Working cowboy

If you ever wondered what it is like to be a real working cowboy, this oral history told by Ray Holmes is for you. Practical chapters, such as "Some Talk About Cowboys" and "Some Talk About Calves and Calving," alternate with chapters describing Holmes's life. Delivered by a horse-and-buggy doctor in 1911 during a blizzard near Hulett, Wyoming, Holmes has spent nearly his whole life on horseback herding cattle and doing other work with livestock. From the time he rode his first horse (stolen from him when he was at a dance), Holmes wanted nothing more than to be a cowboy - though his father told him he could never make a living at it. The grit that started him on his way stayed with him through the years, but Holmes is portrayed quietly, because he is not one for bragging. When you finish the book, you will know a great deal about life on a cattle ranch: calving, working cattle, branding, horses and horse sense, herd management, and gear. And you will have witnessed everyday occurrences in Holmes's life such as outwitting unruly animals, listening to the first neighborhood radio, sleeping with potatoes to keep them from freezing, and coping with the Blizzard of '59. Holmes's opinions are open and frank. Readers may disagree with him on details, but one thing is certain: after his years in the saddle, he has earned the right to his views. Both for those who have worked the range and for the millions of armchair bronc riders, this is an enlightening and engaging look at cowboying. Numerous photographs by Margot Liberty and from the Holmes family album accompany the text.