One of the Drumheller area’s true cowboys is inviting readers to take a journey into the life of a prairie cowboy.
Local rancher and farmer Don Howard just finished his autobiography, Under the Cow Patty, and is inviting everyone to take a read.
The book details his life, adventures, and some of the interesting people he has met over the years.
Don Howard proudly holds his recently finished autobiography, Under the Cow Patty. Howard tells of his life living on the prairies, his involvement in music, the interesting people he’s met, and peppers the book with humorous events. Howard will be at The Drumheller Mail on Friday, November 29, 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., to sign copies of his book.
“It goes through a little history about our family and I’ve tried to keep some humour in there. Some is our family life as we went along. Other parts are about the people we met. There some not-so-happy times, but mostly happy times. There’s also a chapter in there that’s pure nonsense,” said Howard.
Music has always been a large part of Howard’s life and much of the book is dedicated to his years of involvement in Drumheller’s musical landscape.
“Music has been a big part of my life and there’s a long chapter on some of the musicians that have been in the area. I’ve been playing since I was eight years-old. Sometimes it gets intense and other times it slows down and is a bit more sporadic,” said Howard.
Howard, who is now 74, came up with the idea during the long days in the combine.
“I’ve always enjoyed autobiographies. I started two years ago, thinking about it on the combine. I thought I had a bit to tell and I've met some interesting people in my life. I started jotting things down, but I left it for awhile. Then I came back to finish it,” said Howard.
He also chose to write in memory of his daughter-in-law.
“One of the main reasons I wrote was in memory of Tanya, our daughter-in-law. She was a nurse and instrumental in starting the Relay for Life. In the midst of it, she had a tumour and died, so I wanted to do something for her,” said Howard.
Howard has been living near Munson since 1944. Throughout the years and many adventures, he’s kept his family farm and ranch going strong.
“We’re still running some cows and farm a little grain. We’re active with horses and cattle,” said Howard.
Howard will be at The Drumheller Mail on Friday, November 29, 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., to sign copies of his book and encourages people to stop by, pick up a copy, and chat.
“I think there are some things that will interest a lot of people. There’s a lot of local people in there, too, especially when it comes to the music,” said Howard. “I’m excited. It’s a good feeling.”
