The Lost Chicken
Lynne parked her car in the little lot behind Cookies Du Moi. It was an odd little corner of Salt Lake City mixing pawn shops, liquor stores with barred windows and an invasion of upscale...
Baxter Black: The Feedlot Hand
Life is just a bowl of cherries to a first rate feedlot hand, All the gates swing free and easy, every day’s precisely planned. The boss is always pleasant and lavish with his praise. And...
Baxter Black: Talkin’ Dirty
In this column I have often mentioned scours, abscesses, big tits, bad bags, cancer eyes, foot rot, slurry pits, afterbirth, retained placenta, castration, heat cycles, sheep pellets and snotty noses. Over the years I have...
Baxter Black: Cowboy Wedding
When one of my cowboy friends tells me he’s getting married, my first question is “Does she have a job?” This particular wedding took place in the pines of Arizona. I thought that I would...
Baxter Black: Good Dawg
Every genuine or would be cowboy’s pride and joy is his ‘good dawg!’ One of the highlights at a Stock Show is the stock dog trials. Now, allowin’ for the fact that all my exposure...
Baxter Black: Ol’ Rookie
Old dogs. They write songs about’em and watermelon wine. They have sayings about ‘em learning new tricks. They even name feet after them, i.e., “My ol’ dogs are shore tired!” In a dog’s lifespan they...
Baxter Black: I Guess You Forgot
This year we recognized the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the beginning of the end of the 2nd World War. Europe had been completely conquered except for England, an island about the size of Wyoming. President...
Baxter Black: The Cow Committee
Once upon a time at the start of all creation Angels sat upon a cloud. An odd conglomeration Of buckaroos from near and far but not there from the city. Their job; to build a...
Baxter Black: A Cowboy Parade
You gotta hand it to cowboys. They can turn a birthday cake into a four-alarm fire! Many years ago the Napa Valley (California) County Fair and Rodeo wanted to do something to attract attention to...
Baxter Black: Training New Neighbors
In rural America, farmers and “rural lifestylers” are often neighbors. Seeking a place to better raise their children, to retire in peace, or to escape the continuing anxiety of the city, they move to the...
Baxter Black: Foreign Language
A medical doctor friend of mine was recounting his experiences in Africa as a volunteer for a church missionary program. He said it was very satisfying for the soul but his biggest problem was communicating...
It’s What I Do
A cowboy is the way he is because he works with stock. He’s learned it’s best to ease along To find the rhythm in their song And not to fret if days are long ‘cause...
Baxter Black: Three Wheel Roping
I’ve always sorta figgered the reason there is more cowboy poetry than there is farmer poetry has to do with horses. Most cowboy poetry is about wrecks. One person plus one cow equals a wreck...
Baxter Black: Three Wheel Roping
I’ve always sorta figgered the reason there is more cowboy poetry than there is farmer poetry has to do with horses. Most cowboy poetry is about wrecks. One person plus one cow equals a wreck...
Baxter Black: Inheriting the Family Farm
The latest statistics show that less then 2% of the population is directly involved in production agriculture. It is a function of an increasing overall population and a limited amount of farm ground. Technology is...
Baxter Black: Cow Polygamy
I was visiting with Lisa after their bull sale this spring. She remarked on the overabundance of bulls for sale around the country this year. Competition is stiff. She said she counted the number of...
Backwoods Wisdom
“Age-in’ a cow is ‘bout the thing I hate most. Seems like they can tell the instant you cross the line into the strike zone.” We all nodded sympathetically with Jeff’s pronouncement. Each cowman in...
Baxter Black: Two Jumps
Two Jumps said he used to ride bulls. In spite of his name, he tried. He had grit, determination and bravado on his side. Unfortunately, he lacked skill. He was naturally inept And as life...
Baxter Black: 90% Taxes is Nothing New
This year I’m having a déjà foo. I remember learning in high school social studies that the maximum income tax then was 90%! I was stunned! Over the years I watched President Kennedy reduce the...
Baxter Black: The Rookie DVM
How many of you have ever had a new veterinarian out to your place? You think you’re scared! One of the hazards of a livestock veterinary practice is that it is the one specialty in...
