Ode To a Cowboy....A Song I Wrote About My Dad

My Dad was above all else a cowboy, a Marine, a jack of all trades and a yes, a master of some! He was multi-faceted and actually lived his life like a wild cat… having more than nine lives… and more than nine wives .. well 6 anyway…. that I know of! My parents did get back together after 45 yrs of divorce….but that's another story….

This song can be heard by scrolling down on my profile page and clicking on the song title Ode To A Cowboy.

Wagner, Richard Wesley "Wes" (Dec 16, 1933 - Aug 21, 2002)
There are so many stories I could tell you about him but it would take a series of books! So.. I'll focus first of all on the fact that he was a cowboy. My grandpa Louie hired my Dad, who was just a boy, to break horses. At the age of 15, he was one of the youngest Pro Rodeo cowboys ever to make to Madison Square Gardens where he rode saddle bronc, bare back & bulls. Wes also was in competition with the famous South Dakota cowboy, Casey Tibbs. When he became too old and busted up to ride anymore, he was hired to judge various Pro Rodeo events.

My dad traveled through out the west and took on various jobs making a living; managing a casino in Reno Nevada, Boat Captain aboard a shrimp trawler in Newport Oregon, Hunting Guide in the Rocky Mountains and trapping lynx, mountain lion, bob cat, and coyote in the Sierra's of Nevada and California.

During a rodeo at Crow Creek Agency, Montana, USA, the rodeo announcer said
"Wes Wagner has been all over the world and various other places." That was not far from the truth!!

Picture is Dad's return trip with his mule and donkey carrying the hides of bob cat and mountain lion.

River Tanking?? you ask ...yes... River Tanking: River Tanking???!!! you ask ...yes... River Tankin...

: "I am really looking forward to making this trip back home to South Dakota, one of the places I plan to visit is the The Niobrara River just..."

River Tanking???!!! you ask ...yes... River Tanking....

I am really looking forward to making this trip back home to South Dakota, one of the places I plan to visit is the The Niobrara River just outside of Valentine Nebraska. This is one of the most beautiful river you will ever lay your eyes on and is a superb canoeing/ kayaking and river tanking of the northern Great Plains.

River Tanking???!!! you ask ...yes... river tanking....A plastic water or feeding tanks used for livestock, and specially outfit them with comfortable seating for floating down the river! I think I prefer my kayak but I might give it a try!!

Why is this so unique and fun? Unlike a canoe, which usually goes in one direction, a tank will allow you to bob and rotate in the river-kind of like a Tilt-O-Whirl on water!

The Niobrara River valley has several globally and nationally significant fossil mammal sites. Paleontologists have found mammals such as camels, horses, mastodons and rhinos.

In 1991, Congress designated 76 miles of the Niobrara east of Valentine, Nebraska, as part of the National Scenic River System - a river that merits special protection and recognition.

The Niobrara River begins in the high plains of eastern Wyoming and flows 535 miles to its confluence with the Missouri River in northeastern Nebraska. Hundreds of springs feed the Niobrara as it flows through the Sandhills region- one of the largest grass-stabilized dune regions in the world. The Niobrara River drains 12,600 square miles in Nebraska and cuts through several rock formations including the Ash Hollow, Valentine, Rosebud, and Pierre.

Over 90 waterfalls occur along the westernmost part of the Niobrara, including the state's highest- Smith Falls, which plunges more than 70 feet from a cliff before flowing several hundred yards into the river. Some drop directly into the river, while others are found on tributary streams hidden within side canyons.

White River South Dakota is about 50 miles north of Valentine... so most of the time I don't take the time to stop .....but this time..I will!!!!!!