Blazin'
Rodeo queens are representatives of the American Western lifestyle and serve as spokespersons for America’s true western sport. It’s not only about a pretty face and a pretty smile. A rodeo queen is chosen for her horsemanship, her knowledge of the great sport of rodeo and her ability to promote the American Western lifestyle as a dedicated ambassador.
Antelope Jack Rabbit - Speedster of the Desert
The antelope jack rabbit can reach speeds of 44 mph and gets its name from its antelope-like evasion of desert predators. Really a hare – giving birth to young with fur, open eyes and ready to run – the antelope jack rabbit expels heat through its massive ears that are also used to detect the presence of its many enemies like coyotes, owls and hawks. Photo by Luxil – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29662229
The Sagebrush Sea - A Western Treasure
The sagebrush plant is a survivor and its extreme age has been listed from anywhere between 100 to 150 years. Part of its longevity may be because it can sense and react to danger. In the case of insect infestation, the sagebrush plant will issue a chemical response against the intruders that also acts as a signal to neighboring sagebrush plants to do the same.
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The lesser prairie chicken, a cousin of the sage grouse, has performed its iconic mating dance on the great American prairie for thousands of years. Its population has dwindled from a million to around 30,000 but its popularity and importance as a symbol of the American prairie has gained in stature. These birds are known for the ritualistic dance performed in groups called leks in the early morning hours. Their animated dancing and the thunderous sounds created by the little birds are a coveted sight with folks who are fortunate enough to catch the performances of these shy birds.
The Lesser Prairie Chicken - An Icon of the American West
The Lesser Prairie Chicken is legendary for its mating dance.
Did You Know...
Grizzly bears sleep 4 to 7 months out of each year. They do not actually hibernate, but instead enter a state of less deep sleep called topor. Sleeping allows bears to survive when food is scarce or nonexistent. During the weeks prior to denning, bears enter a stage called hyperphagia, eating as much as they can possibly consume. A bear can lose from 15 to 30 percent of its bodyweight during topor. The amount of sleep time depends on the length of the cold weather season. In Alaska, grizzlies sleep an average of 7 months. In Montana, they sleep from 4 to 6 months.
Livin The Life
BC Cattle Never Imagined Dream for Skateboarder and Barrel Racer
Brandon and Alexa Chambers never imagined as skateboarding and barrel racing kids that they would be riding, stock contracting and raising bucking bulls. Brandon rides, Alexa contracts and their partnership in raising bucking bulls is a never imagined dream.
WLJ Quick Pic
Black Aberdeen Angus Cattle Came by way of Victoria, Kansas
Aberdeen Angus cattle arrived in America in 1873, brought to Victoria, Kansas by a Scottish merchant by the name of George Grant. Today Black Angus is the most popular beef breed in America.
Ranch & Rodeo
Black Leg Ranch – Preserving Its Rich Western Heritage With Innovation
Black Leg Ranch, begun as a homestead in the North Dakota Great Plains Territory in 1882, now mixes tradition with innovation to preserve its heritage and promote its success.
Old West
Wild Camels Did Exist in the American Southwest
There really were wild camels in the American Southwest in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s brought to the United States by the U.S. Army in 1856.
Western Wilds
Texas Horned Lizard – A Remarkable Tiny Creature of the American Southwest
The tiny Texas horned lizard is a feisty little reptile that beats the Harvester ants at their own game and can scare off the most formidable of enemies.
God & Country
PRESERVING HISTORY – GHOST TOWN KEEPERS DON AND DONA EDMUND
Don Edmund traded his high tech job automating national defense systems for preserving history in a western ghost town.
WESTERN VISTAS PHOTOGRAPHER: Richard Field Levine
Meet Western Vistas Photographer Richard Field Levine. Richard Field Levine is a professional photographer well-known for his rodeo, ranch and western lifestyle photograhy. He is a native of sunny California. Levine holds the distinctions of being an official photographer for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the historical Hearst Ranch in San Simeon, California.
