April

April 1 - 7, 2001: POSSE WEEK

Sunday, April 1, 2001
Posse Week is here and we have a big crowd. Jim, Steve, and Ty from Mn. Kelly from N.C. Ed from Co. David and Danny from N.C. and Dale from Ca.

After our usual shake down ride Monday we spent the afternoon getting everyone familiar with the paintball weapons and having a skirmish so everyone knew what they were getting into. A good thing too, after we were done the Mn. boys and Kelly decided they would rather stay around the ranch and do some ranch riding instead. They rode with Tanya Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday then headed to Albq. to do a little Harley riding in the great Southwest. Kelly came out and joined the Posse for the last couple days. The following is an account of the Posse week.

SILVER CITY DAILY NEWS
*EXTRA*EXTRA*

TROUBLE IN THE BORDER COUNTRY

! BUT HELP IS ON THE WAY!

As this paper has reported over the past few months the deeds of the FRISCO RIVER GANG have been going on unchecked since early in the year. Led by FEARLESS FRANK GOETZ they have used the wild border country as a staging area for numerous robberies around the territory. The most recent we reported to you last week was also the largest, taking $110,000 from the Wells Fargo Express office in Lordsburg. The robbery ended the lives of four good, honest men.

But alas our cries for help to the territorial capitol in Santa Fe have been heard!

Six New Mexico Rangers arrived yesterday on the evening train. Known as the STARS & BARS company, they include the brothers David and Dan Vann formerly of the Carolinas. These heroic siblings we heard of last November when they cleaned up the Antonio Chavez gang in Taos, leaving not a single one alive to ply their deadly trade.

Dale Sharpe is here too, he most recently smoothed over some rough gold towns out in California. He arrives in our fine territory with so many notches on his gun it could be used as a hoof rasp.

We were pleased to see the famous “Quiet Ed” step off the train. We all know of him but no one knows him. Probably the most feared bounty hunter on the trail today. His exploits across the west have been widely reported in this well-read paper. With a Dead or Alive order on the gang we are sure Quiet Ed will hold true to his often quoted “I like ‘em quiet and dead.”

Also along were our local Rangers “Loco” Lyndsey Hobson and Capt. Preston Bates.

Meeting the rangers at the station was Crazy Corey Mitchell of whom it’s said is a good cowhand when the mood strikes him. But mostly we know of him as a somewhat shady character lurking in the back of the closest saloon. This reporter was curious as to his attendance but that was soon satisfied when I was able to engage Capt. Bates in conversation. It seems Mr. Mitchell has been drifting around the border country and spent a few nights sharing a campfire with the Frisco River gang. The fact that he was able to leave the campfire alive does not say much for his character. But to his good credit he did supply the most accurate information on the identity of the gang members. So here to set aside the months of speculation is what he told the Rangers.

Besides Fearless Frank the others are reported to be three surviving members of the old Coldnight Gang from way up in the northern plains. If you recall back a few years ago that notorious group was smashed at a botched robbery of the Plainfield Bank in Minnesota. Several riders were left dead in the dusty streets and the others vanished. Well, it seems the outlaw trail brought them south. They are those known killers Ty Kovach aka “Weasel,” “Tiny” Steve Stohr, and “Diamond Jim” Whiting. Surprising to us all, there are a couple of women in the gang. We at first presumed they were merely bedroll warmers for the gang but we are assured by Mr. Mitchell that these belles are nothing but evil, mean tempered ruffians. One is known only as “Killin’ Kelly.” The Vann brothers say it is most likely Kelly Lawson. They know her from the Carolinas where she ran up a record as long as a Texas rattler. From whiskey running to murder it seems Lawson has tried her hand at a little bit of everything in between. The other one of the delicate gender has been identified as young Tanya Loehr. If you recall she was sent packing from Ft. Bayard after using her sweet looks and innocent charms to bilk the troopers out of many weeks of hard earned pay. According to Mitchell she spent her time stealing cattle and horses, running them through Charlie Moore’s place into Arizona before hooking up with Fearless Frank and the gang.

Crazy Corey also relayed the information that the gang was hiding out in the Vigil Springs area. The rangers were last seen headed to the old town site of Ghost Ranch just a few miles from the Springs.

It is a sure bet the gang now knows of the Posse arriving and we all wonder if they are going to make a stand of it or run with tucked tails like the coyotes they are.

We hope the nasty bunch will try to make a stand so the Rangers can dispatch them from our territory once and for all.

SILVER CITY DAILY NEWS
*EXTRA*EXTRA*

ROUGH TIMES ALONG THE BORDER

Word has reached this office that things are hot and getting hotter along the border. The posse has suffered numerous casualties as the outlaws are indeed making a stand of it trying to run the law from the country. The Rangers found the outlaw camp with no problems a few days ago, it was empty but being lived in. The Rangers recovered twelve of the sixteen thousand dollars that was taken from the Alma Trading Co. over two months ago. To their good fortune they also got a half completed map of other loot stashes.

That evening as the sun was dropping Ranger Loco Lyndsey Hobson was at the campfire trusting her guards to protect the camp as Capt. Bates was in a structure filing reports. Unknown to them Quiet Ed had been making a perimeter check when he stumbled right onto Fearless Frank and Dale Sharpe having a long soulful chat. It seems Dale was not so honest after all and in actuality is tied in with this gang of hooligans. Poor, poor Ed had his throat cut and a good man is a legend no more. That allowed the outlaws to get right into the Posse camp where catching Ranger Hobson unaware and unarmed they quickly dispatched her as well. Her scream alerted the other Rangers and a brief gun battle ensued. It wasn’t until light the next day that a dead outlaw was found along a road near the settlement.

The following day a couple Rangers went scouring the country hoping to recover some more of the stolen loot, which they did, finding over $50,000. Several Rangers stayed close to Ghost Ranch and about midday the outlaws were spotted a mile away high on a ridge. The Vann brothers set out to catch them doing a big circle around through the rough country to get behind them. In the mean time Capt. Bates and young Corey Mitchell stayed at Ghost Ranch. Over two hours later there had been no sound from the Vanns and Mitchell, being young and impatient, went out of a building to have a look around and was gunned down before his foot hit the street by Fearless Frank. Sharpe and Goetz then surrounded the building Capt. Bates was in, giving him a hot time for quite awhile. The Vann brothers showed up to lend some support, but were out gunned and were soon killed by the two outlaws, who then focused attention back to the trapped Ranger. We hear over a thousand shots were exchanged between the three fighters. Capt. Bates desperately held on as they were intent on killing him. After over an hour the Capt. succeeded in killing Sharp when he poked his head up at the right place at the right time. Another hour found Fearless Frank in a saloon tent across the street from the building the Capt. holed up in. A well placed shot through the tent door and then it was silent. Several hours passed before the Capt. ventured out and found the outlaw gone. He took up the trail and was gone till well past midnight just missing them in their camp. He got back to Ghost Ranch only to find the outlaws had come and gone, killing another Ranger while visiting. A restless night was spent around the Ghost Ranch. This morning with the cover of a light rain three of the Posse headed to the outlaw camp hoping to catch them sitting out the weather. We will report any news as it becomes available.

SILVER CITY DAILY NEWS
*EXTRA*EXTRA*

MURDER AND MAYHEM CONTINUE

APRIL 6TH SPECIAL EDITION
The reports from the scene continue to be all bad news. The raid last reported on the outlaw camp was only a partial success. After a long and stealthy approach the three volunteers actually got into the camp where two of the scum were indeed passing the weather in the comfort of canvas. When one of the outlaws went outside to follow nature’s call he was taken without a shot fired but the commotion alerted the second renegade. This rascal came out guns blazing killing a Ranger before he himself was shot through the belt buckle. If losing one to get two is the price paid till the nest of snakes is cleaned out it seems the posse is willing to pay it.

As the surviving Rangers headed back to Ghost Ranch a steady rain set in, chilling the night forcing the abandonment of any other plans. The outlaws are intent on keeping the border their own and driving the law back out of the hills and canyons.

In the wet grey dawn they attacked the Ghost Ranch again with a savage determination. Walking in seeming without a care, hurling insults as they came. The Posse was split between two buildings. As the outlaws hurled lead at every window and door in town, a couple Rangers slipped out and into the streambed, getting around one outlaw and taking him without a shot. A few minutes later while the other outlaw was engaged in a hot gun battle with Rangers in one building, another Ranger got around him and shot him in the back. When dealing with a bunch like this honor is not a thing to consider and you kill them how you can. One Ranger was lost as he met an outlaw face to face around the corner of a building and was just a bit too slow. Once again a high price was paid.

The heavy rain continued through the morning making a quagmire of the country. The mountains were buried in snow as a cold wind blew down. Capt. Bates looked around at his torn-to-pieces posse and decided it was best to head back to town and lick his wounds. Leaving the border country to Fearless Frank and what is left of the Frisco River Gang.

The Rangers lost seven good riders, let us all remember them with pride. It is known that Dale Sharpe killed two of them and the other five are tragic notches on Fearless Frank’s gun.

Capt. Bates was the only Ranger not hit, having gotten four of the outlaws himself. Danny Vann has the credit for one outlaw and Crazy Corey proved himself by getting the credit for another.

It is only hoped that the Rangers will round up another group of valiant volunteers such as we’ve just seen and track down Fearless Frank once and for all.

Capt. Bates asks that all volunteers please contact him at his ranch.

April 8 - 14, 2001: Spring Gather

Monday, April 9, 2001
I’m still trying to recover from Posse Week, what a bunch of fun! Saturday I headed up the mountain to see my wife and her brother Bob who is visiting from Tx. Still snowy and muddy and really windy up there. Took a quick look at all the horses and then spent several hours on the tractor putting out hay. Just when I got done Alan called from Los Lunas saying he was at a bull sale and that they were going cheap. Did I want any? I told him at that price to get me three or four. I wanted yearlings and two year olds, wanted them black, angus or angus cross. Black is the hot color for buyers right now. He told me he would call me back. A few hours he did telling me to bring a trailer and check book. He’d gotten a little carried away and bought six young bulls. So I headed up to Albq. about 9pm Saturday night, getting in about 2am. Then met him at the stockyards about 10am and loaded up the bulls. Every one of them just first class bulls. I got back here to the H.Q. about 3pm. It was a long, short weekend. Only got to see Maggie for about 30 min.

We have a new hand, Corey Mitchell. He’s from Texas.....oh well...young fella of 23. Worked a ranch close by here for a year before being laid off last month. A friend of Franks, he helped with Posse Week and seemed to be a good hand. So we’re gonna give him a try.

Frank, Corey and Tanya spent the weekend getting the horses back from the Ghost Ranch where we had to leave them last Friday due to the rain. We got 1.3 inches and it sure made a mess of things. But it did dry out pretty fast and they were able to get them all home late Sunday.

Have a big group this week. G.B. and Lena from Sweden, Dave from Ill. Karen and Rebecca, a mother- daughter team from Ca. Bob from Md. and Darrell from Tn. We also have a New Mexican, Craig from Alamogordo.

Today they all went over to the west side and rode with John, Alan, Lyndsey and Tanya. It was the usual Monday morning with Death Trap breaking down on the way over so they had to come back with one truck and get the Dodge and drag the dead truck out from under the trailer of horses and stick the Dodge under it. Finally they got there. But start late -work late. They didn’t get home till 7:30pm. Everyone raving about the day they had. Riding in several small groups and covering a lot of country they found 20 big pairs and some of the registered cows, which they put in the River pasture. Everyone had some tale to tell after dinner on the porch and the laughter rolled for a long while. Once again the matches we made of people and horses worked well and no one wanted to change anything. Damn we’re good… or we just have damn good horses.

I spent the day riding the office chair and talking to finance men.

Corey and Frank spent the day rescuing trucks and working on some electric and plumbing jobs around the H.Q. here. I think Corey was expecting to be riding every day. But as far as I’m concerned ya gotta earn your saddle time. I over heard Lyndsey tell him he will end up wishing he could get off a horse for a day or two. The girls ride probably about 90 miles a week, that’s a lot of miles in this rough as a cob country.

Weather has been sunny and windy during the days, about 70 for a high. Nights have been pretty cool, in the low 30s.

Tuesday, April 10, 2001
The day started out clear and windy, a few puffy clouds on the western horizon.By the time we were done saddling it was a solid gray bank to the west and the temperature was dropping.

Darrell, Karen and Rebecca stayed on this side and rode out with Tanya and Alan. They had a productive day getting in eight big pairs. As the wind blew harder and colder they called it a day about mid afternoon.

Lyndsey trailered to the west side with Dave, Bob, G.B. and Lena. They rode with John for a few hours getting a pair penned at Ridge Well corral and another at the Ghost Ranch corral. I trailered to the west side also with Maggie, her brother Bob and a friend who are visiting. The wind howled as we headed up onto Sunflower Mesa. It was the wrong place to go. As we crested the rim on top we were hit with a wall of wind driven snow. It’s not supposed to snow here in April!! We couldn’t ride into it, the horses balked turning butts to the snow filled gale. They were the smart ones and made the decision for us humans. We headed back to Ghost Ranch and found Lyndsey’s group huddled in the saddle house. I hollered out “Who wants to leave the range and go to the bar?” Dave was the first to appear with a big smile and G.B. was right behind him giving her approval to the idea. So they all rode back a couple miles to the trailer they had parked at the Hicks turn off and we loaded our horses and all met in Glenwood at the Blue Front Bar for coffee and or beer depending on preference. Everyone was home by about 4pm and spent time playing some cards.

Frank went to town to get parts for Deathtrap and Corey worked on fencing around the H.Q. corral.

Wednesday, April 11, 2001
A bright sunny day but a bit cool, high about 60. Maggie reported 6 inches of snow up top last night but most had melted by this afternoon. Tanya took most everyone out Elk horn hunting on the east side today. Covered a lot of miles but found no horn. No one in the group complained, they came home exclaiming about the great country they had been in. It is some beautiful country along the Deep Creek drainage. Lyndsey went with Bob and Craig over to the west side to look for big pairs. Craig brought his own horse who gives him a bit of trouble so Lyndsey spent most of the day riding with him and giving pointers as Bob went looking for cattle. Much to our surprise Cowboy Bob hit the mother load and brought in 15 big pairs. They got back here to the H.Q. about 2pm and I went over to the Ghost Ranch corrals to see what they had. I wasn’t believing they had so many when they told me but when I saw what was in the corrals it caused a pretty big smile on my face. These were some nice calves, one is a really nice heifer of John’s that I’ll buy from him.

We cut the calves from the moms and brought them to John’s corrals where we will keep then till next Wednesday when we’ll take them to the sale. John and Alan went to the sale today and reported prices were down a bit from 2 weeks ago when we sold. That figures.

Frank, Corey and I worked around here. Tried to get Deathtrap running, replaced the distributor, cap, rotor and module but no good luck. Then we moved on to the plumbing, got an hour farther along on that, and found more broken lines so another trip to town for parts, then moved on to corral work. We are redoing all the fences leading into the squeeze chute and making the layout a bit more functional.

Thursday, April 12, 2001
A sunny day, a bit cool, about 60. Overnight low was 38. First thing in the morning we all jumped in trucks and went to the Alma corrals where we branded the new bulls. They sure are some handsome brutes. I love seeing my brand go on a critter and my green ear tag go in.

Then we got our horses and headed out for the day. Lyndsey went with Alan and rode here on the east side gathering strays. Rebecca, Craig, and Bob rode with them. I went over to the west side with Darrell, G.B. Lena and Karen. We did a big 20 mile loop just seeing what was where. Up the full length of Sunflower Mesa to the Arizona state line then south along the border till we got to Fox tank, never seeing a cow since we left the Mesa. At Fox tank we found a gate open and three cows of unknown owner and one of ours. Slick as a whistle we cut the three renegades out the gate and kept ours on our side. Then we went over Fox Mtn. From the top we were looking out to Roberts Park about 5 miles away. It was filled with cattle, a month ago there was not a cow there. The cattle head to the Park to calve. Just before we got down to Indian Spring we came up on two older cows both with horns curled down and starting to grow into their heads. We keep pretty good track of things like that so I figured they had not been seen for a year or so. As we started to push them down I was sure of it as they broke and ran to the brush down the steep slope. We were only a half mile from the fence so I sent Karen down to open a gate and the rest of us jumped into the brush. I was riding Butch a little 14 hand rock pony I love to ride. He’s sure footed and good as gold with not a soft spot in him. Just a tough little son of a bitch. He took off and was jumping ditches and logs, dodging limbs and branches having a great time. We caught up to them just as they got to the fence. Over it they sailed like a couple of deer. Well, they were now in the right pasture anyway.

We got back to the trucks about 5pm and I felt like I had been on a horse.

Frank went to the upper ranch to get some hay. Making the long round trip pretty quick. The guy is becoming a dang good hand. Tanya took the day off, taking a well-deserved break from the saddle. Dave took the day off from riding and helped Corey rebuild some of the corrals here at the H.Q. Corey said he was a lot of help having grown up on a farm which his brother still runs. He just worries his brother will hear he came all the way to New Mexico to build rail fence when there was plenty at his own farm to do. Everyone has different ideas of relaxation and fun.

Friday, April 13, 2001
A really nice day, high about 70 after a low of 43. Very little wind and no clouds.

Lyndsey took the day off to do taxes, whatever they are. Tanya went prowling for Elk horn with Dave and Craig, making a shorter day of it and finding no horn. Alan came by and grabbed Darrell, Karen and Rebecca and took them into the Breaks. They covered a lot of country in there and came up with a half dozen head. Pushing them down and around and over the breaks through the thick cedars. They got them all penned except a wild butt cow of mine who finally broke and ran after a couple tries to get her in the corral. Rather than run their already tired horses into the ground they let her go to the brush. Another day.

G.B. and Lena went on their own, going up the forest road all the way to the old town site of Claremont. There they had a lazy lunch then moseyed back down late in the day. Bob and I had Frank trailer us over to the Arizona state line and dropped us off at Charley Moore cabin. There is a huge canyon on our north side that’s about 3 miles long and deep. I had never explored it and decided it was time. We first went up a cow trail onto the north rim of it. Finding that trail was good though rough we went back down and tried the canyon bottom along the creek. We got about a mile in and were forced to turn around due to huge boulders and 3 to 4 foot ledge drops and waterfalls. We the climbed up onto the south rim and rode it all the way out. It was really bad in places. We were on two of the best rock horses I have. Bob was on Duelin and I rode Butch. Both about 14 hands and run only 850 lbs but they have steel for bone, muscle like twisted cable and hearts of gold. I was hunting a trail John told me use to be the main trail through the country before autos came to be. After about three hours I finally found it. A really nice man built trail with some rockwork along it. No one had been down it in years though. The trail was choked with old oaks and cedars. I need to get the boys in there with chainsaws and open it up. It would really save some time going over to the Morgan Place. We finally came out on Sunflower Mesa and close to the ghost Ranch where Frank had left a truck for us. It was about 2:30pm and I asked Bob what he wanted to do. Said he was up for whatever. I pointed across the valley at the base of the big Mountains and told him there was a trail in a really spectacular canyon over there that I had wanted to ride for years. He smiled big and said “let’s do it.” So we got to the truck and trailered over, about a 20 minute ride. Unloaded and hit the trail, called “The Gold Dust.” It’s the trail that they used to pack gold ore out of the mines way up in the mountain and take supplies in. The trail was in good shape and hugged the side of Whitewater Canyon. The canyon has awesome cliffs that run 800 to 1000ft and are strange shades of purple and pinks. We got a mile or so in and the trail dropped steep to the canyon floor. It was getting late and our horses were already tired so I decided as much as I wanted to go on and on, that for their sake we shouldn’t take them any farther. Bob said he was coming back just to ride out that trail. Frank was on it years ago and said it comes out on Whitewater Baldy at an elevation of about 11,000 ft. We loaded up and headed on home.

It was a great week and a great crew, we hope they all do as they said they would and come back to see us again

April 15 - 21, 2001: Spring Gather

Sunday, April 15, 2001
Another week of warming weather. Highs in the upper 70s and low 80s, overnights are about 50. Hard to believe we had snow less than a week ago.

A big crew this week, 11 folks have joined us. We have 5 people from Quebec, way too hot for them. Ginnette, Louis, Micheal, Robert, and Ron. Most all speak and understand English well. I have found out 11 years of French have vacated my brain. We also have Lorna and Tom from Il. and the Brilling family from N.Y. daughter Mckenzie{16}, son Mike{15}, Mark and Gwen, mom and dad.

Monday we all went over to the West side and hunted big pairs and registered cows. Riding in four groups we came up with a trailer load. We pushed them to the Ghost Ranch corrals and loaded them up.

Tuesday was more of the same with a few folks riding on this side with Tanya and Alan. This group got a close look at a bear but found no cattle. The afternoon we spent at the Alma corrals branding some heifers I’m keeping. So far this year I have increased my herd by over 60 head with the heifers I kept and with the ones I bought from John.

Wednesday John and Alan took a load of calves to the sale. They have gone every Wednesday for the past four weeks. Prices are holding steady it seems. Alan came home from the sale last week saying they were way down but when we got our checks our calves has sold really well.

We rode in three groups. The Canadians have adopted Tanya and go where ever she goes. She went back over to the west side and hunted more cattle getting in just one registered yearling but had a lot of fun.

I took Lorna and Louis to the Gold Dust trail, the one I started last week. It was a tough but beautiful trip. Just really hard on the horses. The trail goes along the canyon side for a couple miles then drops down to the creek. There were 15 and 20 foot waterfalls the roar from which filled the canyon. So much so I didn’t hear Louis get swept out of the saddle by a branch. It wasnÕt till I hit a steep switch back and saw I had an empty saddle behind me. I jumped off the side of the mountain on Cooleye and found him walking up the trail. Ok but a bit embarasssed. Cooleye had never been on anything like that trail, he sure learned a lot. He’s young but handled it well making only a few bonehead moves. One of which almost killed me but I’m still here. He was one worn out young man at the end of the day while Bud and Duelin were hammering away along the trail. This trail had big 3 to 4 foot ledge drops, lots of loose rock and a few cliffs that were killers if you slipped off. I am glad I did it but don’t think I will go do it again soon.

Lyndsey took the Brillings and Tom up the mountain trail to the old townsite of Cooney. Just a pleasure sort of ride with a purpose of seeing where cattle were so we can make a plan on how best to gather this dang place. Country is so big we figure on at least 6 weeks to get 90% of the cattle. Hard to believe it’s mid April, we don’t have enough calves for this time of year. The drought last year has cut our calf crop this year. Last year at this time we were branding dozens a week in April and May. I have only seen about 50 new calves. I’m hoping they will come, just come late.

Thursday, Lyndsey and I took most everyone up to Roberts Park hunting more pairs and registerds. We found two registered bulls, one cow, and a big pair while looking through at least a hundred cattle. They all head to the Park to calve and there were sure some big bellied and bagged cows there. I hauled the cattle down, Lyndsey trailered half the group with the Canadians riding all the way from the Park to the river, about 11 miles. This after at least a 10 mile rough country cow hunt.

Tom, Gwen and Mike went with Amy on foot to explore the old mining town of Mogollon and hike the Catwalk trail.

Frank and Corey are up top building fence, getting everything in shape for the summer season there. In just three weeks we start to ship cattle up. Where the heck did spring go?!

Friday was a fun day, Tanya took a bunch up Deep Creek. Just poking around. She likes it up in that rough stuff and is getting to really know her way around. She has a secret spot she has lunch with her riders. It’s an old cabin site, some foundations and logs left. Apple and Plum trees, right on the banks of Deep Creek. Lyndsey and I have no idea where she goes but everyone comes back having had a great time. Lyndsey took a bunch over to the Ridge Well area, yesterday on the drive back from the Park we saw one big pair and three registered heifers. So they went hunting those. Rode and rode and rode but saw no sign of them. They made a long day of looking but only got in a lot of miles and nice country. This is the prettiest spring I have seen in my dozen years here. The cactus are blooming as well as flowers I have never seen. Lyndsey told me what a lot of them are but since I have C.R.S. I Can’t Remember Sh__t. It is so green everywhere. I knew the high country got like Ireland but have never seen this low country like this. Every day there is something new blooming or some plant I have never seen. The hummingbirds are everywhere and all the song birds are here now. A group of deer have been coming to the fence in front of the house every evening now for a photo session.

I rode with Gineete and Micheal and Cricket, he’s a cowboy friend of Lyndsey’s from Colorado. We just worked the canyon bottom here near the H.Q. getting in a couple wild heifers of mine. It was a lot of fun and they learned how to drive cattle through the thick stuff. At one point I had to take Cooleye up a steep cliff side to get a heifer that didn’t think we could go there. We showed her. This cliff was in some places 70 degree or more slope cut with runoff slashes and covered with loose stone and cactus. Cool was awesome! We really had to fight this cow up and down, back and forth. It took about 10 minutes to get her down and he was scrambling the whole time on the verge of sliding 100 yards at any split second. No hoof step was secure for more than the briefest moment before it was sliding from under him. He only panicked one time and I settled him down and he started thinking again. When we finally came down on a slide Cricket rode up shaking his head grinning saying “I thought we put our ponies in some shit in Colorado, but nothing like that!” I was really proud of Cooleye and he was pretty pleased with himself with his neck all arched and a spark in his eye.

It was a great week and a fun crew. Just too dang many funny tails to put down in my limited writing time. Someday I’ll write a book!

April 23, 2001: Special Entry

Monday, April 23, 2001
1:57am

BUD....one of the good ones.

Saturday about 3pm Tanya came and got me and said Bud was colicking. I went to see him and in the time it took to get me he had washed out in a sweat from ears to tail. I quickly gave him 10cc Banamine I.V. which soon seemed to relieve his pain. I followed it up with 4cc I.V. an hour later and he felt much better. At feeding time he ate some and was bright and alert. I left about 10pm and headed to the upper ranch, driving in heavy snow once I got to 6500 ft elevation. About 2pm Sunday Tanya called and said Bud seemed to be feeling bad again. I was soon was in my truck and speeding through the 2 hour drive. When I got there she told me he had spent most of the day just standing around, he was now wringing his tail and looked pained and dull eyed. His pulse was 80, respiration about the same. I gave 10cc Banamine I.V. When I drew it back I saw his blood oxygen level was low as the blood was a darker color. I feared a twisted intestine. We saw no relief but a worsening. He started to try to roll and Tanya started walking him as I called all around trying to get a vet. My regular two were out of town, I talked to one unhelpful one about 3 hrs away who told us there was nothing she could do till Monday morning. Finally Dr. Lee called from Roswell where he was visiting family and we talked. He said we were doing all the right things but also agreed that it sounded the worst. He said surgery was the next step and it would be expensive, with no guarantees. It was never a choice; there was no price on Bud. If he could make it through a surgery and never work another day it was fine with me. He would be one of the very few who would never leave the ranch.

He has worked for me four years. Never ever missing a day of work. Never ever making a mistake. Giving hundreds of people the best week on horseback in their lives. Doc Lee gave me the names of surgeons in Albq. and Las Cruces. I put out calls. 9pm on Sunday is not a good time to find a Doctor. He was in more pain. I gave him some Ace, then some Rompum a few hours later. Tanya and I took turns walking him while Lyndsey handled the phones. It became a fight to keep him up. Finally we couldn’t and just were able to keep him from rolling, begging and pleading with him. Finally a doctor called and said to load him up for the five-hour ride. There was no way he was going to make it in the trailer. He was hurting; we were hurting so much for him. We stroked him and soothed him in his quieter times as he lay in the dirt of the corral. We restrained him as he fought the pain, encouraging him not to give up. Then, I felt the shake start. Once you have felt it you never forget it. I told the girls we were going to lose him. Less than two minutes later he was dead.

The three of us cried over him.

He was one of the best.

April 22 - 28, 2001: Spring Gather

Sunday, April 22, 2001
A good crew this week, lots of returning friends. Fred from Ca. here for his forth or fifth time, he is also the owner of former N Bar employee Steele. Von from Mi. is here for his third time. Mica from Germany is here for his second time, bringing his friend Udo this time instead of his wife. We also have Will from Fl. Julie and Denise are here from St.Louis.

Monday everyone went with Lyndsey and Alan on an “Alan Ride.” Making Mondays shake down ride a 7 hour excursion through the rough country of Devils Creek, getting home about 7pm. They found several Elk horns but they were too big to get home.

Tuesday, April 24, 2001
We all went up to Roberts Park where we gathered the whole pasture, penning everything to get it paired up. We had a bunch of new calves. In the grass, I found a less than 5 hour old calf with no momma around. I watched and waited to see a cow bawling but none did. I finally carried it to the corral and put her in with all the other cattle hoping mom would show herself. Everyone took a late lunch break while I wandered among the cattle watching the calf. She was really hungry, trying to nurse every cow, getting kicked and butted away. Frustrated, I sent everyone out riding the whole area again looking for a cow or a carcass.

A turkey hunter stopped by with the news there was a hurt calf he’d seen a few days before on the other side of the mountain in Fox pasture. I drove over there and found the calf near death with festered wounds on its head. I gathered it up and put it in the trailer to try and save it. On the way out I saw a nice 4 yo bull with a broken ankle. There was nothing I could do at the time. The calf died before I got it home. Looking it over I found two deep wounds in his head the diameter of my little finger. The wounds had infected and killed him. Probably we could have saved him if we’d found him a few days before. Near as we can figure he was in the grass lying down and an eagle saw just his head and ears. Looking like a rabbit it must have latched on to him inflicting the wounds before it realized the calf was a little more than he could handle. So between losing Bud, the calf and the bull it’s been a pretty lousy livestock week around here.

When I got back to the park the riders reported finding not hide nor hair of any other cattle. We left the orphan calf in the corrals with a couple other cows overnight hoping mom would show up.

Wednesday, April 25, 2001
We went back to the park and found no mom had shown up, so John loaded up the calf and hauled it to his house to start it on a bottle. We regathered the pasture, leaving the young pairs there. I took a few folks and pushed the rest of the cattle down into Frisco pasture, about 40 head. The first two miles were along a good road then we cut off the road and headed down the spine of a long ridge to Canyon tank. The feed was thick and green and the ridge covered with rock and trees so it took a whole lot of yelling and hollering to get the cattle to move. We finally got them there and took a well-deserved break. Then we headed over the mountain to meet up with Lyndsey and her group that had gone over the Powerline trail to the homestead, sweeping the upper end of Fox pasture. On the way I took a short cut over a sandstone rim saving a couple miles. The rim was a bit steep along a 100 foot drop, but not very long. Denise was afeared of heights and balked about going over it. I told her to trust me and trust her horse Butch and it would be fine. It was and she felt better for having done it. At the homestead we met up and some folks rode to the river and others trailered ending a good day.

Thursday, April 26, 2001
Tanya took some folks with Alan up to Devils Park and made a big loop lasting 8 hours in some awesome mountain country. They didn’t find any cattle but found a bunch of big Elk horns that were too big to get back home. We will go in with pack animals some time and haul them out.

Lyndsey went to the Ghost Ranch and spent the day looking over cattle, seeing a lot of new babies. She gathered in a few that had bad horns so we could cut them the next day or two.

I rode around in the truck with Fred, we went and looked at some mules and horses for sale. One really nice big built palomino I wanted but the owner was pretty proud of him and the price was too high. Then we went up onto Sunflower Mesa to get the bad-legged bull. I had portable panels with us and hay and water. We pulled up to him and set out some panels but before we got them up the bull came over and got on the trailer. Never had that happen before. I looked him over and think it’s just a bad sprain so we hauled him back to the H.Q. We then went to pick up Lyndsey’s crew at the Ghost Ranch, on the way over it started to rain, then hail, then rain really hard. I was in the 2 wheel drive crew cab and just barely made it in. We loaded them up and slipped our way out over the greasy road. This spring is going so well, just enough rain, about once a week, the country is so green it’s amazing. Wild flowers and cactus blooming, temps about 75 day and 50 at night. Couldn’t be better!

Friday, April 27, 2001
We ran the bad horned cattle through the squeeze chute at the Alma corrals. Cutting and burning horns. All went well till we got a 2400 lb bull in and he was pissed! He fought and snotted and blew wanting to eat someone. A former employee Fred stopped by, some may remember him from a few years ago...the missing link... the hardest working human I’ve ever met, but at times a bit strange, fearless and honest. Fred came just as the bull broke the side of the chute getting loose into the alley everyone was in. He charged and scattered everyone. It was a sight how fast everyone climbed a six foot fence. Fred got a shot in the shorts and a high-powered boost up the fence by the bull. Well that brought things to a halt as the bull pawed and snorted and trotted around keeping everyone on their perches. Finally Lyndsey went to the end of the alley and got him to charge her, she skittered around the gate post and swung it shut behind her. She’s got cojones. After finishing the last horn job we all went back to the H.Q. Some folks wanted to go to the Breaks and lope horses and play, so Lyndsey took them there. I wanted to see how cowie our young horses were so a few of us saddled them all and put six heifers in the arena and did a little sorting and cutting. They all did ok for a first time in an arena. Dakota showed the most potential really getting the hang of cutting cattle back and forth along the fence. We rode Cimmarron, Vaquero, Chile, Newboy, Cooleye and Coal. Then I brought out Doc. I’d been working him a bit as time allows and he’d been doing well. But WOW!!!! HE WAS JUST AWESOME. I let everyone ride him and he showed them what a real cow horse feels like, almost losing a few with his quick turns and roll backs. Then as I was cutting I reached up and let his head stall off and just using one rein around his neck we kept going without him missing a step. He worked great with just leg and talent. What a thrill, better than any drug. When we headed back to the saddling corral I stood up on the seat of the saddle and rode him back circus style. For a 3 y.o. he is pretty incredible.

Everyone had a lot of fun this week. Udo who spoke very little english told me Friday night at the camp fire that it had been “a dream come true.” Sure sent me to bed feeling good. Thanks for the haircut Von! I think of you every time I look in a mirror....once a week

April 29 - May 5, 2001: Spring Gather

Sunday, April 29, 2001
Another full crew this week. We have some new folks and some old friends back. Judy and Leigh Ann from Dallas are back for the 8th time and Diane from Il. is back for her third time. New crew members are Steve from Mi. and Cari and Sharon from Wales. Also my nephew and his fiancé from Va. are visiting. Maggie is down for the week so I’m pretty excited about that. Lyndsey went up top to cover the home front and Frank and Corey are still up there working away on a new deck for the cook house and various repairs on all the cabins.

Today Tanya took Steve, Cari, Sharon, and Diane over to the Ghost Ranch looking for a few more big pairs. They rode about 5 hours, saw a lot of cattle and new calves but none they needed. Everyone had a good shake down ride and no one wanted to change horses. I rode over here on the east side with Alan, Judy and Leigh Ann. We found three big pairs in just a few hours. As it was getting hot and they hadn’t ridden for awhile I felt no guilt in swinging out of the saddle at 2pm. I rode Ben the wonder mule who is over his foot abscess after almost a month out of work. Sure was great to be back on him but he’d put on a few pounds and was a bit out of shape.

I went up top over the weekend, it was the first time in months that it didn’t snow while I was there. Got around and saw most of the horses. Changed pastures on some, adjusted feed on others, looked over the mares. Some better foal soon or I fear they’ll explode. Things are still wet up there, standing water in all the bottoms. It makes it too boggy to put cattle on yet. We hope to start shipping at the end of next week. Till then we are just in a holding pattern. The temps have been warm up there, days about 65 and nights just below freezing so the deep ground frost should be thawing, letting the moisture sink in.

Wednesday, May 2, 2001
It sure is getting warm now, highs in the mid 80’s but I hear it’s even hotter than that back east. Nights have been warm in the mid 50’s.

Yesterday we went to Roberts Park hunting up strays we missed last week. Sure enough there were some. No matter how well you think you gather a pasture ya have to go back over several days to get them all. We found 22 cows and one pair. After corraling them all I cut off the pair as the calf was just a day or two old, much to young to make the rough push. Tanya and everyone but Maggie, Judy, and myself took them east on the same steep rocky push we did last week to Canyon tank. The three of us loaded the pair in a trailer and our horses and drove them down the mountain. Tanya and her riders went all the way to the river where I met them about 5pm.

Lyndsey, Frank and Corey are all still up top working on things there. She called and left a message we had our first foal of the season. We had to wait all day wondering what it was till after dinner when I finally got her on the phone. It was Babe...many of you remember her, the best riding mare I have ever had, pure mountain goat and real cowie. She had a colt, sorrel in color with a perfect blaze, three socks and deep blue eyes. She reported mom and baby were doing well.

Today we trailered over to John’s uncle’s range to ride Killer Canyon. I had seen a cow of ours there a month ago so we went looking. When we got there Duellin started acting a bit colicy so I gave Diane my horse Cooleye to ride and Maggie led the hunt while I hauled Duellin home. I stopped at the river and unloaded him for a big drink then washed him off in the cool water. When I got him home I gave him a bit of Banamine and he soon seemed better and was eating hay. I hung around for awhile watching him, he never tried to roll or anything. I then went to go back and meet the crew waiting about an hour before they showed up. Spent the time relic hunting at an old Indian site. Found three big really nicely painted pieces as I strolled around. When we got back Duellin was just hanging around but he was anxious to get out with his friends. We’ll just hope all goes well tonight and not have a Bud repeat. It would be a bit more than I could bear.

Tanya is off on another road trip for us. Taking two horses we sold that are shipping out of Socorro. Then she goes on to Albq. and flies to New Hampshire tomorrow to pick up my‚son Cassady who will be here a few weeks. YAHOOOO!!!

Thursday, May 3, 2001
A cold front blew in today and I mean blew! Gusty winds to 45 mph with a chill to it. High was about 70 with clear skies.

We trailered to the Alma corrals meeting Alan there and helping him brand and tag four heifers. They were yearlings and we ran them through the chute. Then we headed up to Roberts Park and hunted up some more strays. We did several big loops with the wind really blowing up there in that big open country. By 1pm we had 27 head and 9 calves. We did the same drive as before but left the cattle above Canyon tank on some salt John had dropped earlier in the day. Sharon, Maggie and I rode back to the Park to get the trucks and the others rode down to the bottom of the Park road where we picked them up. It doesn’t sound like much but it took all day.

We have our 2nd foal on the ground! Lyndsey took Gambler out for a spin yesterday checking on all the mares up top. She saw all 21 and a big bay mare had a sorrel colt. Lyndsey could not get any too close before they all took off at a trot.

I also forgot to mention “Agnes.” She is the orphan calf we found last week. John gave her to me since I had that calf die from the eagle wounds. She is here at the house with everyone taking turns bottle feeding her. About as cute as they come being black with a swirl of white on her face. She just hangs out here at the house, sleeping in the Iris and jumping around the yard. So far she has only come on the porch once, and into one guest room when some one left a screen door open. Fortunately she left only tracks.

Friday, May 4, 2001
Cold front stuck around through the day, high of only about 65 but the wind was a bit less today.

Leigh Ann and Judy went to the upper ranch with Maggie today. Getting a bit of a dusting of snow on the way. Steve took the day off from the saddle to go back and hike the Catwalk trail again. Carie, Sharon and Diane went with me for a cruise through the rough country of Deep Creek. We rode up to the old Shellhorn cabin, a beautiful spot. It sits down in the creek canyon with a little meadow and old corrals. The ride in is great. One the way back we came off what we call Tower Hill, which is right above the ranch. It’s a pretty steep switch back trail. The Welsh girls had told me at the beginning of the week they didn’t like steep hills...well being the end of the week and all I figured they could handle it. As we headed off Carie hollered down to me that if I got hit in the head with something it was just the bricks she was shitting. I laughed to the bottom of the cliff. But they handled it well and were glad they had done it.

Saturday, May 5, 2001
Usual N Bar day.....first the van wouldn’t start after everyone was loaded up, had to jump start it, setting us back on time a bit. Then the front wheel on my truck actually fell off! Then the Toyota had a flat. I was hosting a meeting at the upper ranch between the Forest Service, Senator Bingaman, and the Gila Grazing Association. I got home just in time to give Cassady a hug and head to the meeting. It went well, much better than the one in Glenwood last month, not near as much yelling this time. After it was over the Senator asked me to be on his Grazing Task Force...thank you but no! I think Alan would beat everyone else around here in putting a rope around my neck.

Spent the rest of the weekend here up top with Cassady, Maggie did the Albq. run. All he wanted to do was ride. We went out looking for his pony with no luck so let him ride Maggie’s horse. Oh, he was proud of that!