The old-timers were spinning yarns about the weather, the scourge of the XITs, and Charlie Goodnight’s barbed wire fences doing away with the “real cowboys,” a cattle disease called Texas Fever, and many a “she did me wrong yarn.
Tag: jakewillis
About Randy Willis
Best-selling and award-winning master storyteller Randy Willis—books about adventure, family, and faith.
Hell is empty, and all the devils are here
"Hell is empty and all the devils are here." —The Tempest, a play by William Shakespeare
Jimmy Day & Jake Willis: Men of “Steel”
Jimmy Day with Elvis, Hank Williams Sr. and my dad, Jake Willis.
Remembering Bailey’s Prairie Kid: A Cowboy’s Legacy
I called him the afternoon before the event. I wanted to remind him that he was my very special guest. The 92-year-old said, "I will be there as soon as I finish working out this colt." "Breaking a green colt in this 90-degree heat?" I asked. "Yes sir, I had to take a break though after four hours." I explained that I understood. I was mounted on a rank chestnut quarter horse (aka my ole red GMC pickup). I was headed to Brazoria County. I'm not sure if he got my feeble attempt at humor. Tomorrow, the legendary cowboy will return to the same auditorium. This event will happen on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at the Brazoria County Fairgrounds. It's his funeral.
Polk Willis & Anna Canady Willis
Anna Canady, 17, and out of harm's way on the Red River. The dirt is gone, but not her fears. Her Irish red hair can be seen for the first time in years. She soon meets a brash young boy, her junior, whom she does not understand. He will become the second most important person in her life, forever.