“Dan Bell is widely recognized in Arizona for his expertise in renewable natural resources. He holds a degree in range management from the University of Arizona and cares passionately about preserving the environment of his family’s ranch. So he advised the biologist and bridge design teams that if his cattle were not allowed to eat down the willow shoots around the stream, willow trees would flourish and soak up the limited flow of water, resulting in no stream, Read More …
“One morning Dan’s father, George, decided to go out and check the pumps at the various ranch wells. He parked his pick up at the first pump. Suddenly a helicopter zoomed over the surrounding boulders. Presuming it was Border Patrol, Dan’s father waved, checked the pump and then drove up a small canyon to check two more pups. The helicopter followed his route, hovering over him as he stepped from his truck. Again he waved, checked pumps, and Read More …
“When the Bells originally bought this ranch, their first foreman, Val Cason, had worked for the notorious Mexican bandito Pancho Villa. As I settle into the ranch house in this southeastern corner of Arizona, I have a few fleeting thoughts about the old Wild West movies I saw as a boy: the shootouts, galloping posses kicking up dust, and banditos threatening villages. I wonder why no one else is staying with me at the hacienda; it seems to Read More …
“The Cowboys are on horseback, herding the cattle to higher ground toward me. Hooves scrape against rocks a half-mile away, and coyotes howl in a dark canyon to the west canyon to the west. Chills run up my back as I think what else might be lurking over the southern hill. I’m glad the darkness is dissipating as a warm sun rises in the east. Even the Wild West of the Bell Ranch the morning brings a quite Read More …