FEEDING LIVESTOCK OF YESTERYEAR-YOU HAD TO TO BE TOUGH

Earlier today I read the obituary of Bob Day, who by all that knew him, was one of those Cowboys of yesteryear, having the grit of a Cowboy similar to the book written by Larry McMurtry called "Lonesome Dove". When I started to read that book several years ago, I couldn't put it down. If you haven't read the book or seen the movie, Hollywood couldn't have found a better actor than Robert Duvall to be a co-star in it. The book is of two Cowboys who drives a herd of cattle from Texas to Montana, which brings forth a lot of the best old west sayings of truth and tidbits of real Cowboys. One of my favorites is when "Gus" was compelled to hang a friend who was with some bad hombres that shot and killed dirt farmers. As a former Texas Ranger, Gus pronounced a western judgement of "You ride with the outlaw, you die with the outlaw. Sorry, you crossed the line." Cowboys of the old west often spoke the truth and their may be times when you take the law into your own hands. After living and working law enforcement in the big cities of America, I felt at ease when I returned to the once rural area of Utah, which at the time I departed when deals were made out of Court and similar to the old west doctrine of "A Juab County Handshake" was like a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which couldn't be violated. My brother and I made that "legal handshake" with George Jackson, who we asked to farm the 25 acre farm we were left by our father and grandfather in downtown "Nortonville". Like the Juab County handshake, he kept his word on the share of what he could muster up after the area went dry from the depletion of the Aquifers. For the few decades he farmed that once green area, we mutually ended the deal and closed it with a "Juab County Handshake". That was a solid "Cowboy" deal that was as good as gold. It wasn't long before I was made aware that the old Handshake didn't mean "Squat" to the new era of legal beagles fighting it out in courts. As I read and re-read the Bob Day Obit, I kept thinking of how true that was with how Bob Day exemplified the "Cowboy Code of the Old West". I got to know him in meeting him and listening to another one of our True Cowboys-Bob Garrett, who was a great friend of Bob Day, who hand carved a walking stick for Bob Garrett, who had a Gip in his Gallop. I miss the Cowboys of the Old West, as many of them still maintain that cowboy Code of Honesty with great family; working hard; taught good work ethics was of critical importance and commitment to always helping others. Both the Bobs of today are like that, so I tip my hat to them, and to my father who helped his father-Wm. Jones feed cows in Nortonville of a century ago. 

 

                                                                                

A LETTER TO MY SON-JUSTIN WM. JONES, WHO DEPARTED EARTH LIFE- 9 YEARS AGO TONIGHT

 Dear Justin,

It has been 9 years since you left what I call Earth Life. I recall your departure was at 10:31 P.M. as that was when the old family clock stopped, and just like that, as it never would tick tock again. I wanted to write this letter to you, as God-with His miracles, can make your heart stir, so that you will see what is in both our hearts. In another way, you didn't really leave us, you just walked a little ahead of me and Troy. That's what I tell myself, when missing you hurts too much, when the silence feels louder than any words. Sometimes, I still forget you are gone. I want to call you and tell you something and reach out for you. Then the reality hits, and it keeps me going faster and faster as you are way ahead of me. The reality of this world and you breaks my heart all over again. So I imagine, you and Paul Hansen are in the race at the Sugarhouse park. I see you pass me by, and you look back with your famous smile, and I know you are standing at the finish line, waiting for me. And that's what keeps me going. I carry you in every step I take and every breath and every quiet moment. Because my love for you didn't end when you left. I simply learned how to live without you. And when my journey ends on earth, I hope you are there...... waiting.  And when I see you again, I'll finally whisper, "I missed you every single day". Then let's go find both of your Saint Bernards, and glide around the Spirit World and get re-acquainted with people we used to know, and other folks we will meet. And if God so permit's it, we can collectively find Paul Hansen, as he was given most of your Baseball Cards. He and Tony misses your personality and your friendship. They were good for you on earth as they will be in the Spirit world, and you will automatically speak and listen to all of those spirits, who never had the chance to learn those on earth. And Son, never ever forget, your warm gentle spirit is missed here on earth.

I seldom told you and Troy how much love I have for both of you, but I am telling you now! Justin Wm. Jones, I do love you; always have and always will. God is well aware of all the kindness you have shown to your fellow man and the animals you cared for on earth.

                                                              Love you.......10-4-35-1

IN ORDER FOR BABY DEER TO SURVIVE, PEOPLE MUST LEARN BASIC RULES

If you are hiking or traveling in Utah or other Western States, we decided to put a cautionary note here. Depending on when the Rut(breeding) starts is usually in the late fall, and the Does are quite picky. The Doe seems to have a higher IQ than the buck, and as such, they want only the biggest and strongest looking Buck. It seems the Doe gives off their allurance or they just wear better perfume! The bucks know that and want to demonstrate to the smaller bucks they are big and stronger, so the smaller bucks will attempt to find water holes and dig with their horns to pick up grasses and twigs to have the Does be attracted to them. In order to be bred, the buck has to fight for it and the winner takes the buck as a weekend bride. And this writer doesn't have the taste buds for Venison, so know; "Does smart Venison taste better than the old bucks". Depending on the time when the cold hits, various bucks fight to scare the other male deer off, then comes the April to July birthing of the fawn. Often times, the Doe will have twins. The mother deer however, has to graze off and find grasses or bushes to eat, and often hides their fawn close by. The baby fawns are born with patches of white to blend in with the surrounding area till Mom comes home with her bag "full of  white fawn food". They keep their small spots for 5 to 6 months. The fawn, when Moms away, can lower their heart rate down to avoid Coyote smell of  a deer and baby internal sense to slow their heart pumping to a lower level. During the deer hunt of several years ago, I was out west alone and heard two shots, so got my bi-focals on and saw two men shoot a Doe. I told the Fish cop where the deer was, as the two guys may have thought it was a buck, but it was a Doe. The Fish Cop asked if  I saw who shot it. I told him I wasn't sure and rather than let the meat go to waste, he gave me written permission to take it home where  my mother and I cut and wrapped it, and gave it to folks that needed it. I knew my Mother was grateful too! Now back to the real story. If a human even touches a fawn, that person has sentenced that baby deer to death. When the Doe returns to her baby, she will not accept it, as the smell of a human has touched it. Same thing I saw on the computer where  ladies felt sorry for another two twin fawns and picked them up and sat in their car til the mother returned. She did and those young ones will soon find they will be abandoned. If one is caught in a fence, that is another story and use gloves to assist but cutting the fence that cattle who feed on the mountain may lose their whole herd. And SLC, Utah is being invaded by deer and the Fish and Game are trying to ship game animals that are coming down to eat the scrubs and flowers. Oh, I bout forgot. The reason we brought this up, is to encourage you to stay from the roaming bears on the Loop Road, which we found a real to life, where a large Moose is trying to find "Moose supper." We have about lost many of our Game animals due to Fires, with bosses sitting at DC desks and have no idea how our winds blow fires fast and we hope they will quit letting people hunt deer that are blind; Politician' who keep preaching "plenty of water in Nephi" and Developers who want to build homes in the canyon, and crowds that may sight in a real life Moose, but all photo folks seem to want to shoot or dispose of. Cars and people kill more deer than hunters and Fish and Game folks need more money for their Kitty and make their wages by increasing license fees and spend money on ads for turn people in.

             This fawn photo was taken by gal in Colorado and remained in her car a long distance away

And this photo was also taken at long distance being brought in by Fish Cops from SLC

THE FUNERAL SERVICES OF DAVE PERRY OF MONA WAS HELD TODAY

If you didn't attend the funeral of Dave Perry earlier today, we have it here. Dave and his wife-Tauna moved to Mona, Utah about 5 or 6 years ago. They purchased the home southeast of the main LDS Chapel in Mona. I used to call it the Molyneaux home as that was where one of our great Juab High Basketball players lived in the late 1950's. When the last resident passed, I hear tell the Perry couple wanted to return to a peaceful town to polish of their 56 years of a blissful togetherness. I never knew the couple, nor their family. But in reading the Anderson Funeral Home Obits. I felt this surge within, that I knew Dave from somewhere, perhaps ions ago. In its reading, I considered him a brother or friend or something unknown hankering me a "had to" pay my respects. I got the impression that he went to Hillcrest High, which would put him in the rural area of Fort Union of Salt Lake County. Like many of us in the Tolley and Jones Family of Nephi, he was said to have "quick wit and cherished the deer hunt  tradition" and that sounds like the Nephi Jones Family, with four brothers and a sister going deer hunting, without a license and no guns! Like Hank Jr. sang, "It's a family tradition". Before our mother passed where Dave is now, she enjoyed it more than anything, as she would pre-fix all the dinners for a year in advance. Back to Dave. During the funeral, I watched body movements of the speakers and the audience, as that often tells more than words. I didn't recognize any of the old Mona names of  Yates; Platt's' Roundy;  Oliver's, Lynns, Newells, Newtons and Kay's, but saw a lot of headstones at the cemetery with those good names. But life changes and so does the people that come to graze amidst those who have past. Dave was a devout member of the LDS Church, and I didn't have to ask his bishop, even though he too had a last name that identified where he roamed in from. Dave served a mission as a young man, then went on two others with his eternal compaanion-Tauna. They had 6 kids, and like the Nephi Jones family, their daughter-Emily turned out the best, or so they think. For sure they were all taught the importance of work, and as Dave loved gardens, the kids were small when Daddy started to teach them how to work before play, and they hated to pull weeds from the garden, but in latter years Daddy had a perfect garden, and all the kids learned the importance of working hard. Once, one of the sons didn't do as requested by his mother, and said "wait til your Dad comes home". When Dave came home, he took the son to his bedroom and took of his belt and smacked........the pillow. Tauna came running in to save their son, but no harm, no foul, and Daddy taught the son......"Don't ever do that again". When the Nephi Jones boys were bad, our Mom told Dad, and the only thing he did was remove his belt, and point to the coal shed. We too learned respect, and so did each one of those Perry kids. Dave found the good in all and easy to like. If you think about it he exemplified that spirit which Jesus had when he walked and talked on earth. For those folks of Mona who got to know this family on their arrival in Juab County, cherish the friendship and keep that family happy attempting to make home made peach pie just like Dave did. In order for this writer to pass High School English, Mrs. Lomax told me if I could memorize the Gettysburg address and say it word perfect in front of the Speech Class I would pass English. 60 Years later, me and three work collogues were in Washington D.C. for meetings, but spent a day at Gettysburg. Without fanfare, I walked up to where Abe Lincoln gave  that speech, and recited it without practice. Tourists gathered in the bleachers, thinking I was a paid actor. Nope, just like Dave did every July 4th, we both love and respect this great country of America. The spirit of Dave Perry will live deep in the souls of many of us. He was and remains one heck of a great man to God, his family and to this writer who could feel his impact who never met him, but love him as a brother.

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BREAKING NEWS-VUDU DOLL TO APPEAR AT CACHE COUNTY FAIR

IN OVER 1,000 CHAPTERS IN OUR BLOGSPOT WRITINGS, WE MAKE FUN OF THE CONSTANT BARRAGE OF THE SO CALLED BREAKING NEWS, WHEN IN FACT IT IS USUALLY A WEEK OR MONTH LATER, AND IT IS WHY I GAVE UP ON THE BS OF MOST OF THE SUCKER TYPE BREAKING NEWS. BUT WHAT I JUST READ AT THE PRCA COMPUTER PROGRAM MAY HAVE SOME VALIDITY TO IT.

ON AUGUST 8, 2026, THE COMPUTER SHOWS MOST OF THE BRONC RIDING WRIGHT BOYS OF THE MILFORD AREA WILL BE HEADING FOR THE CACHE COUNTY FAIR TO RIDE RIGHT THE WAY CODY WRIGHT LED THE WAY. STETSON WRIGHT HAS BEEN OUT WITH AN INJURY, AND THE COMPUTER SHOWS FORMER CHAMPION OF BRONC RIDING WAS JESSE WRIGHT,. WE THOUGHT HE HAD BEEN PUT OUT TO PASTURE, BUT IT SHOWS HE IS SET TO HOP A HORSE NAMED "SNYDER SPECIAL", SO REGARDLESS OF YOUR FAITH OR RELIGION, LETS ALL PUT A CHRISTIAN HEX ON ONE HORSE, AS A CHRISITAN FROM ST. GEORGE IS SET TO RIDE VUDU DOLL.  UNCLE STETSON IS SUPPOSED TO DO BOTH BRONC AND THE BULL IN AN EFFORT TO GET THE TRIPLE CROWN IN VEGAS. HOPE STETSON IS THINKING WITH HIS BRAIN, RATHER THAN HIS INTERNAL SPIRIT TO RIDE BABY RIDE!

IF IN FACT ALL THE WHOLE KIT AND KUDOOLE WRIGHT FAMILY MAY BE GOING TO WATCH THEIR COWBOY KIN RIDE IN LOGAN, WE HOPE THAT THE GOOD FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF BEAVER COUNTY TAKE CARE OF THE CATTLE THAT HAD TO BE MOVED  BECAUSE OF FLOODS AND FIRE IN THE BEAVER AREA. IF THIS BREAKING NEWS IS BREAKING, PUT YOUR BRAKES ON, AND MAKE THE TRIP TO LOGAN TO WATCH THE WRIGHTS DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY. AND THE WAY MY THINKING GOES, IT IS OKAY FOR UTAH FOLKS TO CHEER FOR A KID FROM NEW PLYMOUTH, IDAHO, AS HIS HOME IS ON THE LINE BETWEEN UTAH AND IDAHO, SO HE CAN STAND WITH HIS COWBOY BOOTS ON IN IDAHO AD UTAH AT THE SAME TIME. 

LONG LIVE AMERICA AND LONG LIVE COWBOYS WHO KEEP UTAH RIGHT & RURAL

  

THE RIGHT BOYS OF UTAH ARE SHOWING THEY ARE LEADERS OF WRIGHT SPORTS

Yup, them thar words are the Wright ones for this time of the year. For those of us that started out with baseball, we couldn't afford real baseball's or the bats, so the Nephi Jones boys used a 2 X 4 as a bat, and rocks to hit out in the field behind the Nephi Jones residence. It was difficult to get our brothers and buddies to play in the field with a pair of old socks to catch the rocks! Getting hit with or catching a rock hurt, so we started looking for a safer sport. That was when we walked up the street and started to hang out with Joe and Ross Garrett, helping them herd and milk the mild cows at Spin Mac's milkhouse. In turn, they permitted us to "try" to ride their steers. Us Jones boys and Blake Garrett knew we were going to be just like Dean Oliver, the famous Rodeo Champion during our youth. Then later on, I was helping my father stucco a home in Mona, Utah, that he would call the "Olivers", and I was so excited to help, as I figured it was the home of Dean Oliver! I found out later it wasn't, but still got hooked on rodeo as being the true American sport and after seeing the "Un-American BS with the other sports people, I soon lost all interest in that kind of stupidity. Another very American sport was going to Alaska to watch and help our brother-Gary B. Jones race in the 1,000 miles across Alaska in the Iditarod race! It was difficult to watch that grueling competition, but when he gave me a chance to gather his dogs, they were just like the Painted horse that Bob Garrett let me ride rounding up cattle a couple years ago. When the Garrett Boys took the horses out without old Paint, she didn't like that and it took a cap full of apples to settle her down. A true cattle horse and a racing dog or built to go after it and they paw the ground demanding to work for their hay. Sometimes I think they have better work ethics that what we teach our kids of today! Today, we wanted to send out a "Atta Boy" to all the cowboys from Utah who are looking good at the competitive sport of Rodeo which seems to be more popular than ever. The cowboys are moving to the small rural areas of Utah and America to get back to Ruralville. Like the three Fullmer brothers of once rural West Jordan, Utah, the Fullmer brothers were the top boxers of Utah, and those Mormon brothers made Utah shine. And I had the privilege of being a friend to Gene and even my son Justin interviewed him for his 4th grade essay on meeting a famous person. Gene made his farm work with Mink, then horses, but became the world champion in the Middle Weight Champion of the world. As I was driving him to Ogden to address a conference of Law Enforcement Officers, he first asked me to pull around the homes of  his brothers so I could meet his mother. They were fond of each other, and what a thrill to see what a gentle giant that Champ was. Like John Wayne, he was tough when needed  to be and gentle when it was right. Now back to rodeo. As I checked the computer stats this morning, I found that the top three World Rodeo contenders in Saddle Bronc are Rusty Wright, Stetson Wright and Ryder Wright. Stetson is out with an injury, but should be ready for the finals in Las Vegas, which the Nephi Jones Family attends and cheers for. Down the line in Saddle Bronc is another couple of the Wright boys including Statler and Spencer Wright, as well as a cowboy from downtown Axtell, Utah who is married to a Juab County gal.  And we just read where former Bronc Champ-Jesse Wright is set to come out of retirement and join his Nephew-Stetson to right a Bronc at Cache County Fair. If you believe in cowboy prayer, beg for animal and rider safety.

 SO CHEER ALL THE UTAH BOYS ON. THEY ARE ALL OUR LOCAL HERO'S, AS THEIR WIVES AND SISTERS DO THE FARM WORK. GOD FIRST, THEN FAMILY AND RODEO! EVERTTHING ELSE WILL FOLLOW.

                                    DEAN OLIVER-RODEO CHAMPION OF MY YOUTH

NEATH THE MAJESTIC HEART OF MT. NEBO STANDS OUR JUAB HIGH SCHOOL

When members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints(Mormons) arrived in the Nephi area of Juab County in Central Utah, they referred to the high three rocky mountain peaks to the north east and called it Mt. Nebo. In the days of Moses, a high mountain in Jordan was reported that Moses referred to that Middle East mountain peak as Mt. Nebo and considered it holy, so the same three peaks in view of Mona, Nephi and Levan was named the same. The high school was first built on "Track Street" in Nephi, and made strong and sturdy during the late 1800's, but local people didn't think a compulsory education of 7th grade was enough, as not all the students were farmers, so demanded the school official's to build it big enough for a high school, and it was and initially called Nephi High, with those students being placed on the second floor. Until 1932, it was referred to as Nephi High, then students and parents outside of Nephi, persuaded the Board of Trustees' to change it to Juab High, and asked the Class of 1928 to write the school song which was completed, and the words were written by Jim McCune, who was a gifted student, and later in life became an excellent Attorney and District Judge. We are not sure however, if he wrote "heart of Nebo" or "Guard of Nebo" as in doing research with a member of the Class of 28 and with a living daughter of Jim, it is still undecided, so if you sing the school song, sing it as you may. Although the builder of the newer high school promised my father it would last 100 years, school officials and local politicians' wanted to tear it down, and the taxpayers kept getting hit for more money, but the IQ level appears by some, as going down. That building still stands at the corner of Track Street and Main in Nephi. Here are a few pages from the Juab High School handbook of 1958.  I spent the entire morning trying to put these in order, so sorry, I have SAI(Stupid Artificial IQ).