In 1905, George Birk Sr. left the North Dakota homestead to work on his fatherÕs new ranch in Cuba where revolutionaries and bandits roamed the country at will. WWI took George briefly to France. His love for the tropics brought him back to the Dominican Republic where he accepted a position as the Livestock Superintendent for Central RomanaÕs sugar mills. George was assigned to Guaymate where he first met Lt. Raphael Trujillo, a rising star in the Dominican Army who would eventually rule the country as a dictator for 30 years. During his tenure, George expanded a small ranch to one exceeding 125 squares miles sustaining 45,000 head of cattle and horses. With only an eighth grade education and a set of veterinary books, George developed a world recognized breed of cattle known as the Romana Red. Framed by three cultures Ð the Expatriates, the Dominican nationals and Haitian laborers, Digame Viejo is rich with tales of cowboys and their horses, voodoo and political intrigue.