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Read MoreWriting the West
There are some born to a life of livestock barns, wide open sky, starry nights, and sweaty work. They can saddle a horse anytime they want, lucky to be living the kind of life that others only dream about. The dreamers live out their adventures through the pages...
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Read MoreAll About Dad’s
Whether it’s fixing a flat tire, unstopping a toilet, doctoring a steer, or lighting a campfire; dad’s are some of the best teachers. Hats off to all of the men out there, whether they be dads, grandpas, uncles, brothers, friends, or neighbors who spend time with us and teach us....
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Read MoreCowboy Camp Beef Stroganoff
Beef Stroganoff is an old recipe. I stumbled on the history while researching recipes for cow camps and ranches. This very old Russian dish was created for Russian aristocracy by a French chef, was brought to America by Russian émigrés. Who doesn’t love a good beef recipe in a...
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Read MoreCowboy Approved Potato Casserole
As you read this blog post, we are gearing up for another week of branding at the Sanford Ranch. The cowboys and cowgirls are in the saddle before daylight and work during the coolest part of the day. They finish up with branding and vaccinations of new calves around...
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Read MoreCocklebur Camp
Abilene and the Western Heritage Celebration! Research for my book about chuck wagons took me to Abilene, Texas for the Western Heritage Celebration on a rainy, overcast Mother’s Day weekend. It was a huge event with vendors, roping and riding demonstrations, horse races, music, and lunch prepared by authentic...
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Read MoreSpring Branding on a Texas Ranch
The Work Begins! Every spring throughout ranch country, cowboys and cowgirls gather the cow/calf operation herds for branding. Some people claim that branding of livestock is a cruel practice, but it is necessary to establish ownership. The practice was introduced to North America by Cortes when...
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Read MoreHelp A Horse Day!
National Help a Horse Day is celebrated annually on April 26 to raise awareness of the people who work tirelessly to give abused and neglected horses a second chance. And they need your help! There are two equine sanctuaries in my area that have made a huge difference in...
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Read MoreMyths of the Working Cowboy: No Skills Required
While researching the Texas ranching industry, I’ve uncovered some interesting information based on assumptions of the ranching lifestyle and the work of the American cowboy. One historian referred to the cow hands of the great cattle driving era as “glorified cow walkers” because “cows are dumb” and they generally...
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Prairie Purview
From Vequero to Cowboy
What’s the difference between Vequero or Cowboy? Cattle handlers were called many names with various meanings over the past 150 years, beginning with the great cattle drive era to present day. Today cowboy is the most familiar term, but in the old days it meant something entirely different. The great cattle drives as we know it really took off in 1866 when Texas pioneer and cattleman Charles Goodnight drove a herd to Fort Sumner and then on to Colorado...
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Cast Iron Cookware
Worth a Mention in Your Will Cast iron cookware has been so treasured for many generations, some women left specific instructions in their will for the care of their cookware. Without a doubt, the best wedding present we received was a large cast iron skillet. My sister-in-law said, “I wanted it big enough so that you could cook a whole chicken.” It’s so heavy, I have to use both hands to lift it. After 30+ years of marriage, it...
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The Cowboy Stomp
Stomp, Hoe-Down, Shin-Dig, Baile, Hoe-dig The “grapevine telegraph” spread the word through short grass country of upcoming social events. Neighbors rode for miles to share the gossip and pass the word along to other neighbors. If any cowboy who happened by your place mentioned the upcoming Hoe-Down, you could consider yourself invited. The hosting ranch prepared the bar-b-qued beef and the party-goers traveled for long distances bringing cakes and pies, dressed in their Sunday best sporting new haircuts and...
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Longfellow’s Christmas Bells
The sorrow behind the joyful words of Longfellow’s song. As a writer, I’m always fascinated to learn the history behind the stories and how the events at the time might influence the words that flow onto a blank page. Good or bad, joyous or devastating–strong emotions can evolve into powerful prose. A good example is a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, one of my all time favorites. Longfellow’s Sorrow In the case of Christmas Bells, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote...
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