Under the Wire

Why do today ….

 

November 2, 2022



Once again, winter looms ahead. That means it’s time to switch from straw to felt hats, “T” shirts to long sleeves and jackets and for a cowboy, the most difficult change of all. Fall means it’s time to start staying home on weekends. The local rodeos, fairs and jackpots are winding down. In short, the fun is over.

Not having exciting weekends to look forward to any longer is just part of the problem. The big problem is what you have to start doing now that you are home. Every crummy task you’ve put off because you were goin’ to a ropin’ is now due. Overdue in fact. Really overdue if you want to get down right honest!

The problem is, projects that were not very attractive but fairly simple during the summer are now nearly impossible. Those little weeds sprouting near the ditch bank that needed sprayed are now trees requiring a chain saw.

The house that needed painted last spring now needs to be scraped and painted after weathering all summer. Those late bull calves you were always going to throw down some day and change to steers are now over chasing the very unhappy neighbor’s open heifers.

A fellow once told me if you let ten things go undone, after one week only 8 would still need done. After two weeks only four and after one month, only two would still require attention. I would like to tell him he was wrong, but I understand he moved after the bank repossessed his place.

So here we are. After a summer of pursuing one or more of our personal distractions, I find myself with a backyard that looks like the Sahara Desert, one yearling steer I haven't seen since I turned him out last spring and a Master Card with barely room enough for one more tank of gas for the old pickup.

I know what I'm going to do with that tank of gas, too. I haven't been to a team roping in a long time and I heard there's a big one taking place this weekend only one hundred miles away.

Maybe it'll snow soon and cover up my yard and all those weeds.

OK, so here’s the rest of the story. It has been a very long time since I entered a team roping. Given the rust that has built up on my skills, there is no way I’m driving one hundred miles to be reminded I’m not much of a team roper anymore!

 

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