“A Drifting Cowboy's Yarns & Tall Tales“
Jerry England's personal adventures, as chronicled in the collection A Drifting Cowboy's Yarns & Tall Tales on his blog, paint a vivid portrait of a life steeped in the rugged, nomadic ethos of the American West—blending hands-on equestrian escapades, youthful frontier-style explorations, and reflective pursuits in art, history, and family legacy.
Rather than sensationalized exploits, these yarns emphasize a grounded, enduring passion for horses, open landscapes, and self-reliant living, often shared nostalgically for his grandsons' edification.
At their core, the stories reveal a man who views himself as inherently "a cowboy at heart," shaped by both direct experiences and an inherited fur trade and ranching heritage spanning 12 generations across North America.
Key facets of his adventures include:
Youthful Mountain Idylls in the 1950s Sierra Nevada: At age 15, the author relocated from urban Los Angeles to a remote, wood-heated cabin near Oakhurst, California, embracing a semi-wild existence amid Yosemite's shadows. Daily life involved chopping oak and pine for the fireplace, drilling wells for water and livestock, hunting deer and quail with a revolver and rifle from horseback, and fly-fishing for trout in the Fresno River just steps from home. Riding his red-dun gelding Sandy along forested trails or Highway 41, he navigated bear sightings at the dump, power outages lit by candlelight, and grueling school bus commutes through snow—adventures that felt like "heaven" for a horse-loving teen, fostering resilience and a deep bond with the land.
Decades of Equestrian Cowboy Life in California: Over 25 years in Chatsworth, the author immersed himself in a full-spectrum cowboy routine, logging thousands of trail rides, parade marches, and horse-camping outings across the West. He owned a rotating herd of equine companions—like the long-lived paint Zinger (ridden in ocean surf at Morro Bay), the Montana-bred Sunup, and the competitive Quarter Horse Kasidy May (partner in mounted shooting events spanning Arizona to Colorado). These escapades extended to organizing the annual "Chatsworth Day of the Horse" event, trading vintage saddles and trappings, and weathering herd life through wind, illness, and loss, all while balancing family caregiving amid health challenges in his late 70s.
Creative and Reflective Wanderings: Beyond the saddle, adventures unfold through canoeing echoes of his voyageur ancestors, crafting cowboy folk art (e.g., "Cowboy Chic" furniture inspired by Western films), and authoring books like Reel Cowboys of the Santa Susanas on Hollywood ranch locations. A formative 1950 visit to a Montana "stump ranch" ignited his lifelong fixation, teaching him to ride amid tales of Lewis and Clark, while genealogy dives connect his carpentry, soldiering, and writing to ancestral blacksmiths, teamsters, and trappers—framing modern drifts as continuations of that legacy.
Overall, these tales evoke a drifting yet rooted odyssey: not of outlaws or gunfights, but of quiet mastery over horses and history, where personal grit meets cultural reverence, underscoring the author's wry conviction that he "should've been a cowboy" all along. (courtesy of Grok AI)
MOLESWORTH INSPIRED FURNITURE by Jerry England (1989-2002)
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2021/04/cowboy-chic-funiture-by-lure-of-dim.html
Cowboy Culture -- Mormon Canyon Trail
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/12/cowboy-culture-mormon-canyon-trail.html
Cowboy Culture -- Recollections of Mountain Living
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2013/07/cowboy-culture-recollections-of-1950s.html
Cowboy Legacy -- First Deer Hunt
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/11/cowboy-legacy-first-deer-hunt.html
Cowboy Culture -- A boy, a river, and a fox in a box
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cowboy-culture-boy-river-and-fox-in-box.html
Cowboy Legacy -- Be all you can
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cowboy-legacy-be-all-you-can.html
Cowgirls love jet pilots -- especially when they call you mom
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/12/cowgirls-love-jet-pilots-especially.html
Father and son Western history adventure
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/10/father-and-son-western-history.html
What does a Chemical Neurobiologist and an old Cowboy have in common?
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/10/what-does-chemical-neurobiologist-and.html
Growing up cowboy -- in the San Fernando Valley
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/10/growing-up-cowboy-in-san-fernando.html
Cowboy Legacy -- Great-grandsons of the West
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cowboy-legacy-great-grandsons-of-west.html
Cowboy Culture -- Making of a cowgirl
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cowboy-culture-making-of-cowgirl.html
Happy Independence Day [2012]
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/07/happy-independence-day.html
Cowboy Legacy, Family & Ancestry
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/12/cowboy-legacy-family-ancestry.html
Cowboy Legacy -- Pistol Packin' Momma
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/12/cowboy-legacy-pistol-packin-momma.html
Cowboy Culture -- And the soccer tribe
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cowboy-culture-and-soccer-tribe.html
Cowboy Culture -- Living fifty years with coach dogs
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/12/cowboy-culture-living-fifty-years-with.html
COGGESHALL — FROM JOLLY OL’ ENGLAND TO WILD WEST MONTANA
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2021/03/coggeshall-from-jolly-ol-england-to.html
Sporting Collectibles -- Canoes
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2022/08/sporting-collectibles-canoes.html
CHATSWORTH MOVIES — updated 2024
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2023/05/chatsworth-movies-updated-links.html
The Trade... Papoose Board for a Winchester
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-trade-paiute-cradleboard-winchester.html
NOSTALGIC LOOK BACK AT WALNUT ACRES (aka Woodland Hills, CA) between 1953 - 1957
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2023/12/nostalgic-look-back-at-walnut-acres-aka.html
JOHN BATTERSON STETSON (1830-1906) THE INVENTOR OF THE COWBOY HAT
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2023/04/john-batterson-stetson1830-1906.html
SHOULD’VE BEEN A COWBOY
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2024/05/shouldve-been-cowboy.html
2024 Chatsworth Holiday Parade
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2024/12/2024-chatsworth-holiday-parade.html
Chatsworth's Garden of the Gods Park
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2025/01/chatsworths-garden-of-gods-park.html
AHWAHNEE IS AN INTERESTING WORD
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2025/01/ahwahnee-is-interesting-word.html
LIFE, LIBERTY, AND PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2025/02/life-liberty-and-pursuit-of-happiness.html
MARIPOSA TRAIL
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2025/02/mariposa-trail.html
THE SCOURGE OF THE WEST
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-scourge-of-west.html
OL' SUNUP
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2025/02/sunup.html
MEMORIES OF OL' MONTANA
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2025/02/memories-of-ol-montana.html
THE ANOMALY
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-anomaly_97.html
WHERE’D YOU GET THOSE WOOLY CHAPS?
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2025/01/whered-you-get-those-wooly-chaps.html
NOSTALGIA AND RIDING DEVIL'S CANYON, CHATSWORTH
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2025/01/nostalgia-and-riding-devils-canyon.html
CHATSWORTH AND HORSES, 25 YEARS LATER
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2025/01/chatsworth-and-horses-25-years-later.html
SOMETIMES MY SON IS GOOD KARMA
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2025/01/sometimes-my-son-is-good-karma.html
British Legacy -- Collecting antique woodworking tools
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/01/british-legacy-collecting-antique.html
Bronco Billy
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/04/bronco-billy.html
Memorial Day -- Honoring those who gave everything
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/05/memorial-day-honoring-those-who-gave.html
Family history mystery photographs
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/06/family-history-mystery-photographs.html
Museum of the San Fernando Valley
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/08/museum-of-san-fernando-valley.html
Horses and Movies Forever linked
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/08/horses-and-movies-forever-linked.html
San Fernando Valley Horses and Movies Are Forever Linked
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/08/san-fernando-valley-horses-and-movies.html
Cowboy Mounted Shooting only has two enemies, rust and liberal politicians
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/10/cowboy-mounted-shooting-only-has-two.html
Have you ever played Cowboys and Eskimos?
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/10/have-you-ever-played-cowboys-and.html
Cowboy Wisdom -- Why carry a sharp knife
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/10/best-way-to-untie-panicked-horse-is.html
Whiskey and horses don't mix -- tequila might kill you
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/10/whiskey-and-horses-dont-mix-tequila.html
Canadian whiskey and the paint mare
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/10/canadian-whiskey-and-paint-mare.html
Growing up cowboy -- in the San Fernando Valley
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/10/growing-up-cowboy-in-san-fernando.html
Cowabunga -- the surf's up, dude
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/10/cowabunga-surfs-up-dude.html
Cowboy Culture -- Horses vs Houses
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/10/cowboy-culture-horses-vs-houses.html
Cowboy Culture -- Cowboy's lament
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/10/cowboy-culture-cowboys-lament.html
Cowboy Culture -- Unlikely compañeros
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cowboy-culture-unlikely-companeros.html
Cowboy Wisdom -- Don't use a mare to lead a pack string
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cowboy-wisdom-dont-use-mare-to-lead.html
Cowboy Legacy -- Belgian horses
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cowboy-legacy-belgian-horses.html
Cowboy Culture -- working cowboys
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cowboy-culture-working-cowboys.html
Good 'Uns -- horses, trails, and friends
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/good-uns-horses-trails-and-friends.html
Cowboy Culture -- Metrolink trains
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cowboy-culture-metrolink-trains.html
Cowboy curiosity -- Little horses, big personalities
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cowboy-curiosity-little-horses-big.html
Cowboy Culture -- Tony Alvis was the genuine article
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cowboy-culture-tony-alvis-was-genuine.html
Cowboy Culture -- A "bombproof horse" anyone can ride
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cowboy-culture-bombproof-horse-anyone.html
Cowboy Wisdom -- Halters and horse sense
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cowboy-wisdom-halters-and-horse-sense.html
Cowboy Culture -- My 777 plan
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cowboy-culture-my-777-plan.html
Cowboy Culture -- First time in a pasture
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cowboy-culture-first-time-in-pasture.html
Cowboy Culture -- Zinger a son of Far Ute Keno
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cowboy-culture-zinger-son-of-far-ute.html
Learning about Blackfeet and Buffalo
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/learning-about-blackfeet-and-buffalo.html
A rose between two thorns -- and other interesting characters
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/rose-between-two-thorns-and-other.html
Cowboy Wisdom -- The most dangerous horse
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/12/cowboy-wisdom-most-dangerous-horse.html
Cowboy Wisdom -- Horse sense or credit where it isn't always due
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/12/cowboy-wisdom-horse-sense-or-credit.html
Cowboy Wisdom -- Speak softly and carry a big stick
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/12/cowboy-wisdom-speak-softly-and-carry.html
They don't make cowboys like Joe Beeler anymore
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/12/they-dont-make-cowboys-like-joe-beeler.html
Barn Dances -- I've been to a few
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/12/barn-dances-ive-been-to-few.html
Cowboy Heroes -- Jo Mora
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/12/cowboy-heroes-jo-mora_13.html
Cowboy Heroes -- Charles Marion Russell
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/12/cowboy-heroes-charles-marion-russell.html
Cowboy Wisdom -- Never trust a ground-tied pack mule
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/12/cowboy-wisdom-never-trust-ground-tied.html
Cowboy bars, saloons, and watering holes, but not honky-tonks
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/12/cowboy-bars-saloons-and-watering-holes.html
New owner at the "Crossroads Saloon"
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/12/new-owner-at-crossroads-saloon.html
Never miss a chance to tell a good tall tale
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/01/never-miss-chance-to-tell-good-tall.html
Cowboy Wisdom -- High altitude conditioning for horses
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/01/cowboy-wisdom-high-altitude.html
Cowboy Culture -- Getting back to my roots at Parada del Sol
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/01/cowboy-culture-getting-back-to-my-roots.html
Miles City, Montana -- Range Rider Museum
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/01/miles-city-montana-range-rider-museum.html
Wild horses and the "Loneliest Road in America"
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/01/wild-horses-and-loneliest-road-in.html
Road trip -- White Sulphur Springs, Montana
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/01/road-trip-white-sulphur-springs-montana.html
Cowboy Culture -- Six degrees of separation and Baleyn
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/01/cowboy-culture-six-degrees-of.html
Cowboy Wisdom -- Beware of shape-shiftin' trails
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/01/cowboy-wisdom-beware-of-shape-shiftin.html
Cowboy Culture -- Songs of the range
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/02/cowboy-culture-songs-of-range.html
Sunday, April 22 -- Chatsworth`s Day of The Horse
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/04/sunday-april-22-chatsworths-day-of.html
Museum of the San Fernando Valley
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/08/museum-of-san-fernando-valley.html
Horses and Movies Forever linked
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/08/horses-and-movies-forever-linked.html
San Fernando Valley Horses and Movies Are Forever Linked
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/08/san-fernando-valley-horses-and-movies.html
Best Cowboy Knife Ever -- Buck Horseman's Knife
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/10/best-cowboy-knife-ever-buck-horsemans.html
Cowboy Heroes -- Philip R. Goodwin
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/12/cowboy-heroes-philip-r-goodwin.html
Cowboy Wisdom -- Avoid Bees
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2013/01/cowboy-wisdom-avoid-bees.html
Cowboy Collectibles -- Watches and Fobs
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2013/01/cowboy-collectibles-watches-and-fobs.html
Cowboy Wisdom -- Carry your Six-Gun On An Empty Chamber
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2013/01/cowboy-wisdom-carry-your-six-gun-on.html
Cowboy Collectibles -- Horse Themed Watch Fobs
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2013/03/cowboy-collectibles-horse-themed-watch.html
Cowboy Wisdom -- Trail Tack Repairs
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2013/06/cowboy-wisdom-trail-tack-repairs.html
Cowboy Wisdom -- Good-Bye Old Pal
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2013/10/cowboy-wisdom-good-bye-old-pal.html
Chinese (zodiac) Year of the Horse
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2013/12/chinese-zodiac-year-of-horse.html
Learning To Ride A Horse -- Safely
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2013/06/learning-to-ride-horse-safely.html
Adios Cash, vaya con Dios
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2014/03/adios-cash-vaya-con-dios.html
Horse Themed Watch Fob -- Woodbury Whips
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2014/01/horse-themed-watch-fob-woodbury-whips.html
Cowboy Collectibles -- More Horse Themed Watch Fobs
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2015/09/cowboy-collectibles-more-horse-themed.html
Visiting Col. William F. Cody's TE Ranch
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2015/04/visiting-col-william-f-codys-te-ranch.html
A Cowboy's Answer To The Eternal Question
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2015/02/a-cowboys-answer-to-eternal-question.html
Meetin' Wild Bill On His Calabasas Ranch
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2015/02/meetin-wild-bill-on-his-calabasas-ranch.html
Hey Cowboy -- Sometimes Karma is a Bitch
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2015/01/hey-cowboy-sometimes-karma-is-bitch.html
Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Art in my DNA
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2016/12/pennsylvania-dutch-folk-art-in-my-dna.html
12' Pack & 14' Hunter -- Discontinued Old Town Canoes
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2016/04/12-pack-14-hunter-discontinued-old-town.html
Cowboy Wisdom -- Canoe Trolling For Trout
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2016/02/cowboy-wisdom-canoe-trolling-for-trout.html
Tribute to ol' Montana
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2019/11/seeking-my-last-best-place.html
End of an era and a cowboy lifestyle
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2019/08/end-of-era-and-cowboy-lifestyle.html
1969 - 2013, PROFESSIONAL HOME BUILDER
https://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2025/01/1969-2013-professional-home-builder.html
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