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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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Help 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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Read MoreAn Obsession with Cows
“Have you checked the cows today?” After moving eight miles from town and down the road from my in-laws, I wondered at my father-in-law’s compulsion to drive through his cattle every single day, sometimes twice. My husband did the same. We drove through the steers he fed out on...
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Read MoreCowboy Gear: Ropes
Slang terms for Cowboy Ropes included Line, string, ketch-rope, clothes line, throw rope, saddle rope, grass rope, twine, whale line, hard twist, hair rope, or pepper-and-salt rope. Whatever you call it, they say that a range cowboy did everything with his rope but eat. Vaqueros in early...
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Read MoreCollecting Recipes
Cookbooks take up three shelves above the desk in our kitchen, some old, some inherited and some new. My favorites are those old, used and sometimes stained binders filled with family favorites put together by church ladies or quilting clubs. I find them in used book stores and sometimes...
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Read MoreCowboy Gear: Saddles
“The West was won and conquered by the men who sit in saddle leather.” Saddle, a cowboy’s workbench and his throne. In the West, known as cow saddles, range saddles, stock saddles. In the East as Mexican saddles, Western saddles or cowboy saddles. Western cowboys were not impressed with...
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Read MoreFrom 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...
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Prairie Purview
Truck Cookies and Piles of Worms
“Traditions are the guideposts driven deep in our subconscious minds. The most powerful ones are those we can’t even describe, aren’t even aware of.” ELLEN GOODMAN “I’m putting a truck on mine,” proclaimed my eight-year-old. “That’s a great idea!” I said. Dump trucks are not ordinarily parked on holiday cookies, but expressing oneself is an important part of growing up. Besides, we only had this short afternoon to form life-long memories, so let the merry making begin. “Don’t spread...
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Cranberry Relish Time!
Finding Joy in Simple Things like Cranberry Relish! Fate is a funny thing; people weave in and out of our lives and sometimes the ones who make the most memorable impact are here for the briefest of moments. I love these simple surprises, like the day I discovered cranberry relish. A New Neighbor We had a new neighbor right across the street, who we welcomed on Halloween with pumpkin bread along with kids dressed as Buzz Lightyear and a...
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Goodnight Historical Center; Worth A Stop
If you happen to be traveling along U.S. Highway 287 through the Texas Panhandle this holiday season, plan for a pit stop at the Charles Goodnight Historical Center in Goodnight, Texas. Don’t blink because you might miss it. Set back from the black top, you will see an 1887 Victorian-style home. The historical center is located at 4901 County Road 25. Watch for the buffalo signs and turn south on Country Road 25 by the green Buffalo Gold building....
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Book Reviews & Gift Ideas
Looking for your next read or a unique gift idea? Here are a few of my recent discoveries. Follow the links to author websites for more information and how to purchase. Cookbooks Home-Style Cooking for Extraordinary Diets by Sherri Axe Hartman Gluten free, wheat free, casein free, dairy free, egg free, soy free, corn free, and nut free. These recipes were developed over a 15 year span by a friend out of necessity for life. Hartman shares her best...
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