Contents
Introduction
1.Stirrups, Sage and Shenanigans
 Trailing into the Blizzard 11
 Powder River Romeo 15
 Lunch for Lawrence 19
 First Hunt 22
 Riding the Ditcher 25
 The Goose That Stayed 29
 Move to Brink Ranch 34
2. Horses We Knew
 Rider Over Backwards 39
 Facing the Fast Freight 42
 Buck—Mr. Personality 46
 Hung Up in the Stirrup 52
 Corralling Spooky Horses 57
 Loading Horses on the Range 60
 Horses We Knew and Loved
  —Most of the Time 61
 Wild Horses 66
3. Trailing Cattle
 First Time Trailing 73
 Finding the Way 79
 Spring Creek Canyon 83
 String ‘Em Out 86
 Trailing Troubles 91
 Third Horse High Jinks 97
 Sleeping in the Open 99
 Jerky and Beans 105
4. Creating Ranch Fun
 Fishing the Yellowstone 108
 My How Hot 113
 Taxidermy Aromas 119
 Prairie Dog Pets 121
 Tight Fit 128
 Feedlot Rodeo 130
 Cutting the Christmas Tree 134
 How We Celebrated Christmas 137
5. Riding Summer Ranges
 Comet Runaway 141
 Snake Bite 144
 Chuckwagon Camp 147
 Riding the Wide Open 151
 Stallion Attack 157
 Prairie Fire 162
6. Hunting—Rancher Style
 Roadkill on the Rez 169
 Elk Firing Line 172
 Lucky Shots 178
 Game Warden Dilemma 181
 Rangeland Hunting Ethics 187
 Crow Rock Antelope Flight 188
 Lively Skunks 192
 Two-Fifty Savage 195
 Seven Deer in Seven Days 200
7. On the Home Front
 Amazing Cherry Pie 203
 For the War Effort 206
 Garden Bountiful 208
 Frog Egg Breakfast 212
 Saved by a Whirling Dervish 215
 Echoes in the Kitchen 218
 Three-Legged Kitchen Help 224
 The Gutsy Bug 226
 Gathering ‘Round the Piano 229
 Rangeland Hospitality Code 230
 Pioneer Storytelling 236
 Running the Tumbleweeds 243
8. Working Livestock
 Wild Heifer 246
 Working Cattle 248
 Coyote Attacks 250
 Purple Coyote Carcasses 255
 Bringing Home the Cows 258
 Branding 260
 Milking Antics 263
 Cream Separator Do’s and Don’ts 268
 Patrolman Thomas, Always Vigilant 272
 Feeding in Winter 274
 Bloated Livestock 276
 Sally Was No Lady 282
 Mangled by the Greyhound Bus 285
9. Rural School
 Long Walk Home 289
 Playground Creativity 293
 The School Trek 299
 Horseback to School 304
 Intensive Learning at Tusler 307
 Three Students on Deadman Road 314
 Nothing as Fearful 319
10. Field Work
 Wheatfield Fire 323
 Prisoners of War on our Ranch 326
 Overturned John Deere 332
 Child Truck Drivers 335
 Hayfield Highs 337
 Bee City 341
 Rattlesnake Risks 344
 Tractor Driving Beats Milking 351
 Rat Trap Harvest 355
 Blowing the Spring 357
11. Neighbors
 Matchmaking Horseplay 362
 Yellowstone Ice Jam 364
 Red Ribboned Skunk 369
 Neighborhood Fun 373
Brink Ranch Legacy
 A Good Place for Cattle Ranching 380
 Our Ranch House 382
 Ranch Ownership 385
 Major Roads and Trails
  across our Ranch 386
 Celebrating Travelers, Events and
  Routes through this Land 391
 Historical Timeline 392
Ranch maps
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About the Authors
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