Ode to the Cowboy

Some think a cowboy is suppose to be tall and lean,
good lookin' of course with tight fittn' jeans,
A thin wiry frame with legs slightly bowed,
with his pants tucked inside for his boots to be showed.

He rides a fancy pony if he rides for the cattle,
and atop his steed sets mighty a fancy saddle.
His hat is a Stetson that's creased to his style,
he's got a big silver buckle you can see for a mile.

Oh he struts like a peacock with a bit of a swagger,
talk about ropin' n ridin', he's a bit of a bragger.
Why he could rope the wind if given half a chance,
and steal any lady heart with one handsome glance.

Now I've know some good cowboys who were tall & lean,
but most I have known were not cut to be mean.
Most know the work and are caring endowed,
this leaves little time to strut around proud.

But purdy of course don't make a buckaroo,
and it don't help a bit if yer horse lost a shoe.
And that buckle he bought can't doctor a cow,
and workin' stock, . . . well ya gotta know how.

I know a passel of cowboys and most ain't even cute,
but I sure want them with me when I'm loading the chute.
When workin the stock they don't need to brag,
they're always first to join in when ridin' the drag.

Some are short and stout and some right down fat,
but when it comes to the job that's right where they're at.
Truth is most cowboys don't fit a physical description,
To think they're all tall and good lookin,' is just plain down right fiction.

Now I'm a cowboy who is not real tall or even good lookin',
And most of this round comes from my wife's down home cookin'.
I'm no different from most and I know who I'am,
I'm that cowboy from Idaho who looks like Yosemite Sam!

By, . . . Rudy Gonzales
"Idaho Cowboy Poetry & Western Humorist"
Copyright © 1997

I thought this little poem to be fitting for my post. Now I am warning you that I was very busy and just snapped pictures as I went along. Some Jay took and some Tennille took. I am NOT the photographer that all of you seem to be and I certainly am NOT an editor. However, this was so much fun that I had to get some pictures and so I just took a few quick ones. My goal over the next few weeks is to get out my camera manual and practice, practice, practice because I was quite disappointed in my pictures of our trip. That being said...

This was our first whole day in Colorado. We went to the ranch where Matt works outfitting in the fall. This is where he gets the horses to take hunters up into the mountains to get elk. We(like Pioneer Woman I use this term loosely) loaded up the horses and took them to Missionary Ridge for a ride. Jay and Matt's mom watched the four kiddos.

This is Jay's brother Matt.


He's a hick. And his ear itches. This ear-scratching is a family trait.

This is my honey, Jay.


He used to be a hick but I transformed him. He still scratches his ear though.


They were rounding up the horses and I was helping buy running frantically in the other direction whenever one came near me. Seriously, I was kinda nervous.









This is Jay saddling his mount, Cocoa.


Matt saddled my ride, Wayco. That's Tennille on the right. She's brave, she saddled her own horse. I think it's name was Colorado. I was thankful this was not a "prepare your own horse" excursion. Yeah, that hick guy is pretty neat. My saddle didn't fall off or anything, so I'm pretty fond of him now.






Then we were off to the mountains. Unfortunately I did not get any pictures of the actual ride because it was pouring down rain the entire time and there wasn't really a dry place to put my camera. Oh yeah, I was also holding on for dear life. These pics are after our ride as we were preparing the horses for the ride back to the ranch. Jay took most of these.

Dontcha think they're a cute couple?


See! Proof. I was actually on a horse. It was very fun and
I could realy get used to it. It's something I would like to do more of. By the way, the cowboy hat and ankle-length rain slickers came in very handy. They are made for riding in this kind of weather and keep you mostly dry.



On our way back to the ranch.





Well, that's it for the first day. I have more of that evening at Chuckwagon that I will be posting over the next couple of days. Sorry that my pics aren't real great but we had a blast(once I quit crying and got on the horse anyway). Like I said, this week is going to be about learning how to take better pictures. If you all have any tips just let me know!

And for the record, I think that Matt guy is a pretty cute cowboy. Just not quite as cute as my short-wearin', flip-flop clad punk.

See ya'll later!