Mark Ponyboy Peters

@Lynx003 thank you. Even though I've written that whole Thompson ville series, I've always said I didn't want to write the same story over and over again, so I thought it's time to switch it up again 😁

Ahhhhh ... I seem to recall, back when I was a boy, we had a thing called Rice-a-Riso ... something similar that was a rice based meal with all the flavours, rice, dried vegetables, a one pot meal you just added chicken or mince or whatever you wanted. Cheap but tasty, as I recall. No idea if it's still available these days though.

@CincyKris thank you! Yes, I guess if you don't have the "baggage" of having watched the entire series, you won't have any preformed opinions about the characters! I can see that will be of great benefit to the newbies . . . of which I am finding there are MANY! lol I can guarantee you no murders, political intrigue, drug running or anything of that nature. Nobody will be visiting the Train Station. And no animals will be harmed in the making of this story ( . . . or at least I don't think there will be . . .). Thanks for diving in!

@Lozza thanks for that. Most of the music I listen to these days is on YouTube ... rarely listen to the radio or watch a lot of free to air TV.

@Summerabbacat I try not to get into discussions about horses from different eras. All any of them can do is win against their contemporaries, and if they can dominate against them, then that's all they can do. The only way you can compare between ages is times, but even then there are so many variables (track conditions, weather etc etc) so that's not easy either. On Winx, I don't necessarily agree with the argument people put forward about her not beating quality opposition. The exact same argument can be said about horses from other eras. She beat the best international horses they could throw at her, and the best we had. We've had a lot of good horses race here in recent years. I hold Winx, Makybe Diva, Black Caviar and Sunline as the greatest we've seen in the modern era. But hey, that's just one mug punters opinion! HAHAHA On a brighter note ... look up the run of UNLEESHING at Randwick today, in winning the Group 3 Angst Stakes. I'm one of her many owners, so today was a very happy day for this little black duck!!!

@Summerabbacat popularity is relative. If you compare country music to mainstream pop/rock, then yes, sales probably aren't going to compare, but that doesn't mean country isn't popular. There are various radio shows/stations that tend to cater to country. Personally, growing up in the country, exposed to country music, anyone will be aware of it, and chances are, gravitate towards it. There aren't too many Aussie country artists I'm a huge fan of, but I grew up with a lot of country playing --- as well as all the pop and rock that I was exposed to at school --- but being a country kid, I guess country won! LOL As country artists, I don't think there have been bigger sellers in Oz than Kenny Rogers, and Garth Brooks maybe, but there are a LOT of artists that are very popular here. And any of the BIG stars from the US, they sell out their stadium tours here just as quickly as the popular mainstream acts do. They just don't seem to be as 'in your face' as the big pop acts.

@Summerabbacat far too many variables to consider. The weather, of course, and then whether or not the truck/trailer is open of partly or fully enclosed. Will you need to have rugs on them? Or do you need vents/windows open? And of course, circumstances can change even on a trip, so be prepared to adjust your plans.. The biggest problem with long trips is circulation, which can then lead to leg/feet issues, so breaks on really long trips are very important.

@Summerabbacat yeah ... 6 to 8 hours is more than enough for a single truck/trailer trip for a horse. After that you can start having issues.

@drsawzall I'd like to think that we all can learn from our experiences!

I'm just not sure if the kids name was ever mentioned. The graphic was one I found online, which I did tweak a little. Jamie had a fling with the kids mother, but they never married. Hope that helps. MP

Thank you @Philippe Not having seen it here in Oz I was kind of flying blind when I saw it in the show, so was guessing a little. It was a great scene. I used to love how Beth and Rip would be arguing, or they would be arguing with the other family members and everything would be going to shit, with just John Dutton and Carter sitting there wondering what the fuck was going on. (lol) And of course, Carter always asking for more. The Carter / John Dutton relationship was an interesting one ... the tough rancher, the loud-mouth street kid with attitude. They kind of complimented each other. I also loved the way that Carter was gradually brought into the family, with the parenting instincts of both Rip and Beth gradually emerging.....

@Summerabbacat oh yes, I know of George Straight . . . he is the undisputed King Country Music in the US of A . . . even revered as a God to some! He also starred in a great country music movie called Pure Country. I could go on, but I won't bore you! lol You'll find that Rip is a man of many surprises. Just when you think you have him figured out, he comes out and does something, or says something, that will surprise you. Just how he reacts if/when Carter steps out for the first time, only time will tell! 😜 I'm getting some extra help with this one, an American friend @Bensiamin who is familiar with the lingo and the region, so between the three of us, hopefully we'll be able to get things close enough to being right!

A looong, looong time @Ivor Slipper

-- Chapter Two -- The sun had only just cleared the horizon the next morning, when Rip and his coffee mug stepped outside onto the flagstone verandah along the front of their home, on the new Dutton Ranch. Beth was still in bed, and Carter would be joining him soon, before they began their day; which would be filled with the start of preparations that would be needed before they began their long haul north for the branding. As he settled into his favourite chair, Rip heard the familiar

@Summerabbacat I can't really do two a week just at the moment --- at least until I have some more chapters in the bank. Next chapter will go live tonight, then for chapter 3 (almost finished) I'm working on it going up Wednesday. That would give 3 chapters every fortnight ... one every 5 days or so. I'll see how that goes for starters ... at least until I have some more up my sleeve. So that'll make it Monday --- Friday --- Wednesday ... rinse and repeat!

@Summerabbacat ohhhhh . . . . . harsh!!! LOL

Haha ... I remember it well. It was a hit, but I still thought it was shit! What year was it? 80's I think, maybe? There was some 'questi9able' performances through that era! lol

Errr ... no, I haven't tried it. Something that you mix with mins, I think, to make beef patties! It's kind of a running gag thought the show!

OK, first things first ... you really need to watch the show to truly appreciate Beth!!! She is the toughest, most potty-mouthed, rough-n-tumble princess you will ever come across. Take no shit from ANYONE ... and will kill for family! You have been warned! LOL Next... Jamie ... yes, he is deceased, but the only people who actually knows this are those involved with killing him (it WAS self defence!) and the person who helped clean up the mess. To the rest of the world, Attorney General Jamie Dutton is just "missing" ... apparently consumed by the grief surrounding the assassination of his father ... There, that'll have to do! LOL Rest assured, this story won't plunge into the same murky depths as the original ... but heaven help anyone who lays a finger on Beth's baby boy! 😁

Yes, watched it on Streaming ... and bought the DVD's of the whole series! And some of the spin-off series (so far). Yes, Evelyn was dead before the series started. Lee died right near the beginning of the series. There are lots of "flashbacks" with older dead characters appearing, which fills in the gaps. From memory Evelyn was killed in a horse riding accident and Beth felt guilty about it. There are also flashbacks with current characters (Rip, Beth and Jamie in particular) from when they were kids, largely about events from those times that help shape the current

Unless you were a real fan you probably wouldn't have heard too many other CDB songs. 'Still In Saigon' was probably their only other big hit on the pop charts...

It wasn't quite as good as the original. Just remembered another one from that era that I loved ... Burt Reynolds in "Stroker Ace" ... a played similar character to his Smokey character, except he was a race car driver who ran moonshine to make some real money. Based on a song of the same name by the Charlie Daniels Band.

Every Which Way also spawned a sequel ... Any Which Way You Can ... which I also loved! lol

The 'Merican Kayce is pronounced just like Casey

And later KC formed a band, called KC and the Sunshine Band and sang about an Afternoon Delight! Edit: Hmmmm ... apparently it was someone else who sang Afternoon Delight! But KC and the Sunshine Band did...