Take a Look #2
Livingston, Montana
2016
It’s pretty telling from this photo that the art show was in Montana, and during a rodeo weekend to boot. I may be forgetting someone, but in all my years of doing shows in this part of the country I don’t believe I’ve ever sold anything to someone dressed as cowboy as this. Some of them like to stop and tell me stories triggered by my photos though.
Reminds me of an old rancher permittee I once worked with. I was driving through his ranch with him to access a portion of the forest and I remarked to him that his place was beautiful. His laconic reply was ” You can’t eat purty”.
Not negative or bitter, just his filter on the world.
I suspect a lot of ranchers downplay their own feelings for the beauty of their holdings–part of the tough guy image you know. My farmer grandfather who has similar practical feelings about farming once gave me some sleigh bells that he had used on an actual sleigh back in the day. While he was a strong advocate for new and improved things around the farm (e.g. indoor plumbing!), in thinking back and describing what that was like running a sleigh he said “I guess there were some things about the good old days that really were good.”
Now THAT is a REAL cowboy! 🙂 I’d love to listen in on their stories. I’ll bet you’ve heard some good ones!