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Page 8:: Featured Open Range Magazine Country Music Artist Darius Rucker - From Hootie to Country
Page 10:: Mob Grazing - a greener way for cattle ranchers
Page 16:: Land trust groups gather to honor land and each other
Page 17:: Ranch Rodeo - How the Cowboys Play Page 18:: Capturing the West - Jimmy Smith Page 22: How Many Steers to Buy a Pickup? Cynthia Vannoy-Rhoades
Proud sponsor of the Second Annual Open Range Magazine 'Concert in the Barn' Cowboy Poetry and Concert Dinner Show
Very special thanks to Jeff Short – our main contributor and the one person who can remind us all, that it can be done.
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Page 6:: Religion in the West - Cowboy Camp for Kids - The great state of Georgia offers rodeo lessons for those that love the West... and God. Page 7:: Open Range Magazine’s “Love of the West” Art Page Page 12:: Open Range Magazine's Featured Cowboy Poet Diane Tribitt
Page 14:: Cattle Ranching in the Fall - Weaning Season Page 15:: Cowboy Careerin' It - Shooting America's Rodeo in Europe
Page 24:: Open Range Magazine's bi-monthly featured Short Stories of "Jack and Cleve's adventures on the Plenty of Rocks Ranch" - The Auction Horse by Cowboy Poet and Western Author Dave P. Fisher.
Page 30:: Cowboy Cuisine - A bunkhouse roundup of classic and contemporary cowboy cooking! Sponsored by TableMountainVineyards.com. Editor/Publisher Amanda Smith Photographer Amanda Smith Staff Writer Codi Vallery Article Contributor Dave P. Fisher Staff Writer/Senior Publication Representative Mike Velasquez Senior Marketing Representative Chirs Aspinall Gaffer Rosco Oruzco Staff Writer and Photographer Jessica Smith Graphics and Layout Dignified Designs and Ginger Ludtke of Ratgraphics Published by Dignified Designs - Glenrock, Wyoming Executive Assistant to the Editor Jessica Smith Subscribe online: www.openrangemagazine.com or at www.magazines.com Or mail the enclosed subscription card to: Open Range Magazine P.O. Box 1207 Glenrock, Wyo. 82637 Cover Photo “Dahli Cowboy ” © Amanda Smith Ranch Rodeo Photo © Amanda Smith www.countryandwesterncowboy.com Background photo page 29 courtesy Wikimedia.
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f you are looking for a fun way to s p e n d time learning about and interacting with horses, then look no further than KB Horse Camp in Hahira, Georgia. Run by owners Kim and Brian McGhee, this family-friendly, Christian-based horse camp offers something for everyone--not matter what their experience with horses may be. With activities and lessons on rodeo events such as barrel racing, goat tying, and calf roping (to name just a few) this camp offers practical, hands-on learning for anyone interested in horses and rodeo. Kim McGhee started the camp soon after graduating from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia, with degrees in Registered Nursing and Animal Science. So why not become a nurse or a vet? Kim answered this question succinctly when she stated, “When I die, I will be abl e to say that I did something that I loved to do my whole life. I will have no regrets.” Kim, who was on a rodeo scholarship to ABAC, has competed in team roping, barrel racing, and breakaway roping.
“When I die, I will be able to say that I did something that I loved to do my whole life. I will have no regrets.”
kids. I also like teaching personal lessons about roping and barrel racing,” she said. KB Horse Camp has been in existence for the last seven years and has had campers aged from 3 to 73 join in the rodeo experience. Of her horse camp Kim states, “We…offer quality training. We try to learn from the best…I try…to teach them (campers) the right way, so if they ever wanted to go pro, they could be able to do that.” And apparently Mrs. McGhee is doing a bang-up job since one student was chosen to compete in Oklahoma this summer in the High School Association rodeo. With a love of children, horses, and rodeo, the McGhees have established a wonderful place to mentor kids who may need it, teach kids who want it, and share their love of horses with kids who otherwise would never know it--all in a loving, non-denominational Christian atmosphere. For more information on Kim, Brian, or KB Horse Camp, visit their website at www.kbhorsecamp.com
KB Horse Camp runs year-round and includes Summer rodeo camps for beginners where kids who live in the city, and would never have the chance to take part in a rodeo, come and spend a week at the Camp. At the end of the week, their parents get to come to KB and watch them compete in a rodeo-showing off what they’ve learned throughout the week. During the school year, some students come to the Horse Camp for a few hours each night to take part in the experience. Kim believes that horses kept her out of trouble when she was younger, and she wants to make sure that other kids have the opportunity to learn about these most amazing animals. “My love for rodeo and horses led me to start putting on camps for
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Open Range Magazine For the Love of the West
Art Page
Ranch Rodeo - Photo Š Amanda Smith - www.countryandwesterncowboy.com
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Darius Rucker Country Music’s Newest Star
Darius Rucker
From Hootie to Country
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aving your first country album debut at #1 on the Billboard charts – following a multi-week #1 debut country single – is a huge achievement by anyone’s measure. When you add to that the New York Times’ claim that your debut album is “one of the year’s most vibrant country albums,” and Variety’s declaration that “Country music has a new major star, and the genre may never be the same” – well, it can be pretty heavy stuff. So it comes as no surprise that Capitol Records Nashville artist Darius Rucker is delighted by the critical and commercial success of his first country album, LEARN TO LIVE, and very proud of the #1 single, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It” – on which Rucker was a co-writer. And his delight only increased as his second single, “It Won’t Be Like This For Long,” also landed atop all three country singles charts. However, what Darius Rucker mostly feels these days is grateful . . . Grateful that the millions of fans that knew Rucker as the voice of Hootie & The Blowfish, the Grammy-winning group whose album CRACKED REAR VIEW sold more than 16 million copies, happily followed the singer/songwriter in his natural evolution to country music. Grateful that hundreds of country radio programmers embraced him as a welcome addition to the genre – as did the nation’s countless country music fans. . . Grateful that Nashville songwriters and established country artists have recognized him as one of their own . . . Grateful that he has been embraced by media and invited to perform on The Late Show, The Tonight Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Jimmy Kimmel Show, and more . . . And finally, grateful that, as a seasoned performer who has already experienced the fickle
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~ Sometime success can be based purely on getting there ~ Blowfish - many of whom had already made the natural migration from pop to country radio - realize that the band’s catchy songs were rooted in the same elements that make great country music. In fact, Rucker says, “We talked about being a country band, and I just got outvoted! They also used to kid me about how I always was bringing them country songs that they had to turn into rock songs . . .” Therefore, making his first country CD was not so much a big leap for Rucker as simply a slight shift in Rucker’s musical evolution. As Billboard magazine noted, “There’s a sense of purpose that makes Rucker feel like a member of the country family, rather than an interloper… Sounds like country may have a shining new star.” As a student of great songwriting, Rucker earned his advanced degree while working on LEARN TO LIVE. “Writing with those songwriters was like going to Songwriting University,” he says. His professors/co-writers included such legendary writers as Rivers Rutherford (Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, Gretchen Wilson); Frank Rogers (Brad Paisley, Trace Adkins) and Clay Mills (Diamond Rio, Reba McEntire). “So many people in pop try to write all these psychedelic crazy lyrics, and I’m sure I’ve been part of that - but that’s something you don’t find in country music. The thing I like most about country songs is that they keep it simple. I love that, and I love the melodies.” Fellow South Carolina native Rogers also served as the album’s producer, a job he secured immediately after meeting Rucker: “In the first 30 minutes, we wrote ‘All I Want.’ The label asked if I wanted to meet the other [potential producers] and I said, ‘Never mind. I met my guy’.”
highs and lows of fame, he’s grounded and secure enough these days to truly appreciate this new phase in his music career. With the critically-acclaimed LEARN TO LIVE, the listener realizes that this project is steeped in the country traditions of meaningful lyrics and resonant melodies, yet is still an album that sounds completely modern. And, as the best country albums do, LEARN TO LIVE takes the listener on a voyage through life’s experiences. The album’s arc covers major life themes such as falling in love, birth and death. “This CD is a journey,” Rucker says. “I realized I’m 42. I’m not going to write many songs about drinking, chasing girls or booty calls. I was going to write songs about having kids and stuff songs about life.” Guests on the album include Brad Paisley on the humorous “All I Want” and Vince Gill and Alison Krauss on the inspirational “If I Had Wings.” “To me, he’s one of the best guitar players around,” Rucker says. Gill and Krauss made Rucker, the ultimate fan, dizzy with delight: “They sounded like angels. You have these two artists singing on top of my voice . . . it gave me chills.” Rucker has always had a close kinship to country music and country artists. “Growing up in South Carolina, it was always around, always on the radio,” he says. First a fan of Buck Owens, Rucker naturally gravitated towards Dwight Yoakam, New Grass Revival and Radney Foster in his twenties. “When I first heard Radney’s voice on Foster & Lloyd’s ‘Crazy Over You,’ I thought, ‘this guy’s voice is bigger than Texas.’ I’m thinking, ‘this is cool songwriting.’ ” Fans of the Hootie & The
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Cowboy “Careering It” South Dakota ranchers look to
By Codi Vallery
Ten years ago Pat and Mary Lou Guptill of Quinn, S.D. realized if they wanted to give their children a chance to be apart of their family ranching operation they would need to expand. “But we didn’t have a place to expand to,” says Pat. “So instead we began to look at ways to get more production out of the land we had.” Left: The Guptill children are a blend of the two with Pat’s lanky athleticism and Mary Lou’s kinetic energy. The youngest three, Josie, Paul and Tia zip and zap all over the ranch, moving fencelines, riding horse, checking cattle and helping their parents with daily chores.
Above: Moving fence is a daily chore. The Guptills are among the few in Western South Dakota who have implemented Mob Grazing on their pastures. A form of rotational grazing, mob grazing calls for focused grazing on small areas of pasture before moving the cattle on to another area. Portable electric fences are utilized for the system. The Guptill heifers are moved each day while the cows are left in larger areas and moved every three to four days. Left: After meeting Mary Lou you realize her spirit is bigger than her body and you wonder how she keeps it all contained.
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Left & Above: In August the Guptills hosted a Pasture Walk and invited those interested in mob grazing to view their pastures and cattle. Area ranchers, organizations and agencies took part in the opportunity. Below: In old west terms Pat is a “tall drink of a man” looking like he should be on the basketball court rather than in the worn blue jeans and sweat stained baseball cap he is wearing – sure signs he spends much of his time outdoors working the ranch. Left: South Dakota is a state that measures distance by time and the Guptill ranch is located 30 minutes north of the infamous Badlands. Where the eroded buttes and sharp cliffs of the national park yield to mixed prairie grasses and farm country.
Right: The pasturelands are predominately cool season tame grasses. The family has an abundance of crested wheat grass which they are now beginning to phase out with the help of mob grazing to western wheat grass – a native grass of the northern prairies. The cattle herd is thriving on the product.
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Diane Tribitt
By Jessica Smith
“I just like to write about the experiences on the ranch and the people I’ve met and the cattle, the kids, the nature, the spirituality--it all seems to come to life in poetry and I just…feel [that] it’s something I can help pass on and preserve.”
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hese poignant words were spoken by cowgirl poet, Diane Tribitt. Diane, who lives in Minnesota, is no stranger to the cowboy way of life or the tragedies it can bring. Having been around cattle her whole life, Diane married Randy Tribitt, and into ranching, in 2002. Randy, who was a Vietnam veteran, was a seasoned cowboy and no stranger to the rodeo having been a saddle bronc rider, a steer wrestler, and a team roper. He had been doing volunteer work as a pick-up man for the Buffington Rodeo Co. when, two years and five days after they were
married, Randy was killed in a rodeo ac cident. Randy was performing a ‘pick-up’, which is removing the rider of a bronc horse once the run is through, when the runaway bronc crashed into him and he was thrown to the ground. Diane was then left with a tough decision--should she leave the ranch and head into the ‘mainstream’?…or should she keep going with the life she so dearly loved? Fortunately for cowboy poetry lovers everywhere, she chose the latter. “I couldn’t imagine living any other life but the ranch,” she said, “I couldn’t give it up.” Diane stuck it out with the ranching lifestyle, although she had to shift gears a bit. She had a small herd of cattle, which she sold to buy more land and turned that land into custom grazing for people who own cattle, but don’t have grazing pastures. Every year, Diane tends to between 550 and 1300 cow/calf pairs for other producers who pay her for ‘cowboying’ and herding their cattle. Not only does Diane run her custom grazing business with her fiancée Sam (a cowboy from North Dakota), they also operate a grain bin construction crew, which erects grain bins almost anywhere in the Midwestern region. Add to this the fact that she has four children (the youngest of which will be starting college in July) and 4 beautiful grandchildren, plus her fiancée Sam’s three grown children, and you truly have one busy lady! How did Diane get into the cowboy poetry ‘scene’? In her own words, “I’ve…written poetry my whole life, but it turned into strictly cowboy poetry in 2005. I had written my first cowboy poem called ‘Tribute to a Cowboy’ on the first year anniversary of my husband’s death,” she said quietly. Someone who read it suggested she put it on CowboyPoetry.com and, “…so I did and it got accepted and it just kind of blossomed from there,” she added. Over the years, Diane has had many requests for permission to use her ‘Tribute’ for cowboy funerals and memorials and this has led her to a realization: “I found out [that] when I write the poetry, it’s actually for other people,” she stated knowingly, “When you can touch people like that…it is the joy of writing…” A couple of Diane’s poems have been put to music by western singers such as Curly Musgrave and Belinda Gail. “That’s a rush in itself, just to hear my words put to music and sung by such great singers!” she said, “No words can describe it!” As far as when she finds time to write her poetry, this industrious and intelligent lady had this to say: “There’s ideas going all the time--I carry a recorder with me or a pen and paper…I kind of just jot stuff down,” she explained, “Som etimes you’re sorting cattle and something hits you…it comes at all times.” Diane continued with, “I like to at least write ideas
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down weekly,” and then added with a smile, “Getting a good poem once a month this time of year is kind of [difficult].” And difficult it is, for Diane deals with all the normal goings on with cattle, such as disease, timber wolves, etc., and still finds time for family and poetry. Her joy of writing has led Diane Tribitt to many awards and accomplishments, including being named CowboyPoetry.com’s 14th Lariat Laureate in 2008, the Academy of Western Artists Will Rogers Cowboy Award: Female Poet of the Year for 2008, and a finalist for the Western Music Association’s Female Poet of the Year, to name just a few. She recently returned from performing at the Calgary Stampede in Canada, and looks forward to her second appearance at Elko’s 2010 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering which will be held in January. Her feelings on the awards and nominations? “You know, it’s just so good to be honored with an award because of what we write…the awards--they’re awesome…that people think enough of your writing to even nominate you, much less get voted in for [an award]…,” Diane said humbly, “It doesn’t change me as a person--I try to do everything I do the best I can and I’m just glad that the20poetry that I write gets the recognition.” She went on to add, “That’s the big thing for me is that poetry is really coming back and being appreciated…it’s not about me--it’s about the poems.” Diane ended the interview with some very wise and inspirational words for women everywhere. “If I’ve learned anything, it’s…always respect yourself, always respect others, and always be responsible for your actions,” she said, “If you want to be a rancher and you’re a girl--do it…just because you’re female doesn’t mean you can’t do it.” She then added, “I guess my advice is to [just] pick your dreams and follow them and do everything you can do to make them
come true because if that’s where your heart is, that’s what you’ve got to do. I come from a family of 10 girls [and] no boys and I’ve been lucky to have been raised with the understanding that a woman can set her mind to do anything she wants to do, but she should always remember to be a lady while she does it.” Wise words from a warm and wonderful lady who has shared her gift of poetry with the public and continues to be an example to people everywhere. Ladies and gentlemen, Open Range Magazine salutes Diane Tribitt, cowgirl poet extraordinaire. For more on Diane Tribitt and her amazing gift of poetry, visit www.dianetribitt.com
A COWBOY FAREWELL The mountains are covered in blankets of snow. Don’t reckon I’ll be ‘round to see you this spring. The echoes have fallen from the lone hoot owl callin’ Now he sits by my window and I know what he brings… My cowboyin’ days, they were truly amazing Found life before death in the clear mountain air Now I’m ready to wander new pastures up yonder And I’m ready to ride the four winds that blow there. I’ve rode all the rank ones – down to my last run. I’ve bulldogged the devil in three seconds flat. My years have been many; true love’s found me plenty. Ain’t a cowboy on earth who could want more than that. Instead of a halo, I’d like a gold buckle; Some jingle-bob spurs with my brand on each side; A riggin’ bag waitin’ at those pearly gates‘n some broncs, bares, and bulls for us cowboys to ride Adios, mi compadres. Farewell, Corazon. Goodbye to Chinook winds that sing soft and low. Don’t wanna be late when my pals are all waitin’ for me, and my spirit is restless to go I’ll soon walk the Red Road, and join the great circle To sing cowboy songs from the sweet bye-and-bye Till we meet, till we meet at Jesus’ feet I’ll be ridin’ that heavenly ranch in the sky © co-written by Diane Tribitt & Will Dudley
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Weaning Season
Jon Griggs, Second Vice President of the Nevada Cattlemen's Association and Ranch Manager for the Maggie Creek Ranch in Elko, Nevada let Open Range know what Weaning Season is about.
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he Fall works on a typical Nevada ranch include weaning which is as the cowboys put it "taking the big ones away from the little ones" or separating the calves from their dams. This entails gathering cows and calves to a corral and parting them either down an alley or from one pen to another. A very noisy process as the cow-calf pairs are not quite ready to end their relationship and are very vocal about it. Many operations then sort the calves, keep heifers that will go into the brood herd and ship the steers and feeder heifers that have been sold and go to grass or feed elsewhere. Here we give the calves vaccinations and wormer and keep them at least 45 days for later marketing.
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PRESS RELEASE
Cowboy Careerin' It
Subject: Photogapher chosen for Rodeo Europe tours Kent Kerschner of Hutchinson, also known as the Foto Cowboy, has been chosen to cover the inaugural rodeo events in Europe. The tour in Europe will begin in Sept. The first of 35 Rodeos to be held in Europe will be in Madrid Spain, Kent will be documenting the events as the happen. Kent got the asignment for his knowledge in all aspects of any type of Photography situations to knowledge of Rodeo. Where to be at the right time, and the timing of the photos. Kent will be traveling with the Rumford Rodeo company in conjunction with the Rodeo Europe Kent Kerschner poses with a camera that his grandmother gave Tour. http://rodeoeuropetour.com/ Kent will him 27 years ago. Kerschner, of Hutchinson, is known throughout be traveling with them till the first of Oct. where rodeo country as "Foto Cowboy." AP Photo. he has to come back to do a wedding senior pictures, and then off to cover the PBR(Professional Bull Riders) finals in Las Vegas. but the tour dont stop there. after the Finals in Vegas, the trip back to Europe will be to do the last 8 rodeos in Tonno Italy and Romin Italy to close out the final part of the trip to. For more info contact: Foto Cowboy Kent Kerschner 620-669-7325 http://fotocowboy.com
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By Codi Vallery-Mills
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he beautiful Saratoga Valley of Wyoming was the perfect place to host 300 supper guests for the Wyoming Stock Growers Agricultural Land Trust’s Barbeque. Held each year at a different location in the state, the XH Ranch operated by Laura Bucholz and her son and daughter John and Bessie, welcomed those in attendance to an elevation of 7,200 feet and a postcard perfect setting of southeast Wyoming. Guests enjoyed conversation over a delicious beef dinner and waged bets against each other during the silent auction. The auction helped garnish more than $25,000 to assist with the Land Trust’s efforts to conserve Wyoming’s working family farms and ranches and the wide open spaces, natural habitats, and western lifestyle they support. The evening ended with music and dance provided by Jimmy and the Boys. Laura Bucholz’s welcome to her guests resonated the purpose of the ag land trust group – a deep love of land and the western way of life. “Twenty-six years ago during my family’s annual vacation out of the Texas heat to the coolness of Wyoming, I met this boy. His name was Kurt and he invited me to see what he called ‘the other end of the valley.’ Off I went and four dates later it was decided that ‘the other end of the valley’ was where we wanted to spend our lives together. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my Kurt’s love for the XH and the open spaces it represents,” said Bucholz. Today, she manages 450 cows on the ranch, AI’ing approximately 150 head and calving in March. It keeps her busy, but she welcomes visitors to her home to learn about ranching and land stewardship. “Kurt knew we couldn’t count on anyone else to maintain a way of life that we all cherish. We can’t sit back and assume others will do it for us; we have to step up to the plate to promote conservation of our ranchlands and our ranching way of life,” said Bucholz. Pamela Dewell, Wyoming Stock Growers Agricultural Land Trust Executive Director said the BBQ draws agricultural operators and lovers of open space from throughout Wyoming each year.
“This gathering has drawn supporters from throughout the state – from Meteetsee to Devils Tower and from Jackson to Old Cheyenne,” said Dewell. “Everyone here has contributed so very much to our work and to who we are as an organization. Our Land Trust is focused on Wyoming’s working landscape. We are the only conservation organization in Wyoming that operates within the guidelines and directives of our parent organization, the Wyoming Stock Growers Association.” A prestigious honor, the Kurt Bucholz Conservation Award, was bestowed up local rancher and retired family doctor, Dr. John Lunt during the evening’s activities. The award is given each year to an individual who exemplifies committed conservation values, particularly those that center on protecting and nourishing Wyoming’s working ranches. “There was complete shock and awe… I was very touched to be given this award,” said Lunt. He himself used the Agricultural Land Trust several years ago to protect the Highline ranch, a life-long dream he and his wife were able to purchase after leaving an established Colorado surgical practice. The couple never looked back, and instead fell in love with the people and land surrounding Saratoga, Wyo. Through the land trust they placed 1,380 acres into a conservation easement to protect grazing, sage grouse, irrigation, and scenic and open views. “For 130 years across Wyoming the hand of the rancher and farmer has been gentle, transformative, and landscape-enhancing; not because the early ranchers set out to be ‘environmentalists,’ but because their survival depended upon open working landscapes, irrigated meadows, and a healthy productive ecosystem,” said Lunt. “This landscape is what we inherit today.” Lunt was appointed to the first Wyoming Stock Growers Agricultural Land Trust Board of Directors in 2001 and has served on the Board since that time. To date, the Wyoming Stock Growers Agricultural Land Trust has conserved over 108,000 acres through 41 conservation easements. For more information, please visit www.wysgalt.org.
“This landscape is what we inherit today.” – Dr. John Lunt
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"RANCH RODEO - THE HIDE RACE"
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anch Rodeo is an event that was re-created a number of years ago to return to the roots of rodeo when the first event was established in 1882. The event widely hailed as the first rodeo was held in North Platte, Nebraska and was produced by William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill). Buffalo Bill incorporated trick riding and a number of other entertaining additions to the rodeo. The competition was about the ranches and who could be awarded the prize of being the best ranch in the rodeo. Ranch-versus-ranch contests gradually sprang up, and events were created that simulated what the ranch cowboys did for work each day on the ranch.
These rodeos were a gathering of ranch families and became a social function that was not only a competition but a time of visiting with each other and sharing their lives. As time went on rodeo evolved and became a showcase of each individual cowboy rather than the team concept or ranch-verses ranch competitions that were originally held. Modern day Ranch Rodeo is a return to those times of sharing and friendly competition. In today’s fast paced environment it is rare that one can go to a sporting event of any kind and see and feel the camaraderie and the friendliness that we feel at ranch rodeo. www.ranchrodeo.net
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Capturing The West Open Range Magazine’s Featured Western Artist May 20, 2009 I would like to introduce a new up and coming Western Art artist, Jimmy Smith, born James M. Smith on October 8, 1969 to Robert and Patricia Smith in Cottonwood, AZ. He was named after his Mother's little brother James Martin Herridge, who passed away at the age of 14 as a result of head trauma received during a Little League baseball game. Jimmy, also a baseball fanatic, started playing at the age of five and continued well into his thirties. We raised 4 children here in the Valley of the Sun, Phoenix, AZ, 3 boys and one girl. Jimmy graduated from Maryvale High School in Phoenix in 1987. In 1988 Jimmy enlisted in the Army. He served with 4 years with great pride as a part of the elite First Cavalry Division Honor Guard. Jimmy, an avid hunter, exceptional athlete and outdoor enthusiast, as you will be able to see in his paintings. Our other 2 boys served in the US Army as well. The oldest, Chad, retiring in December 2008 with the rank of Master Sergeant after serving 24 years. Younger brother Justin, has served in the U S Army on 3 different occasions and is currently stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C. Jimmy's little sister Danae, just completed basic training on her birthday 23 April 2009, and is currently in 'AIT' Advanced Individual Training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO and hopes to be stationed at Fort Bragg N.C. After his military stint Jimmy entered into the Commercial Aircraft fueling business rising to the position of Station Manager by 2004. In 2005 Jimmy experienced a dramatic change in his life when he was involved in a road rage incident which resulted in the death of one of the two drunken occupants of the other
Above: Footsteps
Above: It’s Just Us.
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Above: Double Vision. Right: Robert Duvall as Augustus McCrae in Lonesome Dove.
vehicle. He was wrongfully convicted of manslaughter and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. We are currently appealing this conviction. Although he has always been interested in art, pencil drawings here and there, watched an artist's show on PBS and mimicked the techniques, especially Bob Ross. He hadn't taken it seriously, more of a hobby and for something to do. Since his incarceration, he has picked up pencil and drawing pad and started drawing again. He has always shown an interest in Cowboys and Native Americans. In January 2007 he was watching another artist doing watercolors and thought that he could do it, so with borrowed supplies, he created 'Brandin' Blisters'.
Above: Brandin’ Blisters.
He was very happy with the result. He has developed a 'Working Cowboy' collection, which includes 7 different paintings so far (Brandin' Blisters, All Cinched Up, Quittin' Time, Footsteps, Just a Pinch, It's Just us, and Victory Dance). His Mother and I were very impressed as well and have been encouraging him to continue. So I get magazines and cut out photographs and he compiles an idea from them to create his watercolor art. I had a local printing company print up about 5 early pieces had them on display at the Blazing M Ranch in Cottonwood, AZ (www.blazinm.com) in the K-Bar Trading Company gift shops. He now has prints of his artwork in New York, Montana, Australia, North Carolina to name a few places. Jimmy has always been a Cowboy at heart as I alluded to in an earlier email. The photos I supplied are at the age of 20 or so. Jimmy has three children, Kory 18, Brandon 15, and Dylan 9. Dylan is featured here in 'Yee Haw' a watercolor recently finished from a photograph taken Christmas 2003. He also did a watercolor of 'Randy Johnson' who is Brandon's favorite baseball player. Although Jimmy is in prison, we have all gained the privilege of enjoying his Fine Art creations in watercolors. Jimmy probably never would have picked up a brush to even try the watercolor medium had he not experienced this unfortunate incident in his life. You can see in the poetry he has written, he has reached out to God.
Continued on Page 25
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Capturing — Continued from Page 23 His Mother and I are amateurs at promoting our son and his artwork, so please excuse our clumsiness in our attempt to get him recognized. I have set up a gallery at fineartamerica.com under Jim Smith Art Work 2009 and have had several pieces purchased and the art collectors were very impressed with the result they received from Fine Art America. The Giclee process on archival art paper or canvass does the prints. They also provide framing and matting services. I can also order Giclee prints on paper or canvass 11 x 15 to 60 x 120 unstretched, (I can stretch these myself for anyone interested) and 11 x 15 to 30 x 40 stretched for those interested in larger pieces than those offered on Fine Art America. Please send e-mail to robertleroysmith_7@q.com for more info and quote. He is offering some originals for sale at this time.
Deep in the silence of the forest Is where I'd like to be, So I can hear in nature's stillness God's voice as it speaks to me. His voice, it echoes through the trees, as the wind caress their limbs. Like angels softly whispering a thousand prayer hymns. And through the coyote, his voice, it laughs a strong and joyful song, This speaks of his enduring love, as it winds its way along. He speaks through the bugle of an elk and the hawks' solemn cry. And evening plays his symphonies in the cricket's lullabies. These melodies, they've stirred my soul To depths no words could express Alone in the forest my heart did find a greater happiness.
Sent with extreme pride, Jimmy's Father and mother Robert L. Smith Patricia A. Smith robertleroysmith_7@q.com 928-639-0043 1845 W. Dart Circle Cottonwood, AZ 86326
He is now 39 years of age waiting for his day in court, so the truth can finally be heard. He understands what he did was wrong, i.e. fleeing the scene of an accident, for which he has now served over 4 years. Until then, he works as an educational aide, helping those interested in achieving their GEDs, as well as those interested in a NCC certification as an electrician. He is currently working on his associate's degree in Business and during his spare time he applies watercolor to paper and lets creates these beautiful pieces of Fine Art. He also teaches the techniques to anyone interested. He did 'The Porch' while teaching a fellow interested in improving his own art, perspective and the use of light and shadow to enhance your creation. He also paints wildlife and landscapes that were inspired by experiences shared with his Dad and brothers and sister, while hunting, fishing, and camping or someplace they often visited while traipsing around Northern Arizona particularly the Mogollon Rim country. As you can see from the following examples how much he has improved from Jan 2007 to March 2009 He has always told us that he cannot do faces, as in portraits. When we received the painting of Robert Duvall as Augustus McCrae in Lonesome Dove, we had to tell him, we see you can do faces now. We were able to provide a better instruction book and we are currently trying to raise money to order better art supplies for him to use in the Fine Art workshop. He has gained a high level of trust and respect from the staff in the prison.
Above: Just a Pinch.
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Cynthia J. Vannoy-Rhoades
anching is hard way to make a living, but even more so today. It is no wonder than many family farms are being split into subdivisions or sold to rich people. Anyone who loves ranching can tell you that they have trouble making ends meet. Old timers will shake their heads and blame the fact that our society is so materialistic, and that young ranchers and farmers can’t make a go of it because they spend too much money on things such as televisions, new cars and nice houses. This has some bearing on it, we all like conveniences, and things that make life easier, like running water, indoor toilets, gas or electric cook stoves. But, that is far from the whole story. The price of what we market to live on, livestock, in particular , cattle, has not kept up with the price of what we buy. Therefore, it is much more difficult to make a living by strictly raising beef cattle. As proof, I went into old newspapers for the past 50 years, from 1959, using ten-year increments, to 2009. I took the current beef prices, pounds per calf for each year. I had a little trouble finding prices on pickups, because at the time, in the Sheridan, WY newspaper, The Sheridan Press, didn’t list prices on vehicles very often, but I found enough for a comparison. To compare, I also checked the prices of a used pickup, 2-wheel drive because in the 50’s a 4x4 pickup was not as common as they are now. So, here is how it works out, and how many steers we, as ranchers, had to sell each year to purchase a used pickup. 1959 A ’56 ½ ton Chevy with topper listed for $1395, and a ’55 Ford ½ ton was $995; with a ’53 Dodge ½ ton was $595. The average being around $995, call it $1,000. Steers that rated ‘good’ and weighed 605-785 pounds sold for $.22 to $.25 cents per pound, or $187 dollars per calf, while light weight, 350-400, sold for $.30, or a total of around $120 per calf. Average in 1959 was approximately $150 per calf, so it took about 6 steers to purchase a three to five year old pickup. In 1962, my dad, Wallace Vannoy, wrote in his notes. September 25, 1962 – Delivered yearlings. 87 heifers average weight 592 pounds, 145 steers average weight, 658 lbs. Eight 2-year-old steers average weight, 893, total check $35,950.61, less $2400 down payment, total head 240. The average heifer price $131.66 each, average steer
price $158.90 each. The price was $.24 per pound, so it did go up much in three years. We raised commercial Herefords, fairly average cattle for that time. In 1959, Wyoming also ranked 14th in the US in the number of registered Hereford cattle, Texas lead with 65,428 registered, but there were 12,424 registered Herefords in Wyoming in that year. Most ranchers purchased registered Hereford bulls to put with the commercial cows, as our family did. 1965 In 1965 a three year old, ½ ton Ford pickup was advertised for $350, while a ’57 4-wheel drive Landrover pickup listed for $595. A 1963 Interna tional Harvester Company Pickup, ½ ton, V8, sold for $1595, while a IHC 1962 ¾ ton 120 sold for $1395, average was still around $1000 to $1200. Choice steers, and it is tough for range steers to grade out as choice, weighing over 500 pounds, sold for $.22-.24, while those rated ‘good’ sold for $.2022..50. If you had really good steers and got the highest price, you would collect $120 per steer. The smaller calves, those weighing under 400 pounds, sold between $.26 and $.28, averaging $112. In 1965, you needed between 6 and 8 steers to purchase a used pickup. Wallace’s notes, Oct. 10, 1967 – We rolled out yesterday, same crew as yesterday, Cynthia out of school. Also had Dean Floate and Emory Carr and Neal Schuman. Gene Gligorea took delivery in place of Taberna (these were cattle buyers) Yearlings average weight steer, 709; heifers, 665. Each steer $171.97. Heifers,$150.81. The total check $46,390.75. 147 steers and 140 heifers. (.24 cents per pound. Same in 1962.) 1975 In 1975, pickups were selling for between $1,500 for a 67 Jeep 4x4, to $2685 for a 1971 Scout pickup, 4-speed and 4-wheel drive. Average, $2090. Feeder steers hadn’t went up much in the past ten years, 300-500 pound choice steers were selling for $.38 to .40, bringing $190 for a big one. Most of us during that time were probably more likely to sell not as choice steers weighting around 400 for .35, for the magnificent sum of $152. Average, $171. Now, only 16 years later, it takes 12 steers to buy a used pickup. In 1974 Dad recorded “Delivered and weighed 200 head, average weight 694 pounds. Sold for .30 per pound. 206 head of heifers averaged 638 at .27 cents per pound.” September 4, 1975 - “Cow buyers offering .35 for steers.”
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September 5 – Chuck Lawrence, (cattle buyer) was back with an offer of .31 for heifers and ..35 for yearling steers. Sold out.” (Not completely, just that years steer crop.) In August of 1975 dad wrote – “Bought a new Ford, (pickup) $3400 plus mine. (trade in) So, the total price of a steer in 1974 was $208, and a heifer was $172. It took 16 steers in 1975 to buy a pickup. This was the real world of the cow business, the amount of cattle sold that fall, and the price received. During the 80s and the 90s, cattle prices took a jump and held onto the price for several years. 1980 In 1980, calf prices were high for a change. With 500 to 600 pound steers selling from 78 to 82 cents a pound, with those weighing 700 to 800 pound selling between 70 and 75, or between $390 and $525 each. Heifers were generally about ten cents per pound lower, a 650 heifer would bring around $.64. A five-year-old four-wheel drive pickup was selling for $3550, with a two year old GMC ½ ton selling for $3895. In 1980 it took 7-8 good steers to purchase the above mentioned GMC. But, if you opted for a 1978 GMC crew cab, the price was $6500, taking over ten head of steers to purchase that pickup. In 1980, dad records, “Got to stockyards at 8:01. Average weight 979. (These were two-year-old steers) Buyer gave us $68.50 hundredweight,” (68 ½ cents per pound, or $665 per steer.) 1985 Unfortunately, the high market=2 0didn’t last long. Sheridan Livestock reported the averages for September 4, 1995 as; 450-600 pound steers, 60-70, with heifers 58-61. Billings Livestock Auction was somewhat better, with 500 to 600 pound steers selling for 65-74. A 600-pound steer only brought $420. However, pickups did not drop in price just because cow prices did. A year-old Dodge Ram 4x4 was selling for $11,900, with an 8-year-old Chevy Silverado 4x4 selling for $7500. You would have to sell between 17 and 28 steers to buy either of these pickups. Dad had pretty much retired from ranching by this time, so his notes did not reflect the prices, but they would be close to those quoted above. 1990 There was a another little burst of good news for ranchers in 1990, as prices went about as high as they had ever been, with 600-800 pound steers selling for 76-84 cents a pound, and lighter calves, 500 pounds, bring up to $1.00. So, ranchers were receiving between $500 and 600 per calf. But, pickups kept pace. A 1987 GMC 4x4 sold for $9,495 with a 1985 Dodge 1 ton 4x4 selling for $8,995. You would have only needed 14 steers to buy a used pickup in 1990. 2000 The good prices carried over for the next ten years, with prices between $.84 for the heavy weights and
$1.14 for the light calves.. A rancher could get between 500 and 650 per head. But, pickups too went up in price. A 1998 Chevy with an extra cab was a whopping $22,995, with a 97 chevy selling for $21,695. In 2000, you would have to sell between 20 and 30 steers to purchase a two year old pickup. We were raising Longhorn cattle by this time, and I sold some young bulls, weighing about 400 pounds. I wrote, “Bull calves bought 79-81 cents and the larger critters bought .37-43. A three year old steer sold for $552, and yearling bulls averaged $325.” Longhorns on the average sold for less than beef cattle, so this was about average. 2009 Today, prices are still high, but have not went up as much as other items. I sold out my cattle some ye ars ago, but according to the Buffalo Livestock Auction on June 24, 580 pound steers were selling for $1.05, and 640 steers were $1.03. About $600 per steer. In the most current want ads in the local Sheridan paper, a 2006 pickup was listed for $17,995. Today, it takes 27 steers to buy a two-three year old used pickup. Not only have pickups went up, but everything has. While, as you can see, cattle prices haven’t risen enough to keep up with inflation. Is it any wonder that many rancher’s and/or their wives, work in town? Or that most ranchers lease out lands to outfitters for hunting, negotiate surface damages or lease payments from energy companies just to make a living? So, there you have it. Now you know how many steers you have to sell just to buy a used pickup. I hope it doesn’t depress any ranchers out there too much.
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"The Adventures of Jack and Cleve on the "Plenty of Rocks Ranch"
The Auction
Dave P. Fisher He comes back, “Easy Jack, I met Slim over walked into the house to get a cup of coffee; I glanced at the clock and about dropped the pot. It here. . . .” That’s all he had to say. Now, Slim Johnson’s our was four in the afternoon! My partner Cleve had set out at five this morning for the auction to sell a neighbor, about two hundred acres to the east. couple of steers and pick up some heifers in exchange, Personally, I would prefer it to be more like two hunhe still wasn’t back. I’d been out all day tending to dred miles, or better yet the North Pole. He’s one of chores, all the while figuring Cleve had gotten back those old windbags who’ll stand there bragging and lying until you want to run and stick your head in the and was taking care of things elsewhere. I run on Winnemucca time, which means I never stock tank and drown yourself. I can’t stand the old pay attention to the time. On our ranch, the Plenty of coot, but Cleve believes every word he says. Like to Rocks, cows can’t tell time. I don’t care for watches, drive me crazy. Well, here it was, Cleve and Slim, talk when the sun goes down I know it’s time to quit, about a pair to draw to. I knew this had to be bad. I only made it to three this time. “Don’t tell me you except at calving time, but that’s another story. Right then, I was wondering what happened to Cleve. Did paid four hundred dollars for an auction horse on he run the truck off into a draw or was he hanging out Slim Johnson’s say so?” Cleve starts going on about how Slim knows his at the 2 Auction Horse/Fisher auction yard’s café? Should I be concerned, call 911, or bust a two-by-four horses, and what a deal he made. I don’t recall hearing over his head? Just then the phone rang and I started a lot of it, my brain was sort of fogged by the smoke coming off the volcano between my ears. “Don’t you hunting for a two-by-four. It was Cleve. “Hey Jack, sorry I’m so long, but I’m move an inch, I’m on my way.” Fortunately the pickup was already hooked up to still here at the yard.” Before he could say another word, I cut him off. “I the four-horse trailer. I jumped in and hit the key. That wormed the calves, doctored the sick, and put new old rig fired up with a cloud of smoke signaling our shoes on Trig. There’s still riding the colts and now it’s little cow dog Buck to come a running ‘cause we were too late to fence the north. Just what in the heck are going someplace. He jumped up in the bed, I jammed ‘er into gear and took off. By the time I hit the first catyou doing?” “Now, take it easy Jack. I sold the steers and picked tle guard I was doing a hundred and ten, then I hit secup the heifers, they’re in the truck, don’t worry about ond gear. I roared into the auction yard spinning dust and that. I have made us the greatest deal, you won’t believe it. Bring down the horse trailer, I got us a gold rocks in every direction. Nothing was in the lot except our stock struck. I hit the brakes and slid in alongside mine and it was a real steal.” I ground my teeth. I know Cleve, and he was prob- of it. Bailing out, I saw Cleve by the pens, I started for ably right, I wouldn’t believe it. “What is it and how him wishing I had picked up the two-by-four. The auction boss stomped past me yelling about getting much did it cost?” His happy voice came back, “A horse and it was that horse out of here so he could go home. Cleve was sitting on the top rail of the pen looking only four hundred bucks.” I squeezed the phone until my knuckles turned prouder than a new daddy. Over the rail I could see white. I knew it. I knew he was up to another one of this black horse that looked like the last survivor of his hair-brained ‘make us rich’ schemes. I was going Noah’s Ark. I was glad I had spit out my chew or I’d to count to ten before I yelled, but only made it to of swallowed it and choked to death. You had to have four. “You bought a horse! At the auction? seen this horse, his ears were laid back and he looked Nobody buys a horse at the auctio n , t h e y ’ r e like he wanted to kill the first person that came near him. I looked at Cleve and all I could say was, “Why?” t h e r e f or a reas on y ou k n ow!”
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“Now, take it easy Jack. I know you don’t like Slim, but the man really knows his horses, he told me so. Slim spotted him right off the bat and tipped me off. This horse is none other than Sir King Winifred Snit, the world champion cutting horse.” I think all of my senses quit working at once I was so excited to be looking at the King . . . yeah right. I started to count to ten and said the heck with it. “Sir King Win-a-what? You can’t be serious! You lost what little sense you got? Just look at that critter, he’s a mess! Weepy eyes, hammer head, and cow-hocked. Only thing he’s ever cut is a trail to the barn. His backbone looks like the Continental Divide for crying out loud and if his teeth stuck out any further he could eat from across the fence. Next week you would have found him in Buck’s supper bowl.” Cleve was still feeling pretty proud of himself. “I realize the champ don’t look like much right now, but Slim swears by him. Slim saw him win the big Denver cutting show and a dozen other big shows around the country. He thinks it’s a real shame what they did to the champ and figures we could do some good with him.” I got past the wanting to bust a two-
by-four over his head part and just shook my head. Cleve’s a bit slow at times, so I explained it real slow. “First off, Slim’s never been out of Nevada, in fact the farthest he’s ever been is Battle Mountain, and that’s just because he got drunk and his horse drifted with the wind. He never saw this horse anywhere, ‘cause just like Slim, it’s never been anywhere. So, now that you understand that, tell me just what it is this old coyote bait is supposed to do for us?” Cleve got his hackles all up and goes to being defensive, wanting to prove he’s right. “I’ll allow that the champ doesn’t look too good right now, but with a little care and good feed he’ll turn out looking like a new penny. Of course his competition days are through, probably why they dumped him, but we can still make a fortune off this guy. Here’s my idea and Slim backed it, we’re going to put him out to stud!” I think I got that ‘deer in the headlights’ look, but I can’t be sure. I just stared at that sorry critter and shook my head. “Cleve, you got that bill of sale?” He hands it to me and I read it, then I read it again. I motioned for him to come closer and look at the paper. I pointed at it and spoke slow, “See this, it says $400, one g-e-l-d-i-n-g. Geldings don’t make little horsies, or didn’t your dad ever explain that part?” Now, Cleve really is a good fellow, a little light in the head, but a pretty decent sort. He always has a plan for making us rich, which usually results in money down the drain or a couple pounds of hide off my carcass. He tends to run off half-cocked without thinking the whole thing through. He just stared at the paper and then admitted that he never really looked; he just got all excited and took Slim’s word for it. I made it to ten this time. “Partner, you just blew four-hundred bucks for eight-hundred pounds of dog food on the hoof. You might want to use your own head next time instead of Slim’s.” I walked away towards the truck leaving Cleve standing there looking at his new horse. I glanced down at little Buck trotting beside me, “Come on Buck, let’s get Cleve’s champeene cutting horse loaded before that auction boss strings us up.” I got a catch rope out of the truck. I figured that jughead wasn’t going to let me anywhere near him. I got in the pen and sure enough he wanted to kick me real bad, but Buck kept him busy. I dabbed a loop on him and drug him out with Buck’s encouragement at his heels. I was already formulating a plan to get our money back and even the score with Slim at the same time. Getting that horse back to the place, I pulled him out and into an alley, blocked him in and tied him tight. I hosed him down until he was clean and left him to dry. When he was good and dry I got out the white paint and run a stripe down his muzzle and gave him four white socks. I then headed for the house.
Continued on Page 31
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Auction — Continued from Page 29
About
Dave P. Fisher
D
ave grew up wild and wooly running through the hills of Western Oregon, hunting, running traplines, and in general being anywhere that did not have a roof over it. It was only a natural progression that he would find his way to herding cows and riding broncs in rodeos. It was also natural for him to go from there to becoming a horsepacker and hunting guide, horseshoer, bronc buster, and teaching folks how to stay on top of a horse and not fall off. In a nutshell, to make his living in any way that kept him under the western sky and in the saddle. That life took him through Oregon, up to the wilds of Alaska, and all through the Rocky Mountains, finally coming to rest in Colorado as the Packer and riding instructor for Rocky Mountain National Park. The many years of enduring rain, sleet, snow, and being a popsicle with a hat on frozen solidly into his stirrups, not to mention being kicked, stomped, run over, and in general throwed and rolled on finally took it’s toll on his body and produced enough bodily damage to take him out of the game, but not out of the saddle. To compensate Dave began to write about the cowboy life he always loved and still holds dear. To date he has become an internationally published author of magazine articles, western novels, short stories, and cowboy poetry. He was awarded the 2008 Will Rogers Medallion Award for Outstanding estern Fiction for his western short story collection Bronc Buster – Short Stories of the American West. He has also collected several “Reader’s Choice Awards” for his short stories. Dave incorporates his vast background and knowledge of the West and its people to make his stories and poems come to life. His specialty is telling a few serious, but mostly humorous, stories and poems in the style of Robert Service, but Service never met some of the characters that Dave has created. To boot, all of Dave’s stories and poems are original, created from his own deep well of seeing the world from the cowboy side. Dave has been a featured Cowboy Poet and Western Humorist in shows in Nevada, California, and Oregon. He has also been invited to speak to groups about the history of the West and the cowboy. His audiences have said that he is creative, funny, a good poet, a good writer, and clever. His friends and family just shake their heads and smile, all knowing the real truth, that he got throwed down on his head one too many times. You can learn more about Dave at his website: www.davepfisher.com
Cleve was watching me the whole time without saying a word. When I picked up the phone he asked what I was doing. I told him I was going to get our four hundred bucks back. I picked up the phone and dialed Slim’s number. When he answered I said, “Hey Slim, the horse man, have I got a deal for you. I just happen to have picked up a roping horse, but don’t really need another one and figure to just sell him. So, naturally you being the roping expert that you are you could appreciate this fine horse, so I figured to give you first shot at him.” Well, that took ol’ Slim right where he lives and I could just see him puff up. He acknowledged that I was right about figuring him the expert on roping horses. “I’ve put out the word Slim, so you’d better hurry and get over here, ‘cause at four hundred bucks he won’t last long.” I hung up the phone and just grinned. I could already hear his truck coming down the road.
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Main Street in renovated South Pass, Wyoming. There are 20 original structures in South Pass.
S
ome say the Shoshone called South Pass ”the place where God ran out of mountains.” As chief historian of the National Park Service, the great western historian Robert Utley summarized the staggering significance of the place: it “made possible the opening of a practicable wagon road to the Pacific” and “extended the territorial claims of the United States.” For almost half a century, “the South Pass route was the way west.” A long list of famous Americans crossed South Pass: Native leaders Washakie and Red Cloud, hunterexplorers Jedediah Smith, James Clyman and Thomas Fitzpatrick, religious leaders Marcus Whitman and Brigham Young, military commanders Stephan Watts Kearny and Albert Sidney Johnston, and Eliza Spalding and Narcissa Whitman, “the first white women,” wrote one trapper, “that had ever penetrated into these wild and rocky regions.” More importantly, more than 500,000 ordinary Americans crossed the Great Divide at South Pass between 1840 and 1870 on their way t o new homes in the West, the largest peaceful migration in human history. “Off the main road now, and not often visited, South Pass is one of the most deceptive and impressive places in the West,” Wallace Stegner wrote a generation ago. “Stop there and watch the cloud shadows go over, and see the white rumps of antelope move among the sage, and study the deep, braiding ruts that the wagons made as they fanned out and came down the long, even slope from Pacific Spring.” Stop there and shut off your engine, and you can “listen to the wind, which breathes history through dry grass and stiff sage,” and begin to understand something about the spirit of the people who moved America west. Today, South Pass has escaped many of the disasters that have ravaged the rest of the West: the sweeping view from its summit is little changed since 1850. To the southwest, the sage-covered Antelope Hills fall away, terminating at Pacific Butte, which rises more than 400 feet above the pass. To the west, every creek and stream flows into Green River. Buttes—some ranchers call them “sky islands”—knobs, hills, dunes, and creeks fill the broad and broken expanse of the
valley, and the Wyoming Range f rames the western horizon. Two miles below the great divide, the green oasis of Pacific Springs is still “boiling up through the sod as cold as ice itself,” just as it did on August first in 1852 for Parthenia Blank. In 2006, an estimated 7,487 visitors left the pavement of Wyoming State Highway 28 to cross three miles of gravel road to the see the trace of the Oregon, California, Mormon, and Pony Express National Historic Trails. They rattled across the cattle guard at the entrance to the buck-and-pole fence surrounding the ten acres the BLM has set aside to mark South Pass. In many of America’s most historic places, the past has an almost magical ability to disappear: a sprawling metropolis surrounds the Alamo, and Interstate 80 runs right over one of the Donner Party’s cabins. But beneath the looming majesty of Pacific Butte, South Pass endures. “Recovering the Lost Trail has a deeper meaning than merely gratifying a whim or satisfying a feeling of curiosity,” Ezra Meeker said in 1915, and it is still true. J. Ross Browne predicted that Americans would make pilgrimages to South Pass. “I can stand on South Pass and close my eyes, and hear the hoofbeats of the Pony Express riders, the cracking of ox-team drivers’ whips, the creak of wagon wheels, the voices of women and children,” said Wyoming native Tom Bell, whose great-great-grandmother crossed South Pass during in the 1850s. For those who value its living connection with history, South Pass represents a national treasure that we can either squander or save for future generations. “South Pass is one of the few places where you can stand in 2006 and 1846 at the same time,” historian Terry Del Bene observed. “That’s pretty special. We’re running out of places like that.” But, unless we make our voices heard, South Pass is at risk. The Greater South Pass Historic Landscape needs you to take a moment and write the BLM (BLM Lander Field Office, P.O. Box 589, Lander, WY 82520 and Wyoming BLM, P.O. Box 1828, Cheyenne, WY 82003) and let them know that you want to protect South Pass for your children and grandchildren to enjoy.
Author’s Biographical Note: Will Bagley’s dozen books cover the overland emigration, frontier violence, railroads, mining, and the Mormons. He is series editor of the documentary history, Kingdom in the West: The Mormons and the American Frontier. His Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows won the Western History Association’s Caughey Book Prize. He lives in Salt Lake City, where he served as a Wallace Stegner Centennial Fellow. Bagley wrote this series in cooperation with the Alliance for Historic Wyoming.
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Bunkhouse Recipes - a Roundup of Classic and Contemporary Cowboy Cooking
Cowboy Pudding Ingredients 2 cups granulated sugar 2 cups white rice 3 quarts milk or canned milk equivalent 1 pound raisins or other dried fruit 1 tablespoon nutmeg
Cowboy Wild West Potato Casserole Ingredients 2 large potatoes, with skins on 8 ounces sour cream 4 ounces diced green chiles 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1 teaspoon parsley flakes 2 tablespoons salsa 2 teaspoons Italian bread crumbs Paprika for garnish Boil potatoes with skins for 30 to 45 minutes until soft when pierced with fork. Cool slightly and peel. Slice potatoes and set aside. Mix sour cream, green chiles, cheese, parsley and salsa in bowl. Line a greased casserole dish with sliced potatoes on bottom layer, then a layer of cheese mixture. Continue layering potatoes and cheese. When complete sprinkle with bread crumbs and then paprika. Bake at 325 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until slightly brown on top.
Well Water on the Rocks
Put your Dutch oven on the table and throw in two cups of rice Then throw in 2 cups of sugar and mix it up real nice. Next comes the milk - if you have some, put 3 quarts in your pot or get Carnation “Cow in a Can.” On the trail milk can’t be bought. Hang your pot over the fire to simmer nice and slow. Your milk will tend to boil over if you hang your pot too low. Give your puddin’ some time to work, an hour to get thick. For flavor stir in the nutmeg, agitate well and the bottom won’t stick. Slowly add the raisins, stirring them in as you proceed This will help your “Spotted Pup” thicken, right now that’s what it needs. Hang it higher over the fire and the rice will continue to swell. Stand your spoon up in the mess, ’cuz that’s how you can tell If your “Spotted Pup” is thick enough or if it still needs heat. Just keep stirrin’ occasionally and soon it’ll be ready to eat.
Ingredients 3 ounces Beefeaters Gin 2 ounces chilled Triple sec 1 ounce Blue Cruraco Crushed Ice Chill cocktail glasses. In a mixing glass half-filled with crushed ice, combine all ingredients and stir (gently) until blended nicely. Strain into the chilled glasses. Smooooooth.
Bacon Wrapped Beans Ingredients Bacon (less than a pound) 2 cn Whole green beans 1 cn Golden mushroom soup
Open Range ™ suggests the following Wyoming made “Table Mountain Vineyard” wine to pair with your cowboy supper. Wyoming Gold - White Table Wine 2007 - Wyoming Gold is a semi-sweet wine made from the Elvira grape. The wine imparts fruity and citrus flavors, while remaining true to its native vine characteristics. The wine is full of grape flavors and heritage. Best served chilled. perfect with richer meals. Best enjoyed with good friends & family! www.tablemountainvineyards.com
Wrap 1/3 slice bacon around a bundle of beans. Make small bundles of beans. Place bundles in a 9x12inch glass baking dish. Spoon soup over beans. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove foil & bake about 10 minutes more.
Cowboy Cuisine sponsored by: Table Mountain Vineyards
...they was bedded down, and we cooked ev’nin’ chow o’er a cowchip fire as best as we knew how. an excerpt from Clark Crouch - Cowboy Poet
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Š 2009 Rocky Mountain Power
Proud sponsor of the Second Annual Open Range Magazine 'Concert in the Barn' Cowboy Poetry and Concert Dinner Show