He took a drink from the coffee. It was good and strong. Hot coffee warmed a man and helped to beat back the tiredness of the trail. If it had a decent taste to it and not too bitter, it was a luxury. But whether it was a luxury or the taste was next to unbearable, coffee was almost as vital to survival as a good horse.”
–Robert Peecher (The Glorieta Grudge)
Yippi-ki-yay, 2026 is well on the way. Pard, yuh made it through 2025 with only a few knots to yur noggin. Now we continue onward on the road to glory–yeehaw! Don’t yuh be frettin’ none Pard, I’ve plenty of coffee an’ even though the prices are goin’ up I’ll keep the larder filled. Only thing though, yuh have to make one of them thar resolutions–no cinos!
I was sittin’ the other mornin’ in my mornin’ chair, readin’, lookin’ out the window watching gray light appear, contemplatin’ an’ drinkin’ my coffee when a thought hit me. AD,
“Anno Domini.” Yuh got that? 2026 is the year of our Lord! As was 2025 and every year before until He comes to earth to reign. The year of our Lord–I like that. Know this, Pard, that even if’n yuh drink one of them cinos the Lord is with yuh. He is there–always, all the time, and we needn’t fret about Him a-leavin’ us. He is the faithful God!
An ol’ friend of mine brought to my remembrance a song by that wrangler, Stuart Hamblen. Let’s ponder on them some, I’ll refill yur cup an’ yuh can be a sippin’. Am I gonna sing it? Well, I might hum along. But here goes, “Known only to Him are the great hidden secrets.” Wow! Right there is a whole bundle to try to wrap yur mind around. Believe that an’ if’n yur like me, “I’ll fear not the darkness when my flame shall dim. I know not what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future, It’s a secret known only to Him.” Whooeee!
Grab hold of that! Hang on, the Lord is right there with yuh, just like He was back in 2025.
It’s just like ridin’ along the trail, goin’ upward on a mountain slope. Yuh can only see what’s in front of yuh, yuh can’t see ’round the bend. Why thar might be a heap o’ trouble waitin’ for yuh. But yuh don’t have to be frettin’ none. Now, that don’t mean yuh don’t take precautions, yuh don’t get yurself prepared for the trail. No, we are to walk not ignorant of the snares, and traps, and obstacles, and hostiles that may be along our way, but we do know that the Lord is right there with us. Yuh know, I think He is walkin’ alongside us with a smile.
We travel in 2026, careful, tall in the saddle, ready as we can be. We’ve got our Bible, our gun, we’ve checked our cinch, there’s plenty of coffee. Now ride, cowboy, ride fer 2026 is waitin’ for us.
Vaya con Dios.