When you have cattle and crews on the range, the days are long. And they can be longer than long. Adversity rears its ugly head, and people tire. Patience wears thin. Sometimes it is hard to be nice, and words slip out of your mouth abruptly rather than the better way of with a little butter and …
Stampede
The earth shaking rumble of the oncoming freight train in my dream was real enough to startle me awake. I sat bolt upright in my tent where I was sleeping quite soundly. It had been a long previous day. My crew and me had switched with the previous range riders in the afternoon, and then rode …
Death on the Ditchbank
The long ditch was on. We had diverted a cleansing flow from the Lemhi River, and now it was going to be several days of shepherding the water with a pitchfork down the 6 miles to the ranch. It was early Alderspring, when we were running on 650 acres of rented rocky terrace land pasted against the …
The Shocking Truth About Sandy
The county fairgrounds are unusually quiet for the week before the fair. It’s yesterday afternoon, and it is cool. Big thunderheads cruise over the mountains that reach up to the sky along this valley, the Lemhi. The clouds promise at least thunder, and perhaps a shower. I have many memories …
The Currants of Hat Creek
Dear Friends and Partners About midway across the span of Little Hat Ranch, along the north banks of the bubbling creek, steep and broken desert hills cascade down to the impenetrable willow thickened swamps inhabited by beaver. These abrupt foothills are cloaked with mountain big sage and …
Feeling the Trail with Goldy and Goudie
Dear Friends and Partners My coal-black mare, Bobbi, tripped on her feet for the last time with me on her back. She had a good excuse, to be sure: it was quite dark. I quietly pulled her up, and swung my leg over to dismount on her uphill side. The steepness of the hill made getting off as easy …
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