Open Range

9 Replies

Open Range

Most cowboys are beef-witted. They ride the open range
decrying life in cities, avoiding any change.

They scan the far horizon to detect changes in the weather—
rain or hail or funnel clouds and speculating whether

to move the herd to shelter, making noises that will soothe them,
wondering if moves down towards the south draw might behoove them.

Their horses part the tall grass like a boat might part the sea.
Their lives out in the open are kitchen and bathroom-free.

They cook over a campfire and when it’s time to pee,
they mosey over yonder where no one else can see.

Prompt words for today are: bathroom, speculating, beef-witted,  noises  and   boat,

 

I decry the usual definition of beef-witted and hereby expand its definition. I’m presently in South Dakota at my town and school reunion. Plenty of cowboys here and in fact I took this photo a number of years ago on main street  at another town reunion.

9 thoughts on “Open Range”

  1. Marilyn Armstrong

    Yesterday here in Worcester county, not all that far from Boston, a 1500-pound bull jumped the fence and went a-wandering down major highways. This was a prize bull and BIG’un. Not an old cow his owner didn’t care about. That bull’s semen is worth $$$. The animal control people couldn’t catch him. Animal control people from several towns couldn’t corral him. In desperation, the farmer called a place in upstate New York where they employ cowboys to manage the cattle because no matter what else they have tried, a man and a horse work better with cattle than any vehicle.

    Thus arrived in the Bay State two cowboys and their horses. They galloped down Rt. 495 (I think the bull was on his way to the Cape; I hear the water’s great if you don’t mind the sharks) with lassos at the ready. Traffic was, by then, backed up in both directions for miles. Those two cowpokes rounded up the big bull with their ropes and well-trained horses and pushed him into a truck. Cameras on the ground and in the air caught all the action. It was the absolutely BEST part of yesterday’s evening news.

    So, if your 1500-pound prize bull jumps a fence and goes walkabout, you definitely need a couple of cowboys to round him up.

    This is true. It was on the news last night.

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