The American Cowboy

<p>A faint cry over howling winds wakes me at 2:00 a.m. Boots coat and hat on I grab my lantern and head out in a blizzard to the barn to mount my horse and search for the source of the cry: a newborn calf under a fresh blanket of snow.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>The cowboy's way of life embraces hard work trust and respect in the service of a greater purpose: community service stewardship and faith. It's called riding for the brand. The pay is modest; the toll on the body hard and the reward great. Hours on a horse tending fences under wide-open sky as a hawk circles overhead calves born under starry nights that finish with conversation around a campfire the ole cook singing while making grub-- this is my office. I have been asked many times why we cowboys ride for our money and rope for short pay. I can't imagine any other way.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>My photos are a testament to the cowboy life defined by hard work in God's glorious country. Gold- and blue-hour light convey that glory and the long hours. This is who we are. Our handshake is a promise our word is all you need and living for the greater good is our way of life.</p>