Al had been the town Barber for as long as anyone could remember. He had been cutting Cap’s hair for over 20 years. It wasn’t that hard to do really because it was more of a trim on the sides only. As the years went on Cap was more and more follicle-ly challenged. Cap blamed that on Ely, and ranching in general.
As any small town Barber will attest to, sometimes things get slow. There’s just not a steady stream of men who need their hair cut every day. Al had taken to keeping his shop open only a couple days a week, the other days of the week he used for golf.
It had been the topic of discussion at the last couple of Sunday coffee club meetings that Al had taken to drinking a little more. Even being open a couple days a week, he wasn’t busy all day. When customers weren’t in the shop, he kept a little cot in the back room and would get a nip of bourbon, then take a nap on the cot. When the front door opened, the bells tied to it would jingle and wake him up. He would come from the back room with a broom in his hand, but everyone knew what he was doing.
Cap expressed some concern that maybe someone should have a talk with Al. The coffee club agreed, but Cap came up with a different idea.
Al’s shop was in the old part of downtown. There were display windows out front where you could put shoes, or clothes just like any small town department store, but being a Barber Shop there was nothing to display…not most of the time anyway. Cap enlisted Ely and a couple others to help him on a Thursday afternoon when Al was supposed to be open for business, but had taken to using his cot instead of cutting hair. Afer removing their boots, they slowly opened the front door and Cap reached his hand inside grabbing the bells to keep them from making noise.
They crept into the shop. Al was a light sleeper, as the bells had been waking him up for the last few years. They sneaked, quiet as Commanches, in their socked feet, to the back room of the shop. There, sure enough, they found Al on his cot. Each man took a corner of the cot and gently lifted it off of the ground making sure to keep it even so as not to disturb their sleeping friend. They smoothly carried the cot to the front of the store and placed it, ever so gently in the front window display. Ely took a couple flowers they had picked and put them on Al’s chest. They almost couldn’t contain their excitement! You’ve never seen old men giggle like school girls until it comes to a great prank on a friend! They hurried out the back door and almost all collapsed into laughter.
After regaining control they rushed around to the front of the building to inspect their work. It was a sight! There was Al, passed out on his cot, hands folded on his chest with a couple flowers resting there too. To the eye that didn’t know any better…Al had passed on! The men sat down on the bench across the street, put their boots back on and prepared to be entertained. As people passed by, they stopped and paid their respects to Al. Some men even removed their hats! After a while a crowd had started to gather out in front of Al’s Barber Shop to attend his wake.
Right about that same time is when the fun started. Al’s nip of bourbon had caused him to have a dream of some sort. This dream led to him reach up and scratch his head…two women almost fainted. When this commotion started, their light sleeping friend was awakened to find himself on display in the front of his shop, with admirers all around…some of which had almost fainted. Next he found the flowers on his chest and it was at that point that Al wondered if he had died! When he stood up off of the cot and could see Cap, Ely and two other men leaning on each other to keep from falling because they were laughing so hard on the bench across the street, it all became clear. He jumped down from the display, grabbed his hat and ran out the front door of his shop heading towards the bench across the street. Cap, Ely and the others scrambled for their trucks and sped away before being caught.
The culprits are all looking for new a Barber now…their pony tails are getting long!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
All Horses Go To Heaven
Well....we tried as hard as we knew how. It's nobody's fault. Baxter the wonder horse developed an abcess in his neck related to the temporary trach. Basically, the outside of the wound healed before the inside did and trapped bad stuff in the wound that caused complications. I thought we were making progress, then all of the sudden, we went backwards. The Doctors at Clinic at the Crossings, in Longview felt there was no way for him to come back from it.
Now I start a new chapter in my roping career. This sport ain't for the weak of heart and like my dad has said a million times, "If this was easy... everybody would do it." Everything happens for a reason, and I know the Good Lord is guiding my path. I'm following wherever he sends me and believing it will be alright. Everything is done according to his plan. I was given that horse for as long as I was supposed to have him and now I am ready for whatever is next. At the end of every story, a new one begins.
Now I start a new chapter in my roping career. This sport ain't for the weak of heart and like my dad has said a million times, "If this was easy... everybody would do it." Everything happens for a reason, and I know the Good Lord is guiding my path. I'm following wherever he sends me and believing it will be alright. Everything is done according to his plan. I was given that horse for as long as I was supposed to have him and now I am ready for whatever is next. At the end of every story, a new one begins. Walkin' the Walk, not just talkin' the talk,
Walker
Friday, May 8, 2009
Mother's Day
A busted knee, a stitch or two,
A spanking now and then,
A furrowed brow at one young man,
Caught somewhere he shouldn’t have been.
Reassuring words, a worried call,
She raised me every day.
She took me to church every Sunday
And taught me how to pray.
I wish I had a dollar for,
Every sack lunch that she made,
I wish I could give her $100,
For the late night rodeos when she stayed.
Here’s to our Moms, all of them,
This is their special day,
Kiss’em on the cheek, you’re not too old,
They raised you to be that way!
Happy Mother’s day to all…see you down the road,
Walker
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
A Better Job
“You know, sometimes I think we’re crazy for doing this to make a livin?”
This was a statement that had never before come out of Cap’s mouth. At least to Ely’s knowledge anyway. He had to investigate.
“What else would you do for a livin’ ‘cept this?” he asked.
“Well, I could do almost anything. I’m not lazy, and a man who’ll work, will never be hungry and that’s a fact. I could go into town and get me a regular job, where nothing is trying to either hook me, or depend on me to survive.”
This was a conversation that began to take place while a fence crossing a creek, called a “water gap”, was being repaired after rain had washed it out. This was a notoriously hated job in Cap’s book and this had caused his mood to sour. It was perfectly normal….if you knew him at all. Ely decided not to waste this opportunity.
“You sure could," replied Ely. You know I was reading the paper last week and they had some job listings in there. How about the city street department? I can testify that they need help alright. They ain’t fixed a city street in 20 years or better. Our gravel roads are smoother than them paved ones in town. You could iron that deal out for them right quick.”
A few minutes passed.
“Hey! I also saw an ad in the paper you might be interested in. It said the county needed a new Dog Catcher. Heck that’s gotta be an easy job. All you need is a package of hot dog weenies and a piece of rope in your pocket and you’re set. That’s how you catch Sweetie to load her every time we work cows. You’ve got that job down too.”
More silence. At this point Cap was hip deep in creek water, with about a half roll of barbed wire with a rod through the center above his head, wading to the other side. Stringing new strands of wire at a water gap meant a good rain passed through. It was hard to complain about rain, but easy to complain about fence work. Thus the doubled edged sword of ranching presented itself again.
“Ely, I’ve made my mind up about my profession.”
“Well what’s it gonna be?” asked Ely. “I can get the number down there to City Hall for you when we get back to the headquarters if you like.” He said with a big grin.
“Nope. Not gonna need it. I figure this is the job I was meant to do all along.”
“Really?”
“Yep. Here I get to be the road superintendent, the head dog catcher, the foreman over all jobs big and small, plus in addition to being foreman I get the added satisfaction of being a hired hand just like you. Yep, this is the best of both worlds here Ely. I just had to realize it on my own that’s all.”
“Glad you got to that conclusion by yourself Cap.”
Happy Cinco de Mayo mi amigos,
Walker
This was a statement that had never before come out of Cap’s mouth. At least to Ely’s knowledge anyway. He had to investigate.
“What else would you do for a livin’ ‘cept this?” he asked.
“Well, I could do almost anything. I’m not lazy, and a man who’ll work, will never be hungry and that’s a fact. I could go into town and get me a regular job, where nothing is trying to either hook me, or depend on me to survive.”
This was a conversation that began to take place while a fence crossing a creek, called a “water gap”, was being repaired after rain had washed it out. This was a notoriously hated job in Cap’s book and this had caused his mood to sour. It was perfectly normal….if you knew him at all. Ely decided not to waste this opportunity.
“You sure could," replied Ely. You know I was reading the paper last week and they had some job listings in there. How about the city street department? I can testify that they need help alright. They ain’t fixed a city street in 20 years or better. Our gravel roads are smoother than them paved ones in town. You could iron that deal out for them right quick.”
A few minutes passed.
“Hey! I also saw an ad in the paper you might be interested in. It said the county needed a new Dog Catcher. Heck that’s gotta be an easy job. All you need is a package of hot dog weenies and a piece of rope in your pocket and you’re set. That’s how you catch Sweetie to load her every time we work cows. You’ve got that job down too.”
More silence. At this point Cap was hip deep in creek water, with about a half roll of barbed wire with a rod through the center above his head, wading to the other side. Stringing new strands of wire at a water gap meant a good rain passed through. It was hard to complain about rain, but easy to complain about fence work. Thus the doubled edged sword of ranching presented itself again.
“Ely, I’ve made my mind up about my profession.”
“Well what’s it gonna be?” asked Ely. “I can get the number down there to City Hall for you when we get back to the headquarters if you like.” He said with a big grin.
“Nope. Not gonna need it. I figure this is the job I was meant to do all along.”
“Really?”
“Yep. Here I get to be the road superintendent, the head dog catcher, the foreman over all jobs big and small, plus in addition to being foreman I get the added satisfaction of being a hired hand just like you. Yep, this is the best of both worlds here Ely. I just had to realize it on my own that’s all.”
“Glad you got to that conclusion by yourself Cap.”
Happy Cinco de Mayo mi amigos,
Walker
Monday, May 4, 2009
Ranch Philosophy 202
The old pickup rolled slowly down the ranch road at not much more than an idle. It was a beautiful spring day in South Texas. The temperature was mild with a bright sun shining. This was a rare time of year when everything was green and starting over again. In just 30 short days, most of the green would either be brown or beginning to wilt. The summers lately had just been unbearable. Cap and Ely rode without saying a word, listening only to the truck squeak and rattle. They were just taking it all in.
“Reckon what this country looked like 100 years ago?” asked Ely. He was prone to pondering far off things and places. It was just his nature as a curious soul.
“I hear tell it was mostly prairie. Not a tree in sight for miles in some places. Just nothing but grassland and some maverick cattle scattered about.” Replied Cap. “From what I understand this coastal territory was full of cattle that nobody claimed. They were free for the taking, if you were able, that is.”
“I wish I coulda lived back then. Just ridin’ and checkin’ things everyday. Heck, just goin’ about the everyday chores probably took most of the day. From the time you woke up in the mornin’ till you went to bed at night was very primitive. Just think of all the things we take for granted nowadays. They couldn’t just turn on a faucet and get fresh water, you know, things like that. It was a rougher life. Guess that’s why people didn’t live to be all that old back then on account of them workin’ so hard just to survive everyday life.”, observed Ely.
After that he got quiet. They rode a few more minutes in silence. Sometimes not talkin’ was the loudest communication ever. A man could listen to what the world was tellin’ him instead of someone else. Cap spent a few minutes thinking about what Ely had said.
“You know Ely, I reckon you’re right. Things back then were probably pretty hard. But I guess it’s all relative.”
“How do you mean?” asked Ely.
“Well, remember last fall when I had to spend a week in Austin? I went up there for that Cattle Raiser’s Meeting. I stayed in a fancy hotel, and ate big meals every night. I was really livin’ it up for a day or two. Then it started to wear on me. At night the noise was loud since my hotel was right next to a freeway, and with all of those city lights you couldn’t see not a single star when you looked up at night. By the end of the week my nerves were shot. I’ll tell you, when that week was over, I drove 80 miles an hour to get home. That trip took years off of my life.”
What surprised Ely the most was Cap drivin’ 80 miles an hour. He only drove 70 one time that Ely knew of, and that was when Martha was in labor.
More silence for a few minutes. Just driving and riding.
“So I guess you goin’ to Austin and eatin’ good, but not likin’ the life up there is supposed to be like me wantin’ to go back in time to the old days?”
“Well kinda. I think you are following me.”
“Freeways and street lights botherin’ you are different than what a good hard day’s work puts on you.” Said Ely.
“No doubt. But what I’m getting’ at is that life is shortened by enough things out of our control. No sense in acceleratin’ it any by not doin’ what you want while you’re here.”
“Good point”
“Reckon what this country looked like 100 years ago?” asked Ely. He was prone to pondering far off things and places. It was just his nature as a curious soul.
“I hear tell it was mostly prairie. Not a tree in sight for miles in some places. Just nothing but grassland and some maverick cattle scattered about.” Replied Cap. “From what I understand this coastal territory was full of cattle that nobody claimed. They were free for the taking, if you were able, that is.”
“I wish I coulda lived back then. Just ridin’ and checkin’ things everyday. Heck, just goin’ about the everyday chores probably took most of the day. From the time you woke up in the mornin’ till you went to bed at night was very primitive. Just think of all the things we take for granted nowadays. They couldn’t just turn on a faucet and get fresh water, you know, things like that. It was a rougher life. Guess that’s why people didn’t live to be all that old back then on account of them workin’ so hard just to survive everyday life.”, observed Ely.
After that he got quiet. They rode a few more minutes in silence. Sometimes not talkin’ was the loudest communication ever. A man could listen to what the world was tellin’ him instead of someone else. Cap spent a few minutes thinking about what Ely had said.
“You know Ely, I reckon you’re right. Things back then were probably pretty hard. But I guess it’s all relative.”
“How do you mean?” asked Ely.
“Well, remember last fall when I had to spend a week in Austin? I went up there for that Cattle Raiser’s Meeting. I stayed in a fancy hotel, and ate big meals every night. I was really livin’ it up for a day or two. Then it started to wear on me. At night the noise was loud since my hotel was right next to a freeway, and with all of those city lights you couldn’t see not a single star when you looked up at night. By the end of the week my nerves were shot. I’ll tell you, when that week was over, I drove 80 miles an hour to get home. That trip took years off of my life.”
What surprised Ely the most was Cap drivin’ 80 miles an hour. He only drove 70 one time that Ely knew of, and that was when Martha was in labor.
More silence for a few minutes. Just driving and riding.
“So I guess you goin’ to Austin and eatin’ good, but not likin’ the life up there is supposed to be like me wantin’ to go back in time to the old days?”
“Well kinda. I think you are following me.”
“Freeways and street lights botherin’ you are different than what a good hard day’s work puts on you.” Said Ely.
“No doubt. But what I’m getting’ at is that life is shortened by enough things out of our control. No sense in acceleratin’ it any by not doin’ what you want while you’re here.”
“Good point”
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