horse tracks and a runnin iron

 ya know for my whole life small ranchers, and town ranchers have been suspicious of a man who gets up before daylit and is 5 mile along when the sun comes up, lookin out over the brow band. i guess its just they think if your not settin there in the coffee shop with them theres somethin wrong with you!! those people who think that coffee shop wont get along without their bussines just seem to be more important than the rest of us!! the few times i spent time in those coffee shops it seems those people knew more about everyones elses bussines that the folks they were talkin about!!
    then ya got brand inspecters, they are a valuable asset to the cowman except for their own image of self importance!!  pin a badge on one and by god anyone and everyone is a suspect!! and as they move around the country inspecting brands they spread their gossip like a fertilizer spreader!! so while your out makin horse tracks and minden your bussines  the coffee shop , stool polishers are goin at ya with forked tounges!!
    years ago i went to the 76 ranch. there i found years of poor managment had left a mess for the new owner. a remnant that was spoiled corrals run down, water wells that wouldnt pump, tanks that hadnt been cleaned in years.  now in my limmited experiance ive found the only way to correct these problems was to pull your hat down and go to work!! my neighbor on the east was a old puncher who was puttin his last years takin care of a little ranch for a absentee owner. ole bill had been up the river and over the mountain. he was a hand!!
    the neighbor on the west  was a big loudmouthed ex football player who had owned a dozen ranches and never stayed on one long enough to find his way to the horse corral. HE spent his time at the coffee shop, or  the usda office tryin to find free goverment money. his cows never seemed to produce enough calves, but then with old bulls and not enough bulls what do you expect.
     thursday was sale day and a lot of ranchers went to town for the sale. old bill was there one day after unloaden his calves havin coffee in the cafe at the sale barn, the big mouth football player was sittin there with him. old bill ask him how he could spent all his time in town knowing his neighbor was riden every day, carrin a runnin iron and there was 10 miles of bad fence between the two ranches? the football player spewed his coffee out and got  up and stormed out of the cafe, old bill was laughin his self silly until he realized he got stuck with the check!!!