A few years ago, I was browsing through my old memory albums and came across the above photo. It’s a picture of my dad with a horse named Sego taken after a day of working cattle on my aunt and uncle’s ranch in Montana. Even though it’s an old and grainy photo, I was struck by the affection my dad shows for the horse.
It’s funny how an old photograph can conjure up memories. Seeing the picture of my dad made me think about the summer vacations I spent in Montana with my cousins. We rode horses and explored the mountains, milked cows and moved irrigation water on the alfalfa fields. It made me think about my life as a veterinarian. I spent countless hours helping farmers and ranchers like my aunt and uncle, not only attending to their livestock, but also hearing of their personal and financial struggles. These past experiences and the photo of my dad with Sego inspired me to write the short story “The Last Rancher.”
Here is a link to The Roanoke Review where you can read The Last Rancher for free.
I’d like to thank the staff at Roanoke Review for publishing my work. Also, I want to thank all my first readers, Al Long, Nancy Webb, Ruthanne Brule and my wife Sheila, who all took time to help refine my story.