On Location

The Cast acquired a new location for its productions in 1996. Situated at the extreme southern end of Brite Valley in the foothills of Southern California's beautiful High Sierra Mountains, 47 acre Rocking Horse Ranch offers almost unlimited possibilities for a multitude of productions. The approach to the ranch house is private and picturesque as it winds its way past 100 year old Oak Creek Farm, home to the McClain family. In the spring a riot of wild flowers line the way, and in the autumn yellow rabbit sage and golden poplar leaves fill in for them. The winter snows don't dim the beauty one bit, but they do make it much harder to get to the top of that hill. Although built in 1965, the setting and character of the ranch house and other buildings recall an era long past. The manner in which the dwelling nestles among the towering oaks makes it seem certain that it has seen many more than 38 summers. It has a front porch for sitting and enjoying summer evenings or for breakfasting with the birds. Inside, the walls are covered with 1 by 6 tongue and groove paneling and the floors with 1 by12 wide pine boards painted a rich terra cotta. Up the narrow, steep staircase is a landing with a small floor level window just made to be a feline lookout post. Two tiny upstairs rooms are destined to be guest rooms, but only after some other provision is made for storing off season clothes and all the other things that don't fit into the first floor rooms. The front porch faces an orchard which, this year, is filled with apples, peaches, pears, and raspberries. The frequent late spring mountain frosts, however, mean that most years the orchard is filled with only shade. Beyond the orchard is a dilapidated barn, home to a 1931 Model A Ford, 1949 Ford tractor, a 1960 Jeep Willys, and various errant rabbits, ground squirrels, and mice. We can store anything there that won't fall prey to said errant animals, and doesn't mind getting wet in the winter, since the barn roof is studded with missing shingles and the siding has more gaps that the average 6 year old's teeth. But the barn has a hay mow complete with gable end door, and looks so perfect in its setting, that I wouldn't dream of being without it. It may, however, be a candidate some day for the Rocking Horse Ranch Restoration, Remodeling, and Expansion Project.