3/26/07

Chance and Hope brought Gus out this weekend and me and Chance got some needed work done. We also drove the two draft colts.

We worked on a leanto that has been slowly falling down for the past few years. Hopefully the kids will be back this next weekend also and we will get more work done. It was the first time Chance has gotten to ride a horse for quite awhile. He kind of acted like he was enjoying it! 😉

Me and Gramma enjoyed Gus! 🙂

Hope enjoyed getting to sleep while someone was watching Gus. 🙂

I guess it was a good weekend for all. 🙂

3/20/07

Cindy picked up Gabe on the way home from work, Saturday. Me and Gabe had a great time. I even talked him into to wearing the hat I had a new sweatband in, for the grandkids. He got to drive Purple and the tractor (with Grampa’s help).

Me and Gramma took Tyler and went down and spent the afternoon and evening with the kids and Gus. Tate, Kass and Gabe showed up later. Poor ol’ Gus didn’t stand a chance!

I do believe, he’s a keeper!

3/17/06

We have another heir to the throne! 🙂

Augustin Chance Dennis was born last night at about 8:30. He weighed 6 lbs 12 oz and was 19 inches long. His parents both seemed quit proud of their involvement in the occasion and the child.

Me and gramma are sure happy! 🙂

I think he will be a natural conservative, as they tell me he stuck his head out into the world and checked it all out before he decided it was safe to make his entrance.

That’s my boy! 😉

Both mother, father and child were seeking rest and relaxation, when we left the hospital. Unfortunately, only Gus will be doing much resting for the next week or so, is my guess. 😉

I’m not real sure mother or father will get much rest now for at least another 21 years or so. LOL

3/16/07

Well, I just received the call………….

Chance and Hope are at the hospital and it sounds like we are going to get a grandson this time, tho’ the doctor told Chance to wait a bit to call people, until Hope dilates to 4 centimeters. After a false start a couple of weeks ago, I think it’s all going to be coming together this time.

I told Chance to tell her to hold off until after midnight and then they could name him St. Patrick. 🙂

He didn’t seem to think that was a good idea. 🙂

I will keep posting, as this turn of events comes about. Gee, I feel just like a news reporter! LOL

3/6/07

Hi!

It’s been awhile. But then, not too much has been happening. I’ve been getting my checks loaded to the computer so I can go to the tax man next week. Boring and yet amazing, all the money we spent last year and what we spent it on. Way to much on food and fuel! Boring. LOL

A neighbor lady fell or tripped or some such, last week, and broke her leg really bad, so we went over and visited last night. Her husband had been kicked by a cow just before her injury, so they are both in poorer shape than one would like to be, what with calving, lambing and such. I hope they will call on all of their neighbors to lend them a hand, as they would be the first to lend a hand if the shoe, or cast in this case, was on the other foot! LOL

We had fog most of the day yesterday and some this morning. Supposedly we will have rain in 80 to 90 days from the fog. I hope so.

We did get a little snow, but the weather has been mild for this time of the year, or maybe I’m just thinking it is mild compared to 0 or 10 above.

My cows don’t look to be in any hurry to start having calves, so I just feed and putt around here. Been working on a saddle and have a couple more to get down before summer, if possible.

I better quit writing and get to putting! LOL

2-15-07


Chances birthday today. Happy birthday Chance!

As you can see, I finally figured out how to upload picture to this site. Maybe I’ll post more as I go along, if you all like them 🙂

Cold one out there the last few mornings. We’ve got about 8 to 10 inches of snow that has accumulated over the past week or so and today is the first day that the wind has blown any. Not real hard out there yet, but it’s going to be a doozy tomorrow, if the predictors are right. Gusts to 50mph! That ought to make a few snow drifts!

I was at a store the other day and I commented on all the wonderful snow we got. A guy who was there ( originally from the eastern part of the state where they get more moisture and it’s usually comes as rain) whined about there not being enough moisture in this snow. I told him that this is what we get and if he didn’t like it, he should go back east, where he came from! Man, I’m gettin’ cranky in my old age. LOL

Anyway, it set me to thinkin’ and I came up with a new poem. Still maybe a little rough around the edges, but I’ll post it here.

Whiners

Why is it that we always hear about
TV and movie stars who whine
they grumble about the paparazzi
the very people who make them shine

They cuss because folks are always intrudin’
wantin’ to know about their life
publishin’ stories and pictures of all their children
and which ones are cheatin’ on their wife

Them politicians, their just as bad
don’t want to answer, any of our questions
and they look so disgusted and dismayed at us
when we offer them any suggestions

Doctors complain when we hold them up
to a higher standard than most
they claim they ain’t really playin’ God
Tho’ bein’ smarter than us is their boast

Attorney’s seem to get plumb defensive
when we joke about one of their kind
But there’s a bit of truth in any humor
and an honest one seems hard to find

Yes, they’ve all sought out fame or fortune
yet they complain, when they’ve met their goal
spoiled brats, don’t want to take the good with the bad
like sinnin’ without hurtin’ your soul

I guess I shouldn’t let it bother me so much
I just get tired of a baby who pouts
like people who want to live and ranch around here
then complain about the winters and droughts

Robert Dennis 02/07

One gentleman who read this asked , “if we whine about whiners, are we whiners?” Yup. LOL

Stay warm!

2/07/07

I have been re-working my rock poem. I sent it off to a wonderful poet who tells me what she thinks. Here is the revised edition, with an additional verse.

Hope you like it.

rock on a hill

there’s a sandstone outcropping on a hill by a creek
fighting the slow erosion of natures careless whims
it has been a silent witness to the passing of ages
watching and listening to the prairies soft hymns

an indian once stood on this wind roughened rock
as he prayed to his god for his tribes way of life
with alien, guttural, beseeching tone
for his tribe, this land, children and wife

a trapper once lay in the shade of this slope
bellied down tight in the grass and the dirt
as he peered over the rock laying there in the soil
ignored the pain and the blood encrusted stain on his shirt

a soldier once climbed to the crest of this hill
reclined on the rock seeking rest for his bones
eavesdropped on his troops by the creek down below
as they wearily set up pickets and tents in hushed tones

a cowboy stepped down at the ridge of this crest
scanned all, from horizon, to the rock down below
watching for the cattle that were under his care
allowing his weary cow horse to stretch and to blow

a homesteader ascended to the top of this ridge
looking for his milk cow who had failed to return
silently cursing this god forsaken land
and the blistering hot sun that made his crops burn

on occasion a rancher will come to this rock
he rests and reflects on the land’s history
wonders if others may have come to this spot
feels tied to the thread of a grand mystery

Robert Dennis 2/07

thoughts? Comments? 🙂

2/6/07

Howdy!

We got a little snow but it has warmed up a bit.

I finally realized that I was missing a bull so Cindy and I drove the place this morning trying to find him and hoping I wouldn’t find him dead somewhere. No luck.

So at noon, I started calling neighbors and found him on the second call. He’d been “visiting” but the neighbor must not have minded feeding him, as he never called to tell me he was there. So I ran the horses in and saddle up Beaver and went and got him. He really didn’t want to leave his new found buddies, but shoot! A little ol’ bull is no match for me and Beaver! LOL

He’s waiting in the corral with feed and water until morning when I will turn him back in with the ladies, seeing as there are a few fall calvers who might need to get bred so they can calve again next fall. He ought to enjoy their company.

I just finished a new poem and sent it off to Beth Ebert who is probably the best poet to ever live in this state and that includes Badger Clark, who was a hell of a poet. Beth is kind enough to critic my work for me and try and help me get it better. Poor lady!

She seem to think this one pasts muster, so I’ll put it on here. Let me know what you think, please.

I came up with the last verse of this poem years ago and tried to craft a poem around it, but was never satisfied. Must have the poetic juices flowing again, so I gave it another shot. I’m pretty happy with it. Hope you enjoy it

Specters

Others came before
with stories galore
before we rode these hills
With gumption and grit
too dry to spit
their lives a battle of wills

To try and overcome
not to succumb
to the perils that rule this land
They trod a hard road
carried a heavy load
but still thought their life was grand

You can feel their stares
as you ride unawares
yet never quite bring them in sight
Like a mote in your eye
or a raindrop that’s dry
or the breeze when a bird has took flight

They don’t mean to frighten
or even enlighten
those of us who pass this way
Just wish for the past
before the die was cast
when they too ruled the day

They lived this life
full of cowboy strife
fought blizzards, drought and fire
So they watch us close
as we take our daily dose
see if we are brave or a liar

They are proud of what we do
know that we are the few
who will attemp the cowmans trial
They’re the spectors of the plains
hanging onto the reins
they’re the legends who watch us and smile

Robert Dennis 2/07
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1-31-07

I have been working on a new poem. Seems some of you enjoy them, so here it is. I got the idea for this from the rocky hill that lies north east of our house. I have always loved that spot on this ranch. It’s the same hill that is in the picture on the front of the horse page on the website. Let me know what you think. 🙂

I tried to lay it out so that people would read it like I would. Please read it out loud, as this type of poetry is meant to be heard and not read. Thanks.

rock on a hill

there’s a sandstone outcropping
on a hill by a creek
resisting the slow erosion
of natures careless whims
it has been a silent witness
to the passing of ages
watching and listening
to the praire’s soft hymns

an indian once stood
on this wind roughened rock
as he prayed to his god
for his tribes way of life
with alien, guttural
beseeching tone of voice
for his tribe, his land
his children and wife

a trapper once paused
in the shade of this slope
bellied down tight
in the grass and the dirt
as he peeked over the rock
embedded in the soil
trying to ignore
the bloody stain on his shirt

a soldier once climbed
to the crest of this hill
reclined on the rock
seeking rest for his bones
while listening to his troops
by the creek down below
wearily setting up pickets
and tents with hushed tones

a cowboy paused
at the ridge of this crest
scanned all, from horizon
to the rock down below
looking for the cattle
that pay his meager wage
leaving his tired cow horse
to stretch and to blow

on occasion a rancher
will come to this rock
he rests and reflects
on this vast mystery
ponders on who all
may have come to this spot
feels tied to the thread
of a land’s history

I ran onto a feller I hadn’t seen for awhile at the Stockshow yesterday. He and I were talking about ranch roping and he told me to post any news of upcoming roping’s in the area, as he reads this blog. So I guess that would be a good thing to do, if I can just remember.

I was surprised to learn that he had been reading this. If I don’t hear from people, I never know if what I am writing on this site is being read or not. So it’s always nice to get feedback. 🙂

1-29-07

Hi!

It’s been awhile since I sat down and wrote anything, so I’ll try and give you all an update. When I started this, I didn’t intend to use it as a daily diary, but more as a journal, so the entries will tend to be scattered. Sorry if that is an inconvenience for any of you.

First of all, thank you all for the comments. I appreciate it and know that I am not just writing this stuff for my own musings.

Second, I will try and post any new poems or stories here, as I write them. Seeing as how I don’t do that very often, that is write new stuff, don’t get all excited. LOL

I just got back from Iowa. We went back to New Hampton, which is in the northeastern corner of the state. We had a great time and did 3 shows. 2 were either sold out or almost sold out. This is the second year for the shows and this year we did a Saturday afternoon show, which we didn’t do last year. It went well, but it was a smaller crowd. I did sell over 20 books, so that was great. I talked to 2 different ladies who were interested in putting on shows in their towns and were wondering about cost of getting any of us poets. So maybe some of us will venture forth again to that part of the country.

Gale Patzloff went this year for the first time and he had them rolling in the aisle’s! Marty Blocker was there and then me. I did mostly songs as both Marty and Gale do poetry. I found out that I need to make a CD with some of the songs I do and mix in a story or two and some of my poems. Now….if I can just get the money rounded up to pay for that venture. It could be a pretty big project, what with getting permission from the people who wrote the songs that I want to do, along with the actual work of making the CD.

I went to Spearfish last week and did a show with a couple of nice guys. One, Hank Harris, just made a CD of the music that you would have heard if you were in Deadwood, during the gold rush. Very good!

Hank has a small studio where he made the CD, so it might be possible to do the recording there. I would like to have Chance play lead guitar on many of the songs and perhaps get Hank (who is a very accomplished musician in his own right) to accompany me also. I don’t want a Nashville sound tho’ and over produced. Just simple, clear, rendering of the songs I like to sing, with more emphasis on the story in the song than the music that accompanies the words. Guess I’m just fussy!

This is the week of the Stockshow, so I will probably be going to Rapid City at least once or twice. I have friends from around the country coming in so I will have to meet up with them. And it looks like we are in for a taste of winter. Friday it’s only supposed to get up to about 7 degree’s for a high! Oh well, we have got by real cheap so far.

Enough for now, I better get to work!