 Horseback, I had just pushed through a long thicket of nearly impenetrable young Douglas-fir trees. They were twice the size of Christmas trees, but no less branched. I could hear the cattle I herded in front of me, but there were times I could see nothing except the soft branches that swept my …
Denizens Don’t Steal
At the crack of dawn today, I discovered myself a victim. I recognized this feeling. It was a weaker manifestation of the same sensation I had when I discovered that several antique firearms I had on display on my wall in the ranch house had been stolen. It wasn't until the perpetrator was …
Cinches and Kindness
I watched Sarah, our cowhand from Redding, draw that cinch tight around Teri's barrel shaped midsection. The indomitable and somewhat bitchy roan mare broke her stoic demeanor for a second and grunted in response to Sarah's firm pull. It was tight, but not too tight. Sarah's experienced hand got it …
Snake Bites
Ol' Snake Bite has come up missing on this, the 4th of July. The little steer, still on the mend from a near-fatal strike from the western diamondback rattler he encountered in the low country, was a little trail weary from the 7 mile hike up to the cool meadows of the high country. Every patch of …
Windshields Should Have Bugs
I never thought I'd say I'm happy about the bug goo on my windshield. I am actually so deeply grateful. There are some nights on the Salmon River Road when the mayfly hatch makes it almost impossible to see anything in the glare of oncoming headlights. The average summer day is not much better. One …
Classy Coats on the Leaves of Grass
As I was crawling up Larkspur Canyon in my non-late model Chevy pickup, I kept my eyes peeled for the huge rocks that would roll down on to the densely vegetated two-track from the steep walls that soared above me. Only we drive this remote jeep trail smack dab in the middle of our wild grazing …