Beyond Boundaries · Essays and Tidbits From Nancy Bo Flood

Cowboy hats provide fashion and function

February 18, 2016

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…

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Erosion’s collaborator for nature’s sandstone wonders

February 16, 2016

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. 

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A rich tradition of women photographing rodeo

February 11, 2016

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…

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Rodeo thrives, from south to north!

February 9, 2016

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…

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Women in rodeo: a decades-old tradition

February 4, 2016

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…

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Sand to Stone and Back Again by Nancy Bo Flood

Discover Tony Kuyper’s unforgettable sandstone portraits

February 2, 2016

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…

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sand bottle

Sand in bottles? Andrew Clemens made mind-boggling art

January 28, 2016

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…

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A Cowboy’s Prayer extends beyond rodeo

January 26, 2016

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…

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Do you remember this water song by The Beatles?

January 21, 2016

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…

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Water led Helen Keller to the world of words

January 19, 2016

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…

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A whole town made of sandstone?

January 14, 2016

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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A candy cane you’ll never be able to eat

January 12, 2016

In Sand to Stone and Back Again, I loved sharing my discovery of candy-cane columns. These striped sandstone creations would have been popular in December! Peek at a festive formation found…

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