1282 Ft. Grant Road, Willcox, AZ October 1, 2011

Today is the first of October and the start of cooler weather.  For this area that means temperatures are in the 80’s.  It also means that sometime within the next two months, I don’t have to use my air-conditioning (refrigeration as the locals say) in the car or place sun-shields on the windshield before and after I get out of my SUV or pick-up truck.  This is the highlight of my cowboy and indian art placement season

I placed, photographed and documented cowboy and indian art piece #124 between the legs of a black cement cow lawn ornament at an empty house up for sale. The location of this cow isn’t too far away from where he lives. This was in tribute to a local prominent livestock auctioneer, Sonny Shores, Sr.  I’m in the process of writing an article on his family and their multi-generations in the southeastern Arizona livestock auction business for Range magazine. 

I’m glad I’ve gotten the opportunity to spend some time, on more than one occasion, at the livestock auction.  One time I was there when a buffalo and her calf entered the auction arena.  I was sitting only a few feet away from them.  They were so big! 

Mama and baby were sold quickly.  All I wondered about is how would one get these two into a conventional stock trailer?!  Would these two be put in with conventional cattle to graze?  Were they going to be pets/conversation pieces or would they be harvested for their meat?  Never did find out.  All I could think about was the past days of the Wild West – majestic and unconventional.        

       

 

 

                      

                   

Willcox Livestock Auction Willcox, AZ November 18, 2010

It was Thursday. This is the one day of the week when ranchers from several counties in Arizona and New Mexico bring trailers full of cattle to sell to wholesale buyers from the city. If I’m nearby, because I had to visit a patient or two, I’ll stop by the auction to visit my friend Terry Burgess who works in the sales office.
Terry is a widow and semi-retired rancher who lives about 10 miles down the road from me on a 40 acre spread. She grew up on a ranch that was very remote. During the school year, Terry stayed with someone in town and only traveled back to the family’s ranch on the weekends. The list of the cattle and horse organizations which is active in is
endless.
Terry’s father, Claude McNair was inducted into the Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1972. This year, Terry was inducted into the Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame. The only father and daughter to hold those honors in the Hall of Fame’s history. Terry has been only the 5^th woman to ever been inducted.
I placed, photographed and documented #67 in a corner of one of the back corrals. One that had very few cattle in it. Unknown to Terry, I dedicated the placement of #67 to
her.
When I have those days when life is so overwhelming that I don’t even feel like getting out of bed, I think of women like Terry. Another one of my heroines will always be Dale Evans. She once said, "Cowgirl is an attitude, really. A pioneer spirit, a special American brand of courage. The cowgirl faces life head on, lives by her own lights, and makes no excuses.  Cowgirls take stands, they speak up.  They defend things they hold dear."       That’s Terry.   That’s my girl!