Back, Sort Of

Discussion in 'Not Sure Where it Goes' started by Cody Fousnaugh, Aug 3, 2017.

  1. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    Have taken a week off, but have missed making some comments about certain threads. My wife told me, after I told her that I wasn't planning on returning to this forum, "you'll go back, just like you did last time."

    Thing is, doing new threads and making posts took to much time from me daily. There were other things I really needed to do also.

    I know my opinions can be very different than some-to-most on here. I have made posts, including my opinion on "bigotry" that I pretty much got slammed about. One thing to remember, there are those that don't like much-to-any diversity. Doesn't mean that those that don't like "diversity" are bad. There are certain foods that some like and some don't at all. Doesn't mean that those that don't like certain foods are bad.

    Most of you know that, during my teen years, I was raised on a farm. From what I can tell, most on this forum were not. Most, if not all, on this forum are not "Western/Cowboy/Rodeo" types, like wife and I are. So, with those two things, there's not much in-common with others on here.

    Wife and I act younger than we are. I have an expensive Darth Vader costume and she has a Stormtrooper costume for Halloween. Don't think anyone on here is like that. Wife bought me a talking Minion stuffed toy for my birthday. Many on here would think that is silly for someone my age. I use Just For Men's Hair Coloring on my mustache, temples and sideburns and wife colors her hair. Another thing that most people our age would think as "odd".

    So, I am back, but do know there are those that wished I'd say away (LOL). However, I MUST curtail the amount of time I spend on this forum.
     
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  2. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
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    Don't know about the other things but coloring your hair at our age is more the norm than the oddity. Anyway, welcome back even if it's only "sort of".
     
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  3. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    Actually, I've only met one guy that colors his hair. Wife and I were pretty surprised that he did.
    Yep, the "sort of" is the way I have to have it. Just to many other things I need to do.
     
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  4. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
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    I was thinking more about the women coloring their hair, but I know a few guys who do also.
     
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  5. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
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    Howdy again @Cody Fousnaugh!
    As a "sort of" queue in, sometimes ya just gotta kick open a new door in order to really find out what interests folks.

    For example, until the last 12 years or so, my wife has owned horses all of her life and pretty much played cowgirl all of those years. So much so that she rode in parades and such and even passed on riding, rodeo and shows to her kids. For myself, I owned a Morgan and used to par-break Mustangs in Nevada and was even in a posse on a movie set in Sierra Nevada.

    Granted, our particular western experiences are not as large as yours but perhaps you can open a thread on rodeo, horses, ghost towns, famous marshals, bandits, Will Rogers, John Wayne or whatever might be associated with what most city slickers fathom as the old west. Possibly get into old versus new cowboy techniques, roping and herding cattle.
    Or, maybe you have already and I, as a not so steady reader and writer here, didn't notice. Either way, run it up the flag pole and see who salutes. Ya might be surprised who would be interested in your life long choice as a cowboy.
     
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  6. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    Funny, but the last time I mention the word "rodeo" in a forum threa, those that dislike zoo's and circus's, pretty much slammed me.

    Actually, becoming a rodeo cowboy wasn't a life long thing. Teen years were spent on a small hog farm. Went to my first rodeo at a very nice indoor arena in Long Beach, Calif. in the early 80's. One performance (go-around) and I was hooked. Was going to be a bronc rider until I found out that I was good on a horse w/a rope. Bought a horse, tack and rope and went to a Team Roping School. For the next 20+ years, weekends were in the arena. Forgot how many rodeo's I took my wife to after we met. She loved it.

    What I MUST understand is that there will be people that will disagree with me and possibly really let me know that.
     
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  7. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
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    Human perspective on any subject is always part of a conversation whether we are writing or having a cup of coffee together. Some of it comes with life knowledge and some are based on someone else's opinion or life knowledge. And still others depend on their own empathic or sympathetic ingredient which requires no knowledge at all.
    It's like talking about fishing. One likes to go fishing, one wants to learn how to fish while still another swears that fishing is so painful to the fish that fishing is inhumane and therefore unfathomable.

    Rodeo is just another one of those catagories that calls for experience, whether watching it or actually in it, but has to take in all comers with an opinion. It just comes with the territory so yes, always bring your chaps or chaffs (whatever) because some territory gets a little rough.
    People talk about the OK Coral and people getting ripped up by bullets with seemingly eternal fascination but God help the cowboy who ropes and ties a steer or rides a bull.
    To me when it comes to rodeo, there's absolutely nothing more beautiful and exciting than watching a cutting horse at work but that's just me.

    Perhaps a dose of "Pure Country" with George Strait might whet the appetite for those nay sayers!
     
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  8. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    First, don't know why you put the word "rodeo" in the same sentence as "cutting horses". Totally different event, but does still deal with horses. And, yes, watching a good cutting horse is exceptional. Watching it get down nose-to-nose with cattle is something else. Actually, I did know some bull riders, but horses were in the trailer and we were down the road, by the time bull riding hit the arena. Did like "rough-stock" events, buy my events were the "timed-events (calf roping, team roping and bull-dogging).

    Most people who don't like rodeo, or any event like it, also don't really want to know where their beef or pork came from before hitting the store.
     
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  9. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
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    No? I've seen cutting horse competitions at the rodeo in Houston, Calgary, Cheyenne, and even in Des Moines. Perhaps in the larger rodeos but not necessarily a circuit thing?
     
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  10. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    When we lived in Colorado and went to Cheyenne for Frontier Days, there wasn't a cutting competitions. Never had a cutting competition at any rodeo I was at in So California or in Colorado. The only competition that was part of a rodeo was Celebrity Team Penning.
     
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  11. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
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    https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...eos+with+cutting+horse+competitions&FORM=VDRE

    There are at least a dozen or so more rodeos than the link I provided which have cutting competitions listed @Cody Fousnaugh. When I worked frontier days, there was a cutting exhibit which doesn't follow with a competition but that said, it was still at a rodeo.

    Now, ya see guy? I'm the one getting jumped on. I simply made a statement and you decided I didn't know what I was talking about.
    Now, does it really bother or matter to me? Nope. I just present the proofs and let it go at that.
     
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  12. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    Bobby, I wasn't jumping on you, only stating a fact about the rodeo's we've been to, when I was involved in the sport. I was a member of major rodeo association and the producers of most rodeo's put on by this organization didn't have cutting competitions. I was involved in the California Circuit, which use to be called The Sierra Circuit.

    I've watched a number of cutting competitions on tv.
     
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  13. Bill Boggs

    Bill Boggs Supreme Member
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    Well, well, we have someone who doesn't like diversity and turns out he's an old cowboy. Do tell. Sometime its hard to really know somebody. Cody, I'm a city boy. I started my working career stocking groceries in the first super market in that town, E.Z Grocery. I decided that was for the birds when the owner promoted me to checker and a couple of days later, he told me a good checker could earn his wages by over-charging customers. Further he said most of these people are dirt poor, some don't read or write well, they'll never know what you're doing. In a week or so he called me back in the office and asked if I had not understood him. I said I had understood, but i wasn't raised to cheat people and I'm not going to start here, so he fired me. My dad couldn't read or write. My mother had a fourth grade education. These people he wanted to short change were friends and neighbors, some of them. I found a job after school and on weekends, cutting hay, baling hay, and stacking it in the loft of a large barn. When that ran out I got a job on a ranch out east of Wichita Falls, Texas. A casual friend was working part-time out there and he'd tell me what a great time they had riding broncs and bulls on weekends. I walked out the seven miles to the ranch and hit them up for a job one morning early. Got out there about a quarter till seven. I figured I knew enough make a hand. After all, I'd been reading paperback westerns for three years. The foreman was was handing out work assignments. When he was thru I asked him for a job. He looked me over and said, "We don't hire kids, beat it." I waited till everyone was gone and then hit the owner up for work. He asked if I had talked to the foreman. I said I had. The boss said then you've got your answer. I said in defense of my young self, all I've known is hard work. I've pulled cotton from daylight till dark, I've worked on a farm. My dad drew an X in the back yard and said when I come back next week I want to see a storm cellar right here. I build a storm cellar although when he told me I had no idea how. I said i'll make you a hand. He finally said, enough, enough, is that mean loading barbed wire in a pickup still out there. I said he was a few minutes ago. He said, Go out there and tell him you're his new helper. And on Sundays when the hands that dared rode bucking brows in his large corral, I tried my hand. I was thrown immediately. Thought my shoulder was broken. But I tried it again. This time the hoss threw me over the fence. It was then I knew everybody is not cut out for this nonsense. I'll stick to building fence till I can be a stock hand.

    I've known several rodeo-ers. A family member was a pretty good rider, around Amarillo and Guyman, Oklahoma. Never made the big time but became a cowboy poet and later a Baptist Preacher. My grandad, born in 1859 in Winchester, Kentucky and was listed as a stock hand on a ranch outside present day Breckenridge, Texas on the 1870 Census.He rode the Chisum Trail twice when he was twelve years old and again at fourteen, to the railheads in Kansas. He worked on that ranch till oil rush days around Eastland, Ranger, and Cisco, and Breckenridge . I said all this to convey, some of us here may understand what you're talking about. I've got some of those western ways in my heritage and in my blood. And by the way, I colored my hair with whatever color my wife happened to be using, until I retired. Talk to us about what's on your mind like you'd talk to a friend about what horse you hope you'll draw on your next ride. Most on here are good people wherever they hale from. There's always a few old sore heads like me lurking in the shadows, but just ignore us. I'm glad you decided to come back, Cody.
     
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  14. Ina I. Wonder

    Ina I. Wonder Supreme Member
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    @Cody Fousnaugh, rodeos and livestock events are quite common around here. Rodeoing (?) is a big deal here. Other than football, it's our most popular form of entertainment. In February, we have a month long of the different rodeo events. You have to order your tickets well in advance for whatever events you're interested in. If you don't pre-order your tickets you must except whatever is still available.

    That isn't the only time rodeos happen around here. You can go to the smaller rodeos almost every weekend around here. It's pretty much a year around thing.

    Every year we have to deal with the anti-rodeo people. Generally it comes from people that have moved from the Northern states to Texas. I always wonder why those folks moved here in the first place. We "are" one of the cowboy states.

    As far as farming goes, many of us were raised on them. I not only was raised on a farm, but my family worked our own small farm up until 2014, when my husband and son died. I could not handle farming on my own, so I sold everything but the 2/3rds of an acre that this old cabin sets on.

    So I agree with Bobby Cole that you need to try posting more on the individual aspects of rodeoing. Sometimes it's a matter of educating those that are unfamiliar with a different way of living.

    Oh by the way, I missed your postings. Diversity of people and subjects is why I like this forum. I get bored when everyone has the same opinion.

    I think all of us have had to back off every once in awhile when we find we're spending way to much time on forums. They can be a bit addictive. :oops:
     
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    Last edited: Aug 3, 2017
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  15. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    I've never been a "city boy" for-to-say. Have lived in the city, but never really conformed to the lifestyle. I went from wearing pointed cowboy boots to Ariat Lace-Up Roper boots, which were actually made for rodeo ropers. Look up Ariat Lace-Up Roper boots and see what wife and I wear. Stopped wearing Levi's and started wearing Wrangler Slim Fit Cowboy jeans. Fit me much better in the saddle! Used Classic Rope Company "Heading" ropes and still have a couple. Wore Resistol brand straw and Felt hats.

    Back in 1992, sold the horse I had, packed up everything, including saddle/tack I didn't sell, left So Calif. and headed to Sheridan, Wyoming to see about getting a ranch hand job. Problem was, I'd been a weekend rodeo cowboy and a full-time Shipping/Recieving during the week. Had never worked a ranch and knew basically nothing about it. Had never branded or inoculated/doctored cattle, fixed fence, herded cattle or welded. All work that ranch hands do. Actually, I my body wasn't even built to work a ranch! So, had to return to So Calif. and start my rodeo thing over again.

    Yes, neither of us like diversity that much because we weren't raised or lived around it.
     
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