Portrait of a Perfect Man by Stephen Bly Perfect men can be hard to find. I wanted to find a man who came close when speaking about husbands at a church back in Cleveland. An older lady came up front after the service, beaming ear to ear. “My husband is exactly what you described,” she […]
Through the Valley Jornada del Muerto I sat on a dusty trail at the western edge of the Organ Pipes Cactus National Monument in southern Arizona. Located on the border with the state of Sonora, Mexico, some of the bleakest countryside anywhere surrounded this monument. Like several other parts of the old southwest, this region […]
HEAVEN’S MOST WANTED WOMAN by Janet Chester Bly In an interview on a woman’s TV show, I found myself in one of those free-for-all Russian roulette situations. I had no idea what topics or themes the hostess would ask beforehand. I prayed I’d provide wonderful words of wisdom and quick insight. Finally, she ended with, […]
Toss the Box or I’ll Shoot! A common old western movie scene has become a cliché. The masked holdup men drag trees across the lonely, isolated canyon road. The stage comes to a screeching, bone jolting stop. And men with black hats suddenly appear. They threaten to shoot the driver and his guard if they […]
Giving Kids What They Deserve by Stephen Bly Every child deserves to know basic truths about their world and life. There’s so much more beyond the alphabet and numbers, spelling and math. Here’s what I want my kids and grandkids to be sure to hear from me. What Every Child Deserves to Know God is […]
An Old-Fashioned Jiggle Like gearshifts on your pickup, horses operate at different speeds or gaits. You can walk, trot, gallop, amble, canter or jiggle a horse. Your animal can be 4-gaited or 5-gaited, depending on their training. In the Old West, they had a great name for the ordinary gait of a cow horse. They […]
5 Ways to Build Quality Family Life Most people presume everyone’s family life resembles their own. That’s not quite the case. For instance, everyone’s idea of do something crazy may be a bit different. When our oldest son, Russell, graduated from high school in Craigmont, Idaho, we invited the senior class of twenty-six students to […]
Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell, A Country Girl Tale Whether we’re city folks or a country girl like me, we never know when we’re about to face a frightening moment of decision. My Winchester country girl friend and I blithely drove down an Idaho countryside highway one winter’s day. Speed about sixty miles per hour. […]
More Power to Jerky Did you know that jerky helped settle the West? For mountain men and prospectors, surveyors and cowboys, a handful of jerky provided critical nourishment. This in a time of no preservatives or refrigerators. Didn’t matter whether the jerky came from beef, deer, elk, or buffalo. All retained their flavor and value. […]
Sisters Seek Their Fortunes The Cheney sisters determined to make their fortune in the Montana gold mine fields. They followed their male counterparts who boomed their way west to the Agenta Gulch in 1892. They learned the first lessons in prospecting. Get there early or find no land left to claim. And don’t be a […]
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