Women Writing The West Conference

I spent the weekend in San Antonio at the Women Writing The West Conference. It was fabulous! It was good to see old friends and meet new friends. The women are so encouraging and supportive. I am so happy I found this group three years ago!

On Friday we toured the Alamo, shopped and ate lunch on the Riverwalk. I enjoyed visiting with my friend Jane Kirkpatrick and her husband, Jerry. Jane and Jerry are in the picture of the Alamo. Jane had a special weekend because she also received her WILLA Award at the conference for A Tendering In The Storm.

I enjoyed rooming with Heidi Thomas, whose novel Cowgirl Dreams will be released in January by Treble Heart. I also spent time with the other board members and had fun getting to know them better.

The highlight for me was meeting with my editor for my book about Ernest Christison and the cattle rustling. Ron told me I was on the right track and that he looks forward to continuing to work on the project. Yippee!

Ernest Christison's Land

John and I drove to Salida Saturday night. We visited with one of the present-day owners of the land that Ernest Christison owned in 1883. Glen's grandparents had lived on adjoining land in the early 1900's. His grandfather was George Everett, who wrote two books about the history of the area: Under The Angel of Shavano with Dr. Wendall Hutchinson and Cattle Cavalcade in Central Colorado from 1860-1966.

We drove up to the land on Sunday morning. John and I weren't sure if we could locate it positively without Glen, but we did--using the GPS and the map. The aspen were at their peak. The land is rugged, desolate and beautiful. How it sustained many cattle is a mystery to me. I guess that is why there was open range at the time. The elevation is almost 9,000 feet.

Check back for more pictures and details about our trip!