Fool’s Gold, a Book Review

It's been a very long time since we've been able to travel anywhere, and I've not been inspired to write about past travels.  I very much enjoyed doing tourism work at two establishments.  However, due to "high school behavior" and lies told to get my job (must have been one heck of a lucrative job, right?), I had to leave those establishments.  The people who did that to me, I left them to Karma, and she has done her very best to get me justice. 

Recently though, someone involved, from one of the establishments, did verbally apologize to me, for what was said and done to me.  However, the question of, "If it was verified that I was a good employee, and vicious lies were told, why didn't I get my job back?"  Something tells me that that would then become a public apology of wrongdoing, and they just couldn't have that.

Anyway, while at home, or should I say while, "forced into early retirement", I've been doing lots of reading, and enjoying other hobbies.   Recently I read a new Old West novel by one of our resident authors, and here it is...

Opening up the cardboard packaging, sliding the hard copy book out, I am immediately sent back to my child to preteen years.  The hardcover novel is reminiscent of books, geared towards younger readers, such as Black Beauty, Gulliver’s Travels, and Call of the Wild.  Hand illustrated artwork, upon the cover, draws the reader’s eye in with an enticement of what is to be discovered within the pages.

 Yet, this novel is not geared towards only the younger reader, but to the lovers of books in general.  Eric Niven, author of Fool’s Gold, has once again published a Western novel of adventure, gunslingers, greed, and good vs. evil.  His previous Western novel, The Reaper, has drama, action, humor and what is missing in many novels and movies these days of "instant gratification"...suspense!!! Several times I was on the edge of my seat wondering if, main characters, Malcolm and/or Lydia would make it out of a dire situation.

 With Fool’s Gold, action was packed in from the very beginning, and there I was again, on the edge of my seat and holding my breath till the end of the scene.  Set in the time of the Civil War era, the Confederacy is in dire need of funds to keep the war effort on target.  A detailed map, of a mine in California, must be delivered, if the South is to remain solvent.

 A stagecoach leaves Salt Lake City, Utah, in route to Carson City, Nevada, and a rail train that will take four passengers to California.  On board is Rory Sean MacTavish, a Pinkerton agent posing as a newspaper reporter; his assignment is to stop that map from reaching Confederate hands.

 Jacques Fore’, an immigrant from France, was on a journey to seek his fortune; to start a winery and make a great name for himself.  Overweight, the heat from the southwestern environment did nothing to making his journey comfortable.

Vivian Creed, a genteel young lady, from Maine, was on her way to visit her patron, and guardian.  Taking time off from finishing school, her nonstop chatter ended soon as the stagecoach bumped along.  Of course the ungentlemanly smells assailing her nostrils did not encourage opening her dainty mouth for further conversation.

The fourth passenger is Jack Thaddeus Lowe, a gunfighter and gun for hire who had decided to branch out into “security services”.  He received good money for taking on the job of getting the map to its rightful destination.  What he did not know is that another Southerner wanted that map, not for the good of the South, but the good of his own pockets.  “The Boss”, and his hired hands would do anything to get the map, find the mine, and line their pockets with gold.

Then the adventure begins when the stagecoach driver is gunned down by a sniper.  The horses are running wildly and the coach careening; will it crash and all be killed!?!  Rory climbs up top to, somehow, gain control, the coach’s wheels hit a ditch in the rough trail, and…no spoilers sweetie!

 This quote, from near the book’s end, speaks deep of life, and death, in the Old West.

“So here he was again, about to engage in a life and death struggle where men would die.  Even he might die.  He had been the means of causing death several times, but it still caught something deep inside him.  One minute a man is alive, he is a reasoning being, and the next he is useless meat.”

Oh, how I would love to tell you more, but that would ruin the entire story.  What I can say though is buy yourself a copy of this new novel, by Eric Niven.  Be prepared to have your heart racing, anxiety and anticipation build, and your fingers numb from holding the book tightly.  The ending will definitely not disappoint, as there is a plot twist no one, and their mother, would have ever seen coming.

I would like to thank Eric Niven for lending me his ARC of his novel, and having the faith, in me, for reviewing it.  Be assured that it was very difficult returning it, so now I better go buy a copy of my own, and you do the same as you will not regret it.

Fool’s Gold is currently available at: https://bhwesterns.com/book/fools-gold/ , Amazon.com, Google Books, and hopefully, soon, at San Juan Record Bookstore.

Mary Cokenour

Old Homesteads Have Everlasting Charm.

Today is the first day, after about six continuous days of snowfall, that I have not shoveled or laid down ice melt.  So, I have decided to go back in time, to July 2016, and relate a tale of old homesteads.  I happen to enjoy taking photos of old cabins, barns, houses; stonework, wood, or combination thereof; they have history behind them, and charm.

Sunset was around 8pm, so after dinner we decided to go on a short gallivant; check out some of those county roads north of Highway 491.  5.1 miles - CR 308 (Hallers); South on Hwy 491; directly across and North on Hwy. 491 is CR 362; 1/2 mile north on CR 362, turn east onto CR 335 (North Old Highway). 

Here's a map to help follow our little drive.

There are alternative county roads to access CR 335 from Hwy. 491:

Eastland Tower in far background.

CR 335 is one of those pretty, scenic roads where you don't mind taking your time as you drive along; definitely a good way to relieve any stress tension and get into relaxation mode.

Except if you're me; my excitement comes when I find old homesteads, cabins, barns, even windmills.  They tell stories of when the pioneers and ranchers first began to settle the Old West.  I do get disappointed when I can't find the owners around, and ask if I can explore and take photos; sometimes they even give me a verbal history about the buildings.

Old Planks.

Before we knew it, we'd reached CR 370 (Ucolo); we went only about a mile north and found this old tree house in a field.  There was an old foundation too, but really nothing else left of whatever building(s) had once been. Up ahead we saw modern day homes, barns, farm machinery; and they just weren't that interesting; so we turned around and decided to take the southern end back to Highway 491.


















Jackpot!  More old homesteads, plank fencing, pieces of farm equipment; a photographer's paradise.

Homestead #1

Farm Equipment Lying About.

 Homestead #2

Fencing made from Planks.

Almost to Hwy 491, we were graced with a raven in flight.

Before going directly home though, we visited Shake Shack; Roy's favorite is pineapple, and I love the mint; perfect ending to a perfect gallivant.

Oh, one side note: we also found out that Utah Highway Patrolman, Sanford Randall, was able to find our friend's camera that had gotten lost at the Blanding 4th of July Parade.  Ivy Kropf happens to be Amy Watkins Kensley's sister; and since the Watkins family adopted Roy and myself, well they're our sisters too.  Anyway, all's well that ends well.

Mary Cokenour

Mary Cokenour

San Juan County's First Mormon Settlement - Bluff Fort.

Bluff Fort/Visitors Center

550 Black Locust Avenue
Bluff, Utah, 84512

Phone: (435) 672-9995

Website: http://bluffutah.org/bluff-fort/




Many times I have gone through Bluff, Utah with the sole purpose of getting elsewhere; it just happened to be on the way.  Sometimes we have even stopped to have a great meal at the Twin Rocks Café; but Bluff Fort was always bypassed.  Why you might wonder?  Simple, the descendants (Bluff, Monticello and Blanding locals) of the "Hole in the Rock Pioneers" make you want to with their "My ancestors were the pioneers and you must bow to me." attitude; not only to "outsiders" (anyone not from Utah state and/or Mormon), but anyone from Utah and/or Mormon who is not descended from the pioneers; yep, they're considered "outsiders" too.  Remembering that their ancestors were themselves "outsiders" seems to keep slipping their minds; fact is, the Native Americans were the first settlers in San Juan County, then came the ranchers from Colorado and Texas.  Digging through the archives of written records of the 1800s at BYU and University of Utah; these pioneers were sent here by the higher powers that be in Salt Lake City for more reasons than to expand settlements through San Juan County.  In other words, being descended from the "Hole in the Rock Pioneers" might not be something to brag about in the long run if you read up on the deep, dark history. 

So, instead of going through the whole history of those pioneers and Bluff itself; I'm going to write about Bluff Fort from a "tourist/historical site of the Old West" point of view from here on.  While it's called Bluff Fort, it's not a fort in the sense of the tall walls built around a settlement; it's simply a short rail fence, about four foot high, but I'm getting ahead of myself.


As soon as you enter the brick Visitors Center building, you are engulfed in this amazingly stocked gift shop.  Bluff Fort, thankfully, does NOT have a contract with Canyonlands National History Association (CNHA), so they are able to sell books, wares, knick-knacks and artwork of all types, most especially from local artists.  One of the directors on the museum board is the owner of Jacob Lake Inn, located in the Kaibab National Forest, Arizona; so those delicious cookies and brownies from their bakery are fresh made daily at the Fort also.  The employees of Bluff Fort are all local volunteers dressed in period costumes and the friendliest folks you want to meet; so sign that guest book and give a donation into the box!

Before going outside, you are introduced to the pioneers by watching a very short video in the Chapel.  The trek was indeed incredible, all 200 people made it through, 2 babies were born along the way, and not one animal was lost either.  Now that accomplishment is something those pioneers certainly had the right to brag about!






Walking outside is traveling back into time, into the era of the Old West; covered wagons, Dutch ovens over fire pits, log cabins with Spartan décor inside; one room school house; blacksmith's shop; and so much more.  I happily took many a panoramic shot, and many closeups; this is what I picture when thinking about the "winning of the West".

The tour throughout is self-guided; there are boxes on the cabins where you can push a button and the description is voiced in the language of your choice.  How neat is that!!!

Original Hole in the Rock Wagon



Log Meeting House

One Room School House



Barton Blacksmith Shop

Covered Wagons and Dutch Oven Cooking

Dutch Oven Cooking

Now lets meet some of those pioneers, well, at least see where and how they lived.




Decker Family



Frederick and Mary Jones

The "Richie Rich Clan" of the Pioneers was the Joseph Barton Family.

Lemuel Redd

The Perkins Family

The first stone home built in Bluff was for the Kumen Jones family in 1893; gee, were the Bartons jealous that they had been outdone by the neighbors?

A new feature is a dedication to the LDS President, John Taylor, who instructed these people to pull up stakes in their current homes and make the move out to San Juan County.  There is also a dedication to the pioneers themselves and a listing of all the names.

So, there you have Bluff Fort from the viewpoint of an "outsider" - not from the state of Utah, not a Mormon and not related to the pioneers in any way, shape or form.  Looking at it from an Old West point of view though, this is a great place to visit!!!

Currently Bluff Fort is open 7 days a week from 8:30AM to 7:30PM; during the winter, hours and days are dependent on the weather, so call them to make sure they're open when you want to visit.  Oh, did I forget to mention; it's free!  Thought that would peak your interest.

Mary Cokenour