S T O R I E S

I've thought a lot about both of them recently, because after a long journey in life and a dream to put many of the stories in print, my book of cowboy stories rolled off the press.

Those cowboys are very much part of this project because they are very much part of who I am, starting at the top of the list, a cowgirl.

Those cowboys were my dad, and after he died, my step-dad. They were both fine men remembered with honor for their knowledge and abilities in ranching in an era that is no more.

And I was blessed to have them both in my life.

Somewhere along the way, I realized that their legacies depend on me to carry them on and, even more so, to pass them on.

In a lifetime, I have collected a PhD-equivalent of little things about cowboying, cows, horses and right-living.

I'd be hard pressed to itemize them all because they aren't all tangible things. They are things that just are.

Some of the lessons loom large in my daily life and I think even a partial list might hit home for many.

·  Slow is fast. Work cattle slow and your day will get over faster and with a more successful conclusion. Quiet patience is good with cattle, horses, kids and women.
·  A very few well-placed words speak louder and clearer than a long speech.
·  Polite ways will open many doors and keep even more from slamming shut.
·  Good horses, good grass and a good cow dog will make a cowboy about as content as he can be. Throw in a wife who can cook and a pickup that will run and it's pure bliss.
·  Find something in everything to laugh about. Nothing soothes the soul like laughter and nothing eases a tense situation like a smile. When the gate didn't get shut and the cattle got out, smile because that colt you are riding will get some needed miles under a saddle. Laugh because you may just as well.
·  Know that Mother Nature has the upper hand. Respect her, don't fight her because it's a fixed fight.
·  Wet saddle blankets make good horses and respectful kids. Hard work is a solid foundation for the cowboy and the horse he rode in on.
·  Enjoy the little things. Take time to pat the dog, soothe the colt, watch the sunrise and the sunset. Just because they are there everyday doesn't mean they always will be.
·  Make good memories, not bad enemies.
·  Honesty is a smooth-riding horse.

I can't tell you why I know some of the things I know, like how to read a cow and her intentions or a horse and what the look in his eye tells me.

Some things I know were never spoken to me, but were lived in front of me. They weren't verbal lessons but were a sum total of who these men were and where they came from.

Integrity was paramount. It encapsulated these basic men who simply lived life the best way they knew how.

They were cowboys, but they were also just good people. And in recalling anything about either of them, first comes to mind they could both laugh and enjoy life at any level.

That is the best of the legacy that they left to me.

I'm not only holding tightly to it, but I'm doing my best to share it with anyone that crosses my path.

See Julie's Web site at www.julie-carter.com. Her new book is off the press and shipping has begun.