Rattlesnakes and ornery horses, the dreaded Texas Itch, midnight rambles in graveyards, trips to Mexico, and hard riding on the last open range: George Philip recounts all these adventures and more with wit and humour. George Phillip arrived in South Dakota from Scotland in 1899. For the next four years, he rode as a cowboy for his uncle's L-7 cattle outfit during the heyday of the last open range. But the cowboy era was a brief one, and in 1903 Philip turned in his string of horses and hung up his saddle to enter law school in Michigan. In these candid letters, Philip provides fascinating insights into the development of the West and of South Dakota. His writing details the cowboy's day-to-day work, from branding and roping to navigating across the palins by stars and buttes, as the great open ranges slowly closed up.
James (Scotty) Philip was born in 1858 in Dallas, Morayshire, Scoltand. He emigrated in 1874 and settled first in Kansas and later in South Dakota. He married Sarah Larribee in 1879.
"You have a son." The announcement is not exactly the welcome Matthew Long expects from Jenny Sterling when he arrives in Ordinary, Montana. Five years away can change a man, but he suspects he's still not the settle-on-the-ranch type. And if he can't settle, how is he supposed to lend a hand to raise his kid? Seems Jenny has different ideas, however. She wants Matt to do what he does best—move on so that she can return to her life without him. Surprisingly that's something Matt doesn't want to do. Because the moment he gets over the shock of being a daddy, he remembers all the powerful chemistry between him and Jenny. And if there is one person who could persuade him to be the staying kind, it might be her.
Scotty's Castle is a study in contrasts, much like its setting in Death Valley. While the castle is known worldwide and has been visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists, many myths persist. It is not a castle, nor was it owned by Walter E. Scott, known as "Death Valley Scotty." But the Spanish-style hacienda, also known as Death Valley Ranch, has always been linked to Scott. This book explores the fascinating history of Death Valley Scotty, Albert and Bessie Johnson (the true owners and builders of the castle), and the castle itself from construction to private living quarters to a tourist facility owned and operated by the National Park Service.
Enjoy these oldies but goodies from Amazon best selling author, Joannie Kay writing as Laurel Joseph. For your reading pleasure, we’ve put together three stories of feisty women in the old west and the men who love them. We’re certain you’ll love reading all about how these couples fall in love and work out their relationships with some old fashioned discipline! The Naughty Schoolmarm: The new schoolteacher in Cartersville is hiding a big secret. She has run away from home, after her father and ten brothers tried to choose a husband for her. She knows it is only a matter of time before they find her, although they may not recognize their sister in a dress! Can she convince them that she means to stay in her new town and marry her handsome, single father, rancher? Tanner’s first wife was also a red-head and he knows just how to handle his naughty schoolteacher! The Reluctant Bridesmaid: George Connally hires a detective to bring home his daughter, after she refuses to participate in her younger sister’s wedding. Sarah Jean has been driven from her home on the family ranch by her sister Susie’s constant efforts to torment her. She’s started a new life and is supporting herself without any help. She sees no reason to come home to suffer her sister’s manipulations, which their doting father doesn’t recognize. Former marshal turned detective, Daniel, has his hands full trying to walk the line, getting Sarah Jean home without resorting to kidnapping and then making sure she’s not subjected to sisterly abuse. Meanwhile, Susie’s fiancé, Cal has had his eyes opened about her expectations for their wedded life, and he needs to make sure she understands that he’s not going to be the biddable husband she assumes. Upholding the Law: Mackenzie is shocked to discover a group of her neighbors about to hang a man on her ranch. She quickly puts a stop to the lynching, and has her ranch hands escort the men off her property, while she offers first aid to the badly beaten victim. She discovers hidden documents that show he is a marshal, undercover to investigate and put a stop to the rustling that has plagued the area. She takes him home in order to protect him from the vigilantes while he recovers from his injuries. JC was barely conscious when Mac’s shot severed the rope just in time to save his life, but even then, he thought she needed a trip over her man’s knee. What was the tiny woman thinking to take on a group of men intent on murder! Later, as he watches the young widow face down the leaders of the lynch gang and the crooked sheriff when they come to arrest him as a horse thief, JC starts to lose his heart to the spirited red-head. But he knows he’s going to have his hands full; Mackenzie intends to trail behind JC and keep him safe, as he finds the rustlers and puts a stop to their crimes. Will the marshal make it clear that his word is law when Mac is used to running her ranch?
Platinum-award winning country music star Scotty McCreery shares his journey from North Carolina to American Idol and the top of the country music charts. American Idol was just a simple singing competition that seemed fun to audition for. Who knew what kind of doors it might open for a sixteen-year-old from Garner, North Carolina? Go Big or Go Home is the story of a kid with country songs in his soul. Daring to enter the limelight at a young age, Scotty found himself embraced by the nation, and even overseas, as he competed on season 10 of American Idol. In Go Big or Go Home, Scotty shares his journey from his North Carolina roots to winning America's most popular singing competition and launching the musical career he had always dreamed of. Along the way, Scotty teaches us: What it means to have an uncompromising faith The power of dreaming big The importance of embracing your God-given talents Join Scotty as he shares a glimpse of where he came from and the impact his faith, family, and friends have had on a humble guy who keeps asking, "Why me?" Praise for Go Big or Go Home: "Revealing, touching, and often humorous, Go Big or Go Home takes fans behind the scenes of Scotty McCreery's journey so far and pulls back the curtain on American Idol and the music industry while McCreery navigates the tricky waters of instant fame with grace, insight, and, above all, gratitude for the gifts he has been given." --Melinda Newman, music journalist "Being an artist takes you out of your comfort zone and thrusts you into the world. Some of what you experience you are prepared for and some of it you aren't. To quote the country music prophet Aaron Tippin, 'You've got to stand for somethin' or you'll fall for anything.' Scotty McCreery stands for something. You hear it in his voice. You see it in his actions. And you feel it in his songs. This book outlines the wild ride he's been on being thrust into the world." --Josh Turner, Grammy-nominated and multiplatinum-selling MCA recording artist and bestselling author
Don't let the title fool you. The Reincarnation of Bennett McKinney is a cowboy book. Don't let that fool you, either. This is a powerful novel of life lived to the fullest in twentieth-century America. The novel follows the adventures of five young cowboys on the rodeo circuit, starting in a Rapid City motel room and ending in a dingy, high plateau bunkhouse. In between, the reader experiences the exhilaration, danger, and sometimes pain and injury of being launched into the arena on the back of 2000 pounds of aggression. The tranquil interludes - a roundup and calf-branding in the Rocky Mountain foothills, family visits, and even a rodeo school - provide brief respite from the hard work, excitement and danger keeping the reader on the edge of the chair to the very last word. Book jacket.
Born Ruby Rebecca Blevins in a log cabin nestled among the Arkansas Ozarks in 1908, Patsy Montana began her musical career performing in the 1920s with the California-based Montana Cowgirls trio. She went solo and in 1936 became the first female country and western singer to sell one million records with her self-penned "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart." Her career spanned eight decades, and in 1996 (also the year of her death) she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Here is the story of a tiny, blue-eyed woman who had a pioneering spirit and a big voice. Patsy Montana describes in her own words and in vivid detail her life, career, and success at a time in music history when women did not cut gold records, gold records were not even given, and Billboard did not even have a chart for western music.
