More stuff hot of the press.

The new issue of Ranch & Reata magazine just landed in my mailbox. If you haven’t seen the publication, it’s well worth a look. It’s big, it’s colorful, it’s beautifully designed and, being a print publication (with an online version as well), it really is hot off the press.

Among the offerings in this issue is a story I wrote about photographer Kevin Martini-Fuller. For 30 years he has made portraits of cowboy poets at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, and several of those portraits accompany the article—including the faces of my friends Doris Daley, Yvonne Hollenbeck, Paul Zarzyski, and Gail Steiger.

The story also covers Kevin’s cowboy poetry exhibit all the way across the sea in France.

And, of course, there’s a lot more to enjoy in the new issue of Ranch & Reata, including an article by Hal Cannon about the multi-talented songwriter, poet, writer, and man-of-many-hats Andy Wilkinson. Andy has long been on my short list of people I would like to know.

Find out more about the magazine here: www.ranchandreata.com.

Going to see Jeff Wolf’s “Rodeo.”

Last week I took a road trip to Idaho to visit the Gooding County Fair and Rodeo. The photograph above is the reason why.

That’s Jeff Wolf, a man I have known since we were boys. For many years now, Jeff has been a Western sculptor of some renown. His work is on display in several galleries, museums, homes, and other places around the West. (Visit www.jeffwolfstudios.com.)

His latest piece of public art is the monumental sculpture at this side. It’s called “Rodeo,” a remarkable sculpture featuring bareback, saddle bronc, and bull riders and their mounts intertwined in a beautiful dance. The action and motion captured in the statue are remarkable—looking at the cold bronze you can almost feel the hot breath and hear the slap of leather and smell the dust.

Jeff and the making of “Rodeo” will be featured in an article I wrote for an upcoming issue of Ranch & Reata magazine (www.ranchandreata.com). Watch for the magazine. And next time you’re in the neighborhood, stop by the Gooding County Fairgrounds and see “Rodeo” first hand.