Both of my grandfathers used to be cowboys. My mom's father, Daddy Ray, had a small ranch in southeastern New Mexico. One day, a photographer came out during a branding and took some pictures. Here are the ones we still have.
Click on a thumbnail to see the picture enlarged.
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The cowboys watch as Granville, Daddy Ray's brother, ropes a calf--check it out in midair in the background. Daddy Ray is the one in the front, looking the wrong way, wearing khakis and a baseball cap. |
My mom's cousin Dan gets to help brand a cow in a cloud of dust. Dan died late in 2001. |
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Cowboys hold a calf while another one brands it with a hot iron. Daddy Ray's brand, which my mom now owns, was just a square--it's called the box. It's valuable because it's so simple. |
The cowboys hold down a cow in preparation for branding. |
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One of the cowboys walks his horse with a cow at the end of a rope. |
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I used one of the photos (the first one above) to create an image of a ghost ranch. Click here to see it.
