MARY KIDDER RAK’S RUCKER CANYON HOME IN, ‘A COWMAN’S WIFE.’
Oh dear, it has turned out to be another one of those relaxing & reading days. Don’t know if I can take much more of this. Might as well trade in my legs for a new pair of stronger reading glasses. Wouldn’t be happy if I wasn’t griping about something you know:))
We did manage to clear some tall brush on the other side of the fence this morning giving us a bit better view of the Swisshelm Mountains. That Mesquite brush is not nice stuff to work with because of it’s sharp thorns so it was a long sleeve shirts & work gloves project.
CAN YOU SEE THE PINK LITTLE MOLLY POPPINS TRIMMING BRANCHES:))
RETURNING FROM CLEARING BRUSH
Came across a couple older pics today dating back to April of 2004 when Kelly & I worked at a Bayfield area tree farm for awhile. This particular day we were sorting a ka-zillion billion acorns. Hours at a time were spent standing at tables. Kelly outlasted me on this job when my upper back gave out on me after about a month.
For any of you folks contemplating buying a new toad for your rig have a look at heyduke’s site at, ON THE ROAD TO RETIREMENT. He has researched this out very thoroughly & goes about his decision very methodically. We should all be so lucky to be so thrifty. This is one of those posts you may want to print out & save for a future vehicle purchase for sure. Heyduke is less than 3 months from retirement & the open road. ‘Go heyduke go:))’
OUR MORNING WALK LANEWAY
Our home area of Bayfield Ontario is sure getting hammered with non stop snow storms at the moment. Roads closed & school buses not running. The city of London, an hour southeast of Bayfield is virtually paralyzed & the whole city is shut down with police urging people to stay in their homes. London has called on neighboring cities to bring snow plows. University students are being asked to help Seniors. It is fast shaping up to be the worst snow storm on record.
Finished my book, ‘A Cowman’s Wife’ today. Another in a great series of reads over the past few weeks. Incomprehensible to me in this day & age how people lived back in earlier times. Technology has moved so fast that we do not have the faintest understanding of how things really were. This ladies true story took place back in the 1920’s just a few miles from where we are right now. It is about the hardships, joys & endless toil it took to make ends meet on a small cattle ranch in the harsh beauty of Rucker Canyon high in the Chiricahua Mountains. This book had special meaning for me because on March 15 of 2009 Kelly & I finally found the location of OLD FORT RUCKER. On that site was a large barn still being used for cattle & a curiously shaped little wood & adobe house in various states of disrepair. We were able to go inside & I was intrigued with it’s seemingly haphazard layout, thinking at the time what story & what old memories took place here. I felt it was a mysterious house with an unknown past. Unknown that is….until now.
SHE WRITES ABOUT THE TIME THE HOUSE NEARLY BURNED DOWN WHEN SHE LOST CONTROL OF A FIRE IN THIS FIREPLACE
Several readers had suggested I read ‘The Cowman’s Wife’ but it wasn’t until I talked to Eve over at the GRAPEVINE CANYON RANCH that I made the connection between the book & the little house at old Fort Rucker. This was the very house the book’s author, Mary Kidder Rak lived in with her husband Charlie years ago as she wrote about their hard life & times in Rucker Canyon. As I read the book I had the house photos right here in the computer. You can see those photos at…. MARY KIDDER RAK'S RUCKER CANYON RANCH HOUSE. I have it in mind now that I would like to return to Rucker Canyon again & have a second look at where all the memories in her heartfelt book took place. Might just have to make a Jeep run up there shortly. Awww, the history just goes on & on here forever in the beautiful & great American Southwest………..10-4:))
THE CORRALS & BARN THAT HOUSED THEIR CATTLE
GROANER’S CORNER:(( And did you know that everyday you beat your own previous record for number of consecutive days you have stayed alive.
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The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.
London, Ontario made our local news!!..snow and more snow!!..glad you aren't there aren't ya!!
ReplyDeletethanks for the kudos... as I love reading your blog since you visit all the places i have been before and will return to again...
ReplyDeleteYup, I can confirm from local TV that the Bayfield area is getting hammered with a huge snowstorm. You would not be a happy camper if you'd had to stay home this winter (or any winter)!
ReplyDeleteInteresting story about Rucker Canyon, the house and the fort. Books are always more interesting when you have some kind of connection to them.
By the way, what's the difference between a 'Cowman' and a 'Cowboy' - I know it isn't age, so what is it??
There sure is a lot of history down in that Arizona country and a lot of it is not all that old. Many years back when I had a job that took me from Alberta back to the Kincardine area in Ontario I was amazed at the history that that part of the world had. For a kid who grew up in the west a 100 year old house was ancient, but now we are getting some of those out west too.....lol.
ReplyDeleteFor Rick I think the difference is a "cowman" is what we would call a rancher and a "cowboy" is usually a hired hand working another mans stock. But as we get older it is better to be a cowboy than a cowgeezer.
I was trying to touch the computer screen to "channel" some history from Rucker Canyon and her home...Fascinating story..I need to read the book!
ReplyDeleteLove it when history comes alive! Like stepping back in time. K
ReplyDeleteI think you would really enjoy a return visit to the old house. You'll be able to better appreciate everything having read the book. :)
ReplyDeleteI think the difference between "cowman" and "cowboy" is the difference between committed asnd being involved. In a breakfast of hame and eggs, the chicken was "involved," the pig was "committed!"
ReplyDelete