John and Robbin Dofflemyer, Poet and Photographer
In the southern Sierra Nevada foothills east of Visalia, John and Robbin Dofflemyer graze cows and calves on Dry Creek, a tributary of the Kaweah River. With a crew of two others, both are engaged in every aspect of the operation. Robbin began packing a camera and photographing various aspects of the ranch and ranch work in the spring of 2005 after a winter of abundant rainfall. John’s involvement with cowboy poetry began in 1989 with an invitation to the Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, where the two were later married in 1996.


Linda Dufurrena, Photographer
Linda Dufurrena photographs all aspects of life in her desert corner of Nevada. She finds her subject matter in the landscape, and in the everchanging patterns of the desert atmosphere. She photographs the creatures who inhabit the wild spaces, and the men and women who live and work there. Her vision of the world is translated into photographic image in her workshop at the Dufurrena ranch northwest of Winnemucca, Nevada.


Pat and Sharon O'Toole, Ranchers, Photographer and Writer
Pat and Sharon are ranchers in the Little Snake River Valley on the Wyoming-Colorado border. They represent the fourth generation on the six-generation ranch. The O'Toole's raise cattle, sheep, horses, dogs and children on their high country ranching operation. The transhumance operation stretches from north of Steamboat Springs, Colorado to Wyoming's Red Desert. The ranchlands are protected by conservation easements with The Nature Conservancy and the Colorado Cattlemen's Land Trust. Pat has served in the Wyoming House of Representatives, the Western Water Policy Commission, and is the current President of the Family Farm Alliance, which advocates for irrigators and water users in the western United States. Sharon is a writer and poet. She writes extensively on western issues, and the relationship between landscape, animals, and people. She is widely published as an author, essayist and editorial commentator. Sharon's father, George, 89, is still on the family ranch. He lives in the house he was born in, and remains active in the day-to-day life of the ranch. He is a decorated World War II veteran, a former member of Wyoming's House of Representatives, and a former president of Wyoming's Board of Agriculture. Pat and Sharon have three children, Their daughter Meghan and her husband, Brian Lally, live on the ranch with their children, Siobhan, Seamus and Maeve. Meghan also served on the Wyoming Board of Agriculture, and she and Brian are active in community service. Daughter Bridget lives in Denver with her husband, Chris Abel, where she works in public relations and he serves agriculture in the food service business. Son Eamon and his wife Megan live on the ranch. Eamon is a horseman and natural resource manager, and Megan is a nurse. The blog traces the activities and life on the ranch, from the mundane to the fabulous.

 

 

Jeremiah Watt, Saddlemaker
A Canadian native, Jeremiah got his start in saddlemaking in 1976 at a saddle making school in Amarillo, Texas. After that he traveled around the country visiting saddle shops before he landed a job with Chuck Stormes of Calgary, Canada. After seven years he moved to the U.S, working as a ranch hand and building saddles and bits in the evening. After several years of roaming Jeremiah and his family settled in California. A few years ago the Western Folklife Center commissioned Jeremiah Watt to make a saddle for our collection. We have asked him to describe his vision for the saddle and keep us posted in its progress through this periodic weblog from his shop in Coalinga

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