WESTERN LIVING JOURNAL: COMMITTED TO PROMOTING AND PRESERVING THE AMERICAN WESTERN LIFESTYLE.
Richard Field Levine, WLJ Photographer
You can’t blame a donkey for hoping!
Although not in the sage family, sagebrush is aromatic. It has been described as smelling like a camphor blanket with a touch of Christmas. Folks who spend time in its midst have said that its fragrance is clean, sharp and as cool as winter. Its crushed leaves smell extremely pungent and the bitter taste of the sagebrush leaf protects it from overgrazing by the herbivores who live in its habitat. There is a toxic effect associated with eating the leaves that makes sagebrush an unacceptable forage for cattle. But animals like mule deer, elk and pronghorn have evolved digestive systems that can tolerate the toxin. Click here to read more.
Pony Express Linked the East and West
Mail could travel by Pony Express from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California in about 10 days. It was a nearly 2,000-mile route across 8 states through hostile western territory that required rest stops and relay stations where riders could change mounts and pass off the mail to another rider.
CHECK THIS OUT...
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
