Interesting events in my life seem to have come in quarters, based on a life expectancy of 100. I doubt anyone cares to hear about the past events of my life, at 25 and 50, so I decided to have this diary about the last quarter. I won't be 75 until the summer solstice, but since I am in my 75th year, I shall proceed if my uninteresting life interest anyone. I decided to start this dairy while out walking, my daily escape from Mr. B and his love of watching poker and rodeo on TV. I didn't think I would have any stories, but would just start the dairy and let it ride till something happened. I was wrong. I returned home to find Mr. B watching rodeo and in a foul mood. He finally let it spill. His upcoming hip surgery had been cancelled. He didn't make his last cardiologist appointment because he didn't think it was necessary. The anesthesiology said, "No way Jose" until he gets clearance from the heart doc. He made an appointment, but it is four months out. So, four more months of him hobbling around, because of his glory days riding the rodeo circuit, 50 years ago. We have been married 35 years. I may be extending my walk, adding another couple of miles. I had rather wash my eyes with lye soap than watch rodeo on TV. Poker is running a close second, but maybe use Dove instead of lye. If my diary interest you, please leave a like. I hate talking or writing to myself.
That's what diaries or journals are for. Talking/writing to yourself. Getting thoughts out of your head. I would hate to watch poker too!! I have never liked to watch golf. Both are Boooooring!
He will know nothing about this forum or rodeo fans here. One thing I have learned, in all my years, is don't invite trouble.
Anybody else having trouble wrapping their head around the fact that it is 2025? It seems to me that 2000 was just a couple of years ago. I had to smile, when I walked by a place down the road, yesterday. It is a 5 acre place that sold last spring to a young couple. They covered the house roof with solar cells. They built a new state of the art chicken house and goat barns. Beautiful craftsmanship and design. Soon it was buzzing with beehives on the back fence, chicks turning into hens, and noisy entitled goats that didn't appreciate the lush pasture and first class accommodations. They weren't happy until a bag of alfalfa pellets and molasses coated oats were dumped into their feeder. About an acre of raised beds were built and soon boasted every vegetable one could imagine, including corn that would require a ladder to harvest, but these "homesteaders" had a new Kubota with a front end loader that boosted the lady up to pick the corn. BB agreed these Mother Earthers were really roughing it. They were from a suburb of Seattle. Anyway, it seemed like a couple of well to do young folks that might be concerned about the state of the country and joined the new preppers movement. What was shocking occurred about one month before the election. Four various size Biden and Harris signs went up with the gigantic one having a spotlight on it so it was visible, possibly from space, at night. BB agreed this didn't make sense. Why would they support the leadership that ran our country into such a mess, then prep expecting that they would stay in power? What made me smile was the signs came down the night of Nov. 5th. Then, three days after the election, they packed up and loaded everything in a large moving van and a semi with a flatbed trailer. The goats and chickens were loaded in a fancy horse trailer. They left! A neighbor that always has the scoop said they moved to Canada. I smiled again yesterday, when I saw this "carnival" of rigs return. By afternoon the chickens and goats were just as they never left, equipment was unloaded, curtains were opened, the furniture was moved in, and by afternoon it was as they never left. I smiled again when our nosey neighbor (a better journalist than most on the news), got the scoop. Their last straw with Canada came when little pansy pants Trudeau resigned because the mean orange man threatened to pull his binky.
As I was reading this, I was thinking the very same thing, depending on which events he is truly interested in. Apparently they have The Cowboy Channel in their home. Another thing I will say, I'm sure glad my 76 year old wife has the very high interest in PRCA rodeo that I have and was a member of at one time. Actually, that word "rodeo" is what brought my wife and I together 24 years ago (in 2000). She loved rodeo and knowing me/marrying me was a huge plus.
As for your diary here, interesting, at least to me, more than you might think. As for livestock, rodeo, farming and even some ranching, I know about it. I was raised on a small hog farm in northeastern Indiana. I know different tractors. I've owned a horse and participated in professional rodeo for a number of years. At 75 now, that's all gone, except for the western apparel and our very high interest (fans) of professional rodeo. IOW, we love being around rodeo/farming/ranch folks.
He was mainly rough stock, bareback bronc and bulldogging his favorite. He did some roping to qualify as all around cowboy. Yeah, we have the Cowboy and the entire rodeo TV shittin sabooddle channels, but that is all back in his "cowboy" quarters. I don't like any pro sports. Luckily, his son has a big house with a special TV setup and they all go there for football and poker.
The last few days, I have spent hours reading over this forum. I was surprised how many here are still living and doing agricultural things in the country. I find what other seniors, especially after they pass the big 70 mark, are actively doing on their small acreage farm endeavors, interesting and refreshing. We no longer have any livestock or poultry and are considering letting the gardening be a thing of the past. Both of us have been country people all our lives and now maybe time to leave it all behind. Disability makes many things difficult beyond any reasonable measure, so why suffer when it is no longer enjoyable? I once enjoyed foraging, fishing, and hunting for food. I found that more enjoyable than growing it on a farm, but more productive on a farm. So, while I drink my coffee and look out our back glass double patio door and watch the rancher in the distance, rolling out hay for his cattle, I squelch any desire that makes me want to do such, by stepping out the back door. So, instead of pulling on long handle underwear and Carhartt bibs with the matching heavy canvas coat, I will soon pull on my old ski thermals, ski pants. matching jacket, ski hat with ear warmer band, insulated gloves, and then go for my walk looking like a big city type, headed for the ski slopes. Many have said you can never take the country out of a country girl. The damp cold sure takes it out of me. It is more comfy to look like a ski diva than a country gal.
Well, my horse is gone, along with all of the tack I had. We are just serious, actually very serious, PRCA rodeo fans now. Have the Cowboy Channel and love it as well as watching NFL, sometimes PGA and WNBA. We are also into target shooting and my wife has her own Smith & Wesson 9mm as well as a Sig Sauer 380. She loves indoor or outdoor target shooting. During my Junior High/High School years, I was raised on that small hog (Duroc) farm, but all of the other hog/cattle farms around is were a good size. 4-H and FFA were very big. However, after I got out of the Navy, I decided that raising hogs just wasn't for me. We both love going to a County or State Fair and watching the young kids showing their livestock. We still have a powerboat (20 foot), but don't use it nearly as much as we use to. Not for water skiing, but just cruising a local lake or fishing (Rainbow Trout). We do love boating, but, even with an electric winch, it has gotten harder and harder to launch the boat and retrieve it and all of the other work that goes into it. We will end up selling it and the trailer later. As for snow skiing, I tried it once and that's all it took. Just like surfing, definitely not my thing. However, each year in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association has their Downhill snow skiing event for their rodeo cowboys. Yes, as we get older, and our health can deteriorate, numerous things we use to love to do, have to stop. My old "in the arena rodeo days" stopped after I had a hip replacement and rotator cuff surgery on each shoulder. I kid around about us looking like Roy Rogers and Dale Evans in our western attire, but in reality, we don't look like that at all. However, we do dress/look like serious rodeo fans that we are. Absolutely no "glitziness" to us at all.
@Cody Fousnaugh Cool that you have found something to be passionate about, regardless of age and disability. Such a passion sure helps pass time. I will never understand how your dressing western makes you look like a serious rodeo fan, but that doesn't matter. No one elected me the judge, LOL! BB hasn't worn any western clothes in recent years, even for rodeo or the fair, but you can bet he won't miss a rodeo of any kind, TV or in person. He buys tickets to all three days of all the major rodeos in driving distance. He misses nothing even though his attire is non descript other than slacks, tenny shoes, and tee shirt. He never wears a hat and rarely a ball cap. He pays extra for the covered stands, so no need for a head cover, he says. Personally, I find western clothes very uncomfortable and haven't had any for years. Last rodeo here, my granddaughter bought the great grand at three years old, boots, hat, and a cute vest. She refused to wear it! She is now riding a 14 hands quarter horse by herself in the corral. They help her mount, of course, but they no longer have to lead the horse around by the reins. She holds the reins and knows to hold back and gently pull on the side to turn. The horse is an old retired cow pony and not sure she can do more than walk these days. Great horse for little kids.
[QUOTE="Silver Begay, post: 777431, member: 3475"I had to smile, when I walked by a place down the road, yesterday. It is a 5 acre place that sold last spring to a young couple. They covered the house roof with solar cells. They built a new state of the art chicken house and goat barns. Beautiful craftsmanship and design. Soon it was buzzing with beehives on the back fence, chicks turning into hens, and noisy entitled goats that didn't appreciate the lush pasture and first class accommodations. They weren't happy until a bag of alfalfa pellets and molasses coated oats were dumped into their feeder. About an acre of raised beds were built and soon boasted every vegetable one could imagine, including corn that would require a ladder to harvest, but these "homesteaders" had a new Kubota with a front end loader that boosted the lady up to pick the corn. BB agreed these Mother Earthers were really roughing it. They were from a suburb of Seattle. Anyway, it seemed like a couple of well to do young folks that might be concerned about the state of the country and joined the new preppers movement. What was shocking occurred about one month before the election. Four various size Biden and Harris signs went up with the gigantic one having a spotlight on it so it was visible, possibly from space, at night. BB agreed this didn't make sense. Why would they support the leadership that ran our country into such a mess, then prep expecting that they would stay in power? What made me smile was the signs came down the night of Nov. 5th. Then, three days after the election, they packed up and loaded everything in a large moving van and a semi with a flatbed trailer. The goats and chickens were loaded in a fancy horse trailer. They left! A neighbor that always has the scoop said they moved to Canada. I smiled again yesterday, when I saw this "carnival" of rigs return. By afternoon the chickens and goats were just as they never left, equipment was unloaded, curtains were opened, the furniture was moved in, and by afternoon it was as they never left. I smiled again when our nosey neighbor (a better journalist than most on the news), got the scoop. Their last straw with Canada came when little pansy pants Trudeau resigned because the mean orange man threatened to pull his binky.[/QUOTE] Too funny! It made me chuckle.
First, I wouldn't except you to know much about what we know about rodeo, because you have very little-to-no interest in it. And, that's fine. However, please remember, I'm a former professional rodeo contestant and my wife absolutely loves wearing western attire, including a cowboy hat. We totally believe in the western way of life and totally support it. When we went Cowboy Christmas Gift Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, during the National Finals Rodeo, we seen plenty of young people that either looked like they were going to a country-western nightclub and buying fancy western attire to go to one. There was a lot, and I do mean a lot, of "glitz and glamor" at that Gift Show. Very fancy looking (lizard skin/snake skin) cowboy boots. flashy shirts/blouses and "glitz" western belts. None of it that wife and I would wear. Rodeo has changed a lot, and perhaps too much, over the years. Back in 2000, we seen a lot more young ladies wearing cowboy hats to rodeos than we do today. When many people see my wife (almost 77) wearing either a felt or a straw, they are pretty shocked about it. They see her wearing one of her baseball caps, they can get equally shocked. Guess older senior ladies are suppose to look like that, but I sure love it. As for myself, I've never known/seen a 14 hand pony work cattle. My old Team Roping horse was a Red Roan, registered with AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association) and I was a member myself. I use to ride in a size 15 1/2 inch saddle, but now it has to be a 16 to 17 inch. Not only do I have a couple of old Classic ropes I use to rope with, but also roping spurs.
@Cody Fousnaugh I wouldn't expect you would know about working cow horses, being a former pro rodeo man. A trained rodeo horse seldom makes a good ranch horse. I always rode a 14 to 15 hands horse (we call them cow ponies) for working cattle. You can't beat a small horse for corral sorting or even rounding up cattle in rugged terrain. Maybe this video will give you an idea of what I am saying. Watch it on You tube to see the title. Also, if you are genuinely interested in the western way of life and ranching, then you will enjoy this video. He does a good job of explaining why a smaller horse makes a better working cow horse. I am not one to post a lot of videos, but if I typed this all out in my own words, you probably wouldn't bother reading it or think I knew what I was talking about. I think you will find this guys clothes satisfactory and not to big city or western glitzy.