Kevin the Bucktoothed Calf

This is Kevin. He is my favorite. He's also bucktoothed. Anyone know a good orthodontist? 

He's really self-conscience about it, so if you meet him don't stare. Kevin has a hard time getting along with the other calves, because they all make fun of his teeth. He can't help that he's bucktoothed. He was born that way. 

Look at him. He's so sweet. He just wants to be friends. When we feed the calves, he's always the first to the gate. He just stares at me with his sweet little face and adorable buck teeth. Oh Kevin, how I love you.                        

             

Lizzie, Judah, and Xena

I woke up to these beauties this morning. They're the three musketeers. They love one another, but when the morning's grain comes out, they fight like little kids.      

              

Lizzie is Dane's best calf horse. Being only seven, she's young for a pro rodeo calf horse. This girl is the most confident equine I've been around.                          

At only five years old, Xena is the baby of the group. She surprised us all last weekend when she helped Dane win the Northside rodeo in Downtown Ft. Worth. We're very excited for this girl's future! 

Hey Xena, take your nose out of the camera! I'm trying to take your picture, silly.           

Judah busts out the pinned ears when the girls get too close to his grain. He doesn't look like it here, but he's really a very sweet gelding...  

Morning Glory from Bear Butte

Enjoy these panoramic pictures from Bear Butte. The lovely Erin Jones and I knocked on the door of sunrise in order to get up the trail and see this view. The sun broke over the horizon, filled the clouds with blazing light and set the prairie on fire. Well worth the 5am alarm. 

"Colorful Cowboy Crap"

Walter Piehl is an artist from Minot, North Dakota who pioneered an abstract style of Western art he lovingly calls "Western Americana." Others have called it "colorful cowboy crap." 

Piehl paints what he loves and knows. His father was a stock contractor, and Piehl grew up announcing rodeos. He tried riding broncs for a little bit, but in his words, he was "pretty sorry at it." 

Piehl loved to draw from a young age, and his affinity for painting translated into the energetic, colorful and abstract creations you see below.        

Badlands Circuit Finals

The Badlands Circuit Finals is the the National Finals Rodeo of the Midwest. South Dakota, North Dakota, and parts of Nebraska fall into the Badlands Circuit, and every October, hundreds of contestants travel to Minot, North Dakota to compete. 

I went with Dane and his parents to the Finals, and snapped some pictures from the weekend. Phil and Terri are two of the most generous and kind people I've met in my twenty-two years. The four of us spent four days in one hotel room (and shared one bathroom), and we still liked one another at the end of the weekend. That's a good sign!    

The performances were in the evenings, but our days were busy nonetheless. Dane and I visited Longfellow Elementary where Dane showed the kiddos some roping tricks and talked about life as a professional cowboy. Dennis "Denny" Halstead and the Miss Rodeo South Dakota Lady-In-Waiting joined us too.

The little boy in this picture is also named Dane. He was completely star stuck meeting "Big Dane" and loved that they had the same name.  

Day In the Life: Professional Calf Roper

While we were in Minot for the Badlands Circuit Finals, Dane was interviewed by the local news station for a spot on the six o'clock news. Dane was phenomenal on camera, and I jumped at the opportunity to snap some pictures. 

Day in the Life: Equine Chiropractor

Terri Kissack spends her days treating horses through chiropractic. She is part problem solver, part therapist, and all cowgirl. I rode along with Terri during rounds and witnessed her daily routine. Some horses are pickles to treat while others welcome it and would say "Thank You" if they could speak. 

This gray mare was one of the pickles. She was an expert bluffer and pinned her ears and threatened to kick in order to keep people away. Those tactics didn't work on Terri. She's spent too many years around horses to be threatened by the mare's tricks. These photos capture the hilarity that ensued.      

(The pictures of the cute dog are a bonus)