Happy Trails & Pony Tails



Once upon a time, a horse-crazy gal had the crazy idea that it would be fun for friends from all over the country to meet and ride together. Several years later, the ride has become an annual event when summer is about to give way to fall. The location setting is the largest park in the U.S.A. that specifically caters to "horsefolk" - Fort Robinson State Park, located in western Nebraska. All in all, there are 22,000 acres that offer miles of smiles for trail riders! Swing your foot in the stirrup and join us for a virtual ride back into history.

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Potpourri, Pickles & Pearls.



Summer is when bees are as busy as bees get and this summer has been a busy-bee summer for me. Question: How come I seem to be busier now than when I was younger? I thought slowing down a little is what us "vintage" farmgirls get to do. Turning 50 a few years back was a wake-up call. I was suddenly aware that my age was no longer just a number.  If you're 40 or younger and want to see what lies beyond...well, I'm on the trail ahead of you and I found some cowgirl "pearls of wisdom" to share.

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Farmgirl Flower Fairies



This week's edition of High Plains Prose began as a simple wildflower 'show & tell' article. Then, like my real-life landscaping project, it grew and grew...as you shall soon see. If flowers, history and a ride in the country tickle your fancy, hop on the Farmgirl Prairie Fairy Express for a nice, long outing. A lesson about "floriography" also awaits you. Oh, and this too...yes, we do have flower fairies out here...don't you?

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This, That & The Other Thing



Is your life a busy mosaic of activities in the summer? I'm betting so. It is always a challenge for our Farmgirl chapter (High Plains Sage Hens) to organize a time when all of us can be present, but we did it and held our monthly get-together this past week. The hostess hen, Jenny, taught us the "how to" and provided most of the materials for creating mosaic goodies. Wanna see?

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Romancing The Rust



Her husband looked at her like she had three heads and he asked, "What are you going to do with all that junk??"

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The Transfer Of Stewardship



What does a future rancher look like? You're lookin' at it.

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When Summer Is A Young Girl



Springtime ... early summer on the High Plains will have one of two effects on you. Wyoming's bountiful beauty may inspire words of admiration or you'll feel quietly awed and perfectly content to remain in that state ... completely surrounded by the renewal of life in every direction you look. (Above: Newborn Pronghorn Antelope)

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Farmgirl Pickers


 
Keen interest in recycling and re-purposing is not new. Furthermore, human beings may well have gotten the idea from observing our many friends in the animal kingdom. Mother nature is masterful in reclaiming much of what mankind discards ... from shipwrecks to hubcaps (see above photo). Giving vintage relics new life and a new job is an old practice, which brings me to this week's theme: "Farmgirl "Pickers". I borrowed the term that many have become newly familiar with because of the hugely popular TV show on the History channel ... "Pickers". So, get ready, put your gloves & boots on because you're about to embark on a junkin' safari.
 

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Guns & Aprons



We had more fun than piglets in a "waller". We dined on buttery-rich, home baked crackers (MaryJane's recipe), organic "yard bird" salad, and for the crackers...homemade butter & herbed cream cheese. Homegrown and home-brewed Apple wine filled our glasses. We learned the basics of spinning wool, we swapped seeds and listened to Marty Robbins tunes played by the resident guitarist. And, on this same lovely evening in May, we shot paper daises full of holes! Who are we? We're "Guns & Aprons" Farmgirls!

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Too Many Irons In The Fire

I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling that my current “to do” list is overwhelming...? Spring is a busy time anyway, but I really heaped a bunch of extra items on the pile this year! And, I broke a promise to myself. Grudgingly, I acknowledged that I’m getting older and I lack the energy and hardiness I once had. Therefore, I vowed to create a new habit: setting realistic goals. I knew when I said it that my commitment was weak…sincere yes, but the resolve was anemic...lacking iron. This promise and I have parted ways before. Maybe if I keep repeating it like a mantra, I’ll finally “get it"...orrr not.
 

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Here We Go...Calving 2010

 
If you’ve ever wondered what it is like to ride the range on the high plains of Wyoming during calving season … here is your chance. Saddle up, we’re burnin’ daylight.
 

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Soon, The Wildflowers

 
Everyone looks forward to “springtime”, none more so than those who live in the north. Our winters are neither short, nor mild. Cabin fever hits us `long about late February, but we have quite a wait in front of us before relief comes. A surge of hope brightens the mood on that first warm, sunny day in March. Then, it snows and blows again. Just when our spirit sags back into winter weariness, the unmistakable song of a Meadowlark jerks you to attention! You remember what faith is all about: believing in something you may not be able to see or touch, and yet you know your hope is safe.
 

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Eleventy-seven Years Later

 
To some, my most recent “glorious moment” may seem more like a molehill than a mountain, but for me, it was an overwhelming and joyous occasion.
 

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Shery Jespersen with her horse

Shery Jespersen,
Wyoming cattle rancher and outpost writer (rider), shares the “view from her saddle.” Shery is a leather and lace cowgirl who’s been horse-crazy all of her life. Her longtime love is Apple Pi “Dolly” Rose, a 20-year-old Morgan otherwise known as “The Best Darn Horse in the Universe.” Her other interests include “junktiques,” creating eclectic “make do” arts and crafts, collecting antique china, and cultivating mirth.

Column contents copyright © 2009–2010 Shery Jespersen. All rights reserved.

Cowgirl pose

“I went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.”
– John Muir.