My information leading up to this blog business

I was born and raised on a farm/ranch east of Flagstaff Arizona and attended Flagstaff High School at which time I took shop class for four years and really got the woodworking bug. I never had a chance touse it much until I went to Okinawa for two years after enlisting in the US Air Force during the Korean War.  I returned home to the farm/ranch and my Dad was disapointed that I did not want to be a farmer and I could not find a job working on air planes because they would not recognize my training as a senior aircraft mechanic so I started driving truck and running heavy equipment. I woorked on the Glen Canyon Dam just as it was starting and then went to work for the Flagstaff Police Department, where I worked for two years and then went over to the Arizona Highway Patrol.  I put in ten good years there and one day I went to work as usual and got hit bay a car as I had a violator stopped and that put a stop to my career.  We moved to Calrkdale where I worked many different jobs until I got elected to the Constable's position for the eastern half of Yavapai County for eight years and then retired.  I had set up a complete wood shop for my retirement years and I have made a lot of sawdust making everything from furniture of many kinds and have done a lot of woodcarving consisting of Ball and Chains from one solid piece of wood which is a lost art shown to me by and old man who came to work for my Dad every year and he also taught me to find walking canes in trees and finiish them to be givine to needy persons.  Recently I have been making replecas of the farm machinery we used on the farm/ranch and I have just completed al I need to explain how we farmed in the old days.  I made one dragon for a friend and then maed a few more of my own design just because I can and enjoy designing something different.

A Dragon a copy lkie the bigger one and a dinasour my own designs

Four row planter and a Harrow these make the collection complete to explain farming in my days of old

The Ranch Kids first visit to town.

The Cowboy was nineteen years old,
Out on the ranch he was wise and bold,
But, he had never ever been into town.
This was the only son the rancher had,
And he was an over protective Dad. 
He had always discouraged him about going into town.

The cowboy's world was very small,
But out on the ranch he knew it all,
But, he didn't know nothing about going into town.
He could do most any kind of work.
There wasn't anything he would shirk.
He obeyed his Dad and just wouldn't go into town.

His Dad would hire some punchers for gathering.
They would ride those ponies till they was lathering.
They told the boy about what he might see in town.
He couldn't hardly believe his ears,
After being on the ranch all these years.
He just might take a chance and go on into town.

Well, he went to town to a shopping mall.
It seemed that in this one place they had it all.
Boy, this was a different world here in this town.
He'd mosey here and he'd mosey there.
There was lots of folks didn't seem to care.
He was having a hard time seeing all there was to see in this town.

This here was better than the General Store.
He didn't see no feed nor saddle nor hackamore.
He saw things he'd never heard of before coming to this town.
This one store said Victorie's Secret,
But he sure did not see where there was any secrets.
They showed things that shouldn't be showed in any town.

There was some benches out in the middle,
So you could just sit and whittle.
While watching all of Victorie's Secrets in this town.
Then there was a fancy hat store,
But he didn't see anything he'd a wore,
They had some strange looking kind hats in this town.

He finally found the kitchen.
There was a bunch of them, (boy this was bitchin) that means good in kids language.
They had foods from all over the world in this town.
The kids went into this here dark place.
It looked like they was running a race.
There was some strang noises he heard in this town.

He wanted to get him something to eat,
So he went and found himself a seat,
But, he guessed there was no Mom in this town.
He waited some good long time at the table,
Nobody brought in any food and he was soon able,
He figured out it was help yourself in this town.

He finally ambled up and asked for some meat,
He pointed at a picture that looked kinda neat.
She give him a plate full of vitals in this here town.
It was the damnest thing he'd ever seen.
They stuck the meat right in between,
This funny looking little loaf of bread in this town.

It was a full meal deal with tatters and toy.
When he got through, there wasn't much joy.
He was kinda disappointed in the food in this here town.
He went back and got himself another,
This guy at the counter called him his brother,
The folks sure are friendly in this here town.

He rode himself one more circle around this mall.
He didn't see much he could use after seeing it all.
He decided it was about time to leave this town.
He come to that bench in front of Victorie's Secret shop.
And there he dedcided he might better stop,
And take one more look before he'd leave this town.

There was some young girls come strolling by.
They had shorts cut to the top of their thighs.
They didn't have many secrets in this town.
He was having funny feelings about what he was learning,
Thinking about daddy and for the ranch he was yearning.
He found his old truck and headed out of this town.

Now the moral of this stroy is to stay out of town.
Enjoy the treasures you've grown up with and found,
Because you won't find anything better in this town.
If he had his life to live over again,
And he could go back to where he began.
He thinks he could get along fine without ever going onto town.

By Billy O. Rowland

Bob Cat four wheel dozer with three point hitch and wheel barrow

Four bottom plow that raises onto wheels and wide front end tractor

Carving vice bench in the old style foot pressure hold jaws tight no power tools When I was young an old man named John Carr taught me to carve and he had made one of these to do his work with.