Ed’s Western Decor

Whether you or your spouse is the hunter, a den which displays trophies as well as wildlife art will serve as a unique retreat for lovers of hunting and the outdoors.  Here are a few ideas for decorating your Hunter’s den. 

~Add wildlife wall decor—in addition to trophies, it’s nice to have depictions of wildlife in their full majesty, whether through photos, pictures, or silhouettes. 

~Put in a decorative rug—if the hunter doesn’t already have a rug, it’s nice to have one with a western or Indian pattern in the room, symbolizing appreciation of nature.

~A desk for documentation and planning—every den needs a desk, pick one made of a rich wood with a wide flat surface good for planning out hunting trips or research. 

Whether to chronicle your child’s growth, or just as a fun art project, shadow silhouette art is fun and easy to do at home.  You will need a movable light source, a few pushpins, a large sheet of paper, a pencil to trace, and another person if you are making a silhouette of yourself.  Have your subject (or yourself) sit down in a chair next to a wall.  Move the light source close enough to cast the shadow of your head against the wall.  Once this is accomplished, take the large sheet of paper, and pin it against the wall with the shadow of the head inside.  Then take your pencil and trace the outline of the shadow against the wall onto the paper. 

This process will give you a silhouette outline, which you can trace onto a piece of construction paper, and then transfer to a background of your choosing.  It’s a fun project for kids and even adults! 

For anyone who loves pet images and especially cats and kittens, you must not miss reading “Mommy Dearest,” an article printed in People Magazine, November 10, 2008.  The pictures reveal a 2 1/2 year-old chimpanzee adopting two white Bengal cubs.  An emergency arose at the wildlife reserve on the East Carolina coast, following one of the hurricanes.  The Bengal mother had to be moved to a safer environment.  The Chimp was observing the move, and volunteered to help care for the baby cubs.

Twenty years ago, I held a white Bengal tiger in my lap, and my son Cary held a lion cub in his arms.  It was part of a wildlife conservation program.  An exhilarating experience I will never forget!  Who wouldn’t love these cute and affectionate creatures?  But, a chimpanzee?  That’s amazing!

Wonderful food recipes are available in every monthly issue of the Southern Living magazine.  I now know why Mom’s meatloaf was so flavorful.  In the October 2008 issue of this social periodical on page 138, is an article titled, ”Meatloaf Makeover.”  This recipe helped me to figure out Mom’s secret.

Mom’s secret?  Now I know that she was using ground pork sausage with the ground beef.  I’ve added my own individuality by adding two tablespoons of Grandma’s Molassas to my meatloaf recipe.

In addition to our safety tips, any good cook taking that tasty sizzling dish right out of the hot oven, would have a Trivet on the countertop to protect the surface from burning.

My heart sings to see so many large ranches expanding their beef herds by adding Buffalo to their range lands.  Almost extinct, Buffalo are not only becoming an important part of nature’s wildlife scenery, but they are also becoming a part of North America’s food chain, once again.

Southern Living magazine, October 2008, page 6, features a panoramic view of Buffalo grazing on 29,000 acres near Pawhuska, Oklahoma.  This seems like a large area, but it’s a long way from the 142 million acres that Bison roamed before hunters and farmers killed them off.  In our travels through the Western United States, we have seen many small ranches raising Bison.

Although it became popular as an American icon, the cowboy tradition started in Spain.  Cattle ranching spread throughout the Iberian Peninsula in Spain under the hacienda system, and was later imported to America.  The Iberian Peninsula had a climate very similar to the Southwest; it was semi-arid with sparse grass.  Thus it required cattle to move throughout the land to forage for food.  The cowboys began as ranchers who rode horses and tended to vast herds of cattle, driving them to different locations to feed. 

This tradition carried over to the Southwest with the arrival of Spanish Conquistadors, and was later passed on to American settlers.  Cowboy images have become famous around the world, representing a certain rugged and rough quality. 

The idea of cowboys and western culture was formed during the westward expansion of American settlers.  Under the idea of Manifest Destiny (the right to own all of the land one inhabits) pioneers headed west, fighting against the elements and in some cases, the Native American Indians.  It was in the dust and grit of the Southwest that many people settled and began to seek their fortunes.  Here is where Western cowboys were born, as well as the staples of Western culture such as bull riding, lassoes, wide brim cowboy hats and a certain element of risk and danger at every turn. 

The Southwest has been much refined since those old days, but people all over the United States and even the world still celebrate the values on which the West was found with Western movies, western decor, and western food.

How many times have we read or heard the famous quote, “Feed a man a fish and you’ve fed him for a day; teach him to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime”?  Here is another secret, helping fishermen get their dinner catch everytime they launch the line of their rod and reel into both still or moving waters anywhere in America:

John Alden Knight has designed a SOLUNAR TABLE that forecasts the times of day and night when both fish and game are most likely to feed and be active.  One of these TABLES can be viewed on page 52 in the June 2008 Field & Stream magazine. 

Here’s food for thought: Both a fisherman and hunter choose the day and hour in their time zones when wildlife are feeding, but who told the wild creatures to play by the same rules?

The Southern Living Magazine gives unique articles and recipes to live by.  In the July, 2008 issue, pages 66 through 71, is an article on a Heavenly Garden located in North Carolina.

My hat goes off to Marty and Fred Hirons for bringing their skills and genius together when they designed this garden.  A perfect haven for the 3 B’s: Birds, Bees, and Butterflies, including wildlife silhouettes and birdhouses.  The garden has natural foliage and limbs for structure, and wonderful colors, crushed rock paths, and plant shapes for design.

For me, just to experience the photos in this article is like a garden of worship for prayer, peace, and a place of rest for my soul.  Thanks to the Hirons for their love and hard work, to Steve Bender for his photography, and to Rose Nguyen for styling.

In the Southern Living magazine, July 2008, page 129, is an advertisement for their Homestyle Cook Book featuring 400 traditional Southern Living recipes; you get tips, tricks & shortcuts, behind-the-scenes history of beloved recipes of Southern classics, over 100 full color photos, and 20 menus for quick and easy meals.

For anyone of these great Southwestern meals, protect your countertops, table covers, and treasured furniture by using  popular trivets that fit into your presentation and table decor.