Happy New Year

    Happy New Year 

I was headed to a neighborhood New Years Ever gathering and was several miles down a country dirt road when a critter leaped across the road in 3 pounds, faster than a white tail buck and close to the ground.  I was immediately shocked at it’s appearance. I had never seen anything that looked like that creature, it was almost a fox size, but black and white in color.  I had never seen anything that looked like that before and I have been traveling these dirt roads for 70 years.    I thought about it all the way to the neighbors gathering, and related the experience to all that were gathered enjoying a beautiful evening and a big fire outside.  Everyone had suggestions about what it was, but all it did was to kick start a bunch of stories about New Years Ever phenomenon.   Wonderful evening of storytelling around a big fire in the pasture.  Storytelling was running wild and after all the stories I was convinced that Ecclesiastes 3 …”A Time For Everything” , was the best explanation for all the stories and creatures we dreamed up ………………

by 

Mike Capron

   Ian Tyson has passed,,,

    by

        Rusty Fleming 

Lots of folks may not know the name Ian Tyson, but he was a singer, songwriter and a balladeer and bets are solid you’ve heard his music,,, and another bet is you never quite forgot it, even though you might not be aware you heard it til one of those memory cells comes alive when his music starts and a lyric rings a bell, awakening a memory,,,,,

He was a cowboy, and a horseman, maybe not of great renown, but his song writing was cowboy,,,

One of his many songs was The Gift and everytime I hear it, I know it was written about Charles Russell,, but my mind flashes on Mike Capron,,, another great cowboy artist,,, you hear a Ian Tyson song and you see a Mike Capron picture and you realize, God gave them “The Gift”, this one’s by Ian,,,,,

                                                      The Gift

In old St. Louis over in Missouri, The mighty Mississippi, well it rolls and flows,

A son was born to Mary Russell and it starts the legend every cowboy knows,,,

Young Kid Russell was born to wander, ever westward he was bound to roam, 

Just a kid of sixteen in 1880, Up in Montana he found his home,,,,

God made Montana for the wild man, For the Piegan and the Sioux and the Crow

Saved his greatest gift for Charlie, said “Get her all down before she goes,

You gotta get her all down ‘cause she’s bound to go”,,,

God hung the stars over Judith Basin, God put the magic in young Charlie’s hands,,,

And all was seen and all remembered, every shining mountain, every longhorn brand

He could paint the light on horseback shining, The great passing herds of the buffalo,

And a cow camp cold on a rainy morning, And the twisting wrist of the Houlihan throw,,,

God made Montana for the wild man, For the Piegan and the Sioux and the Crow,

Saved his greatest gift for Charlie, Said “Get her all down before she goes,

You gotta get her all down ‘cause she’s bound to go”,,,

When the Lord called Charlie to his home up yonder, He said “Kid Russell, I got a job for you,

You’re in charge of sunsets up in old Montana ‘cause I cain’t paint them quite as good as you,

And when you’re done, we’ll go out and have a few, And Nancy Russell will make sure, it’s just two,,,

God made Montana for the wild man, For the Piegan and the Sioux and the Crow

Saved his greatest gift for Charlie, Said “Get her all down before she goes,

You gotta get her all down ‘cause she’s bound to go”.

His songwriting and singing had a lot of soul,,, I’d heard lots of his songs, and being kinda hard of hearing, I cain’t always quite grasp all the words, but God also gave us the internet, and I can play back those songs and even read the lyrics along  with the music and it all works to make a new and wonderful experience,,,, most folks have heard enough songs, everybody has favorites, and this one is mine,,,

Fifty Years Ago

If I could roll back the years, back when I was young and limber, Loose as ashes in the wind,

I had no irons in the fire, I could ride them wild young broncos, the adrenaline come quickly,

And Juanita down at Mona’s, was my only hearts desire,,,,,

We were living for the moment, and the sunlight on my silver bits, the ringing of my jinglebobs,

was the music of my soul, In the alley back of Mona’s I held Juanita in the shadows,

How we held on to each other And the loving that we stole, The sighing of the pines up

here near the timberline, makes me wish I’d done things different, Oh but wishing don’t make it so,,,

The time has passed so quick, the years all run together now, Did I hold Juanita yesterday,

Was it fifty years ago,,

If I would have quit them broncos she might have quit that business, But that was back in the fast days,

You know, before the wire,,, I bet I could still find her, bet she’s still as pretty, as when she’s Juanita 

down at Mona’s and my only hearts desire,,,

And the sighing of the pines, Up here near the timberline, Makes me wish I’d done things different,

Oh but wishing don’t make it so, The time has passed so quick, the years all run together now,

Did I hold Juanita yesterday, or was it, fifty years ago.

I have been blessed with having met a lot of people over the years and some really good, (near)  life long friends, that means having known ‘em a long time,,,and  I’ve learned, having attended quite a few funerals and memorials, that once our work’s done here, it’s “times up”,,,, life on earth is passed and we have to hope our works have been good behind us as we go forward to the next reward. 

Charlie Russell had The Gift, Ian had The Gift and Mike Capron has The Gift,,,, and I am gifted by having seen Charles Russell paintings, heard Ian’s cowboy music magic and still witnessing Mike’s artistic mastering of putting thoughts on paper, canvas and anything else he can get to hold still,,,and I cherish them all as, they are God given treasures,,,

And last but certainly not least, I thank yall, all yall for being my associates, acquaintances, compadres and compadrettes, friends and family,,, I love each and every one of you.

God bless yall and may God continue to bless America,,, thanks muchos Ian, ride high and mighty amigo,,, You have done your deeds, your works are completed and left behind for us, so now enjoy your reward. I heard Ian was 89, wow, what a jam packed 89 years that had to have been,,,giving this more meaning now than ever,,, “The time has passed so quick, the years all run together now,,,,” 

R.F. 12, 30, 2022