The Cowboy Up Podcast

 One of my friends has said that deep down almost everybody wants to be a bit of a cowboy. And there are people who are seeking what could be called an adventure, and an adventure is where you're going to do something new and you're not quite sure just what's going to happen to you.

Well it is some of those brave hearts and brave souls who in the early days of the settlement of the west made it possible for those from the east to come out and have a western experience, that was new sometimes even life-changing but also safe and sound.

One of those places was the historic Eaton ranch now under the big sky of Wild Wyoming!

And finishing up with a lamenting song by Carol Markstrom that asks the question that sometimes plagues our spirits and souls.

Acclaimed New York Times award-winning author C.J. Box always delivers a mixture of suspense, the outdoors, and family relationships that are the heart of the Joe Pickett series. And so he does again in THREE-INCH TEETH, the 24^thnovel in the Joe Pickett series. In this newest page-turner, Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett faces two different kinds of rampaging beasts—one animal, one human. C. J. chats with Russell and Alan about what inspired this new story about a rogue grizzly bear and an ex-prisoner.

Then, Shannon Baker returns to the podcast to introduce her recently released Kate Fox mystery, BULL’s EYE, once again set in the Sand Hills of Nebraska. When a top bull breeder is mauled to death at a rodeo, Kate quickly realizes that this so-called accident hides a much darker truth. How deep is the corruption? Who will be left standing? Shannon fills Russell and Alan in on what it was like to research and write about a rodeo and what Kate Fox will be up to next.

This week’s song, written and performed by Micki Fuhrman, is “You Oughta See Wyoming.”

C. J. Box, Shannon Baker, and Micki Fuhrman will all be featured at the Tucson Festival of Books on March 9-10 at the University of Arizona. You can learn more about them in previous episodes of the Cowboy Up Podcast.

Historian and South Dakotan Bill Markley may not live in the city of Deadwood, but he makes it a point to visit a several times a year. It's a town with a remarkable history. Now inhabited by just over 1,000 residents, Deadwood’s population soared to upward of 25,000 during the height of the Black Hills Gold Rush era. Wyatt Earp, Calamity Jane, and Wild Bill Hickok are among some of the renown Old West characters who tread the city's muddy and crowded streets. In this episode, Markely takes a deep dive into some of Deadwood’s fascinating history, which he also writes about in his book “Wild Bill Hickok and Buffalo Bill Cody: Plainsmen of the Legendary West” and his novel “Deadwood Dead Men.”

A special thank you to western singer-songwriter Greg Hager for sharing his song “Eights and Aces,” a story based on the infamous Dead Man’s Hand card game.

When journalist Mike Stark learned that giant short-faced bears stalked North America thousands of years ago, he decided to do a deep dive into this enigmatic creature. From the La Brea Tar Pits of Los Angeles to a cornfield in Iowa, the plains of Texas, and even to the far ends of the Artic, Stark retraced the tracks of this beast that on hind legs towered more than ten feet and eventually became extinct. When Stark learned that a ferry shipwrecked in Yellowstone Lake in the winter of 1906, he went into research mode and dug into another fascinating story. Now the Creative Director at the Center for Biological Diversity in Tucson, Mike Stark joins Russell and Alan to talk about his explorations and his books “Chasing the Ghost Bear,” “Wrecked in Yellowstone,” and his new novel “The Derelict Light.”

A special thank you to western singer-songwriter Jim Jones for sharing his song, “The Queen is Dead," a story about a bear. 

Ranches can be dangerous places. Unpredictable livestock. Complex machinery. Extreme weather. None of that deterred David McCumber from dedicating a year of his life as a ranch hand up in Montana, even though he had never worked on a ranch. Those twelve months ended up being filled with adventures, lessons and more, enough to fill a book and get it published. Now the managing editor of the Arizona Daily Star newspaper, David joins Russell and Alan to talk about the year he spent in cowboy boots and hat, a journey he relates in his memoir  “The Cowboy Way: Seasons of a Montana Ranch.”

You probably don’t think much about them, the roads that you take to the store or work. Or the freeway that you take on vacation across state lines or into national parks or onto a dude ranches. About 40 million miles of roads encircle the earth. We tend to take roads for granted. But is that case for all creatures? While roads certainly have benefits, they also cause problems especially for wildlife and vegetation. So much so that road ecology is now an area of study with experts who are seeking innovative solutions to mitigate and alter the havoc roads can cause. Environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb traveled throughout the United States and around the world to investigate how roads have transformed our planet. He joins Russell and Alan to share some of his startling discoveries, which he relates in his new book “Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet.”

Without a doubt, Greg Hager’s western music is getting noticed. In 2019, MFG Records in Nashville signed him. His rural western roots run deep and are wellspring for his lyrics. Hager writes and composes everything that he sings, and his style is heavily influenced by other great 12-string guitar pickers and storytellers like John Denver, Roger Whittaker, Gordon Lightfoot, Paul Overstreet, Clint Black, and George Strait. Now with over ten albums to his name, he performs around the country, as well as overseas. Greg joins Alan and Russell to talk about what it's like to be a career musician.

When you think of film noir, you might think of “The Maltese Falcon,” starring Humphrey Bogart as the hard-boiled private detective Sam Spade. Or maybe “Sunset Boulevard,” starring Gloria Swanson as the aging, deranged silent-film star Norma Desmond. But there are also noir westerns. None is more celebrated than the 1948 "Blood on the Moon," starring Robert Mitchum. It’s a classic Western immersed in the film noir netherworld of double crosses, government corruption, shabby barrooms, gun-toting goons, and romantic betrayals. Documentarian, producer and film noir expert Alan K. Rode joins Russell and Alan to talk about the movie and his eponymous book, “Blood on the Moon.”

Mark Sublette is the founder and owner of Medicine Man Gallery. A formal Naval physician, Mark is an expert in western art, specializing in the art of Maynard Dixon. He hosts the "The Art Dealer Diaries Podcast," which features over 200 interviews with unique individuals who curate, collect, create, write, sell, and deal in Western and Native art. Mark’s involvement in the arts is all-encompassing. He buys, sells, researches, educates, and has established a foundation for the arts. Mark also is the author of the Charles Bloom Murder Mystery series. The photography featured in his novels is his other love. He joins Russell and Alan for a fascinating chat.

As a horse trainer and animal communicator, Anna Twinney has had the opportunity to work with wild horses. She also advocates for them. What does the future hold for wild horse herds across the West? Will herds continued to be gathered, dooming some horses to a life in feedlot prison? Will birth control be used to limit the growth of herds? Will there be enough forage for herds roaming drought-stricken lands? Does the Safe Act really protect horses? Anna answers these questions and more!

 “Out with the old, in with the new.” Or so the saying goes. But sometimes “the old” is the best, especially when it comes to stories. Russell, Alan and Lynn reflect on the past year and the wonderful guests who we were honored to interview on the podcast. We also celebrate the life of Alan’s sister and one of our national treasures, Sandra Day O’Connor. And as you’ll hear, sometimes one reflection leads to another and then another and before you know it, cowboy storytelling is in full swing!

No, he didn’t! He sang it. Ginia Desmond knows the real story behind this beloved holiday song. She was there in sunny California when the idea hatched and the words were written. Ginia went on to write screenplays and produce movies and a whole lot more. Her award-winning indie film, “Lucky U Ranch,” is a charming coming-of-age story set in Arizona. (Available on Apple TV) And she has more films in the production chute. Ginia joins Russell and Alan for a fun, inspiring chat.

America’s signature dishes can be found coast to coast. Crab Louie. French-fried onions. Pecan pie. You can practically taste them. Maybe you’ve even made them. But what most of us don’t know is the history behind these epicurean delights. Culinary historian Sherry Monahan decided to investigate signature recipes, from breakfast and breads, to soups and salads, to sides and main dishes, and desserts, particularly those served at hotels and restaurants. Where did they come from? Why do they remain so popular? She answers these questions in her new book “Signature Dishes of America: Recipes and Culinary Treasures from Historic Hotels and Restaurants.” She joins the podcast to give us the inside scoop on how some of our country’s most famed dishes originated.

One of W. Michael Farmer’s favorite quotes is by the American novelist Oakley Hall. “The pursuit of truth, not facts is the business of fiction,” said Hall. Farmer keeps these words in mind while penning his award-winning stories and histories, many of them about the Apaches, including Geronimo and a Mescalero Apache named Yellow Boy. Farmer speaks with Russell and Alan about his historical research about the Apaches, as well as about events like the Fountain murder trial. When included in stories, details gleaned from research transport readers to different backgrounds, cultures, religions, and eras.

In April 2022, Russell and Alan spoke with Scott O’Connor, Sandra Day O’Connor’s eldest son, about his mother, a woman who broke barriers, was a role model for many, and left giant footprints across our nation. Scott shared many stories about family life, including what he remembers when his mom stepped into the national spotlight. We wanted to share this wonderful conversation again as our country mourns and reveres one of its greatest leaders and influencers, The Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor.

Jolyn Young grew up in the “real” northern California—the forgotten area at the tip-top of the state with small towns, extreme poverty, and about 40 miles to the Oregonian mountains. In a childhood defined by a subdivision, she decided she wanted to be a cowboy, and two years out of college, she saw that dream through, taking a job at a Nevada ranch in the search f of horses, cattle, and the wide-open range. And that’s where she fell in love. But when a baby-to-be suddenly spun her wild romance into a very practical marriage, and one decrepit ranch trailer home led to the next, Jolyn found her young family desperately seeking stability in a transient lifestyle that moves with the seasons. First with one child to care for, then eventually with three, Jolyn fought profound loneliness, finding comfort in writing and company in her camera. The author of the new memoir “Never Burn Your Moving Boxes,” Jolyn joins Russell and Alan to talk about it all!

Anna Twinney never expected to make a career out of horse whispering, animal communicating, and energy healing. After all, she was a police officer in England specializing in trauma. But then as a way to deal with burnout, she found herself in California working with Monty Roberts and learning the art of horse training and horse whispering. Anna went on to create the Reach Out to Horses® Program, a hands-on approach to understanding the mind of the horse and building  a trust-based partnership. She now conducts clinics and workshops worldwide, from New Zealand to Mongolia, Europe to Canada and throughout the United States. She shares some amazing stories with Russell and Alan about horses, domesticated and wild, but also dogs, and even two elephants at a zoo. (You can check out her event schedule here.)

Debbe Dunning is a multi-talented actress, host, and lifestyle influencer. She rose to fame as Heidi Keppert the "Tool Time Girl" on the hit sitcom "Home Improvement," where she won over audiences. She recently hosted her own TV show "Debbe Dunning's Dude Ranch Round-Up" on RFDTV. In addition to her acting career, Debbe is also a DIY expert, exceptional golfer and a passionate advocate for healthy living and motherhood. She shares her love for home renovation, healthy cooking, and wellness tips with her fans on social media, inspiring others to lead a healthy and fulfilling life. In this episode, Debbe shares her story with Russell and Alan.

Dude ranch historian and expert Lynn Downey decided to set her first novel,” Dudes Rush In,” on a dude ranch. The second book in the series, “Dude or Die,” has just been published, and guess where it takes place? You bet, on a dude ranch! Not only does her story include cowboys and some cool trick riding, the novel also introduces a character who represents a story of the American West not often told—that of an American with Japanese heritage who endured forced internment during WWII. Lynn joins Russell and Alan to talk about her book, as well as her summer visit to the OTO  Dude Ranch in Montana where she worked in the final draft of “Dude or Die.”

Gallup, New Mexico, located in the northwest corner of the state, abuts the Navajo Nation. During his more than four decades of living in the area, Bob Rosebrough befriended many Navajos. While he was mayor of Gallup, he was introduced to a group of Navajo Code Talkers. These men, recruited by the U.S. Marine Corps., used their traditional language to transmit secret messages to Allies fighting in the Pacific during World War II. The men who Rosebrough met were awarded Congressional Silver Medals. Rosebrough writes about his experience in his award-winning book “A Place of Thin Veil: Life and Death in Gallup, New Mexico.”