Reasons to be a cowboy.

 Growing up, we all fantasized about riding the range with our heroes. In the 1960's, 1970's, cowboys were all the rage. You couldn't turn on the TV any night of the week without some yarn about a cowboy, a ranch, and learning lessons of life. 

So, if YOU had to come up with reasons to be a cowboy, what would they be????

5. Cowboys don't have to wear designer high heels.

I mean really, the idea of Gucci or Jimmy Choo with a pair of spurs doesn't really capture the moment.

A down to earth pair of boots, either square toed or pointed serve the purpose well. Spurs, well they are a bit optional. You can accessorize by just having a plain blunt end or a wheel. Me, well... mine where of course turquoise blue with a blunt wheel and mainly just for show. I'd never use them to rake a horse's side. My mare was so well trained that a gentle squeeze of my boots along her side worked wonders. And, to tell the truth, the blunt ends don't make any sound when you swagger.

4. Being a cowboy means you don't have to live in town.

Yeah, four lanes of horses, buggies, other wagons hauling merchandise would gum up the works at rush hour. Of course, for a cowboy, rush hour usually means one of two things : the herd is coming in off the range and rushing toward water or the cowboys are coming in to wash up and head to town to ' rewater ' with something other than what runs from the crick.

Cowboys get to see nature as the Master of the Universe intended. Free of signs, horns ( unless they are long ), and bright lights that cover the star encrusted night sky. On the range, animals herald in the the dawn and sing the moon through the night sky.

3. Being a cowboy means you don't have to eat bait.

Let's face it, cowboys don't wrangle fish. Oh, they might head down the stream with a pole when the boss isn't looking. Dip the hook in and tie the string around his big toe so that if the fish bites he can open one eye, take a gander if its big enough to fill the pan, or one he has to throw back. But, he is sure enough going to have to cook it.

It's not a bad thing to lay back, with your hands behind your head, and watch the clouds roll by as the warm breeze massages the stiffness of your joints and the days worries out of your soul. Besides, you raise cattle, heaven knows if you don't name it, the misses will let you eat it.

2. Being a cowboy means being part of a culture.

That's right. They are culture. A cowboy is found in lots of books. He is the subject of romantic intentions, historical notes, in paintings, sculptures. They even write songs about him and his way of life. Why he even has his own museums. Why a good cowboy can become famous if he's not careful.

1. Being a cowboy means your life is never dull.

Cowboys are probably the most ADHD critter on the face of the earth. At any given moment they are doing up to three things at one time. Take roping. You got to guide your horse with your legs. Reins might be held loosely between your fingers of one hand while the other is hold a rope over head, twirling the thing and judging the distance between horse and cow to make an accurate throw. I bet you won't find that in your calculus class.

But the art of roping is a beautiful thing to watch. It is a skill mastered through determination and practice. Roping starts young. You can find the littlest cowboy watching his pa or his big brother through the motions. He's gaining knowledge that few can give through words. It is absorbed. Rendered and then brought to life when he is given a saw horse with a pair of horns placed on the end so he can practice stationary skills of tossing that loop around the horns. The horse comes after that is mastered. It's a rare and beautiful thing when it comes together in a singular motion. Quite a work of art.

But maybe the best reason of all for being a cowboy is to carry on the tradition of working the land. Its a job that doesn't give many acculturates. You won't win an Oscar, an Emmy, Grammy, or Tony. What you do win is the admiration of your soul. You know that thing deep down that keeps you grounded, that helps you put your feet on the safe and narrow. A cowboy only wants to live his life to the best of his ability and give that bit of ground, that sod, that earth, to the next generation with a few improvements to make it easier on the next fellow. He wants to leave a legacy of being honest, a man of his word, a fellow that can be depended on. He wants to leave his friends with the best memories. His girl with enough dreams to last a lifetime and more.

Ah, yes, to be a cowboy is a grand thing. When I grow up, I hope I can be one too.

 

Until Next time,

Happy trails,

Nan.

What makes up a ghost town?

What makes up a ghost town?

According to Wikipedia, a ghost town or an abandon town is because the reason for living or settling no longer exists. Maybe there has been a series of natural disasters that make living in the settlement no longer viable, or the basis for the economy has been depleted. Westerns love ghost towns; long ago abandon mines whose ore has been exhausted or railroad towns where the rail line has died.

People need a reason to exist, a reason to put down roots. If businesses don’t produce jobs that give a sustainable living, the populace begins to look for ‘greener pastures’. That golden ring is just beyond the horizon.

Near where I live, there are some interesting examples. We all know about the Lost Colony. They came and settled along Roanoke Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. A war in England prevented the supply ships from returning. When they did, they found the fort abandoned, the population gone, even the first child born in the America’s Virginia Dare never to be seen or heard again. Only clue was the word Croatian carved on the gate. 

Later, the English returned to Jamestown. The colony thrived until the capital was moved to Williamsburg through the Revolution. As settlers moved west, the capital of Virginia shifted to Richmond, where it stands today and Williamsburg faded until the remains of the colonial capital was “rediscovered” by Rockefellers.  ( more reading can be found here: www.history.org › CW Journal › Winter 00-01) 

The lure of ghost towns seems to be trying to imagine how the people lived, what caused their demise, how can we prevent it in the future. Those graying, weathered buildings pull at our souls and peak the worry that this may happen to us once again, for if we fail to learn the history of our past it is our doom to repeat the mistakes.

With that being said, many of our western abandon towns have become tourist attractions. Virginia City brought back by Bonanza. Dodge City no doubt has had a flood of visitors do to Matt Dillon.  Many of these towns are designated on the National Register of Historic Places under the National Park Service. (Check this link for more reading - https://www.nps.gov/nr/ )

A list of American ghost towns can be found at this site - http://www.ghosttowngallery.com/

This spring, I will be writing with a group of talented ladies about a town that was abandoned in the late 1800’s. We will be breathing life into this little town and creating a community all its own. 

Until next time, 

Nan O'Berry 

    Dodge City, Kansas

Virginia City, Nevada

Tombstone, Arizona