Here under one cover are the collected writings of John R. Erickson about characters who have entered his life on the High Plains country of the Texas Panhandle. Erickson writes with authority about ranching and cowboying in the modern era, always with an eye for the humor of everyday incidents. Some of his friends are widely known, such as artist Ace Reid and noted fiddle player Frankie McWhorter. Others are cowboys who work the big ranches between the Canadian and Beaver Rivers. They share the stage with some of Erickson's four-legged friends: the Phantom Cow, Texie, the Incredible Burping...

"The American cowboy is a mythical character who refuses to die," says author John R. Erickson. On the one hand he is a common man: a laborer, a hired hand who works for wages. Yet in his lonely struggle against nature and animal cunning, he becomes larger than life. Who is this cowboy? Where did he come from and where is he today? Erickson addresses these questions based on firsthand observation and experience in Texas and Oklahoma. And in the process of describing and defining the modern working cowboy-his work, his tools and equipment, his horse, his roping technique, his style of dress,...

"Prairie Gothic" is full of Texas lore. Erickson tells the story of people in the context of a specific place. This place, instrumental in shaping their lives, is the flatland prairie of northwestern Texas that has gone by various names (High Plains, South Plains, Staked Plains, and Llano Estacado), as well as the rugged country on its eastern boundary, often referred to as the "caprock canyonlands."
One branch of Erickson's family arrived in Texas in 1858, settling in Parker County, west of Weatherford. Another branch, sturdy Quaker farmers from Ohio, helped establish the first Anglo...

"Prairie Gothic" is full of Texas lore. Erickson tells the story of people in the context of a specific place. This place, instrumental in shaping their lives, is the flatland prairie of northwestern Texas that has gone by various names (High Plains, South Plains, Staked Plains, and Llano Estacado), as well as the rugged country on its eastern boundary, often referred to as the "caprock canyonlands."
One branch of Erickson's family arrived in Texas in 1858, settling in Parker County, west of Weatherford. Another branch, sturdy Quaker farmers from Ohio, helped establish the first Anglo...

It all starts with Hank as a puppy enjoying his family's backyard home. But, feathers really fly when Hank the puppy defends his backyard against an invasion of phantom ducks. Hank's mother says it's a good time for him to go out on his own before the dogcatcher arrives. Unabridged. 2 CDs.

When Hank begins his day being attacked by - a Headless Cowdoy, he knows it's going to be a tough day defending the ranch! But when Slim discovers Sally May's watermelon patch has been raided by raccoons, things get serious. Slim, Drover, and Hank (mostly Hank) are entrusted with the job of a nighttime stakeout to catch the raccoons in the act. Will Hank save the day? Or will busted watermelons prove Hank is a bust as the Head of Ranch Security?