HAT TIPS

Hello,

You know there is a saying I often heard about cowboys. “Everyone wants to be a cowboy, until they have to do cowboy ….” You can fill in the blanks. The editor doesn’t let me say it.

I guess that was never truer than a deal last week.

My make believe friend Shannon and I were at the local livestock sale. You know Shannon. He’s the guy I partnered on the dollar bull with. He’s the guy that, when we partnered on a couple bulls, we played poker for the best bull. I won and then when we were branding his, it kicked him in the belly and tore his shirt off. He wouldn’t let me take a picture, but then showed his cut belly to all the people in a bar later that day. He’s funny that way. We have had several adventures together. He usually comes out ahead.

Anyhow, we were at the sale. I had purchased four bulls before he got to the sale. He heard about this deal and wanted in on the action. So, for a small profit, I traded him one of the bulls.

When we went to load them, they were plumb gentle. I have never seen such well-behaved bulls. They wouldn’t take a mean step. I guess that kind of lulled us to sleep.

After sorting the best bull out, we went to load it in the front of his trailer. Beings it was gentle, Shannon just stood alongside the trailer door, rather than hiding behind it.

Evidently this bull had been jockeyed around the sales yard long enough and decided he had been through enough. Without any warning he suddenly took Shannon. Now I wouldn’t say Shannon is fat and slow, but he is getting a little long in the tooth and may have lost a step or two over the years. And his back was against the fence and the bull was only a step away.

That old bull hit Shannon and threw him higher than the yard fence. Which is about six feet tall. He did a complete flip in the air and came down hard on the concrete. It was not a perfect landing. His head was bleeding and one leg wasn’t working. I would have liked to help, but much like the time the bull kicked him, I was laughing too hard to be of much help.

I think the bull was embarrassed that he had done such a thing. After flipping and crippling Shannon, he walked calmly onto the trailer.

It’s been a few days now and I guess he will be laid up for six weeks or so. In the meantime, he can practice up on his pinochle.

“Everybody wants to be a cowboy. Until they have to do cowboy stuff!”

Later, Dean