Horses, Vaqueros, Mountain Men, and Indians in SAND and SAGE

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A wild mustang in Wyoming inspired my latest book SAND and SAGE. I first laid eyes on that red roan colt in May 2002 on a windswept plain in southern Wyoming. That day, I wrote the caption below about the colt in my personal diary.

The Red Roan Colt in 2002. 

His dark eyes radiated a mixture of curiosity and caution. Unblinking,
he stared at me while nervous feet conveyed his readiness to bolt at the

flick of my eyelash. His powerful presence reflected his intelligence, nobility, and 

vulnerability. I envied and admired him, but also feared for his future. This 

young stallion possessed a sense of freedom that humans once had. 

The red roan colt must remain free!

A common misconception people make is that Native American tribes have always had horses. This is not the case. Primitive horses first appeared in North America close to fifty-eight million years ago, way before human beings ever existed. Then, horses went extinct in North America around eleven thousand years ago, just about the time that the First Americans were gaining a foothold on the continent. We will never know for sure, but humans might have had something to do with the extinction of horses. There is no archaeological evidence that the First Americans ever domesticated these early horses but there is some archaeological evidence that horses might have provided food for the First Americans. Once the horses went extinct, North America did not see horses again until Europeans brought them. Once Native American Indians obtained horses from the Europeans, it only took a matter of decades for them to establish themselves as some of the greatest horse riders in human history. One of the main themes of SAND and SAGE is when the Plains Indians first encountered horses.

In my novel SAND and SAGE, I went further than just writing a book about a horse. Don't get me wrong, the red roan colt is one of the key characters but so are wealthy Spanish ranchers, a mountain man, a few Indians, and a British trader. I also loaded the book with vaqueros, soldiers, and other horses. I figured I could not go wrong with that line up. Since I have always been interested in Native American and Early American history, I decided to combine three topics into one. First, there are the horses. Second, I dramatize what happens to the Spanish settlers in New Mexico during the Pueblo Indian Revolt of 1680. And third, the introduction of horses for the first time to the Northern Plains tribes. Spanish settlers in New Mexico introduced the Pueblo Indians to horses and mules. From there, horses spread to the Plains tribes in the north. Can you imagine being a Plains Indian and seeing a horse for the first time? Me neither so I played that scenario out in SAND and SAGE.

The red roan colt from SAND and SAGE in 2002.

I call SAND and SAGE a good old fashioned western in the tradition of great western authors like Zane Grey and Larry McMurtry. What SAND and SAGE boils down to is a story of the coming of age of three boys and a girl during a tumultuous time in American history. The year is 1680. The place is the Spanish colony of New Mexico. The Pueblo Indians have revolted against their Spanish oppressors. The chaos of war separates two Spanish brothers and propels them into hostile circumstances that neither is prepared to navigate. North of the Pueblo Revolt and the two brothers, an Indian boy struggles to find his place in his tribe. He discovers something so great that could change his tribe’s lifestyle forever, but skeptics within the tribe keep the boy from fulfilling his vision. The three boys are on a collision path and it takes a horse to bring them together. Hang on to your saddle horn for this fast-paced adventure!

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John Bradford Branney was born and raised in Wyoming and attended the University of Wyoming where he received a B.S. degree in geology. After graduating, John entered the oil and gas industry as an engineer. During his career, he also obtained a MBA degree from the University of Colorado. In 2011, he retired from the oil and gas industry and immediately pursued a second career as an author. Mr. Branney’s passion and expertise in high plains archaeology led to the writing of several books and over twenty-five magazine articles. SAND and SAGE is Mr. Branney’s ninth book.

WHEN LEAVES CHANGE COLOR - Adventure by Author John Bradford Branney




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From the Author

Many people have the common misconception that Native American Indians have always had horses throughout their long and illustrious reign over North America, but this is not the case. Horses first appeared in North America close to fifty-eight million years ago, but went extinct in North America around eleven thousand years ago, just about the same time the first Americans were gaining a foothold. In fact, there is no documented archaeological evidence that early Native Americans had any direct contact with these early versions of horses in North America. Native American Indians did not have horses until the Europeans brought them to North America. Once Native American Indians obtained horses from the Europeans, it only took a matter of decades for them to establish themselves as some of the greatest horse riders that the world has ever known.   

        Spanish colonies in the American West first introduced Indian tribes to horses in the late 1600s. Prior to obtaining horses, Native American Indians used dogs as their primary beasts of burden. Once Native American Indians obtained horses, their lives changed dramatically. With horses, they could travel farther in less time and with more possessions. With the mobility and speed of the horses, Native American Indians became horse-riding hunters, unmatched in skill. The rumbling herds of bison were now accessible to Native American hunters on horseback. The hunters no longer had to trap or outsmart the bison herds. With horses, they had the means to chase bison down. Horses became a form of wealth and status for the Native American tribes that possessed them. My story takes place at a time in history when Plains Indians first encountered horses.   

     



The inspiration for When Leaves Change Color, the red roan colt when
 I discovered him on the Powder Rim of Wyoming in 2002. 

 

        
 My research for When Leaves Change Color began a long time ago, in fact, decades ago. I have
always loved horses. Perhaps my interest in horses was rooted in my early passion for Native
American culture, or perhaps it was just the majestic beauty and independence of the animal. When I
first discovered the wild horses in my home state of Wyoming, I became fascinated with watching
and studying their habits. There was seldom a road trip across the desert southwest of Wyoming
where I would not take a detour to photograph and watch the wild horses. Even though the wild horse
herds and their freedom are now dwindling, my love and respect for wild horses never will.   

When Leaves Change Color is available in paperback and Kindle e versions. Click to Order 

Enjoy the ride!   

 

Light Hidden by Darkness - Favorite Quotes II

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In my adventure novel entitled Light Hidden by Darkness, the main character named Seamus Winshell was a successful businessman. He had made his way through life by plowing full steam through every obstacle, no matter what it was or whom he destroyed or hurt. He may have been a success at business, but his luck with the personal side of his life was not so good. He did luck out in the book Light Hidden by Darkness by getting a second chance with his life, but would Seamus Winshell take advantage of this or look this gift horse in the mouth? Read Light Hidden by Darkness to find out.

      

“In the queer mess of human destiny the determining factor is luck. For every important place in life there are many men of fairly equal capacities. Among them luck divides who shall accomplish the great work, who shall be crowned with laurel, and who should fall back in obscurity and silence.

                                                   -         William E. Woodward
                                                                       (1874 – 1940)    

Jeb Bush. Where would he be without his Bush pedigree?   

This quote has been with me for some time. I first recognized its validity in my first career in the energy industry. My colleagues and I were all competing to get promoted, but we also knew the reality of the situation that there were fewer and fewer positions available as you went higher up in the organization. All of us competing for these jobs had similar abilities and, as Woodward stated, 'capacities'. We all had our strengths and we also had weaknesses. The winners of most of the promotions usually had the least harmful weaknesses and a good bit of luck. We used to call that luck 'being in the right place at the right time' or if we did not get the promotion ourselves, we referred to the luck of the successful candidate in less flattering sour grape terms.          


I doubt if many people would argue that some people seem to have all of the luck in the world while other people can’t seem to find any luck and when they do find luck, it is usually bad luck. It makes you wonder if there is only a finite amount of good luck out there and that luck exists in a zero sum state. That is, when one person is blessed with a double dose of good luck then someone else gets a double dose of bad luck, Zero sum game? I cannot be sure but that's how it seems to work, at least to me. 

Hillary Clinton. Where would she be without hubby Bill? 

We all have seen individuals who garners the question from us, “how in the world did this person get so rich or famous? How did this person get all the luck?” Some of our feelings towards these people can cross the line to sour grapes and envy, but in some cases it does come down to "how did this person have so much luck?          

With the 2016 U.S. presidential run for the roses heating up, it gives me a lot of fodder to use as examples. We have some of the luckiest people in the world running for the presidential office. Don't get me wrong, most of them have worked their tails off to get where they are today, but some of them have had some help and luck along the way. Most of the current players in the presidential bid war are career politicians, some have earned their own stature through their political life while some had help - they inherited their stature through family, friends, and money. I will not be naming any names since I think most people can figure this out on their own.

One presidential candidate stands out as different – a billionaire businessman – one-third carney barker, one-third marketing genius, and one-third egomaniac. This presidential candidate has thrown a monkey wrench into the stale political establishment that exists in the United States. He has turned the process on its ear. He has also had his share of luck having been born with a silver spoon and getting his first big break from his father.     

Donald Trump. Would he be selling used cars
if it weren't for his father? Who knows?
Luck or ability?

     
For these people, is it more luck or ability? Tell me what you think and then read Light Hidden by Darkness where Seamus Winshell gets a second chance. Read what he does with this second chance, it boggles the mind.   

Light Hidden by Darkness - Favorite Quotes

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“A real book isn’t one that we read, but one that reads us.”

                                          - W. H. Auden

We all have our favorite quotations. These quotes can come from obscure to famous quoters and are found in books, magazines, movies, televisions shows, and around the water cooler at work. When we first heard or read our favorite quotes, their words and meanings resonated with us or motivated us or just made us feel good. Each person connects with different quotes for different reasons with different results, all based on our individual preference.

W. H. Auden - b. 1907 - d. 1973

One of my favorite quotes is above in red ink. This quote is attributed to W. H Auden. As a voracious reader and author of five books, this quote speaks loudly to me. When I first read this quote, I knew nothing about W. H. Auden and quite honestly, I still know very little. I have never read any of his books or poems. In researching this blog posting, I searched the answer spot, Wikipedia, and read what it said about W. H. Auden. I am going to briefly share what I found out about W. H. Auden, which you may already know...

Wystan Hugh Auden was born 21 February 1907 and died 29 September 1973. He was an Anglo-American poet, born in England and then became an American citizen in 1946. According to Wikipedia, his critics regard him as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. Wow, I wish my critics considered me the 'greatest' of anything. Well, no, maybe I shouldn't wish for that... ;)



One of the great writers of the 20th Century and I have never heard of him. However, just because I have not heard of W. H. Auden does not mean a whole lot. In the 20^th Century I spent my time reading college books (mostly science), archaeology books, or fictional authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Clive Cussler, Kurt Vonnegut, and Tom Clancy. These gentleman were or are excellent and prolific writers, and all are commercially successful, but I would hazard a guess that not many people would put them on a short list for greatest writer of the 20^th Century.

What did W. H. Auden write? Wikipedia stated that his work is noted for its stylistic and technical achievement, its engagement with moral and political issues, and its variety in tone, form and content. The central themes of his poetry are love, politics and citizenship, religion and morals, and the relationship between unique human beings and the anonymous, impersonal world of nature. No wonder I have not read his books or poetry... not exactly my favorite genre.  



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"A real book isn’t one that we read, but one that reads us."      


                                         - W. H.  Auden



This quote by Mr. Auden is quite insightful and packs a lot of punch for readers and writers in its thirteen words. I believe Auden was conveying that a real book is just not read, but that a real book actually seeks out and finds readers and connects with them through shared empathy and common experiences. The real book drags the reader into the story with its realistic settings, characters, and / or plot.  The reader and the book become one. When was the last time you read a book that had that effect on you? I would love you to say 'the last John Bradford Branney book you read', but I can only hope. ;).   

A real book knows its readers well  and interacts with them through the story or plot, believable and interesting characters, and vivid settings. When you think about it, all great books have this ironclad connection with its readers. 

From a reader’s perspective, I could not agree more with this quote. I like a real book that draws me in and pushes my interest buttons. As a writer, this must be my goal when writing my books. As a potential reader of my books, you will have to be the judge on whether I write real books or not.  

What do you think about this quote? What makes a

real book in your opinion?

      

Your Imagination and LIGHT HIDDEN BY DARKNESS

Do you believe that humans are losing their ability and desire to use their imaginations? Do you believe the human race has lost some of its potential for imagination?

Not easy questions, I know. Let me give you my opinion. If you look at all of the inventions and innovations that we have in new products in our global society, it would be a hard to convince anyone that the world's imagination was not alive and kicking. But, what about the rest of us, the 'non inventors'?

Use it or lose it...

We have all heard the saying use it or lose it and it is my contention that modern society is less imaginative than our ancestors. How can I contend this without surveys and studies? It is simply my belief and opinion. I believe that imagination is like everything else in our mind or body. We use it or we lose it. Said another way: Practice makes perfect and I believe that the conveniences of modern society has impacted the way we use or don't use our imaginations and brains.

It is my second contention that a high percentage of people spend less time on those activities that actually exercise their imaginations and spend more time on those activities that don't exercise their imaginations. As my mother would call them, time wasters.

As an example, let's pick on social media. People in today's society spend a lot more time perusing and posting on social media sites. Is there much imagination going into reading other people's posts or tweets or is that pretty much a no brainer? I will let you answer that one, but from my experience having gone through social media addiction and rehab, I can tell you that my mind is no better off after indulging in social media fodder. 

How about television? How much imagination goes into watching television? Or what about video games? I am not a video game player, so I cannot answer that one. I am sure there are some games where you have to use your imagination to succeed. Now, as far as television, I am an old hand. Sports, drama, comedy, documentaries, news uses, I have seen it all and I can tell you, at least from my experience, television is pretty much a no brainer. Entertaining yes, exercise for the brain and imagination, not hardly. I usually watch television when I am too tired to think about more productive things. Hmm...case closed? It is for me.

So, how can a person better utilize his or her imagination?

This weekend I turned on my classical music and sat down and read a very interesting historical fiction novel about the Viet Nam War. By the time I had even realized it, the author had sucked me into the story and into the characters' minds. I could actually imagine the water and mud squishing in my combat boots and when the main character in the story swatted a mosquito, guess what I felt, the slap and the sting. There is nothing...I repeat...there is nothing like a good book to make you utilize your ole imagination.

Now, I have a confession to make. I am an author. Not only am I an author, I am an author of seven fictional books, a prime medium for exercising my imagination. If you are anything like me, my imagination works overtime when I am reading a novel from one of the greats or writing my own novel. As an author, it is my goal to get the reader to use every bit of their imagination by creating believable characters and a plot that keeps them interested right up to the very end. For me, the great escape comes from books. There is no entertainment quite like reading and there is no better exercise for the brain. Give it a try if you haven't read a book in awhile.


     


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A Book Review of SHADOWS ON THE TRAIL by John Bradford Branney

 

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The seed for Shadows on the Trail sprouted on an early summer morning in 2010 on a northern Colorado ranch when I found a Paleoindian tool made from a red and gray striped rock from a prehistoric rock quarry in Texas. As I stared down at this prehistoric tool made by one of our First Americans, several questions raced through my mind. How did this tool end up in a prehistoric campsite in northern Colorado, five hundred miles to the north of the prehistoric rock quarry? Who made it? What was he or she like? What happened on its journey from Texas to northern Colorado? Since it was impossible for me to ask the Paleoindian who made it, I wrote my own version of his journey.      

The book review for Shadows on the Trail follows.

 

 

 

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WINDS OF EDEN by John Bradford Branney - A Book Review!

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Hailed for its accurate depiction of life on the prairies and mountains of prehistoric Texas and Colorado, WINDS OF EDEN is a fast-paced read that accurately builds on clues from the archaeological record and traditions practiced by the first Americans.

 

What happens when the hunters become the hunted? That is what readers have been eagerly waiting to find out in WINDS OF EDEN, the thrilling finale to John Bradford Branney’s series of books about a Paleo-Indian tribe in prehistoric America.

In the conclusion of this highly acclaimed historical series of novels, the Folsom People return to the plains and mountains of Texas and Colorado at the end of the last Ice Age, a time of dramatic climate change, rising temperatures and melting glaciers. This was a time when several large mammal species went extinct and when small bands of humans roamed the mountains and plains attempting to survive in an unforgiving and violent world. WINDS OF EDEN quickly propels readers into the story where the first two novels of the trilogy left off. Chayton and the Folsom People are continuing their fight of survival in a violent and unpredictable prehistoric world with little more than their spears and wits.

 

And now the book review for Winds of Eden by Prehistoric  American Journal.

 

 

 

 

 

The four - inch long Alibates discoidal biface, the inspiration
for the Shadows on the Trail Trilogy. 

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