I just stumbled across this thread and it brought back such vivd memories of 100 years ago, when I was younger. For about five years I lived not far from Big Sur, in California. Every time we could get away for a while, we all hiked the Big sur mountains, fished the coast and explored the back country, Every trip we encountered wild boar, deerses, the wild cats and other things too fierce to mention.

I quickly fell in love with the place and it's residences and history. I'm holding one of the many books I've collected from there and from those times. It's titled "A Wild Coast and Lonely" ... the Big Sur Pioneers.

On page 223, the author Rosalind Sharpe Wall published 13 verses of "The Ballad of the South Coast." I've always loved the 2nd and 3rd verses:

"IN MY YOUTH I HAD A MONTERAY HOMESTEAD,
CREEKS, VALLEYS, AND MOUNTAINS ALL MINE,
I BUILT ME A SNUG LITTLE SHANTY,
AND ROOFED IT A FLOORED IT WITH PINE.

I HAD A BRONCO, A BUCKSKIN,
LIKE A BIRD HE FLEW OVER THE TRAIL,
I RODE HIM OUT FORTY MILES EVERY FRIDAY,
JUST TO GET ME SOME GRUB AND SOME MAIL"

I've often compared the flow of these lines, the poetry, with the flow of "Billy The Kid." These songs simply sing themselves!

CHEERS, bob(deckman)Nelson