Graham Western Note Cards

Color Note Cards Card Size: 4.5"x6.25", 1/8" white border

White Card Stock

Blank Inside

Fixing Fence

Fixing fence is one the most basic tasks a rancher carries out. In the rough, timbered breaks, this work can be challenging and is often best done horseback. Pastures that may be five or six square miles in size demand attention and time spent riding the fences. Large-sized ranches may contain 100 miles of fence, or more. This means that fixing fence is almost a never-ending job. With a bag of staples, a roll of wire, stretchers, and his fence pliers, this fence rider is all set. In places where leading his horse may be difficult, the cowboy hobbles his horse and lets him graze while the bad portion of fence is fixed. In rough terrain, where creeks and gullies traverse the landscape, the “water-gaps” (those places where the fence crosses the creeks) are especially important to check, as they require constant care. On an early summer day, with the sun peeking through the clouds and the country showing off its green hue, this work is anything but unbearable.

Under The Big Sky

One of the great qualities of Montana is its “Big Sky”. The rolling eastern Montana prairie is one of the best places to witness this sight. Horizons seem to have no end. In this scene, a gentle breeze wisps through the pines, spreading about the smell of pine needles being heated by the summer sun. Crickets are chirping under a nearby shelf of sandstone rock, while a meadowlark serenades from its lonely outpost. Wildflowers blanket the prairie early in the summer. These are all sights and sounds definitely worth taking in, and there is no better way to do it than to have a good horse and plenty of open country ahead.

Off To Summer Range

The countryside is looking its very best as these cowboys move the pairs to their early-summer pasture. A dust cloud arises while the herd drops off of a rock strewn ridge and makes its way down the other side. Along the way, the group passes by the numerous yucca plants in full bloom. The white blossoms of the yucca are very tasty to cattle, and the scrumptious flower has led many a cow astray while on the trail.

Spring Storm

One of the most dreaded events during the calving season is a snow storm. In Montana, snow can fall in heavy amounts throughout the spring months and even into mid May. All of the sudden, one’s time is devoted to spreading straw, feeding extra hay, and moving cows with young calves into more sheltered areas. Oftentimes, frigid temperatures (well below zero) can accompany the snow, which means any newborn calves have to be closely watched, and possibly taken into the barn, especially at night. Riding through the calving pasture at these times becomes a full-time job. Finding the new-born calves can be challenging, as the mother often knows exactly where she hid her calf, but acts as if she has no idea where the young one is.

The Badlands

The eastern Montana “badlands”, as they are called, have a very unique beauty of their own. The shades of color exhibited by the gumbo knobs and rocky points can put on a brilliant display at almost any time of the year. A particularly beautiful time to be in the badlands is the early summer, after ample rain has painted the hills a bright green. Wildflowers are abundant, and pools of water dot the creek bottoms. Riding in the badlands can be tricky and downright treacherous at times. Rain causes very slick riding conditions and sinkholes are concealed behind many a sagebrush. For the cowboy in this painting, the view merits a few pausing moments to take it all in.

A Winter Night

With the winter chill knocking at the door, those inside this cabin are huddled around the fireplace, absorbing the warmth provided by the latest log to be added to the flames. A visitor has stopped by to warm up for a moment, before continuing on. His horse is tied to the hitching post, patiently awaiting his rider’s return. There is nothing quite like a clear winter’s night, when the moon is slowly rising and reflecting its light off a fresh blanket of snow. The land is still, as if in a great slumber. There are no birds chattering, no chirping from insects, and none of the usual sounds that are so typical of a summer’s evening. All is quiet here, except for the occasional distant echo of a coyote howling, or perhaps an owl hooting from a tree top.

Color Note Cards Card Size: 4.5"x6.25", 1/4" white border

White Card Stock

Blank Inside