Becoming a Bulletproof Man by Stephen Bly I got a letter from an eighteen-year-old high school senior reader fan. She told me she’s been applying for different colleges, but she’s worried what to do with her horse, Magi, an Arabian. She wrote, “I probably ought to sell him, if I don’t have time to ride, […]
TO SEE THE ELEPHANT Of all the 400,000 people called ‘49ers who made it to the gold rush in California those first ten years, very few made any money. They knew they wouldn’t all get rich in the goldfields. But they traveled West anyway “to see the elephant.” The Farmer at the Circus Popular at […]
TASTES LIKE CHICKEN by Stephen Bly The first time I ever ate roasted rattlesnake meat, some timid soul asked me, “What does it taste like?” “Why, it tastes like chicken,” I reported. Then a few years later I had opportunity to eat alligator tail. “What’s it taste like?” someone asked. “Tastes sort of like chicken,” […]
READY FOR BATTLE by Western Author Stephen Bly One of the unexpected pleasures of writing western novels includes the nice letters from men and women, boys and girls who enjoy a good story from the shoot ’em up, ready for battle Old West. From time to time, they write to ask questions or give advice […]
A FULL SIXTEEN HANDS by Stephen Bly At 6’2” I’ve never been accused of being small. In fact, my size 12 cowboy boots prove embarrassing in a rodeo and ranch world where the smaller the foot, the better. So I pick out fairly big horses. When I climb on some little Texas pony, my feet drag […]
Everything Goes, From Soda to Hock I went down to an auction at the Rockin’ B Ranch. It was a good auction for a buyer. It offered a little bit of everything. Tractors, saddles, antique China, fancy furniture, and big screen television sets. I ran across the owner of the ranch who told me, “I’m […]
Foxfire Sunrises & Storms Outdoors you see a whole lot more of the splendors of God’s creation than if you spend most your time inside buildings. One ten degree fahrenheit morning I ran around a frozen lake about daybreak. The sunrise started out a deep purple and orange. As those colors mellowed, bright pink clouds […]
FOLLOW THE TONGUE An old-timer up our way left the high school basketball game in a snowstorm. He took a wrong turn, then ended up in a town three hours south. For a man who lived only a few miles from the gym, that must have been quite a surprise. I didn’t say too much […]
5 Beans in a Wheel Safety We live in a safety first conscious society. We use seatbelts, air bags, smoke detectors, warning signs of all kinds, and lawn mowers that die when you turn loose of the handle. For the most part, these inventions improve our lives. We’re told its smart to take precautions rather […]
A Cowboy’s All-Purpose Slicker Normally an old-time cowboy’s outfit ranked boring. Muddy boots, duckins for trousers, and off-white cotton shirt that turned gray with age did him fine. His bandanna started out quite colorful, but after a few weeks on the trail turned out grimy. Now, the one exception was his rain slicker he called […]
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