Thread: Road pics

Had some great times working for the 7L. Summer time after we'd hauled 10K head up to the high country, things would slow down for the truckers. I was single so I'd stay on up there and fix machinery that the "cowboys" tore up, work on wind mills, ride pastures, or whatever. Up there the neighbor ranches would all band together and work their cattle. We had a steer operation so there wasn't much "working cattle" done on our ranches. We'd load up and go the neighbor ranches just for fun. All of 'em were rope and drag deals. We'd gather all the mother's and calves and then the games would begin.

You could rope till you missed three, then it was off on the ground in the mud and the blood. Cookin' fresh nuts, beans, and taters on the branding fire for lunch. Work your butt off till about dark. After things settled down a bit, there was always a bottle gettin passed as the sun went down. Standing there listening to the cattle bawling, a horse stamping its foot every now then, and watching the world get quiet is one of the things I'll never forget.

I guess that's the closest to time travel I'll ever see.

Then there was the time we drove 2K head across 35 miles of some wooly damn country horseback. THAT was an adventure. Reason we did it that was was that it would have taken too long to truck 'em. It was 70 miles one way across dirt roads or 35 straight across. We decided to drive 'em. Bear in mind that the cattle were all crossbred mutt steers of every color you could think of that had been pretty much on their own for a couple of months on some good grass. They weighed about a 1,000lbs apiece. Lots of brahma ancestry mixed in that bunch. The boys were pretty full of themselves and damn sure snuffy. Once we got 'em strung out, there were four lanky SOB's that wanted to be out front. No big deal, they were settin a good pace and all we had to do was just keep em pointed in the right direction. They were strung out nicely and coming off a hill. It was a sight to behold. One of the cowboy's had his airhead wife out there and she decided that would make a GREAT picture. It would have under most conditions. Connie whipped and spurred out ahead of the herd, spun her horse around and snapped a picture WITH THE DAMN FLASH!

The flash went off the the four lead steers took off at a dead run to different compass points. Cattle being cattle, followed whoever was in front of 'em. It was an explosion of memorable proportions. Connie got roundly and soundly cussed and 6 hours later we thought had the bunch put back together.

Connie got sent home in tears. The rest of us camped out and did the night watch stuff. The boss brought enough food for a small army and conveniently forgot the whiskey. LOL Those of that had a bottle in our saddle bags shared it around and it didn't last long.

We got 'em to where we wanted 'em in a couple of days and were only 40 head shy. Took four of us a week of hard riding in really rough country to find those crazy bastards and get them with the rest of the bunch. They weren't all together. We'd find two here and three there and one somewhere else. It was fun.

I'd do it again in a heart beat.

Wullie,
Sounds like you won't forget those days for the rest of your life. It's too bad modern life and growing up and moving on gets in the way of things sometimes.

Originally Posted by donv

Wullie,
Sounds like you won't forget those days for the rest of your life. It's too bad modern life and growing up and moving on gets in the way of things sometimes.

No Sir, I won't forget the good times.

I guess growing up and moving on is part of the journey.

Stinks at times though. LOL

Here's few little older pics. Not from the road but from the shores of the Baltic Sea.

Sundown:



Cormorants flying. When seeing them flying at night we call them bad elfs, bringing bad luck. Not so much nowadays, but older folks were sometimes upset after seeing them fly at sundowns. Death souls escaping. BS to me.

Great pics!

Cool story about the cormorants.

Post all the sea pics you want to. I'm an old sailor too.

That is one great story. Thanks for sharing.

Originally Posted by MickR

I remember being horrified when I was camping in the US, that our guide had built a great fire. I asked him what sort of wood it was as it had a really nice smell to the smoke. He told me Cedar wood, and I almost broke down in tears, thinking how could anyone burn such a beautiful wood as Cedar. And to think I had lent him my Bowie knife to cut up some kindling (No axe in camp. Do Americans have an adversity to axes, prefering Camp saws instead or something? I never saw an axe being used by anyone, in any of our camps.)


Mick

I never ever camp without an axe and a hatchet! Good old Boy Scout Training!

I will, but I always take a heavy knife if I choose to leave the hatchet behind. Extended trips hatchet. Overnight camp, whichever I deem minimum required. The Bowie I had on this trip was bought while I was in Jackson,Wy. I was almost at a point where I was going to buy the damn tour guide an axe, except I thought he might do himself an injury and hold me liable if he did. I wasn't about to buy one especially to bring home...I would have, if I had have seen one of those double headed affairs perhaps. Don't see them in Australia really.


Mick

Originally Posted by MickR

I will, but I always take a heavy knife if I choose to leave the hatchet behind. Extended trips hatchet. Overnight camp, whichever I deem minimum required. The Bowie I had on this trip was bought while I was in Jackson,Wy. I was almost at a point where I was going to buy the damn tour guide an axe, except I thought he might do himself an injury and hold me liable if he did. I wasn't about to buy one especially to bring home...I would have, if I had have seen one of those double headed affairs perhaps. Don't see them in Australia really.


Mick

One of mine.



Usually got this mess on me or about me at work.

I have a range of choices for heavy knives. A couple of homemades and several shop boughts. For weight in a compact package the British Jungle knife in the group shot is on the right side middle row, third one in. Also one of the four Khukuri's I own, three of which would also be in the pick. And of course my American bought Bowie in the group shot is top left, across from the Khukuri.
The group photo was a test issued by a mate. "What would you be able to get at in a minute or under if you needed a weapon". I had time to spare out of my minute, but only because I didn't think of all the other stuff I had when the pressure was on .
Sorry to take this thread off topic. I'll post a road pic next. I promise.






Mick