Ok, so just tonight I was gonna go lookin' for a new story ta read, since I've finished or caught up on all the one's I've read. And, here this thread was.
I have read the first three chapters, and I love it. I'm hooked!
Yippee! 
Hi Eric! I'm glad you're enjoying discovering this story. You're right... there is a lot of good plot and detail to this story. It's an interesting one to start right after the summer of '63 rather than picking things up later. It's such a long running story... but it's been on hold for a number of months, so it's having a bit of a renaissance at the moment. I started this one so long ago (it was recommended to me by a BetterMost Bud ages ago) that I hardly remember the first few chapters... I should probably go back and re-read a bit myself.
OK... so now I'm going to respond to mariez and nic and there will be SPOILERS... so you can turn away if you'd like.
Oh wow - I am pleased to hear there is more B&C !! I have been out of the BBM loop for several weeks due to lack of internet & was getting angsty about what I was missing on the fic side. What a great surprise to come back to.
What I like most about this series is that it has a young J & E and that it shows that even though they haven't had all the troubles of the canon, life is not all hearts & flowers and it is fresh to see how this J & E react to challenges. I must admit the darker aspect is a bit curious to me and I don't really understand where it comes from. I am aware of self-harm issues but not where another person is involved.
I was really pleased to see this story come back too... and I was also surprised. I really thought that this one was stalled-out permanently. I'm glad to have this thread now to discuss how people feel about the 'darker' aspects of the story. I've learned to sort of skim them too. The thing I find so interesting is that a lot, or I would say even most, of this story is really rather sweet and focuses on the domestic aspects of their lives. I love Grace and all the details of their home as they grow more settled, etc. There are more brutal details about the ranch business itself, the accidents that Jack, Ennis and others get into, and even Jack's reaction up in Lightning Flat... which I actually find good in terms of realism and setting a tone for the story. But, when it comes to some of the violence between Jack and Ennis and Ennis's seeming desire to inflict pain on himself, it's very hard for me to deal with.
I'll be honest and say that I started this thread for Beans and Crazies before I actually read the new Interlude and I had to come back and edit my original post. Somehow I wasn't expecting the first Interlude re-starting the story to be like that. But, now, with this new Chapter 70, I really remember why I like this story.
Hey, Amanda! Thanks for starting this thread. I love this story and I'm happy to see that montana crows is safe and will be heading home soon from Iraq.
SPOILERS
I, too, find elements of the story hard to read (and I'll admit there are sections that I skim or skip - but I have a low tolerance for violence in movies, books, etc., so that's just me). The interlude posted yesterday is one example. That didn't work for me - I usually have a pretty high squick factor - but I didn't find that erotic. It just scared me.
But overall I really enjoy this story. You can tell that the author has done her share of ranch work - this is very authentic and she sure knows her stuff. Her descriptions of ranch life and all the details are second to none.
I know what you mean about certain stories favoring Jack or Ennis and I usually pass on those stories when that becomes apparent to me. I don't play the Jack v. Ennis game - ever. But I don't think I'd categorize this story as "favoring" anyone. I think she's actually even-handed in her characterizations of the boys. They've both had their turns going through some really tough stuff. I don't consider the "punishment" stuff (even thought I'm unable to read the details) as an indication that the author is "punishing" Ennis or is favoring Jack in some way. In fact, it could easily be argued that Jack suffers more from Ennis's "punishments" than Ennis does. And, if I recall, Grace recently found out about that and gave Ennis hell - and this gave me hope that it will stop. This author likes to push boundaries and explore the psychologies of the boys and I give her credit for that. I think you said it just right - sometimes its dark and sometimes it very sweet, but it's always very real.
I thought Chapter 70 was great. It felt really good to fall back into the story. I'm anxious for Jack and Grace to get back. It always makes me nervous when the boys are apart.
Marie
Hi Marie, I agree with this description and analysis pretty much completely. My old role around BetterMost is to try to find and emphasize balance between Jack and Ennis too. So, I understand where you're coming from. And, actually, I think you're right about this story... both guys have it rough at different times in the story. But, I think the self-inflicted punishments on Ennis's part seem to be saying something unpleasant about his character in particular... which is why I can see people seeing this story as favoring Jack (if only slightly). That whole situation with Ennis is just so odd. I'll keep saying it... I don't really know how to deal with it. I mean, aside, from that aspect of the story and details like the recent Interlude, I really, really like the story. I was happy to see the new Chapter 70 follow so closely on the Interlude. I really like the new chapter.
