It's winter time for the animals, and Christmas time for all us Pards and Pardettes. I thought I'd share a Christmas poem I wrote.
God bless and I hope you enjoy.
December’s Trail Home
By Lincoln Rogers, 2003
I hear tell this week it’s Christmas,
At least the Trail Boss says it’s so.
But it’s hard to catch the spirit,
This far from kin and falling snow.
I’ve been ridin’ drag so long,
My sense of smell has been displaced.
From San Antone’ up through the Plains,
Dust and hide is all I taste.
Tin cup of coffee in my grip,
It’s ‘bout the only thing that’s hot.
Out in the grasp of ice-cold wind,
Can’t help but think of where I’m not.
Ma and Pa off in Nebraska,
On their farm of corn and wheat.
They proved up ground with soil so rich,
Like it’d been trod by God’s own feet.
But bustin’ sod was not my calling,
Behind a plow I couldn’t stay.
My folks knew horses ran my veins,
And watched me ride off West one day.
These eyes bear witness to vast prairies,
Running Longhorn o’er the trail.
A saddle and a string of ponies,
Through bright sun, rain, wind or hail.
But this winter campfire has me thinking,
Reckoning what I’m all about.
If some Angel’s came a calling,
Would I even hear their joyous shout?
Would I be like those old shepherds,
In the book of Holy Writ?
Scruffy Pards in charge of stock,
Hearing, “The Christ is born, now git!”
My small fire spitting in its ring,
Its flames undaunted by the night,
Convinces me to make a choice,
My heart affirms that it is right.
“Slim, wake up ya confound varmint,
I’ve got a piece of news to tell.
You know it’s years since I seen kin,
It might be time I rest a spell.
‘Cuz it’s a week ‘til Christmas Day,
And with Nebraska not too far.
If I saddle up old Gunner,
Maybe we’ll find our yonder star.”
I may not be in Isra-El,
And I sure weren’t no wise Magi,
But cantering east away from Slim,
The sting of moisture hits my eyes.
I know my Pards will understand,
‘Cuz I’m a Cowboy through and through.
I’ll join them next month in Salina,
Bearing a soul as good as new.
In the meantime I’ll see family,
That’s what this Season’s all about.
And like those Angels way back when,
The night will hear my joy ring out.
“Ya Gunner, git your hooves a runnin’,
Let’s cross the miles which block our way.
And Merry Christmas to ya boy,
For we’ll be home that Holy day.”
For the aspiring writer who just might be reading this blog... there is so much good information on the web to help hone your writing craft. If you enjoy writing and want to learn more information, here are some excellent websites. A lot of these will be Christian oriented, since that is where I'm coming from in my life, but don't let it run you off. You will find info there as relevant as any other place on the planet. I hope these may help:
Christian Author, Randy Ingermanson
Those are jsut a few links to help guide you on your way. I hope you will use them as a springboard to uncover more sites and help along your writing journey. After all, I have a name for writers who are unwilling to put in a tremendous amount of time researching their craft and markets - "Unpublished Authors."
Have a good one!
While I'm not particularly thrilled with the results this time around, I am proud of the opportunity we get every couple of years to show the planet how the best democracy in the world works. I hope you voted too.
(Image copyright, Lincoln Rogers. May not be copied or used without written permission by Lincoln Rogers)
In memory of September 11, 2001. May we never forget.
The Most of It
By Lincoln Rogers - September, 2002
It was that hour of morning,
Time to feed all our horses.
Didn’t matter the date,
Or how fate chose its courses.
They knew nothing of loss,
Or of the many that died.
In that morning last year,
When our whole nation cried.
They just knew they were hungry,
And their bellies craved hay.
There weren’t frets for the future,
Only thoughts of today.
I watched them roll in the pasture,
Run and kick their legs high.
Stop and eat some alfalfa,
Find some shade from the sky.
And knew that was the answer,
Like a bolt from above.
Spend some time each day playing,
With the ones that you love.
That could mean there’s some laughter,
Or just quiet to share.
But take a cue from our horses,
And make the most of what’s there.
Take care out there. Lincoln
(Period-correct boots and spurs worn by a SASS End of Trail. Image copyright, Lincoln Rogers. May not be copied or used without written permission from Lincoln Rogers)
I guess you could say I like people who like the Old West. As a result, I really like the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS). The good folks who join this organization love everything about the Old West, and try to be as period-correct as possible with their clothing, accessories, and guns. It seems to be working, since the organization is growing by leaps and bounds. According to organization estimates, an average of seven hundred new members a month has enrolled over the last five years.
“If we were a company, you’d want to invest in us,” stated Ken Amorosano about SASS’s sixty-six thousand plus membership figures. Amorosano is the Marketing Director for SASS.
SASS holds a shooting championship and Old West festival every year, called End of Trail. The festival is drawing folks from around the world to compete in a friendly environment with those who love the Old West. The festival is growing as well, and it's not hard to understand why.
“In the 1870’s, even if you came from back East, you could be a cowboy,” said “Tex,” one of SASS's founders. “Once you crossed west of the Mississippi, you could come up with a moniker like “Wild Bill” and you could become anything you wanted to be. We’ve always done that in SASS as well. Ninety-eight percent (of SASS members) don’t know each other’s real names,” he continued through laughter about the requirement of going by an alias in the group. “It has become a great leveler. It doesn’t matter (in this organization) if you have a million dollars or not.”
The rest of the membership embraces the requirement, believing it adds a priority of fun and camaraderie to competitions. Though a competitive nature may help some shooters win a contest or two, it appears to be an unwritten rule to check one’s ego at the door.
“We don’t give out prize money for winning competitions,” added “Tex” regarding SASS’s social emphasis on having fun and making friends. “It’s for bragging rights (only). We reward people for playing the game. Folks can play Cowboys and Indians just like they did when they were kids,” continued the wearer of SASS badge #4. “They can go back to their childhood. That one facet has allowed folks to have a camaraderie (at shooting competitions).”
“I think people are tired of the government telling them what they can and can’t do,” offered “Judge Roy Bean” (another SASS founder) as a possible reason for SASS’s and End of Trail’s surging popularity. “They’re tired of having to protect themselves from lawyer’s and lawsuits. They want to go back to a time of honesty; to a time when a handshake was better than a contract.”
I couldn't have said it better myself.
Have a good one.
Lincoln
www.lincolnrogers.com
(Image copyright, Lincoln Rogers. May not be copied or used without written permission from Lincoln Rogers.)
I went to a county fair the other day and covered a Horse Pull event for a regional magazine. It was a great experience. The people were friendly and the horses were outstanding.
The competition consisted of a pair of draft horses hooking up to a “sled” filled with weight (they used 70 lb. bags of sand and started with 2,100 lbs.) and pulled the weight over a dirt track for twenty feet to make a successful run. When every team was finished taking a turn, those who succeeded got a chance to pull again after more weight was added, until one team had out-pulled all the others. The winning team in the Heavyweight Class pulled 12,500 pounds to take the county fair title.
“They're like professional football players,” said Scott Beaman, a successful competitor from LaSalle, Colorado, on the topic of good pulling horses. “They’re not farm animals. They are bred to do this. I think the best ones come out of Amish country.”
While the best draft horses for pulling competitions may come from Amish country, it sounded like the breed most suited for the task is the Belgian.
“They are stouter for the most part,” shared local competitor, Pat Kelly, about what makes Belgians a natural fit for the contests. “They call them ’gentle giants’, and they really are.”
It was great to be up close and personal with the nine teams of horses and their handlers. I like being around horse people. They're good folks.
Thanks for checking in. Stop on by again real soon.
Lincoln
www.lincolnrogers.com
The American West holds a fascination for me. I am drawn to it's rugged spirit, spectacular beauty, and fierce independence found in those people not living in urban/suburban areas. That spirit and independence permeated me shortly after arriving in the mid-80's, or maybe I should say it tapped into what was already latent.
