Posts by Nancy Bo Flood
Rio Sonora: A water song of hope and change
In 2014, a chemical spill at the Grupo Mexico copper mine created an environmental nightmare. The Rio Sonora became a river of acid. Farming, the dairy industry, wildlife and municipal…
Read MoreRodeo entrants look and feel good in chaps
Fringed pants with no seats. Seatless pants?!? What are chaps? This cowboy apparel has real uses beyond stylish looks. Here’s a tribute to chaps, with a definition for “chinks,” the…
Read MoreWhat’s that icy rodeo treat called?
Shaved ice. Shave ice. Snow cones. No matter what you call it, the treat tastes great on a summer day. At rodeos and elsewhere, the icy wonders are gobbled. Eating…
Read MoreCowboy hats provide fashion and function
Young rodeo entrants might think of a cowboy hat only as a fashion statement. But back in the 1800s, it was used for comfort and protection. Take a look at…
Read MoreErosion’s collaborator for nature’s sandstone wonders
In 2014, scientists learned that sandstone landmarks like Utah’s Rainbow Bridge may have a simpler explanation than ever imagined. Gravity’s pressure may be the architecture for each sand structure.
Read MoreA rich tradition of women photographing rodeo
While writing Cowboy Up! Riding the Navajo Rodeo, I became enthralled by the book’s rodeo photography, all taken by gifted photographer Jan Sonnemair. Because of Jan, I was delighted to see…
Read MoreRodeo thrives, from south to north!
The Navajo nation is just one hotbed of weekly rodeo action during the season. Throughout North America, rodeo remains popular. One epic event happens in in Alberta, Canada: the Calgary…
Read MoreWomen in rodeo: a decades-old tradition
Don’t think that rodeo just started being a sport for males AND females. Proof comes from the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association, founded in 1948. News from WPRA events is extra…
Read MoreDiscover Tony Kuyper’s unforgettable sandstone portraits
In my book Sand to Stone and Back Again, Tony Kuyper captured the amazing photos of nature’s artworks. Tony hasn’t stopped photographing landscapes. Here’s a great retrospective of his other…
Read Moresoldier sister, fly home
Fourteen-year-old Tess is having a hard enough time understanding what it means to be part white and part Navajo, but now she’s coping with her sister Gaby’s announcement that she’s going to enlist and fight in the Iraq war. Gaby’s decision comes just weeks after the news that Lori Piestewa, a member of their community, is the first Native American woman in US history to die in combat, adding to Tess’s stress and emotions. While Gaby is away, Tess reluctantly cares for her sister’s semi-wild stallion, Blue, who will teach Tess how to deal with tragic loss and guide her own journey of self-discovery.
Read MoreSand in bottles? Andrew Clemens made mind-boggling art
Andrew Clemens, an Iowa deaf mute, knew his sands. He collected colored sands (42 in all) from his own state to arrange into bottles forming pictures. His few surviving artworks…
Read MoreA Cowboy’s Prayer extends beyond rodeo
On page 12 of Cowboy Up! Ride the Navajo Rodeo, I share a version of “A Cowboy’s Prayer” I heard shared during the Grand Entry of a Navajo rodeo. The…
Read MoreDo you remember this water song by The Beatles?
In 1966, John Lennon tired of people complaining about the weather. With Paul McCartney, the song Rain was born. See and hear it here, in one of three promotional films…
Read MoreWater led Helen Keller to the world of words
Imagine not speaking. Not hearing. However, you still learn your first word. You feel it. That’s the power of water. Visit that famous water pump that introduced a new world…
Read MoreA whole town made of sandstone?
Anyone who ever watched the cartoon The Flintstones knows that everything in the town was made of rock. How about Sandstone, Minnesota? Not quite. However, the town was named after…
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