Monday, November 30, 2009

GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT!!!!

Give the gift of the Real West!!!    A subscription to Open Range Magazine !  Subscribe in time for Christmas and we'll mail that special someone the latest issue packed with wonderful articles and gorgeous photos of what life is still like living the Western Way of Life.    Go to:  www.openrangemagazine.com  and subscribe today or call 30-436-5447 or email:  info@openrangemagazine.com .   Its a WONDERFUL way to give someone a gift that gives all year long with six issues and one bonus issue!

www.openrangemagazine.com - A Rocky Mountain Region, Cowboy States Publication.  - The West's Premiere Real Western Magazine.

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Pretty Good Stuff... :)
(hey listen, if I don't pat myself on the back, who will??? )

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Open Range Volume 2 Issue 3

Well, it looks as though we will be able to release the digital version of Volume 2 Issue 3..  going to be even more beautiful than #2 and all the ones before that.  I'm hitting the hay tonight folks... too tired to write much!

God Bless!

Amanda

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Eh hem

Okay, love this little ole Faithful laptop!  Heading home from this amazing barn now.  Hasta!

Temporary Rancher

Well folks, you won't believe where I am tonight (and have been the last three or so days in the mornings and evenings (and a teensy bit in the afternoons)... my friends barn where my horse Miss Sally Scamps resides.   My friend has been gone for Thanksgiving and asked me to take care of the horses.. which in Wyoming is called "taking care of the chores."  I have found that I am growing to love to do these chores when the need arises, and so have done so in the past.   But this time it seems so different.  I think its because its 32 degrees, an almost full moon high in the sky, and the most incredible peace I've felt in a very long time.  The lights for the stalls give off a beautiful yellow glow over the horses, and the cold night air feels very comforting to me for the first time in a very long time.  This place is an Open Range story in the making....

I just got done feeding and leaning my body up against Miss Sally for a bit, while she ate.   I find it amazing that this young mare of mine... is totally at ease with me leaning up against her while she entertains her appetite with a very nice portion of Alfalfa.   Amazingly and without my knowing it, she has found a place in my heart.  I didn't really know it until a few nights ago... the first time I leaned up against her like that.  Now over the last two nights, I have found myself eager to come and feel her strength hold me up as I completely relax against her, my head resting on her back... I even closed my eyes and found myself and my mind completely and utterly at ease, like the way you are supposed to feel when you lean up against the person who is most important in your life.  I am shocked that I once again, love the earthy smell of horses and their surroundings, even the asshole horse next to Sally has caused my heart beat to slow down a bit. :)

Back when I was young, a teenager going through college, I lived in a bunkhouse (heated with a kerosene heater during those oh so frigid Michigan winter nights) on a small ranch that was the home of 11 horses.  It was never a chore for me back then to muck stalls and feed and water and turn out and work those horses... well, Lunge them anyway....  ;)     But living in California changed me, and even though I had horses there, it always felt like a chore....who knows why.  The good news is these last few days have taught me to find my heart beat again.. not the one that always flips around and causes me panic and anxiety... (we all know that feeling) but the beat that I used to feel when I was young and no one was telling me what to do or how to do it, or more so.. that I was doing it wrong, or that it couldn't be done. The kind of heartbeat that you really don't even think about, because it wasn't bothersome or painful.

This Thanksgiving week while I've been responsible again for the lives of some horses, a barn and a few cats, I am taken back to those younger years ... and wouldn't you know it, I felt something in my chest tonight that really took me by surprise.  It was that old familiar heartbeat... I never knew I'd felt it before, but I must have because the moment I felt its calm and peaceful beat, free of stress and zaps and jolts, I recognized it....

ah yes, Temporary Rancher ... thats a good name for whatever it is we do that causes us to come back down to earth and recognize that old familar heartbeat.  :)  Have a beautiful night everyone.   And as always, God Bless.  
--  Amanda

Friday, November 27, 2009

The day after what I like to call: THE OPEN RANGE MAGAZINE Tryptophan KICK

I can't believe I even knew how to spell Tryptophan.. okay, I didn't know how to spell it, but Google did.  Before I start out my evening blog.. let me first say this:

Do not.... I repeat, do NOT watch that Andrew fellow who eats all over the world....  the day after Thanksgiving.  You will throw up.

Anyway, on to my commentary.  Today I realized what it really means to let go... to clean the slate and remove the demons, so to speak... that have been taunting me most of my adult life.  I decided that doing so must be somewhat like Cowboys in the old days used to do, when they realized they must move forward.... or in today's lingo.. move on down the line.   And in order to do so, one must rid oneself of the dead weight that continually holds some of us back.  Its hard to recognize... well, no its not hard to recognize, its hard to believe that anyone in ones life could be considered dead weight... so its hard to believe I guess.  But if you don't do more than just recognize, that dead weight can drag you down, much farther down than the ravines go in the old west...  and so it goes, my revelation of sorts.  Lets see if letting go of some of these demons can help Open Range move forward in a more timely manner as we approach the distribution of Volume 2 Issue 3.

We have an incredible crew at Open Range Magazine and The Glenrock Bird .  Some have been with me since the inception of both, and some have been with me a little over a year... and those who dared to come on board, and stay on board over the last few months, well, they've fit in so well that I do believe we've finally found the right amount of grease to keep these wheels moving.  And move they do...   we are finding that our motion, is unstoppable... no matter the obstacle.

I guess it really is like the Old West .  Sometimes you have to keep on riding through the wind storms that blow sand in your face and press forward through the tumbleweeds that trip up the horse that carries you, causing both of you to stumble.   Sometimes you have to ride through the wind and the rain, the snow and scorching sun, to reach your destination.  And, it is then, and only then that you look up and the sun is shining, the temperature is beautiful, the skies are clear and although there are still many obstacles to overcome, somehow you've made it to a mild location, and its worth it... its all worth it ... the blood, the sweat, the tears, the fight...  its all worth it to know that you rode through it all to chase your dreams and bring along a crew who followed their dreams too, and you realize it took all of you...  the whole lot... and God.

Here's to pushing forward, not because someone else picks us up and dusts us off, not because someone gave you a jump start... but because you've found the right amount of passion, and the right crew ... and Faith in God above... and you made it to the other side of yet another obstacle, and you can see the cattle on the horizon, and you can see the green green grass of home, and you can feel, once and for all..  the renewal of the spirit inside that drives you... and so it goes....

One more thing!

I also wanted to comment on The Glenrock Bird, Glenrock, Wyoming's Sunday Morning Newspaper.  We are in our third volume and in July we will begin our fourth volume of The Glenrock Bird.  I can't thank my staff enough for everything each of them have put into this incredible newspaper that just continues to grow in readership, every single week.  Thanks to God again, for our subscribers and advertisers, community members and the Town of Glenrock, as well as the Glenrock Chamber of Commerce and Douglas Chamber of Commerce for their continued Faith in Glenrock's Sunday morning newspaper.  We love it, and we are proud that you do too!

Amanda Smith

Open Range Magazine and The Glenrock Bird

Whew, well its been a while since I've blogged folks.  Turns out that a lot has happened.  We got caught up in an unfortunate situation with a woman who owns a rescue place for horses, travelled 11 hours just to get our copyrights infringed upon.  We learned a little too late how ruthless people can be when they want something for nothing, and how some people will stop at nothing to hurt other people.  Its been a hard lesson learned in regards to donating the time and energy and materials spent that Open Range Magazine and my staff donated for the aforementioned event.  But, we'll take our lumps and move on like the rest of us who work very hard to continue pursuing their dreams, do.

Having said all that, Open Range Magazine and The Glenrock Bird continue to flourish despite the ruthless behavior of this woman, and we continue to donate and provide services for many community functions in Wyoming and beyond.

Its amazing to me, as I write this, that Open Range Magazine is in its second year and second volume.  We had an interesting road getting the magazine off the ground, we were late at times, had a few obstacles we needed to get over (and did, praise God) and suffered some trials and tribulations along the way.  But, what company doesn't? In fact, what person doesn't when they are pursuing something that is in their heart?    So, here we are ... getting ready to print Volume 2 Issue 3 of Open Range Magazine and its going to be as gorgeous as the last issue and the ones before that one.  Thanking God above for the energy of my staff, and myself, my Mom and Dad, friends, advertisers and susbscribers who stuck by us and continue to stick by us as we continue to publish and distribute one of the finest real western magazines around.  Remember, you can always contact us at: info@openrangemagazine.com .   On this morning after Thanksgiving, I wish each of you a very Blessed Christmas Season.
God Bless!
Amanda Smith