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Welcome To The Bullpen
COOL WATER
James J. Liles
I mentioned earlier that there were cowboys from the ranches and farms and there were those from the cities. Well I sort of fell in between those two groups. I lived on the Navajo reservation for a time as a young boy and went from there to my uncle’s farm for a couple of years. During this time I managed to convince myself I was somewhat of a cowboy and proceeded to follow the path of a young aspiring rodeo cowboy entering all the local junior rodeo’s.
My sister however, wound up marrying into a real ranch family from down in southern Arizona. It was known as the Post Ranch after it’s founder Clarence Post, rancher, County Sheriff and God knows what all. My sister and her husband Jesse were going down to the ranch for a couple of days and being in the middle of the summer there was no school so I wrangled my way into an invite to go down to the Post ranch. I was about 15 at the time so my chest was puffed out pretty big thinking I was a cowboy myself.
When you go to someone’s ranch to visit it is pretty well known that you are expected to work while you are there. The work doesn’t stop just because you have company, you just have more hands to help you with it. After a huge dinner that evening the plan was to get up at sunrise and go to the back part of the ranch and check some cows.
The next morning after a big breakfast all the guys, which included Clarence, his son Jack, his other son Jesse, which was my new brother-in-law, and myself. Knowing I was not from a ranching family the jokes and needling started pretty early, wanting to know if I could ride a horse or if they needed to hook up a buggy. Of course I let them know under no uncertain terms that I considered myself a pretty good hand and was very capable of handling these old ranch horses. I just might have set myself up for a little payback with that comment.
Being in the summer down in Arizona I was a little curious why we didn’t pack no water canteen. I just figured there were plenty of windmills and cow tanks around if you really got thirsty.
Well we headed out and we hadn’t been out 30 minutes or so when Clarence decides to ride up along one of the steepest ridges I think I had ever seen. It appeared to me to be only about 12 inches wide but I am sure it must have been a lot wider and headed up the side of this rocky shale type ridge with it going what looked like straight down on the other side. I am real sure that old ranch horse had been over that trail hundreds of times and knew exactly what he was doing but at the time I was not convinced and my butt was clinched so tight I could have pulled the leather off the tree of that saddle. I kept moving over to the left thinking I was going to keep that old horse on the trail if he slipped. Now it was no accident that we took that trail I found out later. Jack and Jesse were having a great time telling me if I got over any further I would cause the horse to fall and that dang sure didn’t help any.
Well we made it up over the ridge and came around several more and believe you me I was getting real dry about now. I held on as long as I could and finally I had to ask, “are their any water tanks up on this part of the ranch? Must be a spring or something”! Well then they started in. Clarence first and then Jack and Jesse, “what the heck you want us to do? You want us to build a pipeline up here so you can get a drink? My God how are we ever going to get any work done if we have to run over to a water tank every hour or two to get you a drink”.
Now all these guys had a full chew of tobacco in their mouth and I found out some years later that this would help keep your mouth moist and you wouldn’t need a drink quite as often. Well we rode and rode until I thought I might dry up and blow away if I didn’t get a drink. Sure enough we rode over this hill and there is a windmill and a tank down in this little draw. Turns out we had ridden by this spot no less that three times in the last couple of hours. I tell you that was some of the sweetest cool water I think I ever tasted.
Now the teasing didn’t let up a bit and the remainder of the weekend was spent figuring out how they were going to run a piece of pipe up to the upper part of the ranch so I could get a drink when I wanted.
Clarence and Jesse have passed on since those early days of my cowboy life and the only time I see Jack now is pretty much at funerals. I swear to God the only reason he goes to them is so when we go back to the church he can tell that story and it gets a little more colorful every time he tells it.
Long Live Cowboys
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REVIEW 1
Well thought out story, which I believe is based on your personal experiences. Again, a few more commas need to be inserted and a few errors should be corrected. Once this is done, I believe you will have a great tale.
I encourage you to work on editing your work several times and ask yourself, Is my story understood by the reader?
Under a thousand words is considered flash fiction.
Please keep writing as you have a gift that needs perfecting.
Writing aint easy, believe me!
entering all the local junior rodeos.
Typo - Lose the apostrophe.
entering all the local junior rodeos.
Post Ranch
This name appears as Post ranch later.
Ensure you use the same name every time, either R or r.
pretty big thinking pretty well known pretty early,
Suggest pretty be dropped in one or even two phrases.
15 I suggest you write out numbers.
I had to ask, are their any water tanks up on this part of the ranch? Must be a spring or something! Well then they started in. Clarence first and then Jack and Jesse, what the heck you want us to do? You want us to build a pipeline up here so you can get a drink? My God how are we ever going to get any work done if we have to run over to a water tank every hour or two to get you a drink.
Capital letters required. Suggest dialogue be separated. (!) should be followed by quotes, not before. End of paragraph needs period removed and question mark added before end quote ( drink. - to - drink?)
I had to ask, Are their any water tanks up on this part of the ranch? Must be a spring or something!
Well then they started in. Clarence first and then Jack and Jesse, What the heck you want us to do? You want us to build a pipeline up here so you can get a drink? My God how are we ever going to get any work done if we have to run over to a water tank every hour or two to get you a drink?
Long Live Cowboys
Period required.
Long Live Cowboys.
L. Roger Quilter
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