Running Iron Report Podcast No. 2 is up. Listen right here. The Running Iron crew are joined by modern day explorer and adventurer Brent McGregor. McGregor is a former logger, a woodworker, a mountaineer, a nationally recognized photographer, and an accomplished glacier cave explorer who — along with his caving partners — discovered the … [Read more...]
Working The Trapline — June 2018
• June came in glorious here in the Sisters Country. Marilyn and I got out on a bluebird day on Saturday, June 2. With the snow all melted off, we got a good look at the damage last summer’s Milli Fire did to Black Crater — my sacred mountain. Hammered. • They’re doing some logging out in the woods back of Crossroads. This is … [Read more...]
Following The Drum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAyM8h9zTSA I downloaded and read C.C. Humphreys’ short story about the birth of his 18th Century hero Jack Absolute. Enjoyed it, of course, as I knew I would. Humphreys crowds a great deal into fewer than 30 pages. The action swirls around the Battle of Dettingen in Germany in 1743, during the War of … [Read more...]
Mexican Game of Thrones
George RR Martin’s fantasy epic A Song of Ice and Fire, which spawned HBO’s blockbuster Game of Thrones revealed a mighty thirst in a massive audience for tales of violent political intrigue and military conquest in exotic settings, for shocking levels of betrayal and conspiracy tinged with madness and transgressive sexual obsession. I’ve said … [Read more...]
Running Iron Podcast No. 1 Is Up
Want to pull up a piece of blanket by the campfire and hear stories from a real-deal buckaroo and Western artist? Link up to the Running Iron Report Podcast No. 1. Craig Rullman and I could not have done better for an inaugural podcast than to spend an hour with the likes of Len Babb. He’s an authentic example of a way of life that is harder and … [Read more...]
The Return Of Jack Absolute?
I love a clever conceit in an historical novel. C.C. Humphreys delivered a dandy in his Jack Absolute series. Humphreys is a Canadian stage actor and swordsman who turned to writing historical novels that range from a tale of Anne Boleyn’s executioner to a realistic if not sympathetic take on Vlad Tepes — Dracula. The stage background is key to … [Read more...]
The Rider: A True Tale of a Cowboy Who Lost His Way
By Ceili Cornelius, Field Cornet, Frontier Partisans Willamette Valley Field Force As a student at the University of Oregon I have many opportunities to explore facets of knowledge, whether it be in the library (my Dad’s favorite place on campus), in the lecture halls with professors, or through films and speakers that come to the … [Read more...]
Persistent Frontiers
Prospecting in the rich gold fields of South African (and Mexican history), I stumbled over a fine historical nugget. I know, the pairing sounds odd, but there are more connections than you might think, running from about the 1880s on up through the Mexican Revolution. The mining frontier that ran down the Rocky Mountains into Mexico also spread … [Read more...]
Cosmic, Mythic, Mystical Rock Art Of The Lower Pecos Peoples In The Texas-Mexico Borderlands
By Rick Schwertfeger, Captain, Frontier Partisans Southern Command Austin, Texas, May 2018 The trail begins down a gentle slope. You’re walking easily, strolling. After a quarter mile the footing gets tougher, with looser rock. The trail descends more sharply. You’re picking your way down unstable rocks, stepping very carefully. Steeper, … [Read more...]
His Name Is Mud
Fortune pissed upon our traditional Mother’s Day plans, which for the past six years or so have included a trip out to Belknap Hot Springs on the McKenzie River. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we were required to adapt and overcome, which we did with a nice stroll along a river and some mighty tasty experiments in international cuisine (I … [Read more...]
