Standing Tall

Jingleworms the ol cowboys called them. We had plenty of them on one of the ranches. I killed 27 in my yard, the last summer we lived there. They were big & nasty, would stand up in the grass and hunt your dog, who promptly jumped in the back of the pickup, only to have the jingleworm strike the truck tires.

One day moving cows with the Cowman up ahead, my horse stopped and he didn't seem willing to go forward. I was paying attention to the Cowman & the cows in front of me and not my horse. I gigged him and still no response. We were in a shallow wash, and when I looked down I saw we were surrounded by rattlesnakes. Being very calm, I gently told my horse to just quietly step between them and carry on with the job at hand. He did so and got us out of harms way. And I learned that you can wear a cowboy hat, plaid shirt, wranglers, chinks, boots, and spurs and still stand tall on top of a saddle horn.

 

Dinner at the drive thru

This happened to me today on the way home from the city. 
I pulled into the drive up and asked the girl in the speaker box for a hamburger wrap. "Sorry, we don't have a hamburger wrap." "Ok, do you have a steak wrap?" "No, we only have a chicken wrap or an Angus wrap." "aaaah, ok, I'll have an Angus wrap."

I loved camping and still do

I was always the kid that loved to go camping at the lake. Water skiing til our arms were ready to fall off. Swimming, skipping rocks, packing fire wood, finding treasures. Eating fresh peaches from home, trout from the lake.  The smell of the forest, the smell of wood smoke from the fire.  The sounds of the loons calling in the evening. Up early to watch the sun come up, the lake was like glass. I loved camping and still do.
Mom and dad had an ol army tent to sleep in.  My brother, the three boys that came with us, and I slept out under a blanket of stars.  We had ancient camp cots to put our bedrolls on.  The only flat ground was taken up by the tent, camp table, and fire pit, so we dug holes for our cot legs.  If you moved around too much on your cot you would find yourself rolling down hill into the lake.  Not real great, as you would invariably bounce off a few boulders on the way down and as you were usually snugged into an old mummy bag, the air hole having become fixed at the back of your head, you couldn't see, and you sure couldn't stop. You just knew you better hope that one of those thick headed boys would wake up and keep you from turning into the girl of the lake.
One night after more smores than any kid should eat, we slipped off to dreamland. Then the screaming began, up popped five heads, again the scream. Now there are five heads up,and five flashlight beams whipping around amid a chorus of frightened voices.  Dad called from the tent to "pipe down out there and go to sleep".  "But, but, what was that, who had screamed, and it seems to be getting closer?"  Dad said, "it's just a mountain lion, across the lake, go to sleep, now."   "OK, if you say so, but, it sounded like a woman screaming." "It's not, it's just a big mountain lion, they sound like that."  We finally settled down, and went back to sleep. 
I was woken by the sound of something moving around in camp, oh God, it's a bear or the mountain lion come to get us.  Having scrunched down to the bottom of my bag, I could only see a small area in front of my cot, but I could hear what ever it was getting into stuff in camp.  I could hear it eating what sounded like Fritos, and getting closer to my cot.  Then an ol doe stuck her nose in the end of my bag,  and that's how come I screamed, rolled off the cot, rolled down the hill, bounced off a bunch of boulders, and nearly drowned in the lake.  I loved camping and still do.

IT'S THE LITTLE MOMENTS

She's bright, funny, pretty, athletic, smart, involved in her community and school and blonde.  She struggled with her high school Spanish classes last year, more due to the lack of skill by her teacher than anything. An honor roll student, she wants to go to vet school.
As she is working toward getting a college athletic scholarship, she's on several traveling ball teams.Her mom, her best friend, and her are coming home from a practice in the city.  She's setting in the front seat, kick'n back, as her mom pulls up to a stop sign.  She looks off to the side of the road, see's a sign among the multitude of political signs, and says "HeSus SuaVes".  Her mom who is watching traffic, said, "what did you say?".  She repeats it.  Her mom looks around her, and starts to laugh, the friend is rolling on the seat, Her mom tells her: the sign says Jesus Saves. 
It's one of those tales that you just know is going to be passed around the family forever.
Don't worry A we've all had our blonde moments.

Christmas Wish

Wishing You and Yours a Christmas of Wonder, Peace, and Love.

http://worriersanonymous.org/Share/Christmas/Holynite.htm