I was talking to a neighbor a few days ago about a cow he fought all day with trying to get her out of the brush on the river bank and it reminded me of a similar event about 25 years ago that I will never forget so I thought I should right it down and share.
BOBBY
Way back in my younger years, Idaho was my home on the range.
Now looking back, it's funny how things go, how things seem to change.
I was just a young lad, thinking I was a hand,
Bobby was an old man, always made his living from the land.
We rode countless hours together, despite our difference in years,
And even as an older man, Bobby still was a man of no fears.
One fall we were gatherin the last of the bulls and cows,
Thinkin about that day, makes me laugh about it even now.
We had us a small bunch, some pairs and a mean old bull,
Got them down to the river, which by the way was running full.
All along that river bank rose bushes grew real tall,
The cottonwoods and willows were thick and turning red, ready for the Fall.
Those snakey old witches and that bull would do it too,
They'd run into those rose bushes and try to hide from you.
If you didn't pay attention to which trail they went on,
They would hide out, and then you'd think they was gone.
After playing hide and seek with those brush loving ol' rips,
My face and hands were bleeding, I was for calling it quits.
Bobby he came riding up, I could tell he had a plan,
When things start to go that way, I couldn't have been riding with a better man.
"This is what we'll do" he said in a matter of fact way,
"That onery old bull, he is going to go home, and he going to do it today.
Get them in that clearing, put the dogs on them so they run,
You get on that side of em, you watch, this is going to be fun."
We got them in a bunch, headin for clear land,
So far everything was working, according to Bobby's plan.
The dogs were working the rear, me on the left, Bobby on the right,
The bull tried to out run us, tried with all his might.
The cows and calves followed him, dogs nipping at their heels,
We were at a dead run, kinda like ridin on free wheels.
That ole bull thought he was getting away, I think he took a wrong trail,
But then again he wasn't thinking well, with a Blue Heeler on his tail.
Across the clearing as fast as we could go, headed for the stream,
That bull didn't have the time to even think about being mean.
He got to the river bank, didn't have the time to change his mind,
Cause we were on his backside, cows and calves were right behind.
That bull did a swan dive, over the bank about ten feet down,
Hit the water and went clear under, thought for sure that he would drown.
The cows and calves followed him, their heads bobbing as they swim,
Bobby jumped his horse in, so me, I followed him.
As we swam across, we drifted along with the river,
And I'll tell you what that water was cold, I was starting to shiver.
We drifted around a corner before we got to the other side,
The fun was just beginning, as we were finishing up our ride.
I looked up on the riverbank, I could see a couple of guys,
You should have seen the look on their face, I'm sure it was a surprise.
They were out fishing, trying to catch them a fish,
I'm sure they didn't ever know, that they were going to witness this.
There came out of the water a bull, some cows and some calves too,
Two riders on horses and some dogs that were colored blue.
By the looks of us it was plain to see, we weren't the catch of the day,
I didn't know what else to do, so I just gave them a wave.
We could hear those guys laughing, as we assembled our little herd,
I could see ole Bobby grinnin, but he never said a word.
Finally he started laughing too, as we trailed the herd down the road,
I could see that Bobby was so proud of his plan, he was about to explode.
"I told you it was goin to be fun before we made our attack,
Why we even ended up with an audience, what more could a cowboy ask?"
Scott Wiley 2005
BOBBY
Way back in my younger years, Idaho was my home on the range.
Now looking back, it's funny how things go, how things seem to change.
I was just a young lad, thinking I was a hand,
Bobby was an old man, always made his living from the land.
We rode countless hours together, despite our difference in years,
And even as an older man, Bobby still was a man of no fears.
One fall we were gatherin the last of the bulls and cows,
Thinkin about that day, makes me laugh about it even now.
We had us a small bunch, some pairs and a mean old bull,
Got them down to the river, which by the way was running full.
All along that river bank rose bushes grew real tall,
The cottonwoods and willows were thick and turning red, ready for the Fall.
Those snakey old witches and that bull would do it too,
They'd run into those rose bushes and try to hide from you.
If you didn't pay attention to which trail they went on,
They would hide out, and then you'd think they was gone.
After playing hide and seek with those brush loving ol' rips,
My face and hands were bleeding, I was for calling it quits.
Bobby he came riding up, I could tell he had a plan,
When things start to go that way, I couldn't have been riding with a better man.
"This is what we'll do" he said in a matter of fact way,
"That onery old bull, he is going to go home, and he going to do it today.
Get them in that clearing, put the dogs on them so they run,
You get on that side of em, you watch, this is going to be fun."
We got them in a bunch, headin for clear land,
So far everything was working, according to Bobby's plan.
The dogs were working the rear, me on the left, Bobby on the right,
The bull tried to out run us, tried with all his might.
The cows and calves followed him, dogs nipping at their heels,
We were at a dead run, kinda like ridin on free wheels.
That ole bull thought he was getting away, I think he took a wrong trail,
But then again he wasn't thinking well, with a Blue Heeler on his tail.
Across the clearing as fast as we could go, headed for the stream,
That bull didn't have the time to even think about being mean.
He got to the river bank, didn't have the time to change his mind,
Cause we were on his backside, cows and calves were right behind.
That bull did a swan dive, over the bank about ten feet down,
Hit the water and went clear under, thought for sure that he would drown.
The cows and calves followed him, their heads bobbing as they swim,
Bobby jumped his horse in, so me, I followed him.
As we swam across, we drifted along with the river,
And I'll tell you what that water was cold, I was starting to shiver.
We drifted around a corner before we got to the other side,
The fun was just beginning, as we were finishing up our ride.
I looked up on the riverbank, I could see a couple of guys,
You should have seen the look on their face, I'm sure it was a surprise.
They were out fishing, trying to catch them a fish,
I'm sure they didn't ever know, that they were going to witness this.
There came out of the water a bull, some cows and some calves too,
Two riders on horses and some dogs that were colored blue.
By the looks of us it was plain to see, we weren't the catch of the day,
I didn't know what else to do, so I just gave them a wave.
We could hear those guys laughing, as we assembled our little herd,
I could see ole Bobby grinnin, but he never said a word.
Finally he started laughing too, as we trailed the herd down the road,
I could see that Bobby was so proud of his plan, he was about to explode.
"I told you it was goin to be fun before we made our attack,
Why we even ended up with an audience, what more could a cowboy ask?"
Scott Wiley 2005
