FOLLOW THE TONGUE An old-timer up our way left the high school basketball game in a snowstorm. He took a wrong turn, then ended up in a town three hours south. For a man who lived only a few miles from the gym, that must have been quite a surprise. I didn’t say too much […]
5 Beans in a Wheel Safety We live in a safety first conscious society. We use seatbelts, air bags, smoke detectors, warning signs of all kinds, and lawn mowers that die when you turn loose of the handle. For the most part, these inventions improve our lives. We’re told its smart to take precautions rather […]
A Cowboy’s All-Purpose Slicker Normally an old-time cowboy’s outfit ranked boring. Muddy boots, duckins for trousers, and off-white cotton shirt that turned gray with age did him fine. His bandanna started out quite colorful, but after a few weeks on the trail turned out grimy. Now, the one exception was his rain slicker he called […]
A Test of Character at the Grange We enjoyed another feast of a potluck down at the Grange. It’s not that women out here in the country were born better cooks than city gals. But I think the slower pace of life encourages making dishes from scratch. Fresh cream, butter, and white sugar haven’t been […]
What Is a Judas Steer? by Stephen Bly I watched a Judas steer in action when I attended a rodeo down in Pocatello. Some old boy lasted about two seconds on the back of a bull. Soon he found himself kissin’ the ground. The main excitement happened when the pickup men rode up to herd […]
Through the Valley Jornada del Muerto I sat on a dusty trail at the western edge of the Organ Pipes Cactus National Monument in southern Arizona. Located on the border with the state of Sonora, Mexico, some of the bleakest countryside anywhere surrounded this monument. Like several other parts of the old southwest, this region […]
Toss the Box or I’ll Shoot! A common old western movie scene has become a cliché. The masked holdup men drag trees across the lonely, isolated canyon road. The stage comes to a screeching, bone jolting stop. And men with black hats suddenly appear. They threaten to shoot the driver and his guard if they […]
An Old-Fashioned Jiggle Like gearshifts on your pickup, horses operate at different speeds or gaits. You can walk, trot, gallop, amble, canter or jiggle a horse. Your animal can be 4-gaited or 5-gaited, depending on their training. In the Old West, they had a great name for the ordinary gait of a cow horse. They […]
More Power to Jerky Did you know that jerky helped settle the West? For mountain men and prospectors, surveyors and cowboys, a handful of jerky provided critical nourishment. This in a time of no preservatives or refrigerators. Didn’t matter whether the jerky came from beef, deer, elk, or buffalo. All retained their flavor and value. […]
Sisters Seek Their Fortunes The Cheney sisters determined to make their fortune in the Montana gold mine fields. They followed their male counterparts who boomed their way west to the Agenta Gulch in 1892. They learned the first lessons in prospecting. Get there early or find no land left to claim. And don’t be a […]
In the frame short story in this anthology, Ben and Marnie Pearson never intended to start a jewelry collection. But when they were given a box of leftover jewelry at an estate sale, they were intrigued by the colorful contents . . .
The sparkling jewels featured in this collection may have been passed down through generations or discovered accidentally, but each has its own unique short story. From diamonds to emeralds, opals to rubies, these stones have witnessed it all.
Here in The Jeweler's Heart are their fascinating tales told by seventeen of the talented novel writers of ChiLibris. For fans of inspirational fiction and heartwarming tales, The Jeweler's Heart is a treasure.
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