4 th of juleys years past

this year ive had a lot of time a lyin in hospital beds . I spent that time reminiscing about the rodeos, and ropins  we attended over the many years. the friends we have lost to old age disese and accident.  the funny things that happened and some things that were serious that turned out to be funny later. the year that Mormon lake went over 500 teams and cliff and walter bob, father and son were high team back.  they hadn't finished the ropin the night before ( no lights then)  so they started the shortround at 7 a m the next morning.  cliff was heading for his son walter bob who was left handed and lethal. they drew the best steer in homer browns 200 head heard of steers, got out perfect and rolled up on that ox to be a solid 8 second run and win the biggest ropin of the year.  but the pressure and a few beers the night before was the undoin of cliff. he never touched the right horn, his loop frissbeed off the head while the crowd groaned.  no one remembered who won that day but we all remembered who DIDNT!   then the year that it started raining on the second day there. in those days 4 wheel drive trucks were pretty rare. but a couple enterprising brothers who didn't win anything that first day had a 4 wheel power wagon and made a killing pulling out trucks from that wet, slick lake bottom when the rain wouldn't let up.  of course everyone there remembers the year that the Mormon lake lodge burned while the ropins went on. the slurry bombers who made 3 passes to knock down the old burnin building and paint everyones pickups and trailers pink with fire retardant.  the wild trips home after the last ropin so we could be home to work the next day.  why we wernt killed, incarcerated or both some times I wonder.  the year a small roping wonder appeared with his older brother and set the arena on fire with 2 foot catches for 3 days being high team back in all ropins, sam and clay o brien cooper, ever heard of them?  just a memories friends. hope you have a few.