the riding, we helped move the cows

Some shootin' and searched for the sheep.

We've had fun at the rodeos, dined with good friends

And those are the memories we'll keep.

Steve's pleased with himself, Kim don't shout "so what?"

He's done something for him which is new.

Helping y'all pull the well (more than once in the week)

Has sure made him proud through and through.

Feeling a bit peckish? Well, you won't be for long

For great cookin' is always on hand.

Patricia'll make certain the meals are all ready

When we come in real dirty and tanned

We've travelled a long way to soak up the sun

But somehow we brought with us the rain.

We ate in a dust storm - got grit in our buns

But for more memories we'll be back again!

All our love - Steve & Lisa Melton Mowbray, England
and remember: "Those that mind don't matter but.......Those that matter don't mind"

AWESOME SUMMER RAINS

2008-07-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

In the last 3 weeks

we have had 4 1/2 inches of rain!!

We're excited!!

the grass is green and growing,

the cows and sheep are happy

and also the flower box is bursting with color!!

The summer is looking good!

Thank you God!!

Story from JPG Magazine

2008-07-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

By Larry Finn 10 July 2008
We decided to take a trip out of the ordinary last year. Instead of the repetition of the crowded amusement parks, commercialized zoos, or fighting the multitude of inexperienced boaters and jet skiers at the local recreational lakes, we decided to go to a dude ranch. We searched around the web to see what our options were, and found a lot of them to be commercialized and non personable. Growing up in New Mexico and knowing there are thousands of miles of open ranges and many large cattle ranches we happened upon the Burntwell Guest Ranch outside the town of Ruidoso. We were intrigued by this ranch after realizing they only book two families at a time so we knew it would be a very personalized style of vacation. After driving 14 hours to reach the ranch, (the anticipation was starting to wear on our girls), we drove down the last 25 miles of dirt road which lead us to the main guest house at the ranch. We were totally amazed at the hospitality and the quality of the amenities after being greeted by the owners Kim and Patricia Chesser and being shown around. Apparently this ranch used to be a flourishing cattle and sheep ranch with over twelve hundred head, but with the drought in the west and the coyotes and mountain lion population on the rise, the owners decided it was time to change their way of life on the ranch. What made this vacation so special was the fact that there are no TV's, internet connections, telephones, and no outside disturbances to distract you from enjoying the ranch life. We found it sort of amusing that without all of the technological toys that our girls are used to, they stayed completely busy just roping, playing horseshoes, taking care of the horses, and learning from Patricia and Kim, what living in the country is all about. We really hit it off with the other family as well, and have made a new set of friends that we keep in touch with. All in all if you really want a different sort of vacation away from the lines and noises of cities and commercialized playgrounds, book a stay with your family at the Burtwell Ranch and step back in time, and see for yourself what you have been missing out on and give your family a vacation that they will remember for a lifetime! PS....I never realized how tough it was to ride a horse and be the photographer......ha ha.........

The Top 10 Cattle Drives - True West Magazine

2008-06-30T09:38:00.000-07:00

May 2008 issue of Tru West Magazine by Johnny D. Boggs

#7 With the Dudes at Burnt Well Guest Ranch: Many guest ranches give paying customers quite the City Slickers workout. But I'm tipping my hat to this old homestead out in the middle of nowhere near Roswell, New Mixico. The drive is for real, and if I'm ever caught in a stampede, I'd rather have Kim Chesser coming to my rescue than Harry Carey, Jr.

Guest Comments - Spring Break at Burnt Well

2008-04-17T12:37:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for your hospitality. This will be something
I will always remember. And thank you so much for the
wonderful food! It was so delicious! And also thanks for the
bag of candy, postcards and a pen! The horses were the best
part of my trip. I had never been out in the wild before.
I loved trotting, too. I hope I will get to come back again!

Taylor Nicole Nevada

I can't thank you enough for the experience we have had here!

Your hospitality has been great! I kow this is a trip my family

& I will always cherish! We enjoyed it so much we plan to make
this an annual trip! Kim - you were so good & patient with my
girls - thank you so much for all you have done! Patricia - your
cooking was excellent! You & Kim made us feel right at home!
Thanks for an experience of a lifetime! We will be back & we will
stay in touch!

Tina & Larry, Taylor Nicole & Aimee Jo Nevada

Thank you so much for the wonderful time. This was the best!
Thank you for teaching my 'Bebop' to ride like a real cowboy.
I know he is going to miss you guys. My boys really enjoyed
themselves as did Bob & I. This was a true "Cowboy" experience
for the family. I am sure we will see you again soon. The
"Cattle Drive" is our next quest and there are no other
people that I would want to experience it with than you two.
You have opened your home & life style to us with so much
warmth, it is truly going to be missed.

Rober, Genia, Dylan & Bebop California

Our "Bloomin'" Cactus'

2008-04-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

This is 4 days growth on one of the century plants in front of the guest house.

Isn't it pretty!

You can see a picture of it 4 days ago below.

Another bloomin' plant is a Yucca,

Spanish Dagger.

This one is blooming early this year.

The desert is a beautiful place when it's in bloom!

2008-03-31T14:39:00.000-07:00

We have added a cedar post railing to the porch of the Guest House. It will provide some early morning shade in the summer, hopefully keeping the porch a little cooler and more inviting for you while you are relaxing and enjoying the peace and quiet of Burnt Well and resting those saddle sore muscles.

Two of the century plants in front of the Guest House are sending up their stalks. The legend behind a century plant is that they bloom every 100 years and then die after blooming. The stalk can get almost as high as the house, growing so fast it seems you can see it grow, before it is actually in full bloom. After the plant dies, there is a small plant, called a pup, next to it that will continue the life cycle.

Last Corgi Puppy

2008-03-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have called interested in our last corgi puppy, here are a few more pictures of him and him with mom & dad.

He was born Jan. 22, is AKC registered and has had his first round of shots.

He is a reall sweatheart and very content!

2008-03-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

The
"Three Musketeer"
sleeping Corgi's

As of this writing, there is just one
little Pembroke Welsh Corgi left.
His two litter mates went to live
in Ruidoso, NM last week.

This little guy seemed timid when
his brother and sister were still here,
but l eft to his own devices, he has
really come out of his shell and is
developing quite a little personality.
If you're interested in owning him,
call us at 866-729-0974. He is AKC
registered. I am going advertise him
in the papers next week.

He's a cutie and a lot of fun!

Corgi puppies

2008-02-05T09:56:00.000-08:00

Remi & Sandy are the parents of three AKC registered, Pembroke Welsh Corgi puppies, two males and one female, born Jan. 22. They all seem to be sable with good white collars, at least at this point. When they get their eyes open and are up and around I'll get a picture of them posted. Sandy is a very good mother and keeps questionable characters, such as Remi, away from them!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T09:30:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from Kim & Patricia at Burnt Well Guest Ranch! May it be blessed and prosperous!

October 07 Cattle Drive

2007-12-28T17:06:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture from our last cattle drive in October. It's not too early to make plans for our next cattle drive May 4 thru 10. Just give us a call at 866-729-0974. We would be happy to book your reservation.

Greetings From Burntwell Guest Ranch

2007-12-21T15:50:00.000-08:00

This is the first posting from Burntwell Guest Ranch. Stay tuned for lots more ranch news, pictures and the like over the coming year. We wish you all a very Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The Chessers - Kim, Patricia, Tye and Haley