While on a recent vacation, I visited Palo Duro Canyon State Park near Amarillo, Texas and took this picture. Formed by water erosion of the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River, the canyon is the second largest canyon in the United States.
In the gift shop, I met Gerald McCathern, an author who resides in nearby Hereford, Texas. He's written several books about the rise of Texas cattle ranching during the 1800's. After a short conversation, I purchased Dry Bones, the second in a series of four books that focuses on the development of the C Bar A (pronounced Ceebara) Ranch. The fictional ranch spans several thousand acres located in the vicinity of the canyon. Mr. McCathern also helped organize the farmers rally in Washinton, D.C. during the late 1970's. The farm tractor he drove on the trip has been housed in the Smithsonian for many years.
In the gift shop, I met Gerald McCathern, an author who resides in nearby Hereford, Texas. He's written several books about the rise of Texas cattle ranching during the 1800's. After a short conversation, I purchased Dry Bones, the second in a series of four books that focuses on the development of the C Bar A (pronounced Ceebara) Ranch. The fictional ranch spans several thousand acres located in the vicinity of the canyon. Mr. McCathern also helped organize the farmers rally in Washinton, D.C. during the late 1970's. The farm tractor he drove on the trip has been housed in the Smithsonian for many years.
Dry Bones is an interesting piece of historical fiction. If you have an interest in western novels, historical fiction, cattle ranching, or Texas in general, you'll enjoy reading about life on the Ceebara Ranch.
A neighbor to the Ceebara, Charles Goodnight, operated JA Ranch in the canyon until 1890. At it's peak, the ranch had 100,000 head of cattle in the canyon. JA Ranch continues to operate in the canyon today.
I'll definitely be ordering Devil's Rope, the next in McCathern's historical fictional series of novels focusing on the Ceebara. Difficult to find online, these novels can be purchased directly from McCathern by sending him an e-mail.
Western Definitions:
"shaggy" = buffalo
"doggie" = calf
"devil's rope" = barbed wire
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