Interview with Diane Tericho on Ranching in John Day River Valley (Oregon)

[Bill] Until death do us part is a phrase that's commonly known in the marriage ceremony, and I think that Diane Tericho has another one that she can add to this. What is it Diane? [Diane] Well when we first moved to eastern Oregon, and coming from a Southern California city of many many people, and my first impression was that, um, I looked around me and told my husband that I had promised to follow him to the ends of the earth. And never thinking that he'd take me up on it. [Bill] And now that you've arrived, what do you think of it? [Diane] Well after 10 years I think I've adjusted, but it was take--took a while to do it. [Bill] We're talking to Diane Tericho, who's the wife of Tony Tericho, of the Tericho Ranch, about halfway between John Day and Dayville, in the John Day valley. An up-and-coming cattle ranch, commercial cattle ranch, and she hails from Santa Ana, California. When you first arrived here what were some first impressions that you had, Diane? [Diane] Well I think the, we arrived at night, and I can remember getting out of the car after the headlights were turned off and not being

able to see where I was going. And I almost broke my neck getting from the car to the house due to the fact there were no street lights. [Bill] No street lights. Well I don't suppose you'll have street lights on the ranch either will you? [Diane] [laughing] I guess not. [Bill] A yard light perhaps. What was the time of the year when you first arrived? [Diane] Well we arrived right in the middle of haying season, which I've found to be a whole brand new experience. And found out that we would have hay hands to feed, not lunch and dinner, but dinner and supper as it was known up in this country. And this is one of the lists of things that I told my husband, on this venture, the things that I wasn't going to do. And at this point 10 years later there's only one thing left on the list that I'm not going to do. [Bill] And what's that? [Diane] Have a milk cow. And that's slowly breathing down my neck right now. [Bill] Any other problems? [Diane] Well I can remember sitting down I think the first week we were there, and being unaccustomed to rural life, I asked the people at large

what day of the week the trash man came. Of course they all laughed. Thought that was pretty funny. But I was serious, and they explained to me, then, that you burned your own trash. trash. So therefore for the next two weeks I tried to burn wet garbage and found that that couldn't be done either. And finally after a long period of time came proficient as to burning the debris. [Bill] Let's look at some of the ranch work that you are called upon by your husband Tony to do from time to time. What are some examples of things that you've found yourself involved with that were really, well, new experiences. [Diane] Well, when we first got there I really had never seen a cow up close. I thought they all came under cellophane, where you bought it at the supermarket. And so I was asked to come out and help separate the steers from the heifers one day. And so I went out and I was placed at the gate to let certain animals go by and certain ones that were supposed to stay in the pen. And so I let one go by that had horns. And my husband yelled at me and said, "Why'd you let that one go by?" And I

said, "Well that- that's a steer." He says, "Well, no it's not." And I said, "Well, it's got horns!" and at that point I really thought all the steers had horns, and all the heifers were the ones without horns. And of course there was always with a great deal people standing around when I would do these things and got a big laugh on that, then was supplied with a little knowledge of anatomy as far as a cow herd was a was concerned. [Bill] Well now, listen this seems as a bit of a surprise because you in your own right are a nurse, you're a registered nurse. [Diane] Yes, I ... People look different than cows. [Bill] Have you any patron saints that you call on from time to time to assist you through the, let's say the culture shock that occurs between Santa Ana California and Dayville/John Day Oregon? [Diane] Well I [Diane] Well, I would say probably one of the mainstays in my life has been the articles written by Erma Bombeck. And my mother used to send me articles by Mrs. Bombeck long before she wrote for The Oregonian. And I enjoyed her sense of humor and I think learning from her the fact that if you have a

sense of humor you can cultivate an interest in anything. [Bill] I suppose there is another analogy we could draw. Betty McDonald some years ago wrote "The Egg and the Eye." Eye. Do you feel any proximity to that? [Diane] Well at the time I read "The Egg and Eye," I think I'm probably the only one that read it and cried all the way through it. [Bill] And now after 10 years you could probably laugh all the way through it. As we have been talking with Diane Tericho, wife of Tony Tericho, a Grant County rancher, who made the move from Santa Ana, California about 10 years ago and now has successfully passed through the transition from that of a Santa Ana suburban housewife to a Grant County rancher, where she also works part time as a nurse in the local clinic. I'm Bill Smith with the OSU extension service.