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Slim & Darlene started "Slim's Custom Leather", a saddle and boot repair shop and hand
tooled leather business, which they have operated for nearly 40 years, starting in Kadoka, South Dakota and fifteen years later moving to New Underwood, South Dakota. They are now trying to downsize to the hand tooled and handmade leather items and Cowboy Poetry gatherings.

Sometime during high school Slim started writing poetry. Over the years he has had poems, stories and articles published in various anthologies plus many Cowboy, Horse, and Agriculture magazines and newspapers. Currently, his page on cowboypoetry.com shows several poems published, plus some gathering reports at other locations on that site. He also publishes a monthly column "The Saddle Rack" on his web site and cowboys-n-cowgirls.com.

Slim was recently recognized as one of the "8 Seconds" in the Lariate Laureate Contest on CowboyPoetry.com for his poem "Cold Weather Feedin'" In 2005 Slim started his own publishing company, adding it to their leather business, to publish his books. The company is now called Slim's Leather & Publishing. Since 1981 he has published five books. Four are cowboy poetry and short western humor stories, and one book contains some of Slim's original works and some of his mother's original poetry. He also has published two books for his mother, Troy
McNaught Westby, with another on the way for each of them. In March of 2006 Slim published his first CD, "A Life of Rhyme", and has another CD in the works. Slim feels he has been blest in living and working in ranch country and dealing with horse and cow people all of his life and this carries over into his cowboy poetry.

Slim and Darlene have four children, seven grand children, and (at last count) nine great grand children.

Dan Stehlik grew up on a diversified crop and livestock farm north of Dorchester, Nebraska, near where Saline County runs into the West Fork of the big Blue River and Seward County crawls out the other side. After attending the University of Nebraska School of Technical Agriculture at Curtis, Dan farmed for himself and with his yourger brothers, sister and Dad for eight years. He also worked for a large row-crop farmer and a 4,000 head feedlot during this time. Dan returned to college for more agricultural degrees and taught high school agriculture, FFA. and Young Farmers and Ranchers in Red Cloud and Columbus, Nebraska while maintaining farming activities over the next five years. After another five-year season of farming, running an 80-sow herd, and a small cowherd, Dan returned to teaching agriculture just across the border at Concordia for ten years and now teaches agriculture at Belleville, Kansas. Dan still likes to assist farm and ranch friends in Kansas and Nebraska when he can and add to his experiences.

Dan likes to share his observations and experiences of ranching and teaching agriculture through his poetry. He keeps memories alive of persons, livestock, and events through his poems. Most of his poems have been published and two have been recorded. Three poems have received Editor's Choice awards from the Library of Poetry. Stehlik has performed at numerous programs including the Cuba, Kansas Rock-A-Thon, onstage at the Brown Grande Theater in Concordia, Kansas, and at many other get togethers including the Old West Days at Valentine Nebraska. One of his biggest poetry thrills was to share the stage reciting poetry with his FFA Chapter President, Bret Nelson, at the National Foresters Association Convention in Kansas City.

I'm a fifth generation Sandhills rancher. My wife Sharon & I run a cow-calf operation and live on the Niobrara River south of Merriman Nebraska. Since 1986 we have run a hunting operation specializing in turkey and trophy whitetails and have hosted people from 45 states and 8 foreign countries.

We have two sons an one daughter. One son is in college, one son is a senior in high school and our daughter is in grade school.

I've always loved history and hearing stories from old-time cowboys. Our lifestyles on the ranch and hunting camps in Wyoming are a good source of stories and poems. I don't think you can write about something you are unfamiliar with. I like a well-crafted poem, a good story, a warm fire and a good drink. This, combined with friends, makes for a good time.