Showing results by author "John R. Erickson" in All Categories

Jackpot! Hank is the happiest cowdog in the universe when scraptime leaves him with not one but three juicy T-bones. But before Hank has a chance to enjoy his treasure, they disappear! It can only mean one thing - there's a dreaded Bone Monster loose on the ranch. Can Hank put a stop to this devious creature - or will he lose his precious T-bones forever?

It's summertime, and the weather on Hank's West Texas ranch is hot and dry. So dry, in fact, that everyone is on the lookout for prairie fires. So Hank bravely adds the title of Head of Fire Safety to his already impressive list of responsibilities and gets to work. But patrolling for fires is dull, and it's hard to do on an empty stomach. Despite the distractions - desperate hunger, a cruel trick at the hands of Pete the Barncat - Hank somehow manages to stay focused on the job at hand.

It's the first day of quail season, and Plato the Bird Dog is missing. At first, Hank is willing to let him stay lost. But when Beulah pleads for help, Hank caves in and takes off in search of Plato. Before he can catch a scent of spotted bird-dog, he finds himself face-to-face with an angry mother hog and her litter. Can Hank's quick wits help him out of this fix? Or will he become hogmeat?

Talk about a rude awakening! Things go from bad to worse when Hank and Drover wake up in the wee hours of the morning to a full-fledged invasion of the ranch. It's the coyotes, and they're set on making a take-out dinner out of the resident cat, Pete. But, when Hank does Pete a favor and prepares to join him in what promises to be the next great Battle of the Alamo, things take an even more unexpected turn. The coyotes catch sight of Drover and decide to kidnap him instead!

Slim’s phone doesn’t ring very often, so on the rare occasions that it does, he’s usually in for an adventure! This time it’s a search and rescue operation for Miss Viola’s father, Woodrow, who went missing while making his daily rounds of the pastures. Unfortunately, the mission led by Hank, Slim, and Deputy Kile comes to a screeching halt when an unexpected Texas downpour turns the ranch roads to mud and strands their vehicles in a ditch. Now, it’s up to Viola to save the day and get the search team back on track.

Hank runs into a dispute with a giant bullfrog over the Emerald Pond. Then, there's a battle with a...well, let's just say a monster. It's too scary to even tell what kind of monster it is! However, things get really tough when Hank is entrusted with the job of guarding Little Alfred's soon-to-be prize winning chicks.

In this exciting case, Hank falls victim to a series of sneaky schemes: first, a Turkey Debacle endangers his relationship with Sally May, then, a case of poisoning puts him at death's doornail, and finally, a disastrous ride to town almost finishes him off. As each terrible event takes its toll on his reputation - not to mention his dignity - Hank begins to notice a pattern. Could it be that an evil mastermind is behind these plots?

It's winter in the Texas Panhandle, and the ranch is covered in snow and ice. So when Sally May sets off for town, Hank decides to follow Pete the Barncat's advice and bravely escorts her car down the slick road. Before Hank realizes what's happening, Sally May's car skids into a snowdrift - and she is angrier than ever!

Hank is helping the cowboys with the dangerous mission of rounding up a very angry bull when a strange twist of events brings a yellow Labrador onto the scene. The entire ranch quickly becomes enamored with this new addition to the ranch's Security Division. Who wouldn't love a good-natured dog who strikes fear into the hearts of angry bovines, wears a big sloppy grin all day, and adores the ranch kids? Where will Hank fit in now that there is a Perfect Dog on the scene? Hank sings a little thing called "Happy Dog", and the yellow Labrador sings his story in "Happy's Confession".

Prairie Gothic is full of Texas lore. Erickson tells the story of people in the context of a specific place. This place, instrumental in shaping their lives, is the flatland prairie of northwestern Texas that has gone by various names (High Plains, South Plains, Staked Plains, and Llano Estacado). One branch of Erickson's family arrived in Texas in 1858. Erickson's family interacts with significant historical figures, such as Cynthia Ann Parker, and includes members of the Estacado Quaker colony.

Hank couldn't be more thrilled when Beulah the Collie comes to the ranch looking for help. It turns out her beau, Plato the Bird Dog, has wandered off in search of the elusive Great White Quail. With Plato out of the picture, Hank is convinced that he'll finally be able to win Beulah's affections. So he takes up the mission, hoping to score some points with his beloved.

Who lived in Texas over a thousand years ago? In Porch Talk, John Erickson and his archaeologist friend Doug Boyd investigate this question while explaining the art and science of archaeology for middle listeners. On the Perryton ranch, John and his friends unearthed a ghost town that dated back to around 1300 CE. For more than twenty years, they worked together on this and other prehistoric sites, sharing a fascination for the ancient people who occupied the area. How did these people work, play, and survive?

Evocatively chronicled, Erickson tells what it is like trying to stop the unstoppable. Bad Smoke, Good Smoke gives voice to the particular pains that ranchers must face in our era of climate change and ever more powerful natural disasters.