Personal Glimpses

A Glimpse Into My Civil War Family Connection

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I was talking the other day with some of the fillies about my early American Colonial history and my relationship to Nathan Hale. Yes, the famous “I regret I have but one life to lose for my country” guy. FYI, he didn’t have any children, but his sister did, and it’s through her that my family can trace the connection.

I also have ties to the Civil War. My great-great-great grandfather Edward Talcott Ingraham fought for the North as part of Connecticut’s Sixteenth Regiment. Though taken prisoner later in the war, he amazingly survived the horrific conditions at the notorious Andersonville Prison, eventually returned home to his father’s farm, and then married his sweetheart Nellie. He never fully recovered from his injuries and ordeal, however. He and Nellie had a daughter and, sadly, while she was pregnant with their son, Edward grew weak and died.

He enlisted as a young man of nineteen in response to Abraham Lincoln’s call for volunteers and was paid $25 a month wages. Edward believed in the Union and ultimately gave his life for his country. During the time he was away from the family farm, he wrote letters to Nellie and his father that miraculously survived intact, although the writing is faded and the pages are like tissue paper. My aunt had the letters until she died, and they are now in the tender hands of my cousin. About twenty years ago, my aunt and mother painstakingly transcribed the letters which offer amazing first-hand insight into the life of a Yankee soldier. Here’s just one letter to give you an idea (the spelling and grammar mistakes are Edward’s – my aunt left them in to be accurate):

Dear Nellie,

There if the heading of this does not let you know where I be, I do not know what will. Your kind letter reached me today and as the regiment is under light marching orders, I must answer it today with a short letter. I expect we have got to see some more fighting in a few days. If we do, I do not know but I shall be one to fall. Oh, I am detached from the regiment in to a pionear confis which goes ahead of the troops to clear the way. It is rather a dangerous position to be in. There is no news only have got to give the rebs another summers chase. I will send you a bit of wood from a tree which the bullet hit before it went through Fred Cooleys head. He stood next man to me in the last fight and this time it may hit me. Excuse this short letter for I have no time for we are engaged in preparing for the march. Give my love to all and write soon. Direct your letters as you have done.

                       I remain your ever affectionate friend

                                                            Edward

In addition to the letters, one tintype photograph of Edward also survived these many years. Here is an image of it my mother had produced from the original tintype. She always thought my cousin resembled him ? Quite the mustache, don’t you agree?

One last interesting fact about my great-great-great grandfather’s time serving in the war. When he and the others of the Sixteenth Regiment were taken prison after losing in battle, they tore their regiment flag into small strips and concealed the strips in their clothing before being transported to Andersonville. Many died there ­ — more from the Sixteenth Regiment than any other regiment. When a member of the Sixteenth died, the strip they carried was given to another member of the Sixteenth Regiment for safekeeping. When all the prisoners were finally released, they were sent to Newberne where they finished out the war doing guard and provost duty. It was there that the remaining scattered survivors of the Sixteenth Regiment were at long last reunited.

In 1879, a space was set aside in the new Connecticut Sate Capitol Building in Hartford for the various flags of the Connecticut Regiments. The remaining strips of the Sixteenth’s flag were stitched together to form a shield. This shield was then sewn onto a banner of heavy white Cheney silk from the silk mills in nearby Manchester. An eagle was embroidered above the shield to replicate the original design of the flag. This banner remains on display in a place of honor to this day.

I think after writing this post, I no longer wonder why I have an interest in American history and write romances. My great-great-great-grandfather survived nothing less than hell on Earth to return to his sweetheart, who faithfully waited for him for years. That’s quite a story, yes?

If you haven’t already done so, check out my latest release:  Merry’s Christmas Cowboy, part of Petticoats & Pistols Christmas Stocking Sweethearts.

 Purchase Merry’s Christmas Cowboy

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Welcome Guest Author Louise M. Gouge

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Thank you for inviting me back to Pistols and Petticoats. Seems like it was just yesterday when I visited to promote my first contemporary Love Inspired book, Safe Haven Ranch. Actually that was all the way back to last June, and I’m delighted to visit with you again. It’s always a treat to talk to you about our favorite genre: western romances. As I said last time, we love to cheer for our heroes and heroines as they work through adversities and earn their happily-ever-after. Today I want to talk about my brand new release, A Faithful Guardian, a sequel to Safe Haven Ranch.

Just a reminder: My first book in my New Mexico series was a novella, Yuletide Reunion (LIH 2010). Inspired by the little ranch where my late sister retired, I set my story beside the Rio Grande in New Mexico Territory and created the Mattson family of five brothers, each of whom deserved his own story. In the end, each brother found his happily-ever-after with the perfect heroine for his personality. I’m honored to say Finding Her Frontier Family and Finding Her Frontier Home were both finalists for the prestigious Selah Award. These stories were so much fun write, and I was sad to leave this family behind. With the Love Inspired Historical line coming to an end, I was doubly sad, because I love to write historicals. By the way, you can find my complete Booklist and more info about my writing at my website: https://louisemgougeauthor.blogspot.com/ 

Loving all my heroes in any of the genres in which I’ve written, I couldn’t forget about those Mattson brothers. So I began to write about their many descendants, each with a story worth telling! My editor at Love Inspired loved the idea, and now I’m excited to announce that I signed a three-book contract for more Mattson descendant stories. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

My newest release, A Faithful Guardian, is my first book to feature a dog. As a cat mama, I don’t really know that much about dogs, but I had plenty of help from friends who are experts and who kept me on the right track. Specifically, Lady, my border collie is supposed to herd cattle, but this little gal has a mind of her own. She’d much rather be with her brand new friend, Zoey, a fifteen-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who needs a canine companion. That doesn’t sit too well with the dog’s owner, who’s convinced Zoey’s mom, Lauren, stole Lady. Of course, conflict ensues as the hero and heroine wend their way toward their happily-ever-after. Here’s the back cover blurb:

An unexpected canine friendship could bring their families together. After her teen daughter, Zoey, bonds with a stray dog, the last thing Lauren Parker anticipates is the owner accusing her of stealing it. The prominent rancher and widowed father, Robert Mattson, doesn’t believe Lauren’s innocence, but even he can see the special understanding his dog, Lady, has for Zoey’s medical needs. When Robert’s twins become fast friends with Zoey, his prickly interactions with Lauren soon give way to something more. As Lady brings them all closer together, Robert can’t harden his heart any longer…but is he too late to win Lauren’s love?

I’m delighted to give away one print copy of A Faithful Guardian to a U. S. resident. Please leave a comment below and answer one of these questions: Do you prefer cats or dogs, and why? Do you have or know of a K-9 companion dog, and how do they help their human friend? Full sentences, please.

My personal photo of my sister’s adobe house that inspired my stories.

South Carolina author Louise M. Gouge writes contemporary and historical romance fiction, winning the prestigious IRCA in 2006 and placing as a finalist in 2011, 2015, 2016, and 2017. She was also a finalist in the American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Awards in 2005, 2007, and 2008, and placed in the Laurel Wreath contest in 2012. Most recently, she was a finalist in the 2023 Selah Awards and is a current finalist for the 2024 Selah Awards. A former college English and humanities professor, Louise is a member of the Christian PEN and has been copyediting for well-known authors for fifteen years. Married for fifty-four happy years to her beloved husband, David, Louise is now widowed and spends her days researching and writing her next novel.

Web site at https://louisemgougeauthor.blogspot.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LouiseMGougeAuthor

Follow me on BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/louise-m-gouge

Christmas Memories

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When I was growing up, we usually didn’t have a Christmas tree. This picture of me and my family was taken in 1953 and one of rare times we had a tree. I’m on the far left. You see, my parents later joined a church that believed it was wrong.

The other time I remember we had one was the year my brother came home on leave from the army after being stationed in Germany for two years. I was 15 or 16 and it was a big deal.

We were so excited to see him and finally have him back with family. I remember my mom baked for days before his arrival. She made everything she knew he liked and we cleaned house until it sparkled. She wanted everything perfect.

I always hated not having a tree and after I left home and got married, I always made sure we had a tree. There might not’ve been much under it, but my children had a beautiful tree. In the beginning, it was always live and I remember well going to the tree lot and picking one out. That was fun. But as the kids got older and allergies began to be bad, we went with artificial. My kids couldn’t wait to get it set up and always loved to decorate it. That was special to us.

Christmas means a lot to me and it also does to Gillian Everly in Love Comes to Christmas. In fact, she owns a Christmas store and sells everything related to the holidays. But someone is trying to make her think it’s haunted, which she doesn’t believe for a second. She knows it’s someone who breaks in and makes her toys come to life, jarring her awake. She is also a very accomplished pianist and is preparing for a big program on Christmas Eve. But will she get to?

A new customer, a rancher named Brett Love, is trying to make sure she’s able to perform. So he loans her his dog named Zema as protection. Gillian and Zema get along famously, so much that Brett gets a little jealous. Along the way, love grows between Gillian and Brett and she sees his big heart that’s longing for a family.

I really enjoyed writing this and hope you find the warmth seeping into your heart as you read it.

I hope you have a blessed Christmas and the very best 2025.

I’m giving away a copy of Love Comes to Christmas (print or ebook) to one commenter so tell me a favorite Christmas gift of yours. Maybe it was a puppy or a pony. I always wanted a horse but never got one except the stick kind.

Blessings and love to all,

Linda Broday

The Family Dinner Feeling: Guest Lacy Williams

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Watercolor mountains and trees. Text "New Book & Giveaway, Guest Blogger Lacy Williams, Petticoats & Pistols"

We’re excited to welcome Lacy Williams to the corral! She’s discussing her new release and has a giveaway for you!

“Are we fishing with marshmallows?”

“Did you hear Aunt Linda had to go to the doctor again?”

“Blood pressure?”

“My catfish was so big it broke the line–it was the granddaddy of the one Gramps caught!”

“Can we play cards yet?”

Lacy Williams

Hello! Lacy Williams here today to chat and I’ve just brought you a real-life conversation from around our dinner table when extended family gets together. (Names changed to protect the innocent).

I absolutely love big family get togethers. When I was a kid, there might be one Sunday lunch a month, or Thanksgiving, or “just because”–I loved the time together with my cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents and great-grandma and great aunt. I can barely remember gathering around a big ping pong table that was brought in so everyone would have a place to eat. Later, we changed to TV tables and criss-cross applesauce on the floor just so we could fit everyone in.

And the conversation usually goes about like what I’ve written above. Catching up with someone we haven’t seen in a while, news we haven’t heard yet. My youngest daughter is a nature lover and so is my grandpa (my only grand still living). They will chat about birdwatching or dogs or other animal stuff and it’s adorable.

And sometimes it’s difficult keeping track of the multiple conversations that start winding around the table! This family dinner feeling is something I tried to capture in my new release, A CONVENIENT HEART. The catch is, my bookish hero Jack is an orphan. Now an adult, but from a very broken family situation. He can’t remember a time when he sat down for family dinner.

Until it happens when my heroine’s extended family descends on the two of them. It was a fun scene to write and I loved capturing this confident man feeling very out of his element in this scene. I’ve shared it below if you’d like to read it.

Blue and silver ripples. Book cover A Convenient Heart by Lacy Williams. Text "Book One Wind River Mail-Order Brides"

Merritt had abandoned him.

At least, she’d excused herself to the kitchen to cook supper. He’d heard the clank of pans, the crackle of kindling taking hold in the stove. The two girls had gone with her. David and Nick had gone to settle the horses and wagon at the livery for the night.

Which left Jack in the room with her cousins Drew and Ed.

“Where did you say you were from?”

Drew had asked the question, but Ed’s intense gaze was a mirror of his brother’s.

“Here and there.” Jack still didn’t know what John-the-groom had written in his letters, didn’t know how much Merritt had told her cousins about her potential groom.

“What happened to your hat? Hey, Merry,” Drew called into the kitchen, “I’m not sure I can trust a guy without a hat!”

“Lost it,” Jack said cheerfully. “How far’s your ranch?”

It must be pretty far if they were staying the night in town. The oldest brother had mentioned staying in the bunkhouse of a rancher nearby. The girls would stay the night here with Merritt.

Drew stared at him.

It was Ed that answered. “About half a day’s ride.”

“How many cattle you run?”

If he could keep the conversation focused on the brothers, it’d make everything simpler.

“Almost a hundred head,” Drew answered. “You got family back home?”

Jack sat down on the sofa, crossing one ankle over his knee. “No family. Why do you want to know?”

Drew’s eyes narrowed. “Wondering whether you’re going to try to take Merritt away from her family.”

They’ll be your family in a few days. Merritt’s words from moments ago whispered through his mind.

They wouldn’t. He knew it.

And it seemed Drew wasn’t too keen on the idea of this match.

Merritt appeared in the kitchen doorway. The scent of frying ham had his mouth watering. The sounds of something sizzling on the stove were muted, as were the girls’ voices behind her.

“We’ll be staying in Calvin long enough for me to finish the school year,” she told her cousin primly. “Not that it’s your business.”

She set several tin coffee mugs on the table with a clank. The pot followed with a heavier clunk.

“You can pour, Ed,” she said. She pointed a finger at Drew. “Be nice.”

There’d been a flurry of introductions outside, and the young girl he thought was named Tillie skipped into the room, carrying a glass of milk. There’d been no mention of a mother. Was Drew widowed? Jack’s curiosity was piqued, despite knowing he should ignore those thoughts.

“What’re you doing, peanut?” Drew asked as she skirted him and then came to sit right next to Jack on the sofa.

“Merry asked me to come rescue Mr. Jack.” She took a sip of her milk and set her cup on the table too. She had a small milk mustache across her upper lip, and it made her look innocent somehow.

He felt another kick in his stomach. Had Dewey ever been as innocent as this girl seemed?

Her leg swung where her foot didn’t touch the floor. “What d’you need rescuin’ for, Mr. Jack?”

He glanced up to where Ed had turned his smile into his shoulder and Drew was staring at him. “I reckon I don’t.”

She tipped her head to one side. “Then how come Merry thinks so? She’s real smart, ya know? If she says you need rescuin’, ya prob’ly do.”

She said the words with such earnestness that he couldn’t argue. But Merritt was wrong. He didn’t need rescuing from these men. He could hold his own at a card table with men more dangerous than these. Men with loaded weapons in their laps. He wouldn’t be afraid of her family.

Tillie pointed toward a small pile of brown-wrapped packages in one corner of the room, half hidden behind the edge of the sofa. He hadn’t noticed them until now.

“Those’re our Christmas presents.” Tillie whispered so loudly that the sound carried across the room. “Merry always gets me a book, but this year I’m hopin’ for a dolly.”

His lips twitched with the urge to smile. “You’ll be as smart as your cousin if you read lots of books,” he said.

Nick and David stomped inside, complaining that the wind was turning colder. The added bodies and noise turned the attention off Jack and filled the room fair to bursting.

Soon enough, Jack found himself seated at the round table in one corner of Merritt’s kitchen, surrounded by the children, his knee pressed against Merritt’s.

“How come you haven’t decorated for Christmas?” Tillie asked, her mouth full.

“I supposed I haven’t had time this year,” Merritt said with a furtive glance at Jack. “I’ve been extra busy with the pageant.”

The family camaraderie was evident when Tillie spilled her cup of milk and David helped her mop it up. Jo rolled her eyes, but he also saw the girl sneak a piece of her biscuit onto Tillie’s plate when the girl complained of still being hungry.

Drew and Nick ribbed Ed about the wooden top he’d promised to craft his nephew for Christmas and promptly forgotten about.

Merritt was teased for keeping her mail-order beau a secret, but she took it with good-natured laughter, nudging his boot with her shoe beneath the table.

Jack knew every move to make at the poker table. How to present himself, how to hold his cards and arrange his chips to let his confidence shine through.

But in the middle of a family supper like this…he was completely out of his element…

 

What about you? Do you have a favorite memory of a big (or small) family dinner? Share in the comments and you’ll be entered to win a $15 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of A Convenient Heart . These are to one winner.

Thanks for hanging out with me today!

-Lacy

 

Blue and silver ripples. Book cover A Convenient Heart by Lacy Williams. Text "Book One Wind River Mail-Order Brides"

ABOUT LACY’S NEW RELEASE:

Spinster schoolmarm Merritt Harding is done waiting for the future she’s always wanted. Which is why she answered a mail-order bride ad and is anticipating her groom’s arrival on the eve of Christmas. She’s about to get everything she’s dreamed of…

Except the Jack who steps off the train can’t be the same man who wrote her letters. That Jack was a steady, mild-mannered businessman. This Jack is an enigma with flashing eyes and a pirate’s smile. He’s too charming, too keen, too perfect to be real.

And too secretive. What exactly is he hiding?

Jack wasn’t looking for a bride, only an escape from the danger chasing him. But the longer he stays in the small Wyoming town, the more he wants to stay. How can he, when his intended doesn’t even know his real name?

 

This sweet historical romance is perfect for fans of the following tropes:

*Spinster schoolmarm

*Marriage of convenience

*Mistaken identity

*Swashbuckling hero

A Convenient Heart is available now!

PURCHASE A CONVENIENT HEART HERE!!

An Outlaw’s Legend by Pam Crooks

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We’ve recently returned from a family trip to Durango, Colorado, a place that has been on my bucket list for years, not only for the western vibe but mostly because of the infamous train ride that it’s known for.

Like most everyone else who has visited Durango, we took the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train through the San Juan National Forest, an authentic ride through the mountains and wilderness much as it would have been back in the late 1800s. After 3 1/2 hours (which didn’t seem nearly that long thanks to our entertaining guide and beautiful scenery), we stopped in Silverton for a 2 1/2 hour visit before we boarded the bus back to our VRBO. (We took the bus back since it was literally 2/3 of the time faster, but we could have returned by train if we’d wanted a reverse view of what we had seen going up. LOL)

If I thought Durango had a western vibe, it had nothing on Silverton.

Quaint and full of history, we had our choice of restaurants to go for lunch, and we ended up going to the Lacey Rose Saloon, a bar and restaurant next to the legendary Grand Imperial Hotel. After a lovely meal, we meandered out of the saloon and stopped short at the bar. Though the hotel was built in 1882, the beautiful back bar was added in 1902. Made of tiger wood maple and graced with large mirrors, its carvings are stunning for the Victorian period.

 

And here’s the best part.

While in the throes of Silverton’s silver mining hey-day, outlaws and prospectors alike spent time in the saloon to slake their thirst and engage in some spirited gunplay. Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Bat Masterson were among them, and if you look closely, you can see that a bullet once pierced that beautiful tiger wood maple above the mirrors. Folks say it was Bat Masterson’s bullet. If true, either he’d fired a warning shot that day–or he wasn’t as good of a shot as he was known for.

Now this is interesting. Once my ex-military brother spied this photograph, though, he made a certain detail clear. That bullet was a casing–not a bullet projectile and therefore not Bat Masterson’s bullet. The saloon’s bartender did say it was a .38 special casing that had been placed there as a landmark in the last twenty or thirty years to help people locate the hole.

Hmm.

Was the hole originally made by Bat Masterson’s bullet, then filled in with a modern-day .38 casing for the tourists’ benefit? We may never know for sure, but all stories start somewhere, right?

That’s what legends are made of.

 

Do you have someplace that’s on your bucket list to visit?

(I want to go on a cruise to the Bahamas! And then maybe to Ireland . . . )

Have you been to Durango?  Silverton?  On the Durango-Silverton train?

 

My Favorite Things–Flowers

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I know, it’s obvious.

But still, one of my favorite things is flowers.

I’m not overly talented with flowers, and the acres I live on seem to be clay so not that easy to get things to grow.

But the few I have, I really love.

This clematis was growing on my windmill when I moved in here. It is OLD now and it’s just bigger and more beautiful every years.

 

My stand-by Mother’s Day gift from my four daughters is hanging baskets.  I have hooks on my porch for six baskets.

This year I have three baskets of Impatiens

And three baskets of Petunias.

I’ve got creeping phlox on the south side of the house, also here when I moved in…36 years ago!

No pictures. And a line of different colored lilies on the south side of my garage…also no pictures–but I planted those and they LIVED. Those things, the phlox and lilies are long faded.

If you look carefully at the petunia picture, you’ll see a pink flower through the screen. It’s a flower pot with pink Geraniums.

I want so many more!!!!!!!! This time of year I want Mums so badly…but wow, I’ve killed so many mums. The combo of clay soil and me letting them die of thirst (okay, more me than the clay, I admit it) but still, I love mums this time of years. And I get to drive by many of them, but have none of my own…that survived.

I’ve got a little bed of daffodils that come up so super early every spring, it makes me believe the winter will finally GO AWAY…AND THEN…..THEY FREEZE OFF.

So not that successful of a flower bed…and I planted those. They don’t die though. No flowers EVER…but the plants live on. So there’s an upside.

Flowers…also…once in a while…my husband shows up with a bouquet of flowers. he doesn’t get me birthday/Valentines Day/Christmas/anniversary gifts…but I do get flowers now and then and I find that very sweet. In the middle of his busy day, he thinks of me and turns aside from whatever he’s doing and gets me flowers.

What’s your favorite flower? Do you grow them or buy them or are you occasionally gifted them? Or do they make you sneeze?

Let’s talk flowers…

Coming October 15, Into the Sunset

 

Harvest Time Means Canning Time! By Pam Crooks

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I would never say I have a green thumb, but boy, my garden was prolific this year. I had more tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, snap peas, jalapeno peppers, and onions than we could eat. And then we picked apples from a nearby orchard. I had drawn the line at growing zucchini again, and my daughters were more than happy to give me some of theirs. I still had green peppers in the freezer from last year. Even with these adjustments, I had more produce than I could handle.

It’s a good thing I love canning.

While I never tried my hand at pressure canning (necessary for low acid foods like meats, seafood, soups and stews, and some vegetables and fruits), I’ve been water bath canning since a young bride. When the babies started coming, I stepped back from it, but then the urge to garden returned, especially when we retired. I love that two of my daughters have followed in my footsteps on a much smaller scale, and for the two that don’t can, I’m very happy to share my jarred bounty.  (Here are pics of most of what I’ve canned since I’d already given some away.)

 

With the passing of my mother, and later my aunt, I inherited lots of jars. I discovered the economy of ordering flats in bulk on ebay during Covid. I’ve canned for so long, I have my system down pat.

Up until the mid-1800’s, folks didn’t understand how poorly canned food and improperly sealed jars increased the chances of botulism, e-coli, and listeria. In 1858, John Landis Mason invented a resealable glass jar, modifying his design and the accompanying lids numerous times until his patent expired in 1879. Other manufacturers helped themselves to his work, and sadly, he never profited from his beloved Mason jars. He was forced into living a frugal life until his death in 1902.

In 1884, the Ball brothers, five in all, took up the glass jar manufacturing sensation, ultimately producing 245,000 jars per day in the early 1900s. Today, Ball is credited with producing 545,000 jars a day. That’s a lot of jars!

Canning jars have evolved from wire bailers and glass dome lids used with re-usable rubber rings to the flats and rings we’re familiar with today.

Canning jars are used many more ways than just preserving food. Drinking glasses, crafts, wedding table decorations, pack-n-go containers (like salads), and gifts–remember those cake and cookie ingredients in a jar? Soups and cocoa, too? Fun!–the possibilities are endless.

If you’re drowning in zucchini, here’s a jam recipe that calls for 6 CUPS. Since most recipes call for one or two cups, maybe three, but never six, this recipe caught my eye. It’s good! Even better, it’s easy.

 

Pina Colada Jam

6 cups sugar
6 cups shredded peeled zucchini
1 8oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
1/4 cup lime juice
2 – 3 oz pkgs pineapple Jello
1 tsp rum extract

  1. Combine sugar, zucchini, pineapple, and lime juice in Dutch oven. Bring to a boil.
  2. Boil for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
  3. Remove from heat. Stir in Jello and extract until gelatin is dissolved.
  4. Pour into jars or freezer containers, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
  5. Cool completely before covering with lids. Refrigerate for up to three weeks or freeze up to one year.

Note: I did water bath these. The jam will be a bit runny but will thicken when it’s refrigerated. And yes, there’s specks of zucchini peel because my husband was grating too fast for me to hurry up and peel. Ha!

It doesn’t taste like the cocktail (there’s no alcohol in it) but it’s still good. Try with coconut shrimp or even as a cake filling. Delicious on toast!

Have you canned food before? Do you love to garden? What’s your favorite canned food?

Leo the MGM Lion’s Incredible Story of Survival

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Two weeks ago, my husband and I spent a week in Payson, Arizona. Mostly, we went to rest and recreate and get out of the scorching heat of Phoenix. But we did spend a few afternoons doing a little sightseeing. I’ve lived in Arizona most of my life and visited Payson many times. But I learned some new things on this trip that surprised me, and I think might surprise you, too.

We thought the small and quaint Payson Museum would be just a little stop on our afternoon outing. Instead, we spent almost two hours there, soaking up the local history. On one wall hung a series of pictures that I almost missed and would have if my husband didn’t call me over. After reading this truly amazing story, I can’t believe someone hasn’t made it into a movie!

I tried to take the best pictures I could. I hope you can read the account in full and make out the old black and white pictures. But here’s what happened in a nutshell:

Jackie, a lion cub born in the wild, went on to become the second Leo the Lion, the trademark logo for MGM Films (he was the first lion to roar). He also appeared in numerous films. In 1927, MGM planned a publicity stunt and hired a pilot to fly Leo from California to New York. Leo and his 400 pound cage were loaded into a small plane. Over the Mogollom Rim, in the area outside Payson, Arizona around Hell’s Gate, the pilot experienced trouble and was forced to crash land the plane. By some miracle, both the pilot and Leo survived with only minor injuries.

 

 

Having no choice, the pilot left Leo in his cage with a supply of water and hiked for three days before reaching help. When rescuers at last reached Leo, he was in bad shape but revived with fresh water and a butchered calf that had been dragged to the site. Leo  was eventually retired to live out his life at the Philadelphia Zoo.

 

Now, I’ve been to Hell’s Gate, and there’s a reason for the name. It’s some pretty rugged country, and the steep slopes leading down to the creek are almost straight up and down. I can’t imagine crashing a small plane there among the tall pines and craggily boulders and then having to hike out for three days with no food or fresh water. Not an easy feat. Both the pilot and Leo surely had the will to survive – and an amazing story to tell later!

 

A “Heart” Horse Influences Melinda Curtis’s Writing

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Hello, I’m Melinda Curtis and I write lighthearted sweet romance and romcoms. Today, I’m talking about my “heart” horse (a horse you love more than you might need) and how she influenced how I include horses in my western romances.

When I was a teenager, I owned a seven-year-old, red roan, appaloosa mare. Misty was gentle as a kitten when I was in the stall with her, in the pasture with her, grooming her, washing her, or saddling her up. But something happened when I got in the saddle. Misty wanted to run. And once Misty started to run, she didn’t want to stop.

The cowboys in the neighborhood told me I had soft hands and good legs—which meant I had a light touch on the reins and knew how to control a horse with my heels. They very politely never said anything about my seat—which refers to how much air goes between your booty and the western saddle when horses go faster than a walk. My seat wasn’t good (I got a lot of air).

So Misty and I tried compromise. I worked on my “seat” and exercised her more. We galloped up hills and in circles around the corral. I got a little better, but she never lost her need to run. Then one day, after she should have been winded from racing up a vineyard hill, she took the bit in her mouth and tossed her head. Her neck hit my nose. Blood spattered everywhere. She shook her head once and realized as I did (in horror!) that she’d broken the chin strap. The chin strap is what holds the bit in place. No chin strap means no bit pressure which means Misty could ignore the reins.

She whinnied. It was a happy sound. A carefree sound. If you were a horse, that is. To me, it sounded more like brouhahahaha! Misty spun and headed back downhill between the shiny green grapevines at a full gallop. I knew she was headed back home. But I also knew there was a barbed wire fence at the bottom of the hill and we’d have to make a hard left.

Now, my teenage brain was calculating the odds of me falling on that rusted barbed wire fence. They weren’t good odds. I’m not a daredevil. I don’t bungee jump. I don’t even cannonball into swimming pools. But that day, I leapt out of my saddle and tumbled about twenty feet in clay soil to the bottom of the hill. Took me a couple of minutes to catch my breath, wipe my bloody nose and my tears, and get to my feet.

And Misty? She was waiting for me back at the door to her stall, ears perked up and ready to be brushed and loved and cooed over by her adoring girl. Do goldfishes really have the shortest memories? That day, it seemed like horses did.

Have you ever had an animal that taught you a lot about life and/or yourself? I’d love to hear about it. Leave a comment to let me know. One lucky commenter will win a digital copy of the first book in the series — A Cowgirl Never Forgets. The drawing from the commenters will be Sunday.

Fast forward to me writing cowboy romances/romcoms. I love drawing on my experiences with Misty when creating the perfect foil for my hero or heroine. My characters’ lives aren’t perfect and neither are their mounts. But they learn to deal with it and laugh along the way to their happily ever after.

Here’s a little about A Cowgirl Never Forgets:

Rodeo cowgirl Maggie Blackwell doesn’t need her estranged family. She’s got Clem Coogan—her best friend, rodeo buddy and absolute rock. But when a rodeo accident leaves Clem with a terrible concussion, he’s convinced they’re a romantic item…and proposes to her. Now until his memory comes back, Maggie’s playing along. But can she keep this headache from turning into heartache for both of them?

 

You can meet my latest western couple—Griff and Bess—in The Rodeo Star’s Reunion. In this second chance romance, Bess had a sweet spot for reckless cowboy Griff—until he ghosted her on prom night. No explanation was ever given, and Bess was too proud to ask for one. Now, years later, he’s suddenly offering to help with her ranch and with the high school rodeo team that she coaches, which rekindles a spark from long ago. But will their resurfacing feelings survive when Bess discovers the real secret that Griff’s been holding on to for all these years?

The Rodeo Star’s Reunion is Book 5 in the Cowboy Academy series. Each book features a hero that spent time as a foster child at the Done Roamin’ Ranch, a rodeo stock distributor and teen foster home. The books are all connected but all stand alone. You can grab your copy of The Rodeo Star’s Reunion on Harlequin HERE or Amazon HERE.

 

BIO:

USA Today Bestselling Author Melinda Curtis writes lighthearted sweet romances and romcoms, both independently and for Harlequin. Half her titles every year are western/cowboy romances. You can learn more about Melinda’s books, shop for deals and autographed print editions, or listen to her audio books for free at the following sites:

Website  /  Direct Store  / YouTube Channel

Winter Warmth

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Our winter wood arrived a couple weeks ago, and we’re set for the next two years. The fun thing about this wood delivery was I discovered that I was the logger’s aunt’s junior high science teacher over thirty years ago in a completely different state. How’s that for small world?

My husband likes to take it nice and slow, and cuts three logs a day into rounds. After he cuts for the day, I chuck the rounds away from the log pile so that he can roll down new logs and cut again the next day.

After we get a goodly stack of rounds, we pull out the splitter and split, then stack. After that we haul loads to our basement wood room, which holds over a cord. We replenish often during the winter months.

I really enjoy doing the wood, but I’m cautious about chainsaws. Growing up in logging country, one couldn’t help but respect the machines and all they could do as well as the injuries they can cause. I prefer the splitter, but in today’s post I’m addressing the history of the chainsaw.

The original chainsaw was invented in the 1780s by John Aitken and James Jaffrey, Scottish doctors who used it to aid in childbirth. The machine was used to cut away excess cartilage and bone if the baby got stuck in the birth canal.  In 1830 a German Bernard Heine invented a chainsaw which he called the osteotome (bone cutter).  this was used to remove diseased bone and joints. Eventually, however, the chainsaw was used to cut materials rather than the human body.

In 1883  patents were granted for a Chain Sawing Machine, for cutting boards; and an Endless Chain Saw for cutting redwood trees.

The first portable chainsaw was patented by James Shand, a Canadian.  Then along came Andrea Stihl who patented the first electric portable chainsaw in 1926 and a gas-powered model in 1929.  This is a very abbreviated history, but I thought it was fascinating that one of the most useful tools in the timber industry came from the medical field after almost a 150 years.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go chuck some rounds. 🙂