Line Riders and Line Shacks

Before diving into today's topic, I have some news. Along with western romance, I write paranormal romantic suspense. I'm honored to report my ROMANCING THE GUARDIANS series is nominated for 2 awards in the 2018 Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewers Choice Awards. Yay! If you wish, you can vote here:
https://www.paranormalromanceguild.com/2018-prg-reviewers-choice-awards-ballot/

Categories I'm entered in:

ROMANCE/PARANORMAL/MYSTERY/SUSPENSE/GOTHIC/MYTHOLOGY/FOLK TALES

ROMANCE/PARANORMAL/MYSTERY/SUSPENSE/GOTHIC/MYTHOLOGY/FOLK TALES - SERIES

Now, about those line riders and line shacks. COWBOY BOB’S DICTIONARY definitions:

“Line Rider - A cowboy who patroled the ranch boundry lines, pushing stray cattle back over the line back onto their respective ranchs. Later, on fenced ranches, a line rider would watch for, and repair, damaged fencing.”

“Line Shack - A cabin for use of cowhands when out patroling the boundry line of the ranch for cattle that may have strayed over the line.” http://www.lemen.com/dictionary-l.html (Please forgive the author's misspellings.)

line shack paid photo from dreamstime.com

 Line shacks have history as lifesavers. https://the-journal.com/articles/223 

The description in this excellent article made me shiver and commiserate with old time cowboys who rode the line.

"When late winter weather rolls in I think of cowboys waiting out storms huddled in their line shacks drinking hot coffee from blue metal cups.

"Rode hard and put away wet, with ice-encrusted mustaches, frozen cowboy boots and red bandannas stiff as cardboard, the herders slowly thawed out in remote winter camps stocked with survival rations of beans, jerked meat, biscuit fixins, matches, dry wood and thin wool blankets atop mouse-infested wooden bunks."

The author quotes Teddy Roosevelt from TR's time spent as a rancher in North Dakota. "The men in the line camps lead a hard life, for they have to be out in every kind of weather, and should be especially active and watchful during the storms."

Yet another interesting article pointed out how lonely a line rider's job could be. Living and working alone for months on end might make a cowboy a little "teched" in the head. In cases where two men shared a line shack, it could be a blessing.

I mention their lonely job in this excerpt from Dashing Irish.

getBook.at/Dashing-Irish

Tye dismounted and wound his reins around a hitching post outside the general store, near a buckboard awaiting its owner. He’d volunteered to ride into Clifton and pick up supplies for the line shack he shared with a colored cowboy named Dewey Sherman. The trip was a welcome break from the winter tedium. Riding the border along their section of the ranch, to stop cattle from straying and drive off predators, was a cold, lonely job.

David had stationed him as far from the Double C as possible to keep him away from Lil – to prevent trouble with her father, Tye both understood and resented – but she was never far from his thoughts. He’d foolishly hoped this change of pace might take his mind off her for a short while. So far it hadn’t worked.

Two months had passed since the social in Meridian, yet he couldn’t stop picturing her in that tantalizing red dress, with her beautiful dark hair rippling down her back. He also couldn’t forget the way she’d gazed up at him when she was in his arms, and how feeling her excitement had made his blood pound. He still thought himself unworthy of her, but that didn’t stop him from longing to hold her and kiss her again. As always, he became half aroused at the mere thought.Unbuttoning his jacket, he resettled his gun belt and told himself he’d simply gone far too long without a woman. While in town, he ought to stop by the saloon and take one of the birds of paradise upstairs for a while, but alas, the idea soured the instant it crossed his mind. He wanted Lil, no other.

Impatient with his unruly thoughts, he stepped up onto the boardwalk and crossed to the store entrance. He was about to open the door when it swung inward and an overloaded customer plowed into him. A feminine cry of alarm rang out as tinned goods and paper-wrapped parcels toppled from a crate the woman carried.

Tye grunted in reaction. Then, to his astonishment, he found himself face to face with the object of his pent up desires. Lil stared back at him, lips parted and brown eyes wide with shock.

Lyn Horner is a multi-published, award-winning author of western historical romance and paranormal romantic suspense novels, all spiced with sensual romance. She is a former fashion illustrator and art instructor who resides in Fort Worth, Texas – “Where the West Begins” - with her husband and a pair of very spoiled cats. As well as crafting passionate love stories, Lyn enjoys reading, gardening, genealogy, visiting with family and friends, and cuddling her furry, four-legged children.

Amazon Author Page: viewAuthor.at/LynHornerAmazon (universal link)

Newsletter:  Lyn’s Romance Gazette http://eepurl.com/bMYkeX

Website:  Lyn Horner’s Corner 

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New Book Coming & Navajo Myth

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I am so happy! I just sent Tempting Adam off to my editor. Cover art is also being designed by Kim Killion. I hope to publish this 7^th book in my Romancing the Guardians series within the next two weeks. Yay! Then I’ll hurry on with the finale in book 8, tentatively titled The Great Joining.

As some of you know, this continuing series centers around seven characters who possess psychic powers and a set of secret scroll handed down through time from their Tuatha de Danaan ancestors. The de Danaan were a legendary race of demi-gods according to Irish mythology. Reading about them gave me the idea for the Guardians saga.

Bobby C. Hawkins; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

However, the Navajo people, their homeland and mythology also became increasingly important as this series progressed. I’ve talked about Canyon de Chelly, heart of the Navajo Nation before. It’s a haven for the Guardians that will come under attack by their enemies in book 8. Today I’d like to give you a quick peek at Navajo beliefs and one character who appears in many of their myths: naughty Coyote.

The Navajo creation myth (Dineʼ Bahane') describes the primeval rise of the Navajo people and forms the basis for their traditional way of life. The story begins with the Nilch'i Diyin (Holy Wind) being created, the mists of lights arising through darkness to animate and bring purpose to the four Diyin Dineʼé (Holy People), supernatural and sacred beings in three different lower worlds. All these things happened before the Earth was created and humans only existed in spiritual form.

According to the myth, the Fourth World produced the first physical humans, who in turn, gave birth to the Hero Twins. The twins had many adventures helping to rid the world of various monsters. Multiple batches of modern humans were created a number of times in the Fourth World and the Diyin Dineʼé gave them ceremonies which are still practiced today.

This is a simplification of the actual creation myth. You can read it in detail here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Din%C3%A9_Bahane%CA%BC

Coyote howling, wikipedia public domain

Now meet Coyote (mąʼii in Navajo). Although he is a trouble-maker, he is one of the most important and revered characters in Navajo mythology. Coyote's ceremonial name is Áłtsé hashké which means "first scolder". In Navajo tradition, Coyote appears in creation myths, teaching stories and healing ceremonies.

One story caught my eye, not only because it teaches a good lesson but because in it, Coyote tangles with a horn toad. Also known as horned frogs (they're actually lizards) they are the mascot for Texas Christian University. Located here in Fort Worth, TCU is my daughter’s alma mater, and hubby and I are huge fans when football season rolls around.

Okay, here is part of the tale. I don’t dare share the whole piece for fear of copyright infringement. But you can read the rest & more coyote stories here: http://www.lapahie.com/Mythology.cfm

 

Horned frog (lizard) wikipedia public domain

 Coyote and the Horned Toad

By Harrison Lapahie Jr.

Horned Toad was very busy in her cornfield, where the corn was just ripening. Coyote came to her and said, "Please give me some of your delicious corn." "No," said Horned Toad. Coyote asked her four times; then she picked some corn for him.

"Corn is very hard to raise," Horned Toad told him. "We have to hoe the weeds away from it and pick off the bugs and worms that want to eat it. We even have to water it during dry weather. I can't afford to give all my corn away."

Coyote kept begging. Horned Toad said he couldn't have any more.

Then Coyote ran out into the field and-pulled off a big ear of corn, stripped the husks away and began eating the kernels. Horned Toad grabbed one end of the ear, and, when he gulped it down. Coyote also gulped Horned Toad down inside him.

Since she wasn't there to scold him, he ate all the corn he could hold. Then he lay down in the shade. He felt very lazy, but when he heard birds flying down to eat the corn, he raised his head and shouted at them. "Go away! Don't bother my corn," he shouted "Don't you know it takes work to raise corn? I have to hoe it and water it, and all that."

Down inside him, Horned Toad made some sort of noise. Horned Toad was very angry with Coyote and wanted to do something to get even with him. As she lay inside Coyote's stomach, she called, "Hey, Cousin!" Coyote jumped up and looked around to see who was calling. He saw nobody, and he lay down again. The second time he heard someone calling, he jumped up again and ran around the edge of the cornfield, looking for the person whose voice he had heard.

This happened four times. The fourth time that Horned Toad called, Coyote realized where the sound was coming from and he looked down at his stomach and asked, "Is that you making noises inside me?" "Yes," replied Horned Toad. "I'm going to take a little walk down here and see what I can find."

Soon Coyote began to feel strange, and he told Horned Toad to lie down and be still. Instead, Horned Toad continued to walk around, and she tugged at different parts of Coyote's insides.

Lyn Horner is a multi-published, award-winning author of western historical romance and romantic suspense novels, all spiced with paranormal elements. She is a former fashion illustrator and art instructor who resides in Fort Worth, Texas – “Where the West Begins” - with her husband and a gaggle of very spoiled cats. As well as crafting passionate love stories, Lyn enjoys reading, gardening, visiting with family and friends, and cuddling her furry, four-legged children.

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/Y3aotC

Newsletter:  Lyn’s Romance Gazette http://eepurl.com/bMYkeX

Website:  Lyn Horner’s Corner 

Twitter   Facebook   Goodreads   Google Plus   Sweethearts of the West 

Canyon de Chelly, Home of the Navaho

This month, I’m going to talk about Canyon de Chelly National Monument and the part it plays in my newest release, Decoding Michaela. 

 

  

By Yoopernewsman real name Greg Peterson (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

 

Canyon de Chelly (pronounced de Shay) National Monument was established on April 1, 1931. The canyon is located in northeastern Arizona within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation and is wholly owned by the Navaho Tribal Trust of the Navajo Nation. It is the only National Park Service unit jointly managed with a Native American tribe.

 

One of the longest continuously inhabited places in North America, Canyon de Chelly contains ruins of early inhabitants, the Ancient Pueblo People (also called Anasazi.) The monument covers 83,840 acres and encompasses the floors and rims of three canyons: de Chelly, del Muerto, and Monument. These canyons were cut by streams originating in the Chuska Mountains just to the east.

 

White House Ruins by Hydrargyrum at en.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

 

The name Chelly (or Chelley) is a Spanish rendering of the Navajo word Tséyiʼ, meaning "canyon" or "inside the rock". The Spanish pronunciation de’tʃeʎi was adapted into English: de shā.

 

Canyon de Chelly had long been home for the Navajo people before it was invaded by Mexican forces led by Lt. Antonio Narbona in 1805. Later, in 1863, Col. Kit Carson and U.S. troops defeated the Navajo within the canyon, resulting in their removal to the Bosque Redondo reservation in New Mexico. Due to poor water and lack of fire wood, they were allowed to return to their native land in May 1868.

 

Navajo Woman & Child, near Canyon de Chelly, by Ansel Adams [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

 

Today, approximately forty Navajo families live in the park. Most park visitors view Canyon de Chelly from the rim, following North Rim Drive and South Rim Drive. Ancient ruins and geologic structures, such as the towering Spider Rock, are visible in the distance from turnoffs along the routes. Visitors are allowed into the canyon only when accompanied by a park ranger or an authorized Navajo guide. The only exception to this rule is the White House Ruin Trail.

 

Spider Rock by Daniel Schwen (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

 

The National Monument was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 25, 1970. In 2009 it was recognized as one of the most-visited national monuments in the United States. 

 

Canyon de Chelly is the setting for the final portion of Decoding Michaela (Romancing the Guardians, Book Two). It will also be featured in upcoming books in this continuing series, and will play a major role in the final book, when the Guardians of Danu come together to battle their enemies.

 

 

Now here’s a look at the canyon through Michaela’s eyes. Her guide is Josie Tseda, who stars in the next book, Capturing Gabriel.



Josie drove them into the canyon the next morning in her Jeep. It was a rough, dusty ride but even without the promise of seeing Lara, the scenery was worth any discomfort. The sheer rock walls and fantastic formations were painted in amber, crimson, burnt umber and orange hues that took Michaela’s breath away. Carved out of the walls were caves, some small, some large enough to hold the ruins of apartment-like stone structures.

Pointing to one such cave, Josie said, “See those pueblo ruins? They were built by the ancient ones who lived here in prehistoric times. Canyon de Chelly is a national monument because of those ruins. They’re guarded by Park Rangers. Tourists are allowed to hike only on one self-guided trail. If they want to see more of the canyon, they have to hire a licensed Navajo tour guide.”

Obviously proud of her heritage, she added, “The canyon lies within the Navaho Nation and a number of families live here. They mostly farm and ranch either sheep or cattle, or both. My dad has a small place up ahead. He grows peaches and herds a few sheep for their wool, which he weaves into blankets.” She chuckled. “Tourist love Navajo blankets.”

As they wound through the canyon, Michaela admired the narrow valley dotted with fruit orchards and pastures where cattle and sheep grazed. Among the green patches stood farm houses or domed, multi-sided hogans, the traditional Navajo shelter, Josie explained. She turned onto a bumpy path leading to one of the latter. As they stopped outside the entrance, an older man with long graying hair walked outside. His dark copper face was lined with age but he stood straight, head erect. He smiled broadly when Josie jumped out of the Jeep.

“Yá'át'ééh, daughter.”

“Yá'át'ééh, Father,” she replied, rushing to give him a hug. “I have brought you more guests.”


Decoding Michael is available on these sites:

Amazon

Apple

Barnes & Noble

Kobo