Ranch Tales

An entertaining, fast-paced look at early ranching in British Columbia. Frontier historian Ken Mather is known for his fascinating, in-depth profiles of the men and women who established a distinctive ranching culture in Western Canada over a hundred years ago. Now, in this concise collection of stories—based on Mather’s column in the Vernon Morning Star—readers will meet even more colourful characters, gain insightful tidbits on cowboy culture, and read about little-known cattle drives that stagger the imagination. Ranch Tales highlights the achievements, hardships, and exploits of Newman “King of the Range” Squires, “lady rancher” Elizabeth Greenbow, cow boss Joe Coutlee, the gold-seeking Jeffries brothers who came all the way from Alabama, and many more. This delightful book is a perfect companion to Mather’s other ranching histories and will appeal to anyone interested in the early days of the western frontier.

Coyote Creek Ranch Tales are true short stories about animals living on a 180 acre Horse ranch in Winona, Texas. Moses abandoned in the country finds a home at the ranch. Guinevere, the goose, survives after her parents were killed by coyotes. Lady and Tex are horses at the ranch that both overcame serious injuries to become a working horse and a APHA World Champion.

Drop a sleeping bag into the back of a pickup truck, not required but recommended; and drive north, out of the crowd, past the monotony of vineyards, over the curving mountain highway, onto a narrow winding asphalt quilt. Bits of rock rattle into your fender wells, as your tires roll onto a washboard gravel road and a dusty rooster tail whirls against your tailgate. After a while off to your left a gap in the wild oaks that line the roadside afford you a glimpse of Jerusalem Valley. A narrow stream snakes through a rocky riverbed. Sunlight flashes off the frame of dark solar panels that show you she's off the grid. Suddenly a solitary signpost appears with the word Oasis painted lazily across its face. Sliding to a stop, the dust cloud envelopes the pickup. When it clears you may blink or squint, as you get your first look at the straw bale ranch house. This is where Ranch Stories begin. A chicken named Bug, a bare encounter with a bear and burrs in her panties. All things that creep and crawl, observed in league with the nimble curiosity of the cat that is her constant companion. These stories take us on a journey of discovery, laughter, heartbreak and rebirth, experienced by a woman on her own, in her own personal wilderness. Using vivid imagery humor and drama, Linda Drew leads us from the valley to the mountain, introducing us to a plethora of interesting creatures, man and beast along the way. Vignettes, poems and even a mouth watering recipe make up a well rounded rhythmic read.

This is a comprehensive encyclopedia to the more than 100 radio programs portraying the American West, in fact and fiction, heard by generations of listeners from the Great Depression through the Cold War era. The book includes both the popular and lesser known series, as well as would-be offerings that never made it past the audition stage. Each entry describes the series, the extent to which it was based on actual facts, the audience it was written for, and its broadcast history. The descriptions also examine how the programs reflected society's changing social and cultural attitudes towards racial and ethnic minorities and the role of women. The availability of surviving audio copies and original scripts is noted. An extensive bibliography and several appendices provide additional sources of information about Western programming during the Golden Age of Radio.