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)     

Hayden Ranch

A few weeks ago, Dane and I had the opportunity to visit one of his sponsors, the Hayden Ranch. Kerri and Stephanie are incredible people. Hardworking, kind and generous. Their ranch is home to some of the biggest elk in the state. 

We happened to visit the ranch in the middle of the elk rut so Kerri and his friend Shawn took us out to call in some bulls. What an experience! These animals are beautiful, majestic and LARGE. The bull in this picture was the third one to come in, but he was by far the biggest. Check out the videos to hear him calling as he came in. 

Our evening at the Hayden Ranch was one of the best times I've spent in Wyoming, and I can't wait to go back!