Book Review: Dead Man's Walk

Dead Man's Walk : A Novel by Larry McMurtry

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Ahh, this is a great cowboy story. It's the first time I've ever read McMurtry who has written over 30 books, and I'm excited to read more. Dead Man's Walk is the first in a tetrology which includes the Pulitzer Prize winning Lonesome Dove. I think his writing flows beautifully, his dialogue is great and you can smell the sagebrush and taste the dry sand as he describes the West. I imagine that his story reflects some truth of how the West was explored which means it is not a light-hearted story. I was fearful of the Comanche Chief Buffalo Hump from his first introduction to the final scene. I can't imagine ever having the courage to cross the plains after hearing the stories of the Comanches and Apaches. It paints a picture of men (and a few women) who were courageous, adventuresome, careless and perhaps carefree enough to risk life and limb to the unknown. My favorite part of the book begins in the leper colony of San Lazaro, where a black or white bean determines the fate of the 10 remaining cowboys and continues to the final scene of Gus and Call helping a leper women on her journey home to England and have the ultimate face-off with Chief Buffalo Hump.



I would recommend this book to: Vaughn, Rex, Jay, Clark, Jerry, Darren, Dad, Uncle John and all other cowboys.


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Happy Birthday Emily!

Today she is 4 years old.


Yesterday, opening her present.

I Think Colorado is So Lovely

I love this area. It's hard to explain but I just can't stop looking. I don't know if it's because of the great variation in the landscape or if I am just sentimental - but it really is so beautiful to me.

I have sometimes had babysitters come and stay in my home and I am always surprised when I return that all of the curtains are closed. I always keep almost all of them open, I love looking outside and having a view of nature. I simply can't imagine anything else. Perhaps it comes from my parents home. They also have windows that are left open to the view. Here is what my mother looks at when she stands at her kitchen sink.

Here is her view from the front door.

The Trip Home

This is one of my very favorite drives and I love the Southwest. I took a picture of Sleeping Ute Mountain while driving. It's not the best angle to show it, but it really does look like a sleeping Indian chief. I have stared so many times at this mountain and it still amazes me that a mountain could have such resemblance to life.

Emily thinks she can go anywhere because Scott always gives her a ride.
We should all be so lucky to have an older brother carrying us through life.

The area from Monticello to Moab to Crescent Junction always reminds me of the book Death Comes for the Archbishop by W. Cather. This is Wilson's arch.


OK, I love the drive but 20 hours in the car does kill me.

The Cattle Drive

Here a just a few images of the annual trek my father takes to move his cattle to the summer range. It takes 3 large trucks to move the herd from Durango, Colorado to the high mountains in New Mexico between Tierra Amarillo and Taos.



After the cows are unloaded and the horses and cowboys are ready, the cattle drive begins....This is my older brother, Vaughn, one of the few working cowboys in attendance.

Three of my brothers, Jay, Vaughn and Rex. Clark is busy in podiatry school and missed the cattle drive this year.

My brother-in-law Darren - we were missing Matt and Jerry - the other mugglebloods.


Grandpa and a few of his grandkids.

Some of the cowboys and cowgirls.








Here is the cabin built by my grandfather. We used to stay (sleep and cook) here until about 10 years ago. Isn't this beautiful?

The view from the cabin.

My sisters (we are missing Stephanie)from the left Kelly, Lucy, Peggy, Bekki, me and Patty.

Did you expect anything else?




The whole gang minus a few photographers.

Off to Colorado

On Saturday night we left San Francisco about 11pm and began our journey (me and the kids) to Durango to visit my family. We wanted to be there by Monday morning so we could join in on the cattle drive. We considered driving through the night but found that we were too tired. Unfortunately, we had a hard time finding a place to spend the night and ended up in the Foothills Motel......formerly known as the Bates Foothill Motel. You know you are in trouble when you walk in and find the bathroom torn apart and tools still laying on the floor. Believe me, we checked the shower to make sure no one was hiding in it waiting to attack us in the night. When we crawled into bed in the early morning hours, exhausted, we were quiet for about 2 minutes and then Karin and I both started giggling and couldn't stop. Oh well, so much for a good night's sleep.

On Sunday, we drove ALL DAY and arrived in Durango at 2:00 am just 7 hours early for the cattle drive.