A Cowboy, a Journalist, and a Trail Builder Walk Into a Bar: A Life Remembered, A Love Celebrated, A Loss Endured

It should have been an idyllic childhood, having up on a ranch in the oak grassland of rural Santa Barbara County, California. But having a father who was a harsh disciplinarian and being unable to concentrate in school were constant sources of anxiety and low self-esteem. Mark’s connection with Nature and horses helped him get through the difficult days, and later, returning from Vietnam with PTS, those connections were his lifeline as he struggled to find balance.

His is a story of love, f...