Thursday, May 10, 2012

The Searchers




         It's been three long years after the Civil War has ended and Ethan Edwards an ex confederate soldier finally returns home to his brother Aaron's ranch. There he is happily greeted by Aaron's kids Lucy, Debbie and Ben. As well as Martha Aaron's wife who has had a secret crush on Ethan as well as Ethan has a crush on Martha. Even though they are in love with each other they can not act in love around everyone. Ethan brings many gifts for the kids from the war and things he picked up on the way to the ranch. He asks his brother Aaron if he can hid some money for him Aaron happily accepts it. Aaron tells Ethan he is welcome to stay as long as he would like.

The next morning a group of Texas ranger's arrive at Aaron's ranch.  He comes to inform them that someone had run off the Jorgensens cattle and they were no where to be found. The Texas ranger wants Ethan to make an oath for the Texas rangers but he denies and says the confederate oath is just fine. Ethan joins the Texas ranger's in search of the cattle. While leaving Ethan has a thought what if this was just a set up by indians but he goes anyways. After a few hours of riding they find the cattle slaughtered and Ethan's worst nightmare comes to life knowing that it was a set up and his brothers ranch has been raided by comanche indians. When finally reaching his brothers ranch he find it destroyed and finds the bodies of Aaron, Martha and Ben slaughtered by indians. This engrages Ethan knowing that they have kidnapped Lucy and Debbie.

After the funeral Ethan and the Texas rangers take off to find Lucy and Debbie. After a run in with the indians one of the Texas rangers is shot. Mostly all of the Texas rangers return to town upset for Ethan, Brad and Marty. They split up to look for the indians and while looking for them Ethan stumbles upon Lucy's dead corpse. Brad really angered charges the comanche camp and is killed. It's just Ethan and Marty now and they won't stop until they find Debbie. They return to the Jorgensons ranch where Marty meets with Laurie his future wife. While at the Jergonsons ranch they get a letter from a from a friend who says he may have information about Debbie. They then ride off to meet with Futterman who has written the letter to Ethan. Futterman gives them information about the tribe Debbie is in and how she is married to a comanche warrior by the name of Scar. This enrages Ethan knowing that Debbie would do such a thing. They finally find someone who has been trading with scar he takes Ethan and Marty to the comanche camp where Debbie is. They finally see and talk to Debbie but she does not wont to go she tells them the comanche are her people now this makes ethan extremely mad and tries to shoot Debbie but Marty stops the bullet.

After many years of tracking Debbie Marty and Ethan return to the Jergunsons ranch where Marty finds Laurie about to get married. Marty fights Charlie and wins back Laurie. While at the Jergunsons ranch Texas ranger Clayton comes in and informs Marty and Ethan that Scar and Debbie are near by. They assemble a big group of Texas rangers and storm the comanche camp. Meanwhile before the raid Marty sneaks in the comanche camp and grabs Debbie. The comanche camp is raided and all comanche are killed including Scar. Debbie finally decides to go home and returns to the ranch. While everyone is back at the ranch safe Ethan slips away out the door without anyone noticing.


Works Cited

Sammons, Jacob . " Google Image Result for http://www.empireonline.com/images/features/100greatestcharacters/photos/96.jpg." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2012. http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1280&bih=852&tbm=isch&tbnid=L4nac6lNvhXjoM:&imgrefurl=

 Google Image Result for http://www.craftsmanlodge.com/Websites/CraftsmanLodge/images/cuernoVerde.jpg." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2012. <http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=852&tbm=isch&tbnid=sp5q8xzjkv5XcM:&imgrefurl=http://evrise.seesaa.net/article/140197993.html&docid=3AWSippLeZesUM&imgurl=http://www.craftsmanlodge.com/Websites/CraftsmanLodge/images/cuernoVerde.jpg&w=300&h=387&ei=WdOrT_P3Joe-8ATFq7gc&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=887&vpy


                                                  Google Image Result for http://1.bp.blogspot.comhfhqh%20n6dua4/TsmB6b6t8GI/AAAAAAAAAnA/NCFNbRPRrZI/s1600/Searchers33r.jpg." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2012. <http://www.google.com/imgres?                      =1&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=852&tbm=isch&tbnid=JkkaiDyiPvw_nM:&imgrefurl=http://celebritygravesites.blogspot.com/2011/11/natalie-                       wood.html&docid=lhtIEEhvqM0_qM&imgurl=http://1

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Why Texas is Texas

          Texas has had many myths in its history whether it was heroic myth, englightment myth, or economic myth. Myths have shaped Texas and its people for hundreds of years. In Betty Sue Flowers's short story "Why Texas Is The Way It Is", she perefectly explains the on going controversys about all the Texas myths. When we think of a myth we certinaly always think of something "fake" or "made up" but some myths sometimes prove to be true. When many people think about Texas they often think of our big littering slogan " Don't Mess With Texas". When that first slogan came out it made a solid hit on reducing the amount of literring. In the next five years after the slogan was proposed it reduced seventy two perecent of literring in Texas. With farming and ranching having to be a giant part in Texas for many years comes a lot of problems.



          Texas has been home for farming, ranching and hunting for hundreds and hundreds of years. For hundreds of years farmers, ranchers and hunters have ran into many daily problems. Some problems easier then others and some that can completely kill off your cattle, wildlife or even your own family. One of the biggest problems farmers face today is the high cost of farming equipment. With our economy the way it is it makes it way more difficult for farmers to farm. Another big problem is the cost of feed. Feed has been on a constant rise since it was first produced making this harder on farmers to buy. With all of our new technology feed keeps getting better and better by reducing the amount of trash and other little things that may harm your cattle and deer causing it to become more expensive. The price of fuel has been on the rise for many years this causes a lot of problems to operate modern day tractors. To fill up a medium sized diesel tractor it can run you in the high triple digits that takes a big chip out of your pocket that you could have been spent on other more important things. Antother big thing ranchers have to watch out for their cattle is varmits. Varmits can be a big harm to your cattle, goats and sheep. Coyotes have always been a big problem they love to go after baby cattle, goats, sheep and deer. By being over populated by varmits they can quickly slim down any of your herds making it harder to make money. On the more rare occasion you sometimes might run into a mountain lion that has been taking out your herds. Taking down a full size mountain lion is no walk in the park.


          All in all Texas is and will be filled with myths about pretty much anything. Betty Sue Flowers short story " Why Texas Is The Way It Is" explains the best about the on going Texas myths. It may be a heroic myth, englightment myth, or economic myth but any of those three will and have shaped Texas and it's people. As well as all the problems modern day ranchers encounter everyday is amazing. It might not be the cost of the feed that gets you but the cost of the tractor fuel. As well as it might not be the tractor fuel that will get you but the on going fight with varmits attacking your herds.

Works Cited
        Google Image Result for http://ctmountainlion.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/mtlion.jpg." Google.N.p., n.d. Web. 2 May 2012. <http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=847&tbm=isch&tbnid=

      Smedes, Ty. " Google Image Result for http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/species/graphics/coyote1.jpg." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 May 2012. <http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=847&tbm=

 Shaw , George . " Google Image Result for http://www.tvacres.com/images/gun_crockett.jpg." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 May 2012. http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=847&tbm=

T. C. Richardson and Harwood P. Hinton, "RANCHING," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/azr02), accessed May 02, 2012. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.