Westerns week!

Sweet Emma from A Lantern in her Hand is putting on a Western Week! It's this week, July 27-August 1. Of course I immediately wanted to join in the fun. However, I didn't realize it was the same week I'm going on vacation! So, I wrote this up Saturday night and scheduled it for today. :) 

Now, on to the westerns! 

I'm going to be honest. Westerns aren't always my favorite. There are some westerns I like and others that I don't particularly care for. That said, I'm going to tell y'all my favorite Western television shows and movies and a little about each one. =) Oh, and they're not in any special order or anything. 

WARNING!!! Spoilers below! 

-Western TV Shows-

1) The Big Valley ties (with Dr. Quinn) for my absolute favorite western TV show. :) 

It's about a prominent family, the Barkley's, living in California's San Joaquin valley. 

I'm not going to even attempt to choose favorite characters or episodes. I do like seasons 1&2, although there are some great shows on 3&4 as well! 

Barkley family 

Heath, Nick and Audra Barkley 

Jarrod & Heath from Palms of Glory

Audra and Heath from The Odyssey of Jubal Tanner

2) Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman is about a woman doctor from Boston going out west to be the doctor in the small town of Colorado Springs. She ends up caring for three kids (Matthew, Colleen, and Brian Cooper) after their mother dies. 

I LOVE this show! With the 'living in a western town in Colorado' theme and all sorts of medical stuff, how could I not? 

My favorite character: Colleen, or Dr. Mike. Or Matthew and Ingrid (until she died that is. Ahhh! Oops, I just totally spoiled it for everyone who hasn't seen it...oh well. :) 

Favorite episode: I liked Mike & Sullly's wedding, and Colleen & Andrew's wedding. (I know, another spoiler! To anyone who has saw 'Andrew and Colleen' episodes but not their wedding, you already saw that coming I'll bet. ;) 

Michaela & Sully

Dr. Mike, Colleen, Matthew & Brian

Byron Sully & Michaela Quinn

This picture and a few of the others are rather blurry. We're going to pretend they're daguerreotypes from back in the olden days and go with it! 

Colleen & Andrew

Matthew, Andrew, Brian, Colleen, Sully, Katie & Michaela at Colleen & Andrew's wedding. 

Matthew & Ingrid 

Matthew & Ingrid 

-Western Movies-

1) Shadow Riders is a movie about two, later three, brothers searching for their sisters and Dal's girlfriend Kate, who were captured by comancheros following the American Civil War. 

Favorite character: Kate Connery =) 

Heather & Sissy Traven, Kate Connery, and Dal Traven

Dal & Mac Traven

Dal Traven & Major Cooper Ashbury

Jesse Traven

Favorite part: hmm...probably the ending. :) Or the part where Dal & Mac are traipsing down that raven. Or the part where the blow up the prison to get Uncle Jack. 

2) True Women is a rather long movie following several womens lives though the historical events surrounding the Alamo, the Trail of Tears, and the Civil War. 

Favorite character: Sarah and Bartlett. :)

Georgia, Sarah & Euphemia 

Sarah

Euphemia and...I think that's the guy she marries... If anyone wants to correct me, go ahead! 

Georgia, Sarah, and Euphemia 

3) Shenandoah is about Charlie Anderson and his children - James and wife Ann, Jacob, Jenny, John, Nathan, Henry, and Boy. Boy is mistakenly captured by Union troops and others of the family set out to find him. They aren't successful, but they do find Jenny's husband, Sam. ;) 

In spite of the fact that three main characters get killed, I really like this movie. I'm going to go ahead and spoil it. :) James and Ann get killed by scavengers and Jacob is killed accidentally by a young confederate solider. :'( 

The Anderson family (L-R Boy, James, Ann, Jacob, Charley, Jenny, Nathan, John & Henry. I'm not sure of the order of the last three.) 

 Charlie's prayer - "Lord, we cleared this land. We plowed it, sowed it, and harvest it. We cook the harvest. It wouldn't be here and we wouldn't be eating it if we hadn't done it all ourselves. We worked dog-bone hard for every crumb and morsel, but we thank you Lord just the same for the food we're about to eat, amen." 

Favorite characters: Sam and Jenny. (Above) 

(L-R) John, Sam, Henry (still not sure of the order of those three), Charlie, Jenny, and Sam. Jacob's body is across one of those other horses. 

Favorite part: (below) where they fit those guys that were trying to 'confiscate' their livestock.

Another favorite part:

(Charlie is pouring whiskey to celebrate the birth of his granddaughter. Boy holds out a glass.) 

Charlie Anderson: How old are you now, Boy?

Boy: Eighteen, sir.

Charlie: That means you'll be twenty in four years. Eighteen to you, sixteen to me.

Boy: Just a little bit, sir. I've never tasted it.

Charlie: Well, that's no good reason at all. I've known men who've been drinkin' hard and steady all their lives that have never tasted it, either.

4) Love's Unending Legacy

I'm not sure if this would be categorized as a western, but I'm doing it anyhow. :) 

After the death of her husband, widow Missie Davis and her son Mattie move back to the town in which her parents live. She takes a job as the schoolteacher there and later adopts fourteen year old Belinda Marshal. Many other things happen along the way, but in the end she falls in love with, and marries, Sheriff Zach Tyler. :) 

Favorite Character: Missie Davis

Favorite scene: Where Belinda races that mean kid. (above) 

Other favorite scenes of mine are where Zach and Missie go and try to get Jacob. :) 

And of course the ending is great! 

5) Love's Christmas Journey is a wonderful movie anytime of the year! I've not got as much on it, mostly just some pictures! ;) 

Favorite character: Ellie, Aaron, and Eric and his girlfriend, Susannah. :D

Annabelle, Ellie, and Christopher. 

Nicholas 

Susannah & Eric

Ellie & Deputy Michael 

Sheriff Aaron Davis 

Mayor, Susannah, Annabelle, Susannah's mom, Christopher, Ellie, Aaron and Eric. :) 

Aaaaand that all! Thanks for putting this on, Emma! 

Thanks for reading and I'll 'see' y'all next week! 

-Faith 

Oh and, the 3rd Imagine This contest is up if anyone's interested! ;P