He wasn’t going to do any shooting until tomorrow anyway.  But, if he was going to do that, he’d want some coffee first.”
              –C.J. Petit (Ben Gray)

Had trouble throwing my legs out of bed this mornin’, pard.  Glad yuh showed up.  Don’t yuh go to worryin’, I’m not gettin’ the guns out to do any shootin’, but I see that the mouths are already beginnin’ to shoot their mouths off.  Just raises the bile in my ol’ gizzard.  One of the best resolutions I’ve ever made was to stay away from the media–quit readin’ that junk they spout off.
    Some call it “spinnin'” but they tell lies, no matter which way yuh go to look at it, an’ it’s just startin’.  Yep, elections are about a hundred days off.  So right now I’m goin’ to enjoy my coffee, not do any shootin’ and try to ignore all the junk out there.  Course I know we should keep up with what’s happenin’, but yuh sure can’t trust the media to be truthful, nor many folk any more either.  Don’t yuh worry, my guns will be handy.
    Read where someone the other day was questionin’, “is the media the enemy of the people?”  Well, pard, it shouldn’t be, but in these days, the media has their agenda and it sure ain’t Bible-friendly, nor friendly to those who follow Christ and His teachin’s.  
    Ahhhh, that soothes the gizzard, sure don’t want actin’ up.  Yuh know, I don’t know what’s happened to plain ol’ common sense anymore.  Instead of bein’ practical, followin’ God’s rules, people want their own way.  Guess it’s always been that way, but more so than ever, and it’s continually in the news.  I’m a-thinkin’ that the days are comin’ where the good Lord steps upon His heavenly mount to come back and take His sealed ones on home.  Don’t know if He’ll be servin’ steak an’ potatoes, or biscuits ‘n’ gravy, but He’s goin’ to have a grand supper for us.  Surely, He’ll have some heavenly apple pie.
    Yep, that time’s here.  I mean the time for us to part for the coffee pot’s empty.  Sure didn’t waste much time.  At least yuh’ve had yur coffee before gettin’ on with Saturday business.  Take care, ride tall and straight.  Coffee’s in yuh, so if yuh have to do any “shootin'” yur ready.  Hey did yuh check yur cinch?

He took a long gulp of the still-steaming coffee, almost as if he were drinking cool water.  He grinned when he saw the alarm on her face.  ‘An ol’ cattleman learns to drink his coffee hot an’ fast.'”
              –Paul Bagdon (Stallions at Burnt Rock)

Yippi-ki-yay!  It’s National Day of the Cowboy.  Come in here, pard, let’s celebrate.  I made the coffee extra strong in honor of those ol’ boys of days gone by.  I hear tell there’s a few of them around today.  If not, who feeds us those hamburgers we so often have?  Makes me think of that song that ol’ troubadour, Don Edwards sings, “Say Goodbye to Montana.”  

              “All honor to the cowboy,
               Your praises they will sing,
               ‘Cause you never sold your saddle
               That’s the most important thing.”

Almost brings a tear to this ol’ boy’s eye.  Selling yur saddle?  Why pard, a man who sold his saddle isn’t much of a man.  He’s unfaithful to the Lord, his family, the code, and himself.  In fact, the Lord in western lingo will say on that final day, “Well done, fellow pard, yuh didn’t sell yur saddle, proud of yuh, come on in.”
    Sure wish I could offer yuh a piece of pie to celebrate.  But his coffee will have to do, ahhhh.  Hey, did I tell yuh, the doc said I have some spurs?  No, not the kind like yur a-wearin’ on yur boots.  The little imps are most likely what’s causin’ all the pain in my legs.  They sit a kickin’ on my last vertebrae.  They sure do make me take notice of them from time to time.  They prod me just like you go proddin’ that hoss of yurs.
    Let’s finish this pot, but before you take that last sip I read where the temperature was 124 degrees in Death Valley.  Whooeeee, that’s hotter than a biscuit-eater.  I was there a few years back, and it does get hot!   Had to pull the ol’ steel mount off and let her cool down some before I could get out of that place.  Look at the weather, scorchin’ hot in the West and floodin’ in other parts of the country.  We sure do get riled up about the weather and there’s not much that can be done about it.
    You be takin’ it easy, you just mosey along, no need of hurryin’ and for mercy’s sake, check yur cinch.
                     Vaya con Dios,

He spooned Arbuckle’s into a pot of boiling water, waited until the roil started again and then set the pot on a rock to cool down.  He added a dash of cold water to settle the grounds.”
               –Rod Collins (Bitter’s Run)

Slept in a little pard, but hey, it’s still graylight, ol’ sol is below the horizon or maybe I can’t see it for the trees.  Sure am liking living out here, just need to get things finished up.  Still progressing, but moving slowly.  No!  Not only because of my age.  One day you’ll be one of us ol’ folk so don’t go makin’ fun.  Oh, you want some coffee?  You keep with those negative thoughts and I’ll dump a spoon of sugar in the cup.  Ahhh, good.  I threw in a couple of extra scoops this mornin’.
     It’s been awhile since I’ve thrown some coffee into the pot out on the trail.  Oh, I know that everyone walks the trail of life, but I mean a trip, a trek, a journey.  Just like some of those we used to traipse on.  But there is something about coffee ’round the campfire; hmmm, come to think of it, there’s something ’bout coffee in the kitchen.  Take a whiff, smell the aroma, now take a deep, full drink.  There’s nothin’ yuh can say, but “ahhhh.”
     Yuh know, pard.  Kinda reminds me of the way we should take each day.  The Holy Spirit is with us so whether we’re out on the trail headin’ for some particular place, or just ridin’ around, or just sittin’ at home in the kitchen, we can be assured of His presence.  We can sorta relax and say “Ahhhhh, this is the day the Lord has made, rejoice in it.”  An’ remember, a day is just a day.  One more day on the trail of life.
     But pard, that doesn’t mean yuh go gettin’ careless.  Stay alert, and check that cinch.

I could smell the coffee and the bacon.  My stomach could smell it too and started to grumble.”
               –Lou Bradshaw  (One Man Standing)

Come in here an’ light; don’t be a-grumblin’ the coffee’s on its way.  It’s hot, pard, so don’t go burnin’ yur lips.  Ahhh, the simple delight of a small pleasure.
     Pard, the wife and I were a-sittin’, just like we are now, last week when our gizzards almost jumped right out of our mouth.  Crash!  Without lookin’ at each other we lept up out of our chairs an’ rushed to the sound.  There it was, “The End of the Trail”, lying there, on the floor of my office, the glass broken as it had fallen from where I had it hung.  It was a painting given to me by my Grandma Jones many years ago.  Upon closer inspection we found that the painting had not been damaged by the broken glass, that was a relief.  The second thing we discovered was that the string that held it on the wall had broke.
     I need a swaller before I continue.  It was my fault.  When we dug out the picture I noticed the string and wondered how long it had been on the frame.  I even thought about changin’ it, but no, didn’t listen to myself and hung it up.  My goodness, pard, that string might have been older than yur’s truly, and that would make it old.  At least no harm was done and it’s back up on the wall, right at the exit of my office.
     It’s like the fella that went fishin’.  He hadn’t been in a year or so an’ he was enjoyin’ himself.  Then he got a strike, set the hook and started reelin’ the fish in when it happened.  The line broke.  The line was old, weak, and frayed, and he didn’t bother to put on new line or at least check the line on the reel.  Yep, the big one got away, again.
     We need to be checkin’ our equipment and tools ever so often.  Probably more than we do.  That’s why I keep tellin’ yuh to keep yur gun cleaned and oiled.  To be readin’ and learnin’ yur Bible.  Reminds me, I need to sharpen a couple of knives.  Hmmmm, do you have the “sword of the Spirit” sharp and ready for use?
     You be checkin’ that cinch before yuh mount!  Maybe it’s time to check the shoes of that ol’ hoss as well.  You be havin’ a good week!