As frustration gives way to exhaustion, the herd settles into a plodding calm. It is then that this Ghost Rider appears. Hazy images of the apparition move in and out of focus, more like a presiding presence than merely a mirage of a man. Suddenly the past, the present and the future meld into one timeless moment as the Spirit of the cowhand moves through the herd. My heart quickens and my eyes dampen with un-cried tears as I wonder once again: Is this my grandpa, my father? Or, is this me?
“Twenty days without rain, hotter than Hades and muggy as all get-out. Grit coats our nostrils. Dust is our only lunch. Most of the cows flip us off with their contorted tails, but not this one. She defiantly stands her ground. I’m tired of it. She’s tired of it. Hell, we’re all tired of it. She wants answers. We want results”
“Bellowing cows. Bawling calves. The ruckus crescendos into a deafening din. Suffocating clouds of dust corral the herd as the cowboy drives them on to greener pastures. A common man with an uncommon job, equipped with the treasured tools of his trade: His hat. His horse. His heart.”
Taken on a brisk Oct. morning on a ranch in NE New Mexico. The Cowboys are well on there way towards the days work just as the sun is beginning to rise. This silhouette photograph is one of my favorites. I was so amazed at those cowboys and how much work they had already done and my day was just starting.
Taken on a crisp mid Oct. morning in NE New Mexico. A group of 6 cowboy’s were bringing in yearlings that had been on summer pastures. This one Cowboy caught my eye.
Taken on a warm Spring Afternoon at a NE New Mexico Ranch during one of several of their braidings. I love the mystic of this photo….As the smoke clears you begin to see the buckle on the spur strap, the rivets on the chaps and the button on the Levi jacket….as the cowboy holds the calf’s strong leg as he fights to break away.
Having experienced the undying love for a horse at the young age. I know there is a very special connection between a female and her horse. All too well I know that it goes much deeper than just those words on paper. It is a connection of love, of trust and of faith, a place where no other human can go, you can’t touch it, you can’t see it, you can only feel it with your heart. And sometimes you're able to catch just a glimpse of it thru the lens of your camera. I hoped to capture that magic.