b"table of contentsApril 2021 from the Publisher5Ask the Vet: The Coggins Test LIFE IS GOOD, SO LIVE ITI was telling a story the other day about being 8 The Old Storyteller: Memories of at one of our 96.3 Real Country Balloon Tonto RimThe Arrival Festivals at the Cardinals Stadium a few years back. As I was working along, one of the 12Lee Anderson: Did You Know, balloon pilots asked if I would like to go up In the Old West. 8 with her in the balloon. My answer was heck no, but thank you. She said ok but told me that I have two choices, 14Wild Rose Horse Obstacle Contestsgo up in the balloon 17The Arizona Duuude: Bob Waldmire, and have a fun ride or in an hour or two wish I would have gone up. My answer Route 66 Celebrity stayed the same until five minutes before take-off. The staff said they could handle19News from Copper State Peruvian everything so I ran over and asked if I Paso Club could change my mind and go, she said hop in and I did. We started to ascend 20Bill Roberts: Turning Point in Arizona and I had my legs spread way apart with my feet on the very edge 12 Indian Wars, Part 1 of each side of the basket. For some reason, I thought the bottom might fall out and I would get a parachuting experience without a parachute. Yes, that was what I was worried about. However, ten 24AZ Road Trip: Gila Bend minutes into the ride I was leaning over the edge of the basket 26Crossword / Sudoku / Cowboy Comics taking pictures and having a great time. When we landed a couple of hours later, she handed me a certificate for my balloon experience. 28Arizona Real Country Equine Supply Source 20 How grateful I was to have been 30DIY: Planting Season offered the ride and taken it. Yes, I31 A View of the Zoo: Rare South American Tapir was living life!Born at Wildlife World Zoo! Last week I was at the Flying E Ranch in Wickenburg and a group was going 32Financial Focus: Resilience Is Key to Meeting on a side by side adventure. They asked if I would like to go along. Again my answer was no, I had work that needed to be done. As Financial Goals they were getting ready to leave they asked me one more time if I 35 COVER STORY: America the Beautifulwanted to go. This time I said yes please and jumped in one of the side by sides. About two minutes into the ride I began thinking just 39Jim & Bobbi Jeen Olson: Collector's Cornerstop, let me out, I will walk back and go back to work. What on earth Winchesters of the West am I doing wasting time like this? 40 A Bite of Country: Moms Real Country Recipes 39 Four hours later we arrived back at the ranch. From that moment 43A Cowboy Rests in Heaven: Frank Earle Shankwitz on all I could talk about was what happened on the ride and how 44Alan Rockman: So Was He, Bass Reeves, much fun I had. I had stories to tell about the beautiful scenery, The Real Lone Ranger? Part 2 the interesting information Jamie gave us about the desert and the vegetation, and about the stop at the working copper mine where 50Glendale Equestrian Ride Report I met Joyce who was a hoot. She had great stories and she gave us 51From the Back of the Box instructions on how they did the mining. Of course, we purchased some of her handmade copper 52Justin Legler: Hell Froze Over, Is That jewelry. How happy I was that I did not back out on the ride.Crude Oil or Butane, Canceled CultureJust the other day someone asked 54 Running the Race: Love Your Neighbor me if I wanted to enter the BULL 554-H: Arizona Youth Compete in the RIDING competition and did 31 First Arizona Fall Dairy Classic their best to try and talk me into it. I said no, you know my pattern 57 Recollections of a Cowboy: 40 by now, and then just before they cut off the entryI still said NO!Gambling, Cowboy-Style So what opportunities get put in 61Classified Ads front of you? Do you think about it, refuse it, or get out and do it? 62 Taking Care of Business: LIFE IS GOOD, SO WHAT ARE Special Advertiser Section YOU DOING TO LIVE IT.63 Advertiser Index64April 2021 Calendar65Charity of the Month: Hall of51 Flame Museum of Firefighting Mike Barna, Publisher 65 ArizonaRealCountryMagazine@gmail.com4 April 2021"