Yup, you DO reach that age!!

A good Monday morning to all of you who read this dribble. I guess the ladies in Australia are into Tuesday morning; talk about fast women.

It is cool and crisp here with snow topping the mountains. The fishing is better than in the summer and football is winding down in the highschools. Now everyone is turning to wrestling, basketball and music.

I am fighting a wee cold but so far it has not got me down. I have been trimming trees, raking leaves and getting the place ready as possible for the winter winds. I like to be like the young man in the story of "Sleeping While The Wind Blows." or something like that.

Not much to tell this day so will tell a story from my past.

I like horses and we had a horse when I was a young lad that I considered my best friend. He and I went everywhere together especially in the mountains. The first deer I ever shot I was trying to load him on the horse when one of the antlers poked him in the ribs. He showed his displeasure by kicking me halfway down the mountainside.

When I was about 15 or 16 one of the sheep ranchers in the area asked me to help drive the sheep from the winter range to the mountains where the summer range was. They gave me an old buckskin horse to ride telling me it was one of the boss's horse and tame as a kitten.

I climbed aboard and went about 100 yards when suddenly that horse's head went down, his feet went up in the rear and I was airborne. "Don't let that horse get away with that. Climb back on and show him who is boss.", came to laughing comment from those who were with me. "Why you dirty, miserable excuse for an animal, I will show who is who around here," was my comment as I picked up my pride.

I got back on and this time I was ready for war. Nothing happened and we proceeded on our way. Just as I began to relax and think all was well, down went that head again and up went those back feet again and I was airborne once more only this time I went a little higher and a little farther.

Why that miserable plug. It had met it's master but just didn't know it. Everyone was laughing at me by this time and all kinds of advice was coming which I did not appreciate.

Back on that horse I went and I had a death grip on those reins and no way was I being thrown again. That nag didn't even wait until I was settled when down went that head again, even though I was trying to keep it up, and up went those feet again. I managed to stay on for about 3 or 4 good bucks and then I went flying higher than ever and farther than ever. This time I landed on a rock and it hurt.

I bowed to the horse who was indeed my master that day. Of course I can't repeat the words I had to say to that miserable creation. I walked 10 miles that day leading that stupid horse behind me. No way was I getting thrown again.

Along came the boss who owned the horse and he crawls aboard and away they went happy as could be. Good thing I didn't have my trusty 30-30 that day.

That is my story for today.

Have a nice day everyone.