paying attention

years ago when I went to work at hughes and ganz cattle co in queen creek there was a feller there I got aquainted with. he had come there from California and went to work as pen rider. he was sharp and a good manager of people, plus being likeable.  he had over a few years worked his way up from pen rider to the yard boss at one of the sections. then just before I went to work there he had gotten promoted to yard supervisor. in this position he gave up his horses and sorten duties and mounted a chevey pickup and oversaw the general operations including feed trucks, maintence and cowboy crews and processing crews.  it was a tall order and he was up to it. we got to be roping partners and would practice a couple days a week. he and I were careful to keep our friend ship out of the work place. at work he was the boss. my immediate supervisor wasn't to enamoured with my friend but we all managed to get along somehow. one morning in January it was drizzling rain, cold and miserable. we had already shipped a bunch of fat cattle, had our morning coffee break and was headed  out to the pens to check cattle.  ole super was cruising by in his chevey pick up and as he passed us he grinned big rubbed his hands together as if warmmin them at a fire. his windows rolled up and the heater was runnin. he was in shirtsleeves while the rest of us horse back were wrapped in coats and slickers with mittens trying to stay warm in that drizzling rain.  as ole supervisor drove by grinning at us , ribbin his hands he kept lookin and grinning to make sure we saw him. trouble  was that little road he was on made a little turn and him watchin us didn't realize it. at about 30 miles per hour he and that chevy hit a pipe post set in concrete. the post won. it creased the grill of that pick up and ole supers head bobed back and forth like a bobble head doll!! as we rode by the cowboy boss who was wioth us leaned over, grinned and said " ide pay attention was I you".  we never slowed down and when I turned into my ally I could see ole super trudging back to the office without a coat and water runnin off his resistol. .