I’ve Been Working on the Railroad…

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colorado, colorado railroad museum, engine, history, lincoln rogers, living history, locomotive, museum, narrow gauge, photography, railroad, steam engine, tourism, travel

Lincoln photographing a historic locomotive engine at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, CO. Photo courtesy of Donald Tallman, Executive Director of the Colorado Railroad Museum.

Well… a railroad story, actually!

I am currently working on a story and photos regarding the Colorado Railroad Museum, and Donald Tallman (the Executive Director of the museum) generously sent me this photo he took of me photographing one of the engines on the 15-acre property in Golden, CO.

What a great place to visit! I had an enjoyable time talking with the people there, as well as touring the expansive grounds and photographing all kinds of railroad engines and railroad cars from different eras. I even had a chance to ride in an 1881 coach, while an 1881 steam engine pulled us around the loop on the property. Really cool. The hands-on, experiential history of the state and of the railroad industry that was so crucial to Colorado in those days (especially the narrow gauge railroads), is on full display for all to see there at the museum. I highly recommend it, if you are in the area.

I hope to have the story and photos finished within the next couple of weeks and published in The Fence Post magazine. Thanks for the photo Donald Tallman!

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So What Did You Do On Your Day Off?

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America, bareback, bronc, bucking bronc, casey colletti, cowboy, cowboy life, day off, denver, extreme, extreme sports, horse, rodeo, rodeo all star, rodeo cowboy, sport, tough, untamed, weekend, western, wild

Probably not what Colorado bareback cowboy Casey Colletti did this past Saturday (April 13, 2019)…

Casey Colletti wasn’t in the lineup of competitors for the 2019 Rodeo All Star event held in Denver, CO over the weekend of April 12-13, 2019. But when one of the contestants couldn’t make it, rodeo organizers called Colletti at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday to see if he could drive up from Pueblo, CO and ride some bucking broncs against some of the best competition in the sport.

Forget chores and spring cleaning, Colletti grabbed his gear and arrived in time for the 2:30 p.m. afternoon rodeo. Not content to just show up, Colletti won the afternoon round with an 84-point ride to advance to Saturday night’s championship round where, you guessed it, he rode another bronc for 87 points to win the Saturday night round and move into a head to head match-up against three-time PRCA world champion Will Lowe for a chance at an extra $5,000.00 and the 2019 Rodeo All Star title.

“I’m just happy to be here,” said a smiling Colletti after winning the round on Saturday night and getting ready to ride against Will Lowe for the title. “Being able to go against three time world champion Will Lowe in a shoot out, head to head format.  This is the kind of stuff we live for, you know what I mean?”

In the head to head round, Colletti beat his earlier scores with an 88-point ride on his third bucking bronc of the day. That’s right. Not one bucking bronc, which would send most people crawling to their chiropractor, but three bucking broncs in a single afternoon and evening. Even though his impressive 88 points in the head to head round fell short of Will Lowe’s stunning 90-point ride for the Rodeo All Star title, it is safe to say Colletti’s planned day off was a bit more productive than any of ours.

Pursuing the Good Stuff…

Living Word Devotional – Image copyright Lincoln Rogers. All rights reserved.

It seems like traditional, conservative Christianity today receives a lot of bad press. Are there people who say they are Christians but then don’t follow what the bible says? Yep. But that doesn’t negate the bible. At least not for me.

The bible is filled with references like the one in the photo above, about pursuing righteousness, faith, love and peace. It also states Jesus said (in Matthew 22) the greatest commandment was “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Another reference I love is where it says in Galatians chapter 5 that “the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Seriously, who wouldn’t want to be around people who display those characteristics?

I could go on and on with biblical passages like these. The problem isn’t with the bible or with Jesus Christ. The problem is with people who call themselves Christians, who claim to follow Jesus Christ, but don’t follow what the bible teaches. With people who are more interested in telling others what they are doing wrong than in examining with humility their own relationship with Christ and how far they fall short.

So pursue the good stuff, which the bible says is righteousness, faith, love and peace, all in the context of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In my experience, it is what makes a life worth living.

Owls Are Cool…

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a.a. milner, bird, birds of prey, great horned owl, lincoln rogers, nature, night owl, owl, owls, pooh, pooh bear, predator, wise old owl

A Great Horned Owl looks towards the camera while sitting on a perch during a time of hunting for prey.

I’ve always thought owls are cool. They look great, they’re amazing hunters, and they are symbolic to so many people, as well as people groups.

We had one stop by our house this spring. It perched on a pillar within feet of a large glass sliding door, as it scanned our property for rabbits, birds and/or other varmints. As a result of its perch, we were able to watch it for quite some time, which allowed me to grab a camera and sneak closer while its back was turned. As you can see from the photo, its back wasn’t turned for long.

“Owl,” said Rabbit shortly, “you and I have brains. The others have fluff. If there is any thinking to be done in this Forest–and when I say thinking I mean thinking–you and I must do it.”  ~ A.A. Milner, The House at Pooh Corner.

Welcome Spring!

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attitude, beauty, butterfly, Christian, Christianity, creation, flowers, God, mood, natural, nature, season, seasons, spring, springtime

A beautiful Gulf Fritillary butterfly (Agraulis vanillae) rests on a colorful Lantana plant in the sunshine of a warm Texas day.

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This is a good time of year, that is for certain. Especially in regions where winter means snow and freezing temperatures. More sunshine = warmer temps. Things start to green and grow, while birds return and wildlife becomes more active.

The changing of the seasons is an automatic reminder that we can change, as well. The winters of our attitudes and moods don’t need to continue all year long. Let them warm and green and grow, along with the spring.

Have a good day and God bless.

Lincoln

Ask the animals and the earth…

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animals, baby, beauty, Christian, Christianity, earth, faith, God, grand teton national park, intelligent design, life, national park, natural, nature, wildlife, yellowstone national park

Living Word Devotional. Image copyright Lincoln Rogers – All rights reserved.

Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming, USA) is located just south of Yellowstone National Park. Within that area encompassing those two national parks is some of the most beautiful scenery and wildlife viewing anywhere on earth.

Some people look at all that natural beauty and think it arrived over time by accident. I can’t do that. Just like it says in the book of Job, chapter 12, the animals, the birds, the fish, the earth… everything… speaks to me of a powerful Creator and intelligent design.

I get that plenty of people don’t agree with that. We all get to choose.

My choice is to step back and appreciate the awesome beauty created by the Lord whom Job was talking about. I encourage everyone to visit that area of the USA. Whether or not you believe in an all-powerful Creator, as I do, the majestic beauty of that area will move you.

God bless.

Lincoln

In Honor of a Blizzard…

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bible, blizzard, Christian, Christianity, colorado, devotional, God, lincoln rogers, snow, storm, winter, winter weather, word

The meteorologists in Colorado are saying we are going to get hit with a big blizzard tomorrow (Weds March 13). It sounds like it is going to be about a foot of snow and 50+ mph winds. People went nuts at the stores in preparation. I heard customers at a grocery store talking about how “horrible” it was at a nearby big box store due to the mobs of people and their accompanying rudeness.

It’s just snow, right? In Colorado, we’ve seen this all before. It’s not the end of the world. In fact, if you can bend your mind around the concept, the snow is a blessing. We need the moisture and a lot of families will be able to spend time with each other, since businesses and schools have already announced they are closing for the day.

So, in honor of the beautiful white stuff we’ll see blowing through tomorrow…

Living Word Devotional. Image copyright Lincoln Rogers – All rights reserved.

God bless, be safe, and have a great day.

Lincoln

Living Word Devotional (March 10, 2019)

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bible, Christian, Christianity, devotional, lincoln rogers, photography, pray, quiet time, scripture, word

I hope you are blessed today.

Living Word Devotional – Image copyright Lincoln Rogers. All rights reserved.

A Conversation with Australian Horseman, Dan James

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australia, australian, cowboy, dan james, double dan horsemanship, freestyle reining, horse, horse training, horsemanship, horses, lincoln rogers, National Western Stock Show, reining, riding

Renowned Aussie horse trainer, Dan James, added some showmanship to the last slide aboard Don Magnum in the 2019 $20,000 RAM Invitational Freestyle Reining competition at the National Western Stock Show. If you will notice, James has no bit or bridle on Don Magnum for this slide, having removed them in the middle of the performance.

I was blessed to be able to sit down and have a long conversation with world famous Australian horseman Dan James, while he was at the 2019 National Western Stock Show in Denver, CO (January 2019). The Fence Post magazine published the Q&A back at the end of January. Dan James is not only an amazing horseman, he is also a great person.

I hope you enjoy reading some of the conversation as much as I enjoyed having it with Dan James.

God bless,

Lincoln

Dr. Temple Grandin at the 2019 Rocky Mountain Horse Expo

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autism, autistic, beef industry, colorado, colorado state university, dr. grandin, Dr. Temple Grandin, horse, horses, how animals think, lincoln rogers, lovestock, rocky mountain horse expo, temple grandin, the fence post

My story (and some photos) about Dr. Temple Grandin’s speech at the 2019 Rocky Mountain Horse Expo is now online at The Fence Post’s website. The speech was a good one and I was blessed to be able to sit down afterward and have a one-on-one interview with the world-renowned speaker, author, and Colorado State University professor. Since the 1970’s, her positive impact on the beef industry has been massive and her advocacy for those with autism (like herself) is just as meaningful.

I have put together several articles for different magazines about Dr. Grandin’s speech at the horse expo, and this one focused more on her thoughts and opinions regarding horses. An article focusing more on her thoughts and opinions regarding cattle and the cattle industry will be published soon by Working Ranch Magazine.

I hope you enjoy this article in The Fence Post. God bless.

Lincoln