Photos by Bobbi Fleming Eva.

In Florida they’re called “cracker cowboys,” maybe because none would be caught dead without his trusty bullwhip, or as they say in Florida, “cow whip.” They run cattle into “cow pens,” and “ride out in pairs” accompanied by their faithful “Florida curs.” Many Florida ranches calve in both spring and fall.

During droughts, creeks dry up and feed needs to be hauled in. Grandfather oaks draped with Spanish moss provide welcome shade in the heat and humidity for cowboys and cattle alike. Every ranch house in Florida, it seems, has a huge, well-worn porch equipped with a herd of rocking chairs, a hammock and a porch swing or two