E. Joe Brown

     There are some things you don’t see coming. Or you put the possibility of that something out of your mind. What are you talking about, Joe?

     On September 27^th, I got a call from my cousin Roger that his dad, Dale Kelly, was in bad shape, in hospice, and might only have weeks to live. Linda and I immediately began preparing and left within forty-eight hours for Oklahoma. We all may have relatives who have been influential or a significant part of our lives. Uncle Dale was that for me. When he returned from the Korean War, he was about twenty-two years old, single, and Hollywood handsome. He was my mom’s youngest sibling (of four). Dale lived with us from that point on until he married his late wife, Rita. Their wedding happened in our home. I was about five or six years old, and he and I shared a bed, fishing trips, and many of my fondest memories. I have so many wonderful memories from that time.

     Dale could sing. When he was a teenager living in the small Oklahoma town of Wanette, he never paid to go to the movies. He would sing during breaks between the movie and newsreels and before and after. I took my guitar, and we sang with my ninety-one-year-old uncle during our visit. What a treat and another beautiful memory. Dale is dealing with pain, but he sure seemed to enjoy the music and spinning a few yarns with me, Linda, Carla Stilwell (another cousin), and Roger for the better two hours. I’m so glad we made the trip.
 

     After the visit, we cousins ate a meal at Cracker Barrel in Norman, Oklahoma. I mention this because Roger and I had more time together than we have had in a while. Please don't misunderstand me; we see each other often, considering we live over 500 miles apart. But this time, we talked much more about his life as a real cowboy and horse trainer than we had in years. He trains horses on a ranch east of Asher, Oklahoma, and helps run competitive events in the professional cutting, reining, and routing world of horsemanship. On one of my trips several years ago, we were sitting in Dale and Rita's front room when Roger got a call on his cell phone. He stepped outside and took it; when he came back in, Dale said, "Son, who was it?" It was a rancher from Texas. Dale looked at me and said, "Happens all the time. People from California to Florida call him for advice."
 

     During our talk, I learned we both watched the show "Yellowstone." That didn't surprise me, but most of the people showing horses (cutting, reining, etc) on the show were real cowboys in that business, and Roger knew them. He especially talked about the McCutcheon family from north Texas. As many of you know, my Kelly Can Saga Series novels have Charley Kelly as my protagonist. Charley is loosely based on my mom's and Dale's father, Clarence Kelly. He was a cowboy on the 101 Ranch in northern Oklahoma.

     My uncle Richard (Dale's older brother) was a cowboy and competed in rodeos against Reba McEntire's dad and uncle in team roping at many events. Roger is the only one in my generation who has continued to keep ranching, farming, and cowboying alive in the family, and he's doing a great job.
 

     I've rambled on, but I like to include what's happening when it can influence my writing and may interest you. I'm still developing a YouTube program, which will be launched after the first of the year. As things gel, I'll keep you informed.

Happy Trails,
Joe