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How cold is it?

I gotta’ tell you gentle readers this Novemburr has not been all that bad, that is until today. I sit here on Nov. 17 excited about Thanksgiving and I just can’t seem to get warm. Old guys and old gals have a hard time staying warm at times when the weather is really cold. It’s about 19 degrees F outside with a brisk wind out of the north and the ground has a slight covering of snow with more on the way. When you are on blood thinner it makes it a little harder to stay warm. Here I am complaining about being cold and winter is not really even here yet. Shame on me. I will tell you that as much as I miss my ponies, I am grateful that I don’t  have to trudge down to the corral, plug in the heater in the water, or maybe bust ice first and hand out the oats and hay. Truth is, that is a little chore that always warmed my heart. I think just knowing that my horses were going to have a full stomach, plenty of water and a shed to stay under during the worst of it was a happy place for me.

I think most folks feel that way about any animals or pets they have on their place. Going into that old barn on the ranch in Texas when it was icy and freezing outside and see the barn cats upon the hay stack staying warm would put a smile on my face.

I have a photo of myself and one of my cowboys, Rick, headed out to the wheat pasture to rope and doctor any steers that might have a health problem. It was, as I remember, around 10 degrees, snow covered ground and yes, a stiff breeze blowing. I had a fleece lined hoodie, a down filled coat with rabbit fur lined collar, gloves and coveralls on. Rick was too much cowboy to ride out looking like Elmer Fudd so he was wearing his cowboy hat but had a wild rag tied over his hat and around his ears to help fight off the cold. Somehow it’s a lot different when you are 40 years old and in great shape and ready for a new adventure every day. As the ranch manager I didn’t have to put myself in that position as I had five cowboys under my watch, but those situations always pushed me to be a part of whatever was going on. For some reason or other, I felt as if I had to just be there and let them know that I wasn’t asking them to do what I wasn’t willing to do. Given the same situation today, I would be in by the fire!



I have family coming over from the Western slope for Thanksgiving and am so glad this cold, cold air will be a thing of the past for their travels and their time here. We don’t get together as much as in the past as our lives seem to always be changing and our situations different. I do miss those big get togethers when the grandkids were small and bursting with energy. The wood stove put a glow on the family room where we all had gathered and good food, conversation and maybe a good football game on the “telly.” Those days are for the most part gone as the grandkids are all grown and doing other things. Therefore, I spend the holidays by myself except for Christmas morning when I go into my daughter’s house for breakfast, conversation and sharing gifts. That’s always nice, always!

This last election, and our current state of affairs here in Colorado, has left me with a cold feeling. I will, like you, go on and do what I do and hope for a brighter future. You cotton pickin’ politicians had better get your act together and show me some effort on your part to keep this AMERICA free. Free from foreign agents, terrorist, socialism, your huge egos and your sometimes stupidity! If you don’t, I for sure, will be fighting MAD!! (like you care).



With that said, we have The National Finals Rodeo coming up, Christmas and the National Western Stock Show in Denver. That’s the cold weather, right?

Stay tuned, check yer cinch on occasion, remember, “we learn from history that we do not learn from history,” Georg, Hegel, German philosopher. I’ll c. y’all, all y’all!

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