Buffalo Chips, Cow Patties...and Such!

Cow patties, buffalo chips and such things. This is literally the kind of "___" that sometimes keeps me awake at night. Sleep...who needs it?

My husband, AKA "Go Hubby", has written a short story which is posted over on my personal genealogy blog: Those Old Memories. You can click here to read "Grandpa's History Lesson". I am thinking that reading and publishing his story about Grandpa and cow patties must be the source of the thoughts that were running around in my brain last night.

Today, I know more about "cow patties" than I ever wanted to. Buffalo chips and cow patties have been used since the days of the pioneers in our country and for hundreds of years before in other cultures. They are gathered, dried and burned for warmth. Many people in India still harvest cow patties for daily use and some bronze artisans burn them because they offer uniform and hotter heat as fire box material. I read an interesting story at Texas Escapes about the Texas chips and patties. If you care to further investigate the history of this subject, please feel free to follow these links to enlightenment! Cow Patties by Mike Cox, and cow-patties-make-good-energy offer different points of view. If you have an afternoon to fritter away, try a Google search on the subject, the images are awesome to say the least. Did you know that chips and patties are dried and crafted into clocks and paperweights? They are also popular items for the playing of cow pattie bingo which often involves betting on the winner and his placement of the smelly surprise. Cow pattie tossing contests still live in the west! How about cow pattie cookies...the recipe may be found here---Yummy!!!

If you are a serious genealogist and cemetery researcher, I am sure you have also encountered a few cow patties, deer droppings and such along with those left by "graveyard rabbits". Alas, the ones left by the real graveyard rabbits, those furry, long eared, four legged types!

Until next time: may your powder stay dry, the sun always shine upon you, the wind be at your back and may your boots stay clean and dry. Don't be discouraged from trekking across fields and cattle watering holes to visit that old abandoned family cemetery. Just buy some taller boots!!!