Searching for Spring

by Jan Drexler

We live in a beautiful place. I know! I keep saying that!

But it's true...

We went for a drive last Saturday, and we had three goals:

1) Get some fresh air. We aren't suffering too badly under the constrictions of the Corona Virus Pandemic, but when it's combined with bad weather, the four walls begin to feel a little stuffy. And we have plenty of fresh air when the weather clears!

Those are stacks of round hay bales. After two wet years in a row,
 the ranchers have plenty of hay to sell - even at the end
of the winter.

2) Find the spot in Buffalo Gap where the Black Moment happens in my new story. We found it - and it will work perfectly for the key scene. Of course, I could have created this spot in my imagination, but when it's already there, why mess with perfection?

3) Our third goal was to find some sign that spring is coming. We've seen some of the signs already - a couple robins, some meadowlarks, and bluebirds - but where is that elusive first glimpse of greengrass?

We saw some lovely and interesting sights....

Part of our drive took us along French Creek, into the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. The bluffs along the creek were gorgeous.

The little guy standing to the right doesn't have an ear tag yet, so
either he's brand new, or his mama hasn't let the rancher
come close.

We saw a lot of new calves, and this beautiful Texas longhorn bull.

I don't think I've seen a more striking bull! You may be surprised to see a Texas longhorn in South Dakota, but they have a long history here. The South Dakota cattle industry was started by drovers bring herds of Texas longhorns north to feed the Black Hills gold miners in the 1870's.

He was big, too. We stopped the truck by the side of the road to get a picture, and I think he was expecting a hand-out. He didn't get one, though! I kept hoping the barbed wire fence would be strong enough to hold him in if he decided he wanted a closer look at us. :-)

But he just gave us a dejected look as we drove away.

Our road continued south through the prairie.

We saw a lot of pronghorn antelope. This herd was grazing near a stock tank.

Ranchers in the prairies make stock tanks (man-made ponds for cattle and horses) by building a berm across the downhill end of a depression. Water collects behind it and forms a pond. In good years, water remains there all through the summer.

We also saw a lot of abandoned buildings like this one. Most of them were built by homesteaders in the early 1900's, but then left them behind when the country emptied out in the "dirty thirties." The land is now owned by someone else, but the old buildings are left standing empty. This one has a barricade across the front door to keep cattle from wandering in and getting hurt or trapped.

So, the big question is: Did we find spring?

Almost. We saw some meadowlarks and those new baby calves. And there's the beginning of green tinge in the grass.

But as we drove through the mountains on the way home, we still saw plenty of snow!

I guess we need to wait for a few more weeks.

So, how is spring looking at your house?

Jan Drexler is an author by day who is addicted to counted cross stitch and sauntering through the Hills with her dear husband and their puppies - goofy corgi Jack and baby border collie Sam. You can find Jan's books and other fun things on her website: www.JanDrexler.com.

A New Story

Jan here, with a revelation.

We live in the West.

If I had had any doubts about that, they were completely erased over the weekend!

You see, I'm working on a new story proposal. This is Coop's story, the one I've been wanting to write ever since I finished "A Home for His Family" back in 2014. 

Justice Cooper, aka "Coop," was Nate Colby's friend and partner in "A Home for His Family." Coop had been raised in Oregon, descendants of pioneers who followed the Oregon Trail in the 1840's. When he teamed up with Nate, he was ready to put his roots down in the Black Hills - mountains that called to him. They weren't as remote and inaccessible as the Rockies to the west, but they were Home.

As this story opens, Coop is following God's call to establish a church in the town of Buffalo Gap, ninety-some miles south of Deadwood, in the middle of cattle country. At that time, Buffalo Gap was a rip-roarin', shoot-'em-up, first class cow town, on par with Tombstone or Dodge City.  

Today? It's pretty much a ghost town, just down the road from our house.

In 1885, it was the terminal end of the railroad and the shipping point for all the cattle raised in the Black Hills area. Texas drovers, bringing cattle north to feed the hungry gold miners in the 1870's had discovered a rancher's paradise - open ranges, thick buffalo grass, and prairies that spread as far as a man could see.

Into this wild and wooly town comes Abby Rose Slater, mail-order bride. Except that she conveniently forgot to let her prospective husband know that she was a widow with a young child, fresh off the boat from Ireland. When the prospective husband rejects her, Coop steps into the fray and saves her from her only other alternative: employment in one of the "sporting houses" in town.

Yep. You got it. Redeemed with the toss of a few gold coins, Abby Rose the rejected mail-order bride becomes Abby Rose, the bride in a marriage of convenience.

But there's nothing a mother wouldn't do for her baby, is there? Boy howdy.

My dear husband and I went on a research trip last Friday to explore Buffalo Gap and the surrounding countryside. It really doesn't take much imagination to go back in time one hundred thirty-five years and see this area through Coop's and Abby Rose's eyes.

I don't know when this spur was last in use, but it's about
where the depot and hotel once stood. The modern railroad
 is in the background.

The railroad still goes through Buffalo Gap, although it no longer stops.

The view from where the depot used to be still looks down Main Street to the Hills beyond.

We followed the old road from the town of Buffalo Gap through the Gap itself, just as Coop and Abby Rose did as he took her home to the ranch where he works.

The Gap is one of four natural entrances through the eastern edge of the Black Hills to the mountains beyond. For years, the bison migrated through here and the Lakota and Cheyenne who lived in the area followed them. The native tribes also cut their lodgepoles here to support their tipis. 

Cowmen (and women) still ranch here. In fact, folks live and work here much the way they did in the 1880's...with the addition of nicely graded roads and electric lines, of course.

What was that? Where are the paved roads? Pshaw. We left those behind back at the highway. We're in Ranch Country now.

Back in the 1880's and now, there are ranches in the Gap.

The road follows Beaver Creek as it winds between the hills and buttes into the interior of the Black Hills.

Then after a few miles, you come out of the Gap....

Beauty everywhere.

Everywhere.

How far can we see? In this picture, that red canyon on the left is about 1/2 mile from where I stood to take the picture. That peak on the right, in the background? That's the edge of Hot Springs, South Dakota. About five miles away.

This is the ranch where Coop brought Abby Rose. Will she survive in the Wild West? More importantly, will their marriage of convenience ever become a marriage built on love and faith?

Meanwhile, as part of my research I'm working on my sourdough recipes. I hope to perfect my sourdough biscuits to share with you soon. Old recipes are hard to bring up to today's standards, but I mean to try!

And Sam is still growing. He's almost eleven weeks old now, and moving into that out-of-proportion awkward puppy body. He's been too wiggly to get a good picture, but the other day he and Jack were snuggled together underneath my desk chair. A weird position for Jack, but they slept like this for quite a while.

Aren't they cute when they're sleeping?

Thanks for coming along on my trip! What is your favorite part of doing research?

Jan Drexler is an author by day who is addicted to counted cross stitch and sauntering through the Hills with her dear husband and their puppies - goofy corgi Jack and baby border collie Sam. You can find Jan's books and other fun things on her website: www.JanDrexler.com.

Touring the Black Hills: An Other-Worldly Experience!

Jan here, with another look at this beautiful world we live in!

A couple weeks ago, we wanted to explore an area my husband had heard about. It's called Toadstool Geologic Park, and is just about an hour south of us in northwestern Nebraska.

When we looked it up on the map, I realized that this area is the setting of a book in an upcoming western series I'm planning!

Can you say, "research trip?!?"

So we packed our picnic (with plenty of water in the cooler!) and headed out.

We took the wrong road, which allowed us to see some gorgeous buttes we would have missed, but we finally found our turn...and started our 15 mile journey on the dirt/gravel/mud road. We have rarely been more thankful for our four-wheel-drive on the truck!

When we finally got to our destination, the park didn't disappoint us. It was fascinating! This area is an extension of the South Dakota Badlands, but with unique geologic formations.

Do you see why it's called Toadstool Park?

The top layer of these formations is made of sandstone, while the lower layers are made of clay-stone. Clay-stone is not as hard as sandstone, and erodes faster. So the sandstone is left standing on top of a clay-stone pillar. Pretty cool, isn't it?

We followed the self-guided walking tour and every turn held new sights.

There are no guardrails - you need to be careful! If you look
carefully, you can see the poles marking the trail in the
distance.

Another point of interest was the reproduction of the sod house.

That roof is going to be beautiful when those cactus bloom!

This reproduction was built in 1984 on the site of the original sod house built in 1930. The reproduction has lasted for thirty-four years!

Outside of the park, ranching still flourishes.

We're at the edge of the Oglala National Grasslands, and I wish you could hear the silence. It's broken only by bird song, but what could be better than that?

To find out more about Toadstool Geologic Park, and perhaps plan your own visit, follow this link.

I hope you enjoyed today's tour! Have you ever been to a place like this park?

Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and growing family. When she isn't writing, she loves hiking in the Hills or satisfying her cross stitch addiction.

You can find Jan on Facebook, Jan Drexler, author, or her website, Jan Drexler.com.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs and Ice Festivals

Hello, everybody!! The Fresh Pioneer is back and I have a fun recipe for you, but first, I just have to reminisce a little. I used to think I loved all seasons, but I'm beginning to realize that I have a strong preference for summer. Not because I like to stay warm (which I DO), but because we're so spoiled with delicious fruit, grown right here in our backyard garden and the local farms.

 Our seedless champagne grapes. We share them with everyone who wants any because they turn ripe all at once and we get close to 100 lbs a year. They make great raisins, too!

 I get a little teary-eyed looking at this. But July is coming soon and, God willing, the weather will cooperate for a wonderful blueberry harvest!

 Mulberries from our tree turned into amazing home made yoghurt with local honey. *sobs quietly*
                                                    

(All photos from the official Leavenworth.org page.)

But even though I miss summer oh-so-much, there are wonderful things to enjoy during winter, too. I'm having a little trouble uploading our photos so I can't share our most recent travels, but I can show you what we're up to this weekend.
                                    
Leavenworth, Washington is about four hours from us. A younger me scoffed at the idea of traipsing around such a touristy spot. I mean, really... a whole town built to look like Bavaria? UGH!
But the older me is suddenly appreciative of skipping another flight and just plunking the kids in the car and driving over for the weekend.
                     
Yes, it's a bit overdone and of course nobody really runs around in those costumes 24/7 in Germany, but it hits the spot! (Oh, here's there official link if you want to peek at the town. It's a very fun concept. http://www.leavenworth.org/)

The busiest time is right near Christmas, with the Kinder market filled with toys. The ice festival is more for the sporty types and there are all sorts of activities the tourists can sign up for, including sledding contests and cross country skiing sprints. My boys have their eyes set on a prize but I'm reminding them that there are professionals competing and we get a few inches of snow a year. LOL

So, on to the recipes that will keep us warm and fuel our ice and snow sprinting! You'll need several lbs of hamburger, garlic, oregano, salt, and mozzarella.

Flatten a small disk of the hamburger after seasoning it.

Wrap a small (1 inch) cube of cheese inside the meat.

Fry in a pan until completely browned and cooked through.

This was the tricky part, as the cheese wanted to ooze out.

I tried to roll them around as little as possible. Still, we had leakage.

The final product! The kids all agree they liked this kind of meatball best, but hubby and I are too traditional, I guess. We preferred the cheese-less batch.

One more shot of the ooey, gooey, cheesey goodness! Keep warm everybody!
Feel free to stop by my author page at Mary Jane Hathaway, my blog at The Things That Last, and my blog at HuffingtonPost Books page. Until next time!