Westerns linger in our national psyche like the taste of cigarettes or Doritos -- something we’ve quit, but can’t give up. I can’t.

A remnant of the Old West lives on in Oregon’s high desert, where people raise cattle like they did 150 years ago. 

My career developing wind farms took me to those distant ranches, where my horse, Player,  and I helped gather cows, make hay and mend fences. I learned about the challenges those ranchers face and what motivates them to keep living the way they do, against all odds.

Good movies are said to require a character we care about, overcoming obstacles in a world that draws us in and amplifies the story. For me, Oregon’s high desert and the people who live there fit the bill.

There’s much to admire about those people, and much to learn from them and their world, as I hope these stories reveal.