Contest and Elko!!!

If you follow my page on Facebook then hopefully you have seen this, however I know a lot of readers don't probably pay attention or don't have/do Facebook.

Anyway, I found out about a contest where the winner gets an all expenses paid trip to the Cowboy Poetry/Music Gathering in Elko Nevada to recite in show called "the New Generation". Now to enter, I have to send a video of myself reciting one of my works.

This is where I need YOUR help!! I can't decide which one to pick, so I am leaving the task to YOU!!! as a reward I have turned it into a little fun contest on my Facebook page.

Here is what you need to do

1. 'Like' Tales From The Sagebrush Cowboy Poetry and Stories By Jenn Eastman' on Facebook

2. Come here to the blog and look through all of the poems I have written starting with my first one entitled "The Round Corral of Charles Rifner'

3 Comment on the page or right here in the comment sections after each post and tell me which one I should recite on video to submit.

If I pick the poem with the most comments, a lucky person will recieve a signed copy of the poem!!


Ready, Set, and GO!!! I will pick a winner after Thanksgiving!!!


Happy Thanksgiving,

Jenn

The Buckaroos Vs The Hippies

"The Buckaroos Vs The Hippies"



"Down at the Adel Store

'Round in South East Oregon way

It happened one day in May

Two ole local buckaroos straggled into town

Takin a break from the days chores before starting more.

They walked into the store picked a spot near the steer head on the wall

And ordered two beers

What they saw next

Could have pert near brought 'em to tears

Out in front of the store was a sight

That one might see further south

A colorful VW camper bus pulled up

In front of the store

And not even two seconds later

Pulled up 2 more of these same buses

This peculiar looking bunch

Walked into the ole store for lunch

The two buckaroos had a hunch what this bunch of strangers were up to

Sure enough

Two of the strangers

Sat down next to the buckaroos

"Hey" the men asked, "what brings you to these parts"

The youngest of this colorful bunch decided to get smart

"Well" he said "you see we are environmentalists and we are protesting"

"Enviro WHATS!!!!! we don't take kindly to your types 'round here"

"Now you and your group there best be getting on your way" the old buckaroo said

"Wait whoa man" said the hippie kid. "It ain't what you think"

"AND said the older buckaroo. "did you all know?"

"That y'all stink worse than we do after a prolapse surgery on an ole Momma cow"

"Now wait a minute man" said the hippie

"You gotta understand"

"We know you're stewards to this land"

"So please, man don't get all mad"

Meanwhile the two buckaroos had heard enough

And things were gettin ready to get rough

So they went out to their trucks for bit

The hippies knew they were in for it now and were starting to get a little scared as people from town were starting to stare.

The buckaroos came back in the store

And tried to cut the hippies a little slack

"Son we ain't gonna hurt ya" said the older buckaroo

"But we want you to understand"

"Like you said earlier, we ARE stewards to the land, and some of what you say makes us mad"

"We also are out there in a blizzards"

"Helping a freezing calf find Momma"

"Sometimes we bring 'em into the line shack"

"And they spend the night in front of the fire when things get dire"

"But, most of your kinds don't seem to understand"

"We don't abuse the land, man, or beast"

"We give back"

The hippie kinda looked at him and said

"ya mean, you don't do what those websites and videos say you do?"

"That you hurt animals and the land"

"Nope" said the older buckaroo, "and did you know that beef is good for you too?"

"Man that's pretty far out" said the hippie

Just then two more buckaroos walked in

One was a pretty clean cut looking fellow

The other one, well he was a sight

Wearin the most colorful shirt, wild rag and authentic Spanish Chapadaros, the boy had style even if his hair was a bit wild.

Was a delight to the townsfolks who saw

A delight for everyone, except for the hippies

They knew they'd been beat

You see, these two were the most talked about buckaroos in the West

Havin just come back from Santa Ynez from a big roping

"HEY!" said the rather shaggy colorful buckaroo.

"Didn't we just pass y'all on the way back from California Land?"

The group of hippies sighed

As they were admiring the man's colorful tie

"WELL??" he said

The hippies just kind of snickered and stared

Some were startin to get kind of scared

"Maybe we better get out of here" they said

So they loaded back into their colorful buses

The buckaroos all laughed and kind of cussed them

"Well" said the older buckaroo. "Ya don't see that everyday"

"Glad they headed on their ways"

The young buckaroo with the colorful get up leaned against the bar and said

"Ya know", "it ain't everyday we get those types in town"

"Too bad we missed it when things got down"

"Well, actually" said the older man

"They were kinda nice to me 'an Stan"

"Ya, "but did they try an protest something"?

"No" said Stan, "just curious about the land

"And also

"I think they were trying to find the Tofu Man"


Well that day went down in history

At the Adel Store that day in May

As the day when

Two totally different groups of men

Met up and discussed their different ways

And to confirm the myth

Even after tryin

It is just in the cards

That buckaroos and hippies

Still don't get along

The Ole Ranch Truck

"The Ole Ranch Truck"

It isn't much to look at see

4 bald tires

Cracked windshield

2 doors that are two different colors

Floorboards about rusted out

Holes in the seats

Tags and half a cow crayon on the dash

But this ole truck

Is worth more than just cash

It is a feed hauler during the winter feeding

It's doubles as a hay hauler during summer haying

It is a warm place for a newborn calf who needs a boost

It's traveled many miles

This truck ain't gonna go out of style

There is always a pile of cowdogs in the back

Don't worry they won't attack unless you get to close

Yup she's seen better days

But I wouldn't give up

The Ole Ranch Truck.

Me and the ole truck in 2004 my freshman year at college! She is retired and living out her years with my brother nowadays

Fall Round Up In The Air

Fall Round Up In The Air

It's fall round up time again

Days are gettin shorter

Leaves are turning orange

Time to bring the cattle back home from the range

Trailing them back for miles

Wearing a Scotch cap, wild rag, wool vest, and a smile.

 We sort 'em the shipping corrals

And wait for the truck

Hopin it don't get stuck

 In the mud 'an muck

Load 'em up and head up to town

To the auction barn

It's just a fall tradition 

'Bein a horseback in the slight chilly air

With not a care

There ain't no time to spare

Folks it is fall round up time

Soon it'll be winter feeding and calving time again

But now

Fall round up is in the air

An American Buckarette From The Great Basin

  An American Buckarette From The Great Basin


She looks for cattle on the sagebrush sea

Not just an ordinary girl, you see

She is beautiful

But doesn't mind showing a little dirt

Rides for the brand

Ain't afraid to take a stand when something or someone does wrong

She's handy in the kitchen

And in the sorting corral

Silver and rawhide are her bling

Her horse is her life

But she'd make a pretty good wife

She rides for her pay

And also knows how to play

Can throw a 50 ft loop with the boys

Doesn't treat them like toys

Can clean up like the rest, in a dress and heels.

She is a daughter, sister, mother, neighbor, wife, girlfriend

She is

An American Buckarette From The Great Basin.

Going Green The Vaquero Way

"Going Green The Vaquero Way"

It was a hot August evening down the Northern California way

Folks had been hanging out down at the fairgrounds all day

Watching reata ropings, team branding, and celebrating the ways of the 'ole vaquero

Now that the day was done

A bunch of us were sitting around reliving the day

When I heard one ole boy say "Hey we got Pendelton, who wants a shot?"

Another ole boy said "I'll take one but we ain't got no cups"

"Don't need 'em" the older buckaroo told him

And with that he asked the other guys to hand him their plastic water bottles from supper

With his pocket knife, he cut one in half

"see?" he said

"That there is a shot glass"

The younger fellow said , "Well I'll be goddarned" he said

"That there son, is what the city folks call 'going green'."

"Goin green?" said the younger buckaroo, "ain't that where you drive them electric cars that wouldn't pull a stock trailer if'n they tried?"

"Or usin them low light light bulbs?"

"Well no not really" the older man said

"This is goin green, the vaquero way"

"Many a fellow has been doin it for generations"

"And comes in handy when ya want a shot of Pendelton, don't it?"

"Sure does" the young fellow said

So folks when you think of "going green" don't just think electric toy lookin cars, low light light bulbs, and city folks gettin all excited about that 'warming'

Instead think of a bunch of buckaroos in Northern California country

Sippin Pendelton out of cut up water bottles

While swapping stories of good horses, long rides, wild cattle drives, and the woman of the day.

THAT, folks

Is going 'green'

The Vaquero Way

©Jenn Eastman

Pictures and a make over!!

You may have noticed a different look here as you stopped in to read!! Well I have decided that I needed some professional looking pictures to promote myself as a serious cowboy poet and story teller!!

Please enjoy and let me know which ones are your favorites and if you have any story ideas or feedback, just let me know!! Be sure to "like" Tales from The Sagebrush Cowboy Poetry and Stories by Jenn Eastman  on Facebook!!!!



~Jenn~

All photos taken by Geoff Eastman, please do not copy unless you ask!

An Old Buckaroo's Memories

"An Ole Buckaroo's Memories"


As he tracks cattle among the sage

His old weathered face surely showing his age

He remembers the days of his youth

Memories of wild cattle drives

The wrecks, the dust, and long rides back to camp

The days of searching through blizzards for an orphaned newborn calf

Of roping the day's mount out of the cavvy, quick and savvy.

His daddy and his daddy's daddy training him up

In the ways of buckarooin

He remembers the days of the ole YP, Big Spring, and the ZX

Yea he worked them all in his day

He's seen the old ranches divided and gone

But his memories are there to stay

He wonders why he ended up this way?

Old, gray, and a little 'limpy'

 But  his ways are still the same

You can still count on him to be the first out there

Saddling up the ole bay

Out there still riding for his pay

Oh many of the ways of the world have changed and many things are gone

But out here, where the pines meet the sage

Where there isn't a paved road for miles

You'll find him out here

Still tracking cattle

Still throwing those 50 footers and draggin 'em to the branding fire

He'll never retire

There's still to much to be done around here.

Buckaroo Lookin For Work

Buckaroo Lookin For Work
(Pt two to "Ranch Hand Wanted)


John was just a kid with big dreams of buckarooin

Outside of Jordan Valley toward the Nevada line

Now he knew better than to whine or fuss

But there must be an outfit hiring 'round here

"Now I don't wanna go to Arizona or Texas where i'd have to be a cowpuncher in brushy country, or have to wear a taco brim hat" he thought

"I've been schooled in the ways of the Great Basin as are my daddy and his daddy before him, it's my home you know".

"Somethin's just gotta give"

His best friend Jim told Johnny that he oughta

Place an ad in the paper or on the 'Net askin if anyone needed a hand

"Man" said John "that sounds like a plan"

So off he went to write the ad

When he was done Johnny said "well here it is Jim"

"Situation Wanted : Good cowboy looking for work. I have my own horses and tack that I've spent years acquiring and learning to use so I'd rather ride your four-wheeler. Housing required, we prefer leaking roofs and it must be mouse infested. The ranch must be on verge of bankruptcy. I would especially like to train a lazy son or nephew how to do my job so I can be replaced at any time"


"Well now hey that sounds pretty good John" said Jim, "But why on earth would you want to work at a place like that"

"Heck it sounds like my place" laughed Jim

With a smile and a smirk Johnny answered

"It is your place"

Jim was silent for a sec

Then he chuckled "by golly you're right"

John replied

"of course i am right, you've been through 10 hired hands already this year" said John

"So I figured the time was right to ask you"

"Are you hiring right now Jim?"

Ranch Hand Wanted

          Ranch Hand Wanted

Ole Bill was the foreman of the ranch just south of town

He had just let go of the last rodeo clown

that kid claimed he knew more 'bout ranching than Bill

Who was 85

"Still" Bill thought

"There oughta be good help out there somewhere"

In the past year most of the hired hands hired

Just made poor ole Bill tired

Tired of the dinks, and sneaks

Tired of the drunk skunks

Tired of the kids who just wanted to rope

But still

Bill had hope

So one night he sat down at his desk

To type up an ad to stop this mess

Bill knew exactly what he wanted to write

But he had to word it carefully so it would sound right you see

He thought it over for awhile

Then with a smile he said to himself

"I got it"

The next day Bill headed for town with his ad in hand, that said he was a lookin

For a ranch hand

Days passed and Bill's phone hadn't rang

"maybe that ad was to harsh" he said out loud

Just then the phone rang

"Are you Bill?" a young man's voice asked

"yup what can i do ya for" he answered

"Well Bill, I saw your ad at the cafe today while takin a break from cuttin hay"

"oh" said Bill, "why don't you head out this way"

"Okay" said the kid on the other line "but i ain't got the time today"

"I just wanted to ask about the ad"

"Bill is it true what it says?" 

"Wanted Ranch hand for Cow/Calf Operation, prefer someone who whines and complains a lot and thinks he knows more about runnin the outfit than I the owner. Prefer a Monday mornin quarterback"

"Yup" said Bill  "that's what it say alright"

"Well sir" said the kid, "then you probably don't want me then"

"Now why not" asked Bill

"Because, after reading and rereading that ad, I'll tell ya why"

"Why?" asked Bill 

"Reason is" said the kid

"I am way overqualified"

Lakeview Buckaroo

"Lakeview Buckaroo"

I know you're out there somewhere

Between the ZX in Paisley, and Adel

Out in the hills among sage and pines

Atop a dapple gray mare in your slick fork saddle

Searching for those wild range cattle

I can't hear you nor see you

But I know you're out there

Alone and at peace

Wildrag flying in the wind as you throw that big loop

Lakeview buckaroo

You are a man of solitude, your cattle, horse and dog are all you need

The cow camp is your home

This is the only life that you know

Lakeview buckaroo do you ever wonder if?

All of these things which are near and dear to you

Should be shared

What would it be like

To teach a son the ways of the buckaroo?

To ride and chase those cattle

To throw a loop with the best of 'em

To fix fence

They say it takes a special girl to tie you down

Lakeview buckaroo

There is one out there

She dreams of the place between Adel and the ZX

She dreams of chasing cattle

A top a bay horse in a slick fork saddle

Wildrag and chinks flying through the air as she helps you find strays

Of knowing your ways

She just hopes you'll stay

Lakeview buckaroo

I'm on my way!

A Basin Buckarette's Promise

"A Basin Buckarette's Promise"

As I drive along Hwy 139

messy braid hanging from the back of a King Ropes cap

Sunroof open and "Buckaroogirl" blasting from the speakers

I can feel my heart getting weaker

I make a promise that 

I'll come back

Back to where I belong

Where I've been gone for way to long

Back to these wide open spaces

Back to the Basin

Back to watching cattle graze among these hills

Back to the place I was raised

Back to ranch rodeos, brandings, and roping

Sooner than later, I am hoping

I get closer to the city limit sign and sigh

Yea its been good to me for awhile but I know in time

I'll be back there, 

Back in my home in the Basin

Happy Fourth of July!

Yes I know this isnt a poem or story this time, but I just wanted to write a quick note to wish everyone a happy 4th of July!


Today 8/3/2013 would have been my great grandmother's 116th birthday and since she and that whole side of the family were one of the main reasons that I started writing cowboy poems and stories. I thought I'd pay tribute with some photos!

Enjoy and again Happy 4th Of July everyone!!!

Great Grandmother Dora Rifner Guiley

Pictures of the CD Bar Ranch

In front of the ranch house!

Cowboy Christmastime in The Great Basin

"Cowboy Christmastime in The Great Basin"


"When folks think of Christmas, what comes to mind is

 Cold snow, fires a 'blazin, tacky sweaters, big dinners, and presents under a decorated tree

But to the Great Basin Buckaroo

Christmas also comes early

 'Round July Fourth weekend

Drivin down the road pullin 32 inch trailers and gear in the back

Hopin he'll make it, in time for slack

He'll drive into town, make an 8 or a 9.3 ride

Can't stick around as he's got to get

To the 4th of July fair in the next ole town

Again, pack 'an unpack gear in the heat

But it is his life that he loves an a way to make ends meet

Lil Great Basin towns celebratin

Our country's birthday 'an cowboy Christmas Day

Some of our hometown buckaroos are out on the front lines, defending the land they love 'an ranch on

But we hope they'll be here next time

Yep it is July again

An along with the reunions, fairs, and picnics,

 It is also time for celebratin the freedom to ride and to ranch on this land

But it's also time for.

Cowboy Christmas in the Great Basin"

Fanch and Will, A Tale Of Two Idaho Cowpunchers

"Fanch and Will, A Tale of Two Idaho Cowpunchers"





"Fanch was just a kid from a ranch in the Hollow

Busted his fare share of broncs in his own quick style

All while driving them cowboy-girls wild

However he was gettin older now

But refused to be let down

So the day came

Packed up his gear and trusty cow ponies

Loaded up his ole Chevy truck

And headed up the mountains

He soon arrived in High Valley country

Where the ole Payette River runs through the pines

He then saw a sign for a diner in town and he hadn't had supper yet

So in he went, taking a seat at the counter

Soon the door of the diner opened 'an in walked

The biggiest cowman Fanch had ever seen came in an sat down

Tall, dark hair, looked like he'd seen all the bad rides and bad broncs too

Fanch figured he'd be the fellow to ask about the outfits 'round here

"Hey" Fanch said, "what place's are hirin 'round here"?

The man looked up and said "you ain't gonna find much 'round here, them town folks are taking it all"

"heck after the fall, I'm headin out New Mexico way, might get a better deal out there."

"oh yea things were different once, but once Momma makes you go get educated, things don't look much"

'An no one wants to know the new ways 'o ranchin"

"So kid, my advice to you is to head out and head for that Southwest territory"

Fanch did not see this coming

The ole boy spoke again "well i hear Simplot's a hirin ya might wanna check there"

"But" said Fanch, " I've already worked there, might head down to the Oregon side"

"and look up ole O-town"

The man spoke again, "ahh O-town, i used to hang 'round there"

"Used to meet a young gal with long blond hair"

Fanch realized who this boy was talkin 'bout

"yea" Fanch replied, "I knew her too, pretty petite blond gal"

"She was trainin up in the ole buckaroo ways 'an gettin educated too"

"Heard she ran off with a Texas cat" said Fanch

The tall cowpuncher listened and replied

"We were fixin to get hitched in the summer of 09"

"But she wouldn't be tamed in my ways, 'an I lost her too"

By now it was gettin late and Fanch needed to move on

So the two cowpunchers once strangers now shared a common bond

"hey Hoss" said Fanch "i didn't catch your name"

The ole boy smiled "juss call me Will"

They shook hands and wished each other well

"hey" Fanch hollered, "If'n ya make it in that New Mexico territory holler and ill come out there"

With that, the two parted ways

Neither one has been heard from these days

Yes these Idaho Cowpunchers didn't stay 'round long

Fanch is still around bustin broncs 'round Sand Hollow

As for 'ole Will

Some say he made it New Mexico way but didn't stay

Other's say he's still roaming 'round High Valley

They're probably both still wonderin 'bout that pretty girl they both once knew

But where ever they may be they'll always be known

As Fanch and Will

A couple of Idaho Cowpunchers







© Jenn Eastman, Nevada Buckarette Please ask before you copy or share!!

The Rodeo Coach

The Rodeo Coach

"Every afternoon 'durin the 'schoolin year

A group 'o cowboys and cowgirls head on down

To the fairgrounds in the lil 'ole college town

Trucks and trailers parked bumper to bumper

Laughing, and talking about the previous weekend's rodeo and after party

Soon they hear the sound

Of a red Dodge pick up truck pullin into the grounds

Big stock trailer and a couple of dogs

He climbs out 'a whistlin

Climbs aboard his trusted cow pony Wilson

Chattin on his phone a horseback, making rodeo plans

All while hollerin at the kids goofin off by the stands

Now he ain't no ordinary cowboy or hired hand

Nope this man is the head of this here team

Always quick to smile and laugh it seems

He is also one 'heckuva pick up man too

Helpin save a young bull rider when he goes 'a flyin

Whoopin an hollerin an buckin chutes crashin

He tells them rough stock riding boys

"bare down, give him some slack" 

This cowboy sure has the knack

With his guidance and knowledge

This team will make to it the college finals in 'ole Wyomin'

Many years, tears, 'an occasional bronc rides

This man became a legend in time

'Mentorin the young hands

'Bein a father figure to some

All while trainin up his own two young sons

Who knew that the day would come

We'll never forget that day in September

When the Good Lord called him up

To the arena in the sky

Now the kids still git together down at the rodeo grounds every year

And if'n they listen they will hear

The sound of a whistlin man

The words "holy schnikies" and "now that was some wild cowboy stuff right there"

'An the jingle of his spurs as he climbs on down off of his big bay stud

The crashin, the bangin, and the hollerin as he rides out

To help out a rider who's been thrown from a ole bronc or bull

Yes his spirit still lives on in this Eastern Oregon cow town

Through the eyes of the town folks and students new 'an old

Yes this was a man who was a legend in his time

Thanks to his teachin's

It's our time to ride

And we'll see each other again sometime

At the rodeo in the sky









**Dedicated to the late great college rodeo coach Sonny Hansen of Treasure Valley Community College*** thanks for the rides, advice, wisdom, jokes, and life lessons cowboy, we miss you***

Jordan Valley Days

 Jordan Valley Days



In Malhuer County  where I once roamed them 'ole sage brush flats 'an rocky hills

Down in the 'ole Owyhee River Valley in 'ole Southeast Oregon

Is a place where every buckaroo dreams of 'bein 'round mid May

 The small 'ranchin town called Jordan Valley

Now it's not a very 'purdy place, hard country shaped by hard men

 Where the Basque and pioneers once roamed these 'ole sagebrush hills

And where them ole vaquero's settled back in 'them days when the west was untamed

Now during mid May is when the whoopin 'an hollerin starts

It's Big Loop time again here in this small Oregon ranchin' town

It's the first rodeo of the season 'round here

Ranch broncs, bulls, barrels, 'an big loop ropin

No weekend warriors here, just showin what they do for a 'livin

 Dancin, 'an visitin with folks while testing out 'them new ropes

Are all a part of this buckaroo gathering

Pay no mind to the 'ole boys drinkin 'an fightin

So pack up your warbags 'an bedroll

 'An don't forget your flat brim 'an your wild rag

Bring your best silver bits 'an braided reatas

'An head down the hill to this 'ole place on the third weekend in May

It might make ya wanna stay

'An live them 'ole

Jordan Valley Days

Flat Brimmers Branding Get Together!

Flat Brimmers Branding Get Together!



"From the Eastern Oregon high desert country, to the Nevada sagebrush sea

You can hear the whoops 'an hollers

Must be 'brandin time again

In the Great Basin country the loops are big and the hats are flat

'Cause these 'ole boys just won't wear a baseball cap

But sadly, they have acquired a name that for generations has been hard to shake

"hey, the city boys say, there goes a flat brimmer"

Now what is a 'flat brimmer' you ask

It  really is quite simple

in Arizona and Texas your hat maybe shaped like a taco

But 'round here his has a flat top and brim

"Well, they ask can he rope, or does he just throw 'them fancy shots like in the movies?"

Yes some do, but not this crew

They go in, come out draggin, barely makin a ripple

Draggin calves to the fire with quick wit and style

And yes they have been known to get a little wild

So when you hear of 'flat brimmers' please do not think

Of young guys showin off by throwin 'them fancy loops, goofin' around an' causing a ruckus

Of the ones who are just the weekend bronc rider

Instead think of those who throw a great backshot in the brandin pen

Workin' quietly as not to disturb the herd

And set a good horse in a slick fork saddle

Yes its that time again

For a flat brimmers branding get together"

Cowboy poetry, BBQ and good times!!!

Yesterday I went over to Genoa Nevada which is outside of Carson City not far from Reno, for their annual Cowboy Poetry and Music festival!! Had the most wonderful time strolling the streets and chatting with folks about different things.

However the icing on my cake was open mic, I had just happened to walk by where it was all set up and without really thinking, asked the lady if I could read a couple of poems, totally cold and not prepared something was telling me I should do this. She agreed and in a few minutes she was introducing me and there I was reading the three poems that are here on the blog!!

Needless to say, it was very well received and probably the biggest compliment was Tony Atengo a cowboy poet himself telling me that I had great promise and to keep at it. I was flattered more or less!!!

So here's to a day filled with fun, and BBQ sauce stained hands. Here are some pictures of the event!!

'Ole Stompin Grounds

"Ole Stompin Grounds"

Driving down the highway toward Northern California
I have but one place in my mind
From Susanville, Bieber and Adin
Til I finally cross
That Oregon line
In a few short minutes I'll be there again
Back in The Basin
In my old stompin grounds
Bonanza, Sprague, Beatty and Bly
I just go back in time
When things were simpler, life was sweet
But it awaits me
Klamath Falls
Now a lot of people give the town a bad name
Say it's changed
But to me it'll always be the same
Drivin down Main in my flat brimmed hat
People now think I'm whacked
But even though my home is Northern Nevada
This place will always be
My ole stompin ground

Kansas Cowhand and the Nevada Buckarette

"Kansas Cowhand and the Nevada Buckarette"



"Go west young man" he'd heard them say,
"Someday" he figured out loud
When "someday" came, he packed up his gear and headed out
Through the Dakotas and across the Great Divide he just couldn't decide
Vast, hilly country lay before his eyes.
He arrived in the Great Basin, alone and wondering where to go and why.
Then he had heard that Nevada should be in his sights
Elko and Winnemucca, all set in his mind
No one there needed a cowhand it seemed
But there was one he was told that needed to meet
So he headed south on 'ole I80 til the bright lights of Reno shined ahead
"What the heck?" he said, all this concrete 'an all these crazy city folks, how can this be?"
Then he saw her, blond, short and smiling
Handy with a horse and rope, and a good cook to boot
The cowhand figured he was out of her loop
Spending time in the mountains and deserts, she showed him how
These 'ole Nevada buckaroos handle a cow
The cowhand hand watched it all and with a sigh
He figured it was all to much for his Kansas rope to fly
So he moved on, where he is now no one knows.
Some say he went crazy, some say he is still out there
But she knows he's out there somewhere and hopes one day again their trails will cross
And that once again they'll be
The Kansas Cowhand and the Nevada Buckarette

Mother's and other inspirational woman in my life

Recently my aunt's mother turned 89 years old!! Quite an amazing lady who still drives in this busy place and is healthy and sharp. Man i hope to be that way when i am 89!!!!

It got me thinking of my own background of amazing ladies, my beautiful mother still works as a nurse at 72 yrs young and shows no signs of stopping now. I doubt VERY much she will retire. No rocking chair for that woman :) Her own mother, my Granny was equally as amazing, sadly breast cancer took her from us to early but before that she was a school teacher, a librarian, and a paper lady, yes a newspaper delivery lady who drove all around the back roads in Keno Oregon which is a tiny town 12 miles from Klamath Falls were she lived pretty much most of her life!!! She was also a heck of a hand with a horse and a pistol. Little did she know that her youngest granddaughter would posse the same sets of skills plus her gray blue eyes. I also inherited the love of the Southwest and the Desert from her as well, it was one of her favorite places to vacation!

Grandmother Eastman was a little bit different than Granny, she was an equally amazing woman as well. Passed down a love of cooking although my sister is much better at her recipes than I am, and the importance of the Lord in one's life. Spent her life in Idaho and Eastern Oregon helping my grandpa run his real estate business and of course raise my dad and uncle Pat. She also taught my mom about cooking and running a house after she married her son, my dad Micheal. Grandmother had it all down to a science and i wish she'd written a book on it!!!

Another special lady is my own sister Lisa, there is quite a large age gap between us so all of my life i have been mistaken for her daughter although when she actually HAD a kid that kind of subsided. My niece is quite a smart girl herself. Sister always has a kind word to say about most people and always is there to help our mom figure stuff out!! Not sure who she inherited that from though probably our grandfather! She teaches preschool which I'll be honest here, not many people are given that gift to put up with 17 4 yr and 5 yr olds. 

Let me not forget my cousins who are amazing mother's and hard workers!!!

The Round Corral of Charles Rifner

"The Round Corral of Charles Rifner"

In the Greensprings mountain range between county lines
You can just barely see it through the pines
Now not many folks know
But to my family it is home
Back in the days when the west was still wild
A young cowboy set out from Ohio with a team
The cowboy was quick to laugh and was rarely mean
He arrived in the snow covered pines of the Klamath Basin just in time
Johnson Prairie was the land he had chosen
With strong hands and heart he build part by part
The ranch they called the CD Bar
With his team he built the beams that would become
The small ranch house with the wooden porch swing
And not far he built the barn and the round corral
Now this round corral where he broke colts is not far
From the house and barn
He even trained a wild and whooly stud
He raised his two girls Dode and Mabel as willing, and able hands
His youngest red headed daughter Dode who was awfully petite and smiley
She met up with a young man named Guiley
The months and years soon went by
He soon passed on
And  the days of the round corral became history
But his spirit lives on
I am here to tell you young buckaroos the story
Of how it still stands in all of it's glory
So say not a word as you gather the herd
Slow your pace and listen for the sound in the pines
Of the memories that surround

The round corral of Charles Rifner

the round corral today 

The ranch back in its day

Spring!!!!

As I traveled from Nevada to Oregon yesterday, spring was all abound on the ranches that I drove by in between the two states that I now call home, new calves on the ground, groups of horses and cattle grazing the new green grass. Living in the desert, I don't see the flowers and green as much as one would in California or Oregon (depending on what side of the state you are in, Eastern Oregon is just as much the desert as Nevada is)

Looking outside the windows of my mother's house here in Southern Oregon, I see sights of my youth such as the tulips that Daddy and I planted many years ago, start to pop up. The daffodils and crocus that my sister planted in memory of our beloved Daddy, are already flowering and look absolutely amazing!






And spring also means Holy Week and one of my favorite holidays, Easter Sunday. As a child I always figured it was all about bunnies, lambs, and baby chicks, as well as egg hunts and chocolate! Now that I am an adult and attend church, I understand the significance of the holiday. But I still like my baby bunnies and Cadbury Cream Eggs however!

Spring means wearing lighter clothes in pinks, light yellows, light purples and airy colors. Pink lipsticks and pastel eye shadows are perfect colors to wear this time of year.

Soon the farmers will start spring planting and thinking about what hay and crops to plant. Branding season will be in full swing soon as well.

So get out there and SOAK IT UP!!!!

Who I am

Well I'm Jennifer Peggy-Pauline Eastman and I am 27 years young.

I was born on February 10th 1986 in Medford Oregon and grew up in the woods in a small town known for world class theater and art but in its hayday was a mill town and full of ranches. My great great grandfather on my mom's side, homesteaded in the hills and had a couple hundred acre ranch between the Klamath and Jackson County lines. My great grandmother was raised on this ranch after her mother was killed in a horse and buggy accident. My mom and her family spent many summers at their ranch

So ranching is in my blood, though i am the only one in my immediate family who enjoys the work and the lifestyle, which makes for some interesting conversations at family get togethers!! but they put up with it and are quite pleased with what I do!

My dad played the drums in several jazz bands in the 50s and early 60s and his grandmother was an opera singer, my mom was in the choir in high school and church. So my musical roots run deep as well on both sides of my family, Daddy was also an English and Journalism major and had and associates degree in both subjects thus passing down a love of writing and story telling and music.

He suddenly passed away in 2005, the year after I graduated high school.

The loss was hard as I was daddy's little girl to a T.

When I was 18, I left home to attend Treasure Valley Community College in the rich agricultural and ranching area of Eastern Oregon. Both my mother and father attended and graduated from this college in the 1970s. I graduated from there in 2010 with a degree in Ranch Management. During this time, I also worked on a ranch in Idaho in the summer of 2009. I returned to Klamath Falls Oregon right after graduation from college and worked in agriculture retail until the summer of 2012 when I moved to Nevada.

In my early 20s I lived in Tombstone Arizona yes where Wyatt Earp once roamed and outlaws are famous. I loved my time there and hope to live there again someday, my aunt and uncle live there so I am a frequent visitor. Still have many friends there as well. Quite different country then here in the Great Basin and a different way of doing things when it comes to ranching!!!!

I love silver, turquoise, leather, lace, camo and bling. You'll find my walk in closet full of this pretty much.

I also love good using cowboy gear that is also pretty to look at as well as usable. Flat hats and long taps are a favorite of mine as well.

My dream is to own a ranch someday and make the buckaroos work for ME!!! but i hope to just become a ranch wife instead.

This blog is mainly going to be a place to showcase my cowboy poetry and stories, but also you may see some unrelated posts too which I will keep to a minimum.

 The poems and stories that you are about to read are a way to keep me connected to the lifestyle that I so dearly love.