About

In my book, Round Trip, seventeen year-old Matt discovers the sometimes harsh realities of the ranching life. I’m familiar with these realities as I have lived through them. At fifteen, my first job was yard work for a wealthy, out-of-state landowner. I watched as others on the ranch went about their chores and envied them — real men doing real work. The next summer came with the promotion to that work, and I jumped into it with a passion. in my enthusiasm, I broke three shovel handles in as many days controlling the fires we lit to clear the irrigation ditches. The foreman was not impressed.

I went on to experience many other interesting, demanding, sometimes fun, and sometimes torturous aspects of the agricultural life. They had a profound effect on me. After high school, I worked a number of other ranching jobs as I went to Montana State university to get a degree in biology. Some of these outfits were modern, industrial businesses; a few stubbornly remained so old school they still used draft horses.

I’m something of a dabbler. In addition to ranching, I worked a hard year pulling lumber off a planer chain at a lumber mill, apprenticed three years as a chainsaw artist, tried my hand at horse shoeing and logging, worked seasonally for the U.S. Forest Service, and finally came to roost in construction. I now run my own very small construction business.

All Through this process, I’ve wanted to write a book. After several less than successful attempts, I succeeded in my young adult novel, Round Trip. Matt, the protagonist, learns the joys and the torments of the ranching lifestyle much as I did. But he is involved in much more mayhem than I ever was, or would ever want to be. I could only hope to bear up as well. Is Matt me? No, not by a long shot. But there are elements of me in Matt — sorry, can’t help that.

Does Matt wander through his life as I have? I shouldn’t think so; he is much more focused. But life isn’t through playing with him. More twists and turns are coming.

As a youth, I spent every free moment hiking, fishing, hunting and exploring the mountains of southwest Montana, and they drew me back in. Today, I live not far from where I grew up. I am surrounded by horses and mules, dogs and cats, as well as my two-legged family members. The mountains are where Matt seeks his refuge are mine as well. Perhaps we are alike after all.