Back to School Back to school....!

Have you ever felt the spirit so strongly from a lesson, or discussion, you have been a part of that brought such a feeling of peace that all your cares and troubles seemed to melt away? On the other hand, have you ever been so frustrated that you physically want to lash out at something or someone? This past week I have gone through both of these extremes.


I’m 26 years old, I’m married, I have one baby on the way and I’m starting all over again as a freshman. If that’s not disheartening, then I don’t know what is. Somehow this time I thought I would magically have the ability to be a great student and it would be easier. I guess the 3 years that have gone by since the last time I was in school have clouded my memory and I forgot a few things. My wife was studying the English 101 manual for the class she would be teaching and she read something to me that struck a chord. “To learn is hard work. It requires discipline. And there is much drudgery. When I hear someone say that learning is fun, I wonder if that person has never learned or if he has just never had fun”. Ha. I actually laughed when I first heard that but I’m finding out again how true it is. The reality of this statement has started to weigh heavily on my heart. The task at hand looks like a huge mountain for me to climb, and I admit I have wondered to myself if I really have what it takes to make it. But, lucky for me, the Lord has a plan for me. My life has been preserved for a specific purpose. I know this because I have seen the protecting hand of the Lord in the preservation of my life through several experiences.

I may have forgotten who I was but the Lord hasn’t. He knows who I was and what I can become, and he has been teaching me that there is distance between who I am today and who I am supposed to be tomorrow. I have also learned that the time is short and there is no time to waste. 2 Nephi teaches us that “men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life through the great mediator of all men or to choose captivity and death”. Alma 34 also teaches us that “this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God”. I have been placed here in this school at this time for a specific purpose. I don’t know yet all the reasons why, but I feel for now, here is where he can teach and mold me best. Here is the place for me to best prepare myself to meet my maker, to develop my talents and to become what he would have me become.

This University is truly the Lords’ University. I have never witnessed such a place on the earth, and the exciting thing is my time here has just begun. Yes I have begun to feel growing pains but like you stated on our syllabus Bro Christensen “Becoming GREAT extracts a price”. I know that if I have faith on the Lord Jesus Christ I can do all things.

Rope Horse Halters

Well, first of all I would like to say thank you to all that have been so supportive to Lucy and I during these last few weeks. All your prayers, love, and concern have made all the difference in the world.

If you don't know what I'm talking about a few weeks ago the left side of my body decided to take a vacation for a little while. My leg and arm felt very heavy and were uncoordinated, and the left side of my face was numb. We went to the hospital and after a 5 day stay we came home with a diagnosis of MS. Since then the feeling in my face and limbs have come back. My strength is pretty much normal, and I feel very good. Before I could barley type, and now I'm typing great.

We went to a second Dr. in St. George to get another opinion. He was very thorough and both Lucy and I like him very much. After his exam he felt that there was not enough evidence to say that I have MS for sure. He said that there are hundreds of diseases that mimic MS. We have had to make some lifestyle changes which are hard for a cowboy to make (eating less meat), but we are moving forward thankful for the blessings we have received.

Now, to the reason I started this blog. The pictures above show the first halter that I have ever made. When you work with horses a lot you will find weaknesses in your tack. When it comes to halters and training colts I have seen a few wrecks. The standard halter you buy at a tack store is made out of sewn nylon, rings, and buckles. The lead rope has a clip that you can attach and detach to you halter. Well, if you have ever tied a horse to hitching rack that likes to pull back that kind of halter fails. The metal clip will break and your horse will flip over or be off to the races. This is very bad. First reason this is bad is your horse learns that he can get away if he pulls back hard enough. Second reason is that flying shrapnel can be hazardous to you or your horse's health. I have seen a hole in a horse trailer where the snap broke and went whizzing by the owners head into the trailer. Lucky for him he moved out of the way.

The halter that I made has several advantages for colts who are learning how to lead, and horses that have a bad habit of pulling back. This halter has no buckles, no snaps. It is tied with one piece of rope and the lead rope has an eye splice that is tied into the halter in a way that it won't come out. The rope is a double braided nylon produced for use on boats. It's a very high quality material made for strength that won't deteriorate from exposure to sun and water. I've had some pretty big horses sit back on these type of halters and they always hold strong. The headstall will adjust to fit most any horse. These type of halters are mainly used by horse trainers. I have found it to be a very useful tool in my training process, and I'm really excited to be able to offer a great product to other people: well trained horses and quality halters that you can count on. If you would like to buy one, press the buy now button on the sidebar. Thank you!

Highlights

Ok, so this is Lucy. I would write as though I were Cody, but I am pretty sure you would be able to tell. Since Cody is very busy right now, which is a good thing, I thought I would fill you in on the lastest.

1) Cody got a piece of steel in his eye for the third time. He grinds steel that is newly welded and little pieces start flying. This last piece of steel had to be grinded out of his eye by an optometrist in Vegas. He was in a lot of pain the night before and barely slept. He thought the pain was bad then, but after the steel and rust was grinded out, and the numbing went away, he was in more pain. The optometrist put a contact on his eye to act a band-aid. He is wearing sunglasses inside and outside because it is so sensitive. I have threatened him with his life if he doesn't wear the type of goggles that suction his eyes! I am sure it is not very comfortable, but this going to the doctor to get steel out of his eye thing is getting old.

2) Cody has been busy with tour rides. He took a group from Vegas a few days ago. This weekend he has three guys from Vegas. One is a sports medicine doctor that treats famous athletes, the doctor's dad from Ohio, and a reality T.V. show writer. The writer even told Cody he wanted to bring a show out to Alamo to feature him. I laughed when Cody told me, but it would be pretty cool if Cody got the last laugh!

3) We have officially got our first customer since our business was established. Two horses were brought to Cody for him to train. We hope that our first customer is pleased with the end results. I am sure that Cody will do an excellent job.

4) Cody got the flu the other day. I offered to feed the horses for him since he was down. This led to another cowboy appreciation day. I fed the horses, filled their water buckets, and cleaned their stalls. The feeding took a bit longer than it would for Cody because to get enough hay in each stall it took me three trips each. Cleaning the stalls was as awful as I imagined. As I scopped up gigantic poops from the stall I wondered how I ever got to this point! I always knew that flies decompose the poop, but I was not aware of how many are helping in the process. Everytime I scooped, five million flies were attacking me (or so it seemed ;). Each stall filled an entire wheelbarrow; that is pretty impressive. After the scooping, I probably spoiled the horses a little because I fed them apple treats. All I have to say is...If I was a horse, I would want apple treats.

5) My last thought is...I get bothered when Cody is not busy enough with business, and I am bothered when Cody is never home becuase of business. I can't win! =)

Everyday Work

Cody on Spirit

Peppy

Hello friends and family!

Just got back from my grandfather's funeral. It was a really nice service and it was great to see family and friends. Now I am back to work...

Latest project: Finishing the saddle shed. I have really loved being able to weld things together and create all the different elements of the saddle shed that will make it really functional when riders come for trail rides. The saddle shed will have lights, air, shelves and lots of organized tack. Rope has been ordered so I can create bridles as well.

I was able to participate in a team penning event at the Whipple Ranch. It was a good experience and my team won second place. Spirit (one of the horses I took with me to John and Josh Lyon's certification) did a pretty good job following my lead and gets more familiar with working cows every time we ride. Spirit is really starting to sit in his stop.

We are on our way to California for the weekend. Hopefully the next time we go to California it will be to do a clinic! There will be a clinic for Lincoln County soon as well! Stay posted.

Thoughts from Lucy:

I finally rode Peppy. Peppy was given to us and was once a barrel racing horse. She was easy to ride and neck reins really well. Cody and I took a ride around the ranch, and I actually "sat" the trot for awhile as well. Sitting the trot means that you don't bounce 5 feet in the air off your saddle when the horse is trotting. It is harder than it looks!! =) Little by little I am getting my confidence back after the bucking incident.

California here we come. Some cool history: Some of the first cowboys were the vaqueros from California and they made all their own cowboy gear because 1) there was no where to buy it and 2) they had plenty of time to make it!

Another fun fact: Just to show I was destined to marry a cowboy...I lived in Salinas, CA--host of one of the top twenty rodeos in the North America! haa. I guess that is a little far-fetched.

Have a good weekend!

A Special Man

There have been many people in my life that have impacted me profoundly. Some of which have been close friends, family members, coaches, leaders, for which all of them I am so thankful for. There is however one special man that has impacted my life more than any other living being (excluding the Saviour) on this earth, and that man is my grandpa.

As I sit here writing, my grandfather Samuel Keith Bowman, is laying in a hospice bed, body filled with MRSA, awaiting his release to the spirit world at any moment. I'm filled with such a deep love and appreciation for this man and feel I need to share it with you.

I've been fortunate in my life to share a close bond through many wonderful experiences with my grandfather. It is he to whom I attribute my love for the wonderful creations of our Heavenly Father. At the age of two and three he would take me to the Ranch with him every morning to milk the cows. He had a little burrow he would put me on, as he milked ,that would just wander around eating bits of grass. I would pull with all my might to make him go where I wanted to go but I just wasn't strong enough. I would cry and yell for grandpa and he would patiently and lovingly come out and help me guide my mount. On all of our camping trips I would be his right hand man in everything he was doing whether it be pitching tents, flipping hot cakes, or making his famous Yerba Tea. I loved to just be around him.

He taught me by example how to treat women. He always would greet his wife with a "good morning my sweets!" and a tender kiss on the lips. He never let her open a door, and treated her like a queen. Never did I hear a harsh word between them.

Grandpa had a very strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ which was evident in his words and deeds. He loved and served the children of our heavenly father where ever he was at. He was a master teacher. I loved to listen to him as he would take the ordinary and simple yet beautiful things around us and teach a life lesson with it. His wisdom and council has blessed many lives.

Grandpa was a man of principle and character, large in stature and strong. What ever he did it was the best in quality. Whether braiding a rawhide reata, setting up a camp trip for his family, or giving a word of advice. For me he is the true measure of a man, the true measure of a christian and I hope and pray that I can follow in his foot steps and carry on his legacy.

Thoughts from Lucy:

Last night Cody read a memory written by his grandpa. I laughed as Grandpa Bowman described Aunt Nellie. She was loud and dramatic on her mule as they traveled around the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico. I laughed mostly because I am a little like Aunt Nellie. I loved to visualize the unforgettable memories that were made as a family camping, fishing, catching turkeys, eating fresh deer meat, and spending time together. It isn't until I joined the Bowman family that I realized that meat doesn't come from the store! A funny side note: My girlfriends from college came to visit and in a conversation before arriving my friend asks, "Is the meat in the soup from the store or did Cody butcher it from the ranch?" As if that really matters, I assured her that the meat was from the store. My friend seemed relieved. =)

As you can tell, Cody admires Grandpa and this connection and adoration he had with such a great man was an indication to me that if I married Cody, I too would be able to make special memories with my family. I can picture Cody packing up the mules, putting the kids on good horses and making some yummy dutch oven somewhere very scenic and beautiful. One wonderful tradition in the Bowman family is, men cook the meals when camping! Isn't that great!? Last night I was continuing to work on our business plan and a goal for our business is to host a packing trip in the next 2-5 years. Cody, like his role model, is truly in his element when he is in the mountains or outdoors! Cheers.

Welcome!

Life styles are an intersting thing. This world is filled with so many different kinds of people, ideas, cultures and such. What one person enjoys doing, another person could hate. I love to watch people, the way we interact with each other, our idiosyncricies, the way we dress, the jobs we choose to do. Variety is the spice of life. I'm so gratefull that we are not all the same. Some lifestyles are not as common as others, and that is one of the reasons why we have decided to start this blog.
My name is Cody Bowman. I come from four generations of cowboys, farmers, horseman, and outdoorsmen. I love to be out working in and with the many glorious creations of our Heavenly Father. I currently work on a ranch where I train horses, take people on trail rides, give horsemanship clinics, work cattle, and irrigate feilds. The nature of my job also gives me the unique experience to share my lifestyle with others. Most recently, I hosted my first trail ride. I took a great couple from Florida on a ride around the ranch. They were visiting The Cowboy's Dream Bed and Breakfast after seeing it featured in a magazine. I had a lot of fun sharing some Pahranagat Valley history as we rode and actually giving a short horsmanship demo. They loved the scenery and said they were coming back again. I believe that there is a promising future for the ranch in tourism!

My wife and I currently are building a horsemanship business REALITY HORSEMANSHIP that will offer normal every day people the chance to step out of their normals lives and experience something unique. The life of a cowboy...the life of a horseman. Come join us!

Thoughts from Lucy (the wife):

I grew up in Redding, CA. It is not the largest city in California by any means, but it is larger than our current home...Alamo, NV POP. 1200. As you read Cody's updates, I hope you can appreciate my point of view. No matter how much I tease Cody about his lifestyle, you need to remember that I am married to him and love him for his differences.

When I married Cody I was sure that I knew what I was getting into. As I have lived with this cowboy, I have found that my city upbringing could never prepare me! Just to paint a picture for you: Cody and I went to visit my family in St. George, UT about a month ago. Cody brought a leather stitching horse that looks like it was made in the 1800s and a bag full of tallow-greased rawhide strings. As if it wasn't weird enough to bring that to my parents, he set up in front of the house. Every member of my family was invited to come and see the progress he was making. My family, like me, were all smiles, nods and support, but deep inside they were wondering why on earth he would want to make his own rawhide rope. Can't you buy one of those in the store? The beauty of Cody's hobbies is that they are a dying art, and if any of you readers love the old western cowboy ways, read on. Also, more recently, I went on a ride with Cody on the ranch. I was there for about three hours and when I got home, I was dead. I laid down and took a nap. My body is not used to being outside so much and riding so long. I realized how much work it is to be outdoors all day and work with horses all day long. My hat is off to any horse trainer out there! Cody is an excellent horseman. I love to watch him and have him explain things to me. We hope you will follow us on our adventures!