What is 1-d-1 Open Space Valuation?
Under Texas law, qualifying land is taxed based on its productivity value—not market value. Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts explains that this means land is appraised on its ability to produce agricultural goods like cattle, hay, or crops, which is typically far lower than what the land would sell for on the open market. (Texas Comptroller)
To qualify, land must generally:

• Be used for agriculture 5 of the past 7 years
• Meet local “intensity standards” (stocking rates, production levels, etc.) (LegalClarity)

In the Hill Country, that usually means:

• cattle grazing
• hay production
• goat or sheep operations

This valuation keeps many ranches financially viable—without it, taxes could exceed what the land produces.

What is Wildlife Valuation?
Wildlife valuation is not a separate exemption—it’s actually a type of 1-d-1 valuation.
In 1995, Texas passed a constitutional amendment allowing landowners to switch from traditional ag use to wildlife management while keeping the same tax benefits. (wildlifetaxvaluation.com)
To qualify, the land must already be under 1-d-1 ag valuation before converting. (Texas Parks & Wildlife Department)
Instead of running livestock, the landowner manages for native species like:

• whitetail deer
• turkey
• quail

2. Why It Matters in the Hill Country
In places like Real, Uvalde and Kerr counties, land values have climbed sharply. Without 1-d-1 valuation, taxes would be based on full market value—which can be unsustainable.
This system:

• keeps ranch land from being forced into development
• encourages responsible land stewardship
• allows smaller landowners to hold property long-term

As Texas Parks and Wildlife Department notes, wildlife valuation also helps preserve habitat and native species while maintaining tax relief. (Texas Parks & Wildlife Department)

What Does “Wildlife Management” Require?
This is where many people get tripped up—it’s not passive.
Landowners must actively perform at least 3 of 7 approved practices, including:

• habitat control (brush management, grazing plans)
• supplemental water or feeding
• predator control
• population monitoring (Texas Parks & Wildlife Department)

You’ll also need a written wildlife management plan filed with your county appraisal district.

Bottom Line
1-d-1 valuation—whether through traditional agriculture or wildlife management—is one of the most important tools for landowners in the Texas Hill Country.
But it comes with responsibility:

• you must meet usage requirements
• document your practices
• and stay consistent year after year

Done right, it allows you to hold land, improve it, and pass it on—without being taxed out of it.  

​
If you’re looking at ranch land for sale in The Texas Hill County, don’t just buy acreage. Buy usability.

​By Linda Kirkpatrick

The time of the Texas Indian Wars would go down in history as a rugged and dangerous time. It took brave and determined people to come here and scratch out a life. On October 13, 1864 one of the most famous skirmishes between the Indians and the settlers occurred.  This battle was the Elm Creek Raid of Young County, Texas. Many lives were lost and many lives were changed forever. It has been written that the John Wayne movie, “The Searchers” was written around this incident. Even though the movie was filmed in Monument Valley, the story line is set in Texas. With all the errors in filming and settings, the movie depicted the time and a story very similar to the real incident at Elm Creek.
​
Some film critics think that the novel “The Searchers” was inspired by the kidnapping of Cynthia Ann Parker. Cynthia Ann was only nine years old on the day of her capture. She spent over 25 years as a captive before she was retrieved, against her will, by Texas Rangers on the Pease River. However, the notes that were made in the writing of the “Searchers” indicate that the story leans more towards the story surrounding the Britt Johnson incident. ​

By Linda Kirkpatrick

I figured that the best way to approach this month’s article was to talk about the ghosts of Texas. No matter if you believe or not, ghosts stories in October is a fun way to pass the time. I must admit that when I started researching ghosts, I didn’t realize that I would be opening a Pandora’s Box. I have always wanted to use this next word and now I finally am able to do that. There are a plethora of ghosts in Texas. So I will only be able to touch on a few and will include our own local lore as well. And for the safety of everyone, please don’t read these in the dark of night around a campfire. My nephew, Connor, can attest to this, because sometimes you can hear them. 
            Texas is a large state and to address just a few of the favorites has been almost impossible. For the record, always keep this in mind, that when you hear stories of old, folklore or ghost stories for that matter, at the root of the story is a smidgen of truth. So never say, “That ain’t true,” because it probably is, just what part? Ghost stories are passed from one storyteller to another and with each telling a new twist is more than likely added. And not all ghost stories are intended to scare the “begeezers” out of you even though those are the most fun.

Pecos Bill is one of those; his story can be told to children of all ages and is only as scary as the teller makes it.
            I guess, in my opinion only, one of the most popular unexplained mysteries is the Marfa Lights. I have witnessed these and believe me, I kept looking over my shoulder the entire time I was there.
            On a more local level, the Headless Horseman of the Nueces is a gruesome, bone chilling and humorous story of two old codgers, Big Foot Wallace and Creed Taylor. In reality, these two were pals and Creed Taylor did have horses stolen from his ranch in Kimble County. From that point on who knows? Did they really capture the horse thief, behead him and tie his headless body to a wild mustang and just turn it loose? And does that horse continue to race on the hills between Camp Wood and Leakey with a headless body bobbing on his back? Well, go out and sit, by your self is best, on that range of hills and relive the legend of El Muerto, the headless one.
            Then there is the story that has grown from a sad family story but through it all the Kirkpatrick humor has prevailed. My great great grandfather, Jehu Kirkpatrick was born in 1825 in Tennessee and migrated to Texas in the 1850’s. He married and settled in San Saba, Texas. When he died in 1871 he was buried in the Old San Saba Cemetery, across from the Methodist Church. His in-law’s are buried there too. As far as ghost stories go, matters were going along pretty good until the 1930’s. The land for the cemetery had originally been donated to the community of San Saba by a Doctor Rogan for the specific use as a cemetery and the Methodist church was to maintain the upkeep and pay the taxes. So when the cemetery had long gone to ruin after a new cemetery had been built the Rogan descendents took the cemetery back and decided to give it to the city for a recreational area, but it is a cemetery! Well ok, but this is only the beginning of the ghost story. The city did give the families the opportunity to move their loved ones and many did. Records indicate that there were twenty graves in the cemetery. Of the twenty only sixteen were moved so that leaves four that remained.
           

Jehu’s daughter is said to have cried as she sat on her front porch and listened to the bulldozers as they plowed under the four remaining graves. The families had suffered greatly during the great depression and did not have the necessary funding to move poor old Jehu’s grave. It is written, “There was much discussion, dissent, grief and regret over this matter. Much historical information was erased when this little cemetery was invaded and abased…a great many people believe that sacrilege and violence has brought dishonor to this sacred spot…”
            Now after all the remaining head stones were crushed and buried, the land was smoothed and sod was laid and next thing you know, San Saba School has a football field. Yep and the fact that this now football field was once a cemetery has become a tool that San Saba football players use to intimidate the opposition. Yep they have spread the word about how those that still rest below the ground are known to cause tackles and sudden falls during a game. It got so bad that a rule was put into place that San Saba could not present the story to the other players but that still didn’t stop ole Jehu from taking part in the football games, even today. When you attend a football game at Rogan field and notice a player or two from the opposing teams just trip for no reason at all, well now you know the reason, Jehu just having a bit of fun.
            One of the most popular ghost stories in the state is that of La Llorona, there was even a documentary about this story. It is a story about a Hispanic woman who walks the rivers, weeping for her children who drowned in a river in Texas. Another story of a ghostly owl like creature called Lechuza. This story is retold to children to keep them from wandering out at night, there is more to the story of course but lack of room in this article prevents telling the entire story.

           Another great story that I enjoy was told to me by local friend and storyteller Lora B Garrison. The world lost many tales the day that she passed. The story is a true story about an early Texas settler by the name of Josiah Wilbarger. Josiah and some companions were attacked by Indians. He was shot and scalped and left for dead but when the Indians were gone he managed to crawl towards the river and finally could go no further. He leaned up against a tree and there a vision from his sister back in Tennessee came to him in a dream.. She instructed him to go no further as help would come. Meanwhile during the night his neighbor, Sarah Hornsby had a dream that he was still alive. She had a hard time convincing her husband to gather a group and go hunt him. But they went where she instructed and they found him!  He and Sarah shared their visions and he decided to write his sister and tell her of his dream of her. However, before he could get his letter in the mail, he received notice from his family that his sister had died the day before he and his friends were attacked by the Indians. Now how did that happen?
            But of all the Texas ghost stories, I must admit that my favorite is our very own here in the Frio Canyon, the White Lady of Rio Frio. The legend grew from a true story. Maria Juarez was a beautiful, young Mexican woman who loved children and she couldn’t wait for the day when she would marry and have children of her own. But alas, it would never be because her brother in law was jealous and wanted her for himself. When he discovered she was engaged he knew he had to do something but she told him that her love was for the young cowboy, Anselmo. With no way of winning her love he shot and killed her. But her love for children has never let her soul rest. Her spirit roams the Frio taking care of the children. She has been known to cover a child as he sleeps on a cold night or just sit on their bed watching them as they sleep. It is said that you can sometimes see her as a wisp of fog as she floats along the Frio. Watch for her on cold nights.
            Recently someone ask me about the haunting in the courthouse. Yes that is what I said. People have heard footsteps and wondered who could it be? Who could be there when the courthouse is supposed to be empty? Could it be the soul of an inmate that hung himself years ago? Could he be trying to find his way out? I guess I need to check into that tale a bit more.  
           

​Guest post by Michael Longsdon 

Your home has served you well. It’s been the site of all your favorite memories, and it’s where you raised and nurtured your family. However, it’s become more burden than beacon. You’ve started to look at housing prices and are thinking about moving. But moving is so much work, and it can be a little scary! Fear not. We’re going to walk you through decluttering and downsizing into a home that’s just right for your golden years.
 
Location
           
Consider your finances and talk to a realtor about how much you can expect to net from the sale of your current home. Include all the anticipated costs, and plan with an eye for the future. While you may have no mobility issues right now, you’ll want to look for a place in close proximity to healthcare and community resources, with ground floor accommodations and accessibility features. Making such modifications to an existing home can get pricey; the average bathroom remodel for handicap accessible features runs about $20,000. However, new construction trends are being set by aging baby boomers, and entire neighborhoods of senior-friendly, mobility accessible houses are going up in communities across the country. You may find something perfect in your area.
 
To Rent Or To Own?
 
For many seniors who have owned their own home for decades, the idea of renting might seem a little strange. However, when calculating the total cost, including maintenance, renting might make more sense in some markets, especially those with a lower cost of living. It can take years to recoup a home purchase investment, and once you’ve purchased, you are locked into that location for the immediate future. Renting allows you to change your living arrangements as your circumstances alter. Additionally, many senior living apartment communities offer particular amenities that might be beneficial in your retirement, including fitness centers, recreational organizations, and even catered meals.
 
Saying Goodbye
 
Moving is an emotional experience for everyone, but it’s particularly tough when you’re leaving a place you have loved for many years. The task of sorting through your belongings can become overwhelming. Enlist the whole family to help. Call your kids and tell them it’s time to get their skis, their dollhouse, and your granddaughter’s wedding dress out of your closet. If they live across the country, take photos and ask them to specify which items they want. Everything else goes out to the yard sales, consignment shops, pawn shops, or donations to charity. Separate items by utility: those that you use regularly are going to the new house but consider the intermittent items individually. Do you really need to own your own rug shampooer, or would it be more space and cost efficient to rent one as needed? Ask yourself, “Do I need it? Do I have other items that perform the same function?” A good rule of thumb to follow while downsizing is this: If you haven’t worn, used, or touched an item in a year, it’s up for discard.
 
For sentimental items, focus on quality over quantity. How much joy are you getting from two boxes that contain every Christmas card you’ve ever received? In this case, less is more. Select individual items that make you feel happy. Choose to display them in your new home, where you’ll enjoy them each day. Your memories are in your head and your heart, not boxes under your bed. Consider having physical media such as photographs and home movies transferred to electronic media with cloud storage and display a few hard copies of your best photos in frames and albums in the new house.
 
Choose to look at downsizing as a way to refocus your life and change your lifestyle. A smaller residence, with lowered maintenance requirements and a cheaper cost of living, will free up money and time to do more of what you enjoy. It can give you the freedom to travel and try things you’ve always wanted. It can enable you to live closer to family and friends, making new memories in the process. You are simplifying the material aspects of your life in favor of enriching the emotional bonds that make life worth living.
 
Michael Longsdon is the creator of ElderFreedom.net, which advocates for the rights and support of seniors.  
 
 

By Linda Kirkpatrick
            The history of surveying travels back to early time. The Egyptians recorded plots of land as far back as 3000 B. C. What is astounding to me is that the Great Pyramid is only a few inches out of square. The Bible notes, “Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor’s landmark, which they of old time have set, in thine inheritance which thou shalt inherit…”
            Lewis and Clark, Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln were all surveyors whose work helped map the early United States. The Spanish were some of the first in Texas.  
            Early Texas surveying was unusual and varied to say the least. The terms, “a cigarette’s length” or “half a day’s walk,” recorded in field notes are somewhat inaccurate.  
            Juan Antonio Padilla, land commissioner of Mexico, had to have a survey recorded before Austin’s colonist could claim their land.
​

The early surveys in Texas are marked in varas and leagues. A vara equals 33-1/3 inches. Using a compass, corners were established and marked. Trees and mounds of dirt marked lines not bounded by rivers or creeks. Some recorded field notes of surveys proved remarkably accurate.
            Some inaccuracies gave way to land vacancy and land excesses. Given that their equipment was crude, many were untrained, careless and rushed the early surveys laid a good start in spite of the handicaps.
            Some used a wagon wheel marked with a rag tied on it. They would then then follow the magnetic compass and count the revolutions of the wheel to obtain the distance.  Its inaccuracies resulted in lawsuits.  
            Early surveying parties consisted of a chief, a transit man, two chainmen, a flagman, a corner builder and a cook. With crude equipment, these brave souls headed out into the frontiers of Texas to mark the land.
            On March 2, 1836, the Texas settlers received a league (4,428 acres) and a labor (177 acres) just to come to Texas. The free land enticed the people. Other enticements gave early settlers more land.
            Moses Lapham, born 1808 in Rhode Island, came to Texas in 1831. Lapham was a surveyor with the Gail Borden party, a teacher, a spy for Sam Houston’s army and assisted in destroying Vince’s Bridge during the Texas Revolution.  He was instrumental in the laying out of the city of Houston.

Added below is the letter that Lapham wrote to his family in Ohio after the Battle of San Jacinto.  
            May 17th 1836
Dear parents & Brothers,
I am ashamed not to have written for so long a time but I have been very busy; I have been in the army since the 23rd of Feb. We have underwent a great deal of suffering; but finally achieved one of the most signal victories that was even recorded in the annals of any nation. I have enjoyed better health than I could have expected, considering the hardships we have endured. - - I have again to write that I have not heard one word from home since I left there; I am very anxious to hear from you all; it seems to me an age since I saw you. I cannot think but that you have often written to me, and entreat you by the most endearing ties of parents and brother to continue to write often hoping that at last some one of your letters may get to me. So the war is at an end, in the part of this country, at least, I think there will be a much better chance of getting letters than there has been.
You have no doubt heard of the war proceedings from the news papers, up to nearby the present date; but as they are very incorrect I will give you a concise general outline of the war, since I joined the Army. Col. Travis was stationed at San Antonio with a little more than 100 men, when Santa Anna about the last of Feb., came on him with a force of 2000 men; he wrote for assistance; but the people were so dilatory, that but four companies could be raised to go to his assistance, and they did not reach Gonzales (60 miles this side of San Antonio till Travis was taken. Col. T.- and his men fought like heroes, they were all killed but seven who threw down their arms and begged for quarters, but were brutally killed upon their knees. Col. Fanning was stationed at Labordee [La Bahia] (60 miles below San Antonio) with about 400 men; He attempted to retreat when he heard the fate of Travis; but was attacked by near 2000 men, he sustained himself for three hours (in the open prairie) till dark, when he threw up a small entrenchment and lay till morning; then he found himself surrounded by four pieces of cannon. He had no water and his men were suffering for it. The enemy raised a white flag and he entered into a capitulation with the commanding officers. Col. F. and his men were to deliver up their arms and they were to be taken on parole of honor and sent to the U. S. in eight days. But they were stripped of most of their cloaths and their private property, and, on the ninth day, were ordered to be shot by General Santa Anna. They were fired upon by near ten times their number within a few yards; but fortunately some eight or ten escaped and saved themselves by running into the river, which was close by; they came to tell of the disgraceful and worse than savage violation of the flag of truce, and The Mexicans say Travis killed 500 and wounded as many more, and Fanning 300 and also wounded as many as he killed.
On hearing of the defeat of F. we retreated to the Colorado river, and then on that of F. our crazy Gen. Houston, ordered all his army of 1200 men to retreat to the Brassos, and hid the main body in a swamp between a lake and the river and suffered the enemy to cross the Brassos, when he (our crazy Gen) ordered another retreat; but fortunately, the men would not obey it; then he agreed that we should follow the enemy to Harrisburg (a place 20 miles east of the Brassos) where we took their express and found out the situation of that division of the army. We left out baggage a part of the men to guard it near Harrisburg and marched up with the rest to the enemy 10 or 12 miles below. Our cavalry attacked, on the evening of the 20th of April; but the Gen. would not permit the infantry to sustain them and they were obliged to leave the field. Several of our men were wounded, and they killed a number of the enemy. On the next morning the Gen. called a council of the officers and proposed to build a bridge across the Sangacinto Bay which is 200 yards wide; but the officers and men would not hear to it at all but urged an immediate attack. And the Gen. supposing that there had no reinforcement arrived, reluctantly consented to it. The express that we took on the evening of the 19th said Santa Anna had 700 men there and our force amounted to a few more; they had one piece of cannon and we two; we had exchanged several shots the day before. Our encampments were about a mile apart, both in the skirts of timber on the shore of the Bay. At four o'clock P. M. we attacked them in their fortification, by marching right across the open prarie. Our number was somewhere about 700 (I have not been able to ascertain exactly; but shall be as all of their names are registered and will be published). It consisted in part of the marrow bone of Texas; the cowards having fled from the country) and some choice volunteers from the U. S. and a few regulars. The enemy opened their fire at the distance of 300 or 400 yards; but our men marched on the 100 yards farther, when our officers ordered them to fire; but most or them (especially the Texians) know better the range of their rifles, and the military character of their enemy, and rushed eagerly ahead, wholely regardless of the shameful order of our Gen. and officers, until within a hundred yards of the enemy, when they gave a destructive fire; and some of the officers had sense enough to charge which would have been given, order or no order and they rushed on like tigers mounted their breastworks; threw the enemy into utter consternation, and turned the battle into a route, kill until they became glutted with slaughter and then took above 400 prisoners. I joined our cavalry for that day, (the most of them being unwilling to fight again on horseback, on account of not being sustained by the infantry the day before) and started at noon with five others to destroy and burn the bridge ten miles above to cut off their retreat and prevent reinforcement, and got back to the company just as the action commenced. After the route had fairly begun, thirteen of us, on the best horses, pursued about thirty of the cavalry and Santa Anna and his staff officers to the creek where we destroyed the bridge, killed a dozen or more before we got back these and as many more on the bank of the creek; the rest took shelter in thicket along the creek and we guarded it till morning when we took the old fox, Santa Anna prisoner and several officers. There were but two or three escaped to tell the news to the other divisions, when they immediately commenced a precipate retreat, and have been going ever since. Our army is following them to drive them across the Del nort river [Rio del Norte]. The enemy had been reenforced with 500 troops on the night of the 20th which made their numbers according to the statement of the prisoners we took 1164 regular soldiers, beside several 100 volunteers and officer's servants; but it is most probably there were more than they say. We had six or seven killed on the field, and wounded and killed in about, not above twenty. We cannot tell how many of the enemy were killed as they are scattered over the prarie and thicket for several miles, and many were killed swimming the Bay. We suppose between 700 and 1000 and them the veteran and choice troops of Mexico. Tell Chenney folks that E - - is well. I suspect he has written lately. I have great hope of Texas now; but if we do not get better men at the head of affairs, it will be a long time before we have a good government. Show this letter to Brother Oziel and request him to write to me. Give my love to all our friends. I am your affecinate child and brother  Moses Lapham
​

Two years later, Moses Lapham would be dead. He and five others surveyed for Samuel Maverick.  They were marking land on Leon Creek, four miles from San Antonio when attacked by Comanche. The Comanche killed Moses Lapham, Cornelius Skinner, Mr. Jones and one other. One escaped to spread the news. Captain Benjamin Franklin Cage and thirteen men promptly headed to the location of the massacre. Approximately one hundred Comanche surrounded them. They killed Captain Cage, Dr. McClung, R. M. Lee, Mr. O’Blye, Peter Conrad, John Pickering, Mr. Green and wounded two. The next day the bodies were buried in a single grave in a Catholic cemetery.
            Life has not always been easy for the land surveyors. Moses was not the first or the last killed in the line of duty. H. C McCluer said of his work in 1928 Bowie County, Texas, “I do not want to go back to that damn county unless I have a guard and an iron suit.”
​

In this part of Texas, in the late 1800’s, times were very hard. And, who are we to judge those who did their very best to keep food on the table when there was no money available. The people and the families of this era survived any way they could. That is just the way things were back then. Still, some of the ways of survival were on the edge of breaking the law, so enter the Texas Rangers, men who did their best to control the lawless ways of some. ​

Growing up in the Frio Canyon I had always heard the tale of a place called Dead Man’s Cave and I didn’t think much of it until I got older and more curious. The story that emerged is exciting to say the least. As kids, we all hunted the cave but to this day, the exact location is still somewhat of a mystery. The caves of the Texas Hill Country can be as simple as an over-hanging shelter or as complex as a wandering cavern. They have protected animals and people from rain and bad weather and one cave in particular is the final resting place for one person.  The cave in the center of this story is nothing more than a hole in the ground with a drastic drop to the floor below and on the floor below laid a skeleton. Everyone who knows the tale is convinced that the skeleton belongs to a Texas Ranger who went missing in 1893 and they know this because it is told that the skeleton is over…6 ft tall. Texas Rangers are bigger than life.  However, all stories begin somewhere and I was determined to find out if this really was the ranger and why he was there. 
            I had been chasing down a story concerning one Robert H. “Sarge” Cummings. Some called him a master of the long loop, a cowboy term for a rustler. Everyone loved this old codger. That is, everyone but the Texas Rangers. Children were ecstatic whenever he came to their homes to visit a spell and he was a friendly sort. The kids would crawl under his chair just to spin the rowels on his spurs while he spun tales of the Wild West.  

Sarge was born in Texas on March 12, 1861. His parents, Mary Elizabeth and Lawrence Cummings, struggled to keep the family going in the small Irish community of San Patricio. They had no money and very little food but neither did anyone else at the time. Lawrence died under very mysterious circumstances shortly after he returned home from fighting for the Confederacy. Some say his wife may have played a part in his demise. This left the family that much more destitute. The responsibility of helping feed the family fell on Sarge’s shoulders. This might possibly have been the beginning of all his problems. No one cared, except the people who owned the hen, if he robbed the neighbor’s hen house of the day’s eggs or maybe an old hen for the stew pot, but soon the stories began to circulate about his ways of putting food on the table. The older he got, the bigger the tales and his antics became.
            After the death of Lawrence, the Cummings family began to migrate. First, in the area of Uvalde, on the Leona and eventually in the Hill Country of Texas they found a safe haven for those living on the shady side of the law. The family always stayed close together. Some lived in the area of the Dry Frio Canyon while the others lived in the neighboring Frio Canyon. The Cummings men helped everyone they could, as that was just the way it was done back then.  Because of their kindness and generosity, many families made it through some hard times. Sarge had these good qualities for helping others, though his lawless ways sometimes overshadowed all his good deeds. 
            Sarge was a cowboy and a rancher. This experience made horse and cattle rustling an easy part-time job for him. Once Sarge and a few of his friends headed out West, planning to just round up a few of the maverick cattle running in that part of Texas. Moreover, if a few branded ones got mixed in with the bunch, well, that was okay too, in their minds, that is. They just sorta forgot that it was against the law to take these branded bovine. Cutting out the branded from the mavericks was just not in the plan that Sarge and his friends had that day.
            Now a maverick is any cow or calf that does not carry a brand or earmark. There were many maverick cattle in Texas during the time of Sarge Cummings. They were there for the taking, so some thought but, many a man lost his life over a $2.00 mangy, bony, maverick cow. Many put their life in peril trying to remove a maverick from another man’s herd because to the owner of the herd, the maverick was just a cow missed at branding so the owners were out to protect their herds. Remember, times were hard and cattle were plenty.
            Now Sarge probably carried one of the tools of the trade for rustlers of that era, the running iron. His plan to make the pre-branded cows his own would require a little artistic ability, a D-ring from his saddle, and a green mesquite branch. This device could convert the brand on any bovine to read as his own. Sarge would impale the mesquite branch into the D-ring, which would then allow him to control this makeshift branding iron. Thus, the running iron made its way into history. 
            The rustlers would just take a few cows here and a few cows there, never taking an entire herd, narrowing the chances of the cows ever being missed. This tactic worked for a while because it would take a bit for the ranchers to realize that a few cows had just vanished under questionable circumstances. Sarge’s gang would then quickly drive the newly acquired herd back to the ranch in the Dry Frio Canyon. They were quite sure that they would be home long before the Law West of the Pecos had any idea that any cattle had disappeared. But, the Texas Rangers were getting wise to the rustlers’ activities and they would be ready for this renegade outlaw gang on their next venture west.  
            So, when the gang again saddled up and headed out, the Rangers were waiting on them. The Rangers knew that soon the rustlers would make their move and, in the wee hours of night, Sarge decided to cut a few cows from a herd that they had located. 
            On this particular moonlit night, Sarge built a hot fire for the re-branding of a few of these newly acquired cows. Then, from across the arroyo, came the crack of a twig. His uncanny ability to realize when he needed to vacate the premises kicked in and plans quickly changed. The cows would just have to wait. He sauntered over to his borrowed bay mare, Connela, mounted and left hell bent for leather. He had to outrun whatever was out there and that “whatever” was probably a flock of Texas Rangers. The rest of the gang scattered safely to the winds because the Rangers wanted Sarge.
            The sun was just peeking over the plains of West Texas when the hunted and the hunters neared the Pecos River. The Rangers knew that capturing Sarge was imminent. The Pecos was getting closer and the drop over the sheer rock walls would be a deadly jump, one that even Sarge could not survive. The walls surrounding the Pecos River towered hundreds of feet, but the Rangers had underestimated the antics of Sarge Cummings and Sarge was getting tired of these Rangers who would just not quit. 
            Panic set in and showed on Sarge’s face as he neared the edge of the deadly crevice. He remembered that the bay mare, Conella, was a surefooted horse and, with that thought, he made a hard turn toward the Pecos River High Bridge, the railroad bridge.
            Sarge was riding as hard as Conella could travel and his only hope was that those persistent Texas Rangers were not as brave or as stupid as he was about to be.  
            He rode Conella to the edge of the bridge. After a deep breath and a prayer, he put the spurs to Conella’s already-lathered sides. The mare lowered her head, blew, and then took a nervous step. After another blow, Conella stepped again. Sarge could hear the Rangers getting closer and knew that he had to get out of rifle range soon. Conella was now feeling more confident and the urging of his spurs kept her moving forward. About halfway across the 2,180-foot long bridge, Sarge looked below. The 321-foot drop down the canyon to the Pecos River would be a long, hard fall if anything went wrong.
            Sarge reached the opposite side of the bridge before he heard the first shot. He never felt so sure of himself in his entire life. He slowly turned, gave the Rangers a wave of his hat, then headed east towards home. 
            This little escape from the Rangers kept Sarge lying low for some time. But, soon the need for a better bull for his herd put him swinging that long loop again. The folks of Leakey, Texas were somewhat skeptical when Sarge came into town one day driving a nice looking Hereford bull.
            “Sarge, where’d you find that bull?” 
            “Aw shucks, I picked him up about 30 miles north of here,” was Sarge’s only reply. No one dared question him any further. 
            Those Texas Rangers were now not only persistent, they were mad. They could not let this feller get away again. They had to come up with a better plan, one that would be foolproof.
            I had just finished telling master storyteller Elmer Kelton and retired Texas Ranger Brantley Foster the story of Sarge Cummings. With a look of disdain, this former Texas Ranger leaned across the table, and with his Texas Ranger stare and a voice cold as ice said, “Well, did we catch that SOB?”
            I was a little hesitant to answer, but finally got up the courage to quickly say, “No, he died of old age.” 
            You see, the pride of the Texas Rangers goes way back and they most always get their man but they did not get this one. Sarge Cummings managed to dodge them until the day he died.
            But, back to the time of the cattle and horse rustling. After the embarrassment at the Pecos High Bridge, the Rangers were more determined than ever to rid Texas of people like Sarge. Therefore, a plan was developed. The plan the Rangers had in mind involved another man that I had been researching because I wanted to know who was in Dead Man’s Cave, never realizing his connection to Ole Sarge. It was there that the two stories merged.  This man traveled with as much stealth and cunning as that Master of the long loop.
            It was a day back in 1893 that a red-haired stranger rode into the town of Leakey, Texas. He did not say much, just mostly visited in the saloon and every once in a while he did ask a question that included the name of Sarge Cummings. This red-haired stranger, whose name no one knew, hung around town for a few days and then just disappeared. Folks thought that he just rode on but that was not what happened at all. What did happen has become the coldest of South Texas cold case mysteries.
            Somewhere in Texas in the year of 1859, James W. Woods was born. On September 1, 1883 in Colorado City, Texas, he joined Company B of the Frontier Battalion under Captain Sam McMurray. Woods’ enlistment record noted that he was 24 years of age and stood 5 feet 11 inches tall, almost 6 feet. Most of the men who signed up to serve as a ranger were young men from large families struggling to survive. The $30.00 per month pay would be a great help to a household. Most signed up for only a few months or so, some made a career, and some finished their term, left and rejoined later. Woods served a term of about a year and a half, leaving the rangers in May of 1884. 
            On January 31, 1893, James W. Woods joined the Texas Rangers again at 34 years of age. This time he joined Company E under Captain John H. Rogers based out of the town of Alice, Texas. Captain Rogers probably recruited Woods and almost immediately made him a corporal. Corporal Woods traveled to the Menard area to work undercover, gathering information against the ruthless cattle rustlers in the area. The area that Woods was to cover was large and the one rustler that covered the most territory was none other than Sarge Cummings.        Corporal Woods was hot on the trail of Sarge, the one who kept getting away. Sarge managed to avoid the lawmen up until this one Texas Ranger rode into the town of Leakey. It was not long after his arrival that Corporal Woods picked up the necessary information that would lead him straight to Sarge. He rode to Sarge’s ranch in the Dry Frio Canyon, a deadly mistake. Word had already reached Sarge about a red headed strange man asking questions about his whereabouts in the Leakey saloon. Sarge knew that a Ranger was on his way and he was waiting. 

Sarge and his gang put an end to this inquisitive stranger that very day. In Sarge’s mind the best way to rid oneself of a nosey Texas Ranger was to hide the body and his horse in a remote cave. In the northern most part of the Dry Frio Canyon is a place that is now known as Red Hollow. On a hillside in Red Hollow is a cave marked on a topography map in faded pencil. Red Hollow is situated in the middle of Sarge Cummings territory. Another cave in question may have been on the old Miller ranch north of Leakey and this too makes sense, because the Miller ranch belonged to the brother-in-law of Sarge Cummings.
            Sometime later, the Rangers jailed one of Sarge’s cronies and that feller eventually talked. He said that they killed the Ranger and his horse, and that both lay in the bottom of a cave. The Rangers believed him. He led the Rangers to the cave where they retrieved articles of clothing and human bones. The Rangers took the remains to Rocksprings for identification. The remains were identified as those of missing Texas Ranger Corporal James W. Woods. Rocksprings was the county seat at the time and, wouldn’t you know it, the courthouse burned a couple of years later and all records were lost. So following up on this lead literally went up in smoke. 
            Many have questioned as to why they killed the horse. My response to that is, many people were known or remembered by what they rode or drove. You are probably associated with a certain vehicle. Rangers would have recognized Woods’ horse, so Sarge wisely deposited the remains of the animal along with the Ranger in the cave. Some question as to how he would have gotten the horse in the cave if it was just a hole in the ground. Simple, lead the horse next to the hole, shoot it and, as it is going down, push it over into the abyss. For someone with a devious mind and a life to lose if captured, this worked.
            What it all boils down to is that the body at the bottom of the cave is one James W. Woods. His remains are probably in an unmarked grave in Rocksprings. The closest that I will probably get to the cave is that pencil mark on the topography map.
            The last record, of Woods where-abouts, in his Texas Ranger pay file read as follows:
Texas Ranger pay file.
“Austin, Texas
March 1, 1899,
Woods, J. W. Ranger Company E.
Pay accts for Aug 30 & Nov 30, 1893 filed by Capt J. H. Rogers.
These pay certificates were never cashed because Woods was murdered somewhere at Ft. McKavitt and his body was never found and never heard from.” 
 
The Officer Down Memorial Page lists the following information about James W. Woods.
Texas Rangers
Texas
End of Watch: Thursday, November 30, 1893
Cause: Assault
Biographical Info
Age: Not available
Tour of Duty: 6 months
Badge Number: Not available
On September 1, 1883, J. W. Woods enlisted as a private in Company B under the command of Captain John H. Rogers. Pay records show Woods still enlisted in Company B as late as February 29, 1884.
            On January 1, 1893, Captain John H. Rogers formed Company E and recruited J. W. Woods. Rogers’ biography reported that Woods was promoted to corporal in March 1893, but ranger pay rolls indicate he was a private during this enlistment. In the summer of 1893, the sheriff of Menard County requested assistance from the Texas Rangers with cattle thefts. Captain Rogers assigned Woods to work undercover and Woods went to work at a local ranch. In July of 1893, Woods simply vanished. His body was never recovered and no one was ever prosecuted for what the Texas Rangers determined was a murder. On November 30, 1893, the Texas Rangers declared him dead since no one had collected his pay check since July. No personal information is known about J. W. Woods at this time.
            The Texas Rangers and Captain Rogers did make every attempt to find Woods. First, the Rangers searched, offered rewards, planted spies, and still nothing. One report even suggests that Woods may have deserted. Could he just have turned his back on the Ranger life and rode away? Could he have joined up with the fun loving Sarge Cummings and his gang? Could he just have escaped the clutches of this rustler gang in the dark of night to resurface again later? Or, had he really had been murdered. Murder seems to be the consensus especially after the one bad guy talked, but the 1900 census records indicate that there were three fellers by the last name of Woods alive and well. Any could have been Texas Ranger J. W. Woods. They were all three born around the same time in Texas and all showed up in this 1900 census. One even became a Federal Marshal. Could this have been former Ranger J. W. Woods resurfacing?
            Whatever happened to Sarge? There is the old adage of innocent until proven guilty and the law never charged or convicted him of anything. The Rangers simply missed their dally on this long loop master. 
            My friend, Retired Texas Ranger, Brantley Foster, has to just unhappily live with the fact that Robert (Sarge) Cummings was the one that just got away. Sarge lived a long, exciting life. He built his final loop on February 12, 1923. They laid him to rest in the Vanderpool Cemetery in the Vanderpool, Texas community. 
 

​Henry Robinson, Settler, Scout and Indian Fighter
By
Linda Kirkpatrick
             
            Henry M. Robinson was born in England in 1811 and it seems that he came to the New World alone.  In October 1834 he married Evaliza Christine “Cherokee” LaGrone.  Their first child, Elizabeth, was born in Alabama. Their second child, John F. was born in 1837 in Sabine County, Texas. Of their nine children, the seventh child Andrew Henry, was born in Uvalde County, Texas November 24, 1850, to be followed by William Harrison and Ann.
            It seems that the family arrived in Texas in time to be part of the Texas Revolution. At the request of Houston, his friend, Henry did his part at Goliad and helped in the evacuation of Texas during the Runaway Scrape. He was rewarded a head right of 1180 acres.
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​​Linda Kirkpatrick is a ranch real estate agent, author and Texas Hill Country historian

​Christmas Soiree on the Nueces
By  Linda Kirkpatrick

               It was back in 1888 in the town of Vance, Texas; the Taylor family was putting the finishing touches on the Christmas soiree that would be held at their house. These “get-togethers” were common practice and served as an important role of socialization for folks in those remote areas of Texas.        
         At this same time the lawmen of the area were planning their own little get-together. Sheriff Ira Wheat, of Leakey, Texas, got word that two brothers were heading to the Christmas soiree on the Nueces. He sent word to his deputy, Will Terry, in Vance, Texas that the brothers were headed that way and they were wanted……dead or alive. Terry then gathered Texas Ranger Captain John Hughes, Captain Ira Aten and Ranger Bass Outlaw. He assigned a local posse that included Paul Jones, Dan Crier, Jim Rhodes, Henry Wells and about twelve or fifteen other men to serve as back up to the Rangers.
           
          
 Alvin and Will Odle were looking forward to the dance at the Taylor’s and as anxious as the Odles were to get to the party that Christmas Eve, the law was just as anxious for the Odles to arrive at the party.
The Odles had problems with their in-laws and the law. When the family lived in Burnet County, John Odle, brother to Alvin and Will shot and killed his father-in-law and before the dust settled the family up and moved to the Nueces Canyon in the area of Vance, Texas. Then another death occurred. John Stroope , the brother in law of Alvin and Will, was killed. There is some inaccuracy as to the death of John Stroope but rumors have it that Will and Alvin were the guilty parties. Will was only twelve years at the time but to cover all bases both brothers were wanted dead or alive for the murder and for stealing horses. So you have to wonder why they thought that attending this Christmas party would be a good decision.
         With the excitement of dancing and Christmas vittles, it is no wonder that the two young men made their way to the remote hills along the Nueces River to join this Christmas party at the Taylor home. Why, who in the world would be hunting them in this faraway place they thought, especially on such a special holiday. They really underestimated the long arm of the law.      ​

​Photo of Henry Charles Wells, courtesy of Ancestry.com
The Rangers and the posse set up an ambush and waited patiently until they heard the distant clip of metal horseshoes upon the rocks. The sounds got closer with the occasional blow from the horses. The Texas rangers and the posse patiently waited for the signal from Captain Hughes. They didn’t have to wait long because soon the captain stood and yelled, “Halt!” Those Odle boys turned their horses on a dime and were leaving faster than they were arriving. The Texas Ranger, Bass Outlaw, opened fire and didn’t stop until the two Odle brothers lay on the ground, not moving or breathing.  Or so everyone thought. Someone identified the two bodies as those of Alvin and Will Odle.
         But wait, Will was only twelve years old; would they have killed a twelve year old boy? It was later discovered that Will, also known as Walter, was charged with perjury in Arizona. A news paper later reported that Walter Odle died of typhoid fever. So who is buried at the foot of Bullhead Mountain besides Alvin? Maybe brother John had ventured down to visit during Christmas. Or maybe it was a friend of the Odle family, Henry Cavin. This is still a shivering cold case.
         Will the mystery ever be solved as who is buried next to Alvin Odle? Probably not but we will keep looking! I wonder if the soiree continued, just a little thought.

​

The very heart and soul of America and what makes our country great has been on display in rural Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Colorado since early March of this year.
 
That’s when a massive series of wildfires swept through more than 1,000 square miles of ranchlands and farmlands, leaving devastation that to those on the ground must have appeared a lot like the blast of a nuclear bomb.
 
“I’ve never seen anything like it. It was throwing fireballs. It was mean, ugly. It was loud,” Gena Kirk, owner of the Kirk Ranch in Clark County, Kansas, told Harvest Public Media.
 
In Clark County alone, 85% of the land was scorched. The fire spread so rapidly, by some estimates consuming everything in its path at speeds of as much as 70 miles an hour, that ranchers had little opportunity to save any of their livestock and only by divine providence did all but seven people manage to save their own lives.
“It burned every acre of the ranch. There’s not a blade of grass standing there,” third-generation rancher David Bouziden told CNN. Bouziden, who was plowing on his ranch in Southwest Kansas when the smoke from the fire engulfed him and sent him fleeing through soot and ash, was lucky to escape alive. However, he estimated that he lost 90% of his cattle.
 
Greg Gardiner, co-owner of the Gardiner Angus Ranch, one of the most recognizable Angus breeders in America, lost 500 head of cattle on his family’s 48,000-acre ranch, where about 88% of his land burned. Gardiner, whose family’s ranching roots date back five generations to 1885, told Drovers that he had 6,000 round bales spread out over a five-mile distance in the hope of protecting them from any possible disaster; nonetheless all of them were consumed during the fire. In total, Gardiner estimated his ranch’s losses could reach $5 million to $10 million.
 
Lessons Learned
 
Gena Kirk drove through heavy smoke across a mile of pasture seeking an escape route. When her pickup truck got stuck in deep sand, Kirk ran the rest of the way scaling fences and navigating barbed wire before making it to the state highway. She was later treated at a local hospital for smoke inhalation.
 
By the time the flames were finally doused, 23 Kansas counties had been impacted, as well as parts of northwestern Oklahoma, northeastern Colorado, and the panhandle of Texas.
 
What helped contain the damage from being even more catastrophic – if you can imagine anything even worse – was the recovery experience area residents and officials gained just a year earlier when another enormous grass fire consumed more than 620 square miles of prairie and cattle grazing land in Oklahoma and Kansas. At the time, the Anderson Creek Fire was considered the worst wildfire in Kansas history.
 
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
 
More remarkable than the size and speed of the blaze – the largest in Kansas history – has been the resilience of the ranchers and farmers whose lives, possessions and legacies were left in ashes. Even while the worst of the wildfires, which some are calling the “Starbuck Fire,” was still consuming grassland, livestock, homes, pens, and fencing, men and women who lost everything were out volunteering to help others in the effort to save what they could for their neighbors.
 
Kendal Kay is mayor of Ashland, Kansas, which with a population of 850 is the largest city in and the county seat of Clark County. Miraculously, Ashland is still standing, although the fire’s flames got within a half-mile of the town on almost all sides.
 
Mayor Kay told reporter Amy Bickel of The Hutchinson News about one exhausted rancher, his home destroyed and almost all of his cattle dead, who showed up on Day Two of the fire wanting to know how he could help.

“I have 50 employees that want to have jobs tomorrow,” Jeff Kay said. “I wasn’t leaving. I was out here with a wet gunny sack like back in the old days.”
 
“They lose their home, their ranch burns, and they still try to figure out a way to help others,” the Mayor explains. That, he adds, is what living in a close-knit community in rural America is all about.
 
Additional noteworthy incidents reported by The Hutchinson News, The New York Times, and others include:
 

• Thousands of donated hay bales, to feed surviving animals who no longer have grasslands to graze, have been rolling in on the backs of tractor-trailers. Skeins of donated fence wire and new metal posts have also arrived courtesy of farming and ranching groups across the Great Planes.
  
  Members of 4-H clubs and National FFA Organization chapters flocked to Clark County and other affected areas to help with the cleanup and to care for orphaned calves. Lacking hotels, the volunteers slept on living-room floors and in guest bedrooms throughout the area.
  
  
• A wildlife official rescued fire sight-seers who were in danger at Clark County State Lake.

 

• A neighbor who disked all around veterinarian Randall Spare’s home and saved it from the flames by 100 yards. Spare, himself, has been coordinating relief efforts in the form of donations and helping ranchers navigate livestock burial issues.
  
  Spare dispatched members of his veterinarian team to ranches to help with health issues and euthanasia. His son, away at veterinary school, arrived at 3 a.m. with a friend to help fight the fire; while his daughter, a nursing student, returned home to monitor the phones.

 

• Jeff Kay, the brother of Mayor Kendal Kay, operates the family’s business, Ashland Feed and Seed. While many area residents wisely evacuated the area, Jeff stayed behind to contribute to the firefighting efforts.
  
  “I have 50 employees that want to have jobs tomorrow,” Kay said. “I wasn’t leaving. I was out here with a wet gunny sack like back in the old days.”

 

• Gena Kirk, the rancher who had to run for her life, lost all but 15 of her 250 head of cattle. But her home was spared, thanks to a group of friends with shovels who prevailed despite the flames reaching her front door.

 
Ad Astra Per Aspera
 
Five days after the fires broke out, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts was on the scene in Southwest Kansas witnessing the devastation firsthand. Like so many, Senator Roberts was struck by the resilience and spirit of area ranchers and farmers.
 
“All of those I met with today in Clark County are thankful the lives of their friends and families were spared,” the Senator said. “The Kansas spirit as embodied by our motto, ‘To the Stars Through Difficulty’ – Ad astra per aspera – is amazing.”

Indeed, three weeks after the disaster struck his ranch, 71-year-old Bouziden, who lost his home and 90% of his cow herd, had two fencing crews re-fencing his land and was holding meetings with contractors about building a new home.
 
Matt Wilson, whose family roots date back to the homesteading days of 1884, lost the family’s original 19th century home and a modern house where he, his wife, and their six children lived. The Wilsons, who did manage to rescue photos of his great-grandfather standing in front of the original family home, plan to rebuild and keep ranching.

18,000 miles of rural fencing were destroyed. At $10,000 per mile, replacement costs for fences alone will be in the range of $180 million.
 
The final toll in terms of lost animal life, lost productivity, infrastructure damage, and destroyed inventories may never be fully tabulated. Among the high costs of the fires:

• As many as 10,000 head of cattle died or had to be euthanized, not counting the new calves they would have produced or the embryos that might have been implanted into other cows through artificial insemination.
• 25% to 30% of deer inhabiting the burned area may have been killed.
• As much as 70% of the pronghorn that lived in the area may have been killed, along with untold numbers of coyotes and rabbits.
• 18,000 miles of rural fencing were destroyed. At $10,000 per mile, replacement costs for fences alone will be in the range of $180 million.

 
The tales of individual bravery, heroics, generosity, and selflessness coming out of the Starbuck Fire are inspirational and will endure long after the scars of the land have faded. The stories of survival, rescue, and recovery are vivid reminders that the ranches and farms of America rely on much more than land, seed, soil, feed, and water to prosper. At their very foundation is individual character and self-reliance. 
 
Mother nature does, at times, sweep away the visible assets of rural producers. But for all the fury she is capable of unleashing, as the Starbuck Fire once more illustrates, she cannot undermine the spirits of the men and women who in good times harvest her many bounties.
How You Can Help


It will take years, perhaps even decades, for the dedicated ranchers and farmers of Southwest Kansas and surrounding areas to fully rebuild and recover.
 
They need our help and now, thanks to a matching grant from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, every dollar donated to the wildfire relief fund will be matched through July 31, 2017.
 
To learn more and make a much needed and appreciated donation, visit: http://www.wildfirerelieffund.org. All donations are tax-deductible. 
Attribution:

In writing this article, I relied on coverage of the March 2017 wildfires primarily from these news and information sources:
 

• CNN: www.cnn.com
• Drovers: www.cattlenetwork.com
• Harvest Public Media: www.harvestpublicmedia.org
• The Hutchinson News: www.hutchnews.com
• Kansas City infoZine: www.infozine.com
• The New York Times: www.nytimes.com
• Wildfire Today:  www.wildfiretoday.com

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Ranching: An Investment You Can Love Now and Share with Future Generations

There is simply no other investment that can be simultaneously so financially rewarding and emotionally satisfying as ranching.
Playing the stock market, especially for those few who win consistently, is wonderful. Buying and flipping houses has helped some real estate venturers amass fortunes.
Gold bugs, rare coin collectors, philatelists, fine art accumulators, liquid asset (wine and scotch) dealers, and other connoisseurs certainly derive enjoyment from their speculations.
But nothing in the world compares to stepping out under the endless blue sky, inhaling the fresh air, and gazing as far as the eye can see, knowing that this stretch of mother earth, your ranch, is an asset that you can love now and pass on to future generations.
Once ranching gets in your blood – like the love of your life – it stays with you forever. I know, I’m a fourth-generation rancher, and I’m proud to be sharing my passion for the ranching life with my children, our family’s fifth generation of ranchers.
DEEPLY SATISFYING
Whether you live on and work your ranch; treat it as a getaway home; avail yourself of fishing, hunting or boating; raise cattle, cultivate crops, or enjoy more than one of the above, there is nothing as deeply satisfying as ranching.
Better still, done right, ranching can be an incredibly good investment and an annuity that returns both financial and spiritual dividends for generations to come.
Whether you’ve previously lived on a ranch, regularly visited one, and especially if you grew up in the concrete and glass cage we call urban America, you owe it to yourself to explore how owning ranch acreage can lift your spirits and propel your net worth.
Once ranching gets in your blood – like the love of your life – it stays with you forever. I know, I’m a fourth-generation rancher, and I’m proud to be sharing my passion for the ranching life with my children, our family’s fifth generation of ranchers.
I am a dedicated ranch broker. Whether you’re new to ranching – or like me, have it in your DNA – I can fit your needs, your budget, and your dreams to the perfect ranch.
Some ranch brokers look at their profession like just another job. They are all about the quick sale and their commission.
Not me.
I consider helping people buy and sell ranches a calling, something I am meant to do; my higher purpose in life.
GLORIOUSLY INFECTIOUS
For me, it’s all about my clients, their families, their destiny, and, of course, the land. (How blessed are we in America, and Texas especially, to have such abundant, productive, breathtaking land?)
Ranching is gloriously infectious. I was bitten when I was hardly old enough to walk.
It would be my sincerest honor to “infect” you with my love of ranching and the great outdoors. I promise you’ll thank me for it.

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