Just stories ?

[rancher1913]

BTDT

[Boaz]

To give credit where credit is due I have seen few men work as hard as Howard Lyles . He would send us back to the house and always stayed to finish the job . First thing that came up when you mentioned his name to anyone they would remark on how hard he worked . He had a working knowledge of anything you could bring up . He would take off with a horse and trailer and not be back till way after dark . He was generous , he was a good man and did what he said . He would help anyone , he was a Christian and attended church regular . He loved his family to a fault . I never saw anyone that didn't like or trust him . When he died the church was over filled , they came from far and wide to send him home . He was a good man .

[Thundarstick]

Boy I could tell you some cow stories that would stand your hair on end, fortunately I was raised with cattle and know THE look when there eyes glaze over! Your story is stirring the memories for me!

[Boaz]

Boy I could tell you some cow stories that would stand your hair on end, fortunately I was raised with cattle and know THE look when there eyes glaze over! Your story is stirring the memories for me!

I understand . In the end I rode rodeo , buck outs ,worked the yards and helped auction at the horse sales , started a riding stable , worked cattle at packing house.......... . At the Burkburnett TX horse sale they always played a Marty Robbins record on the loud speakers before the auction to entertain folks . I always liked this song ;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mrI2xtkEMA

[Boaz]

..........................Memories just memories .

[Hickok]

Charlie, I am thoroughly enjoying this. Please continue dear friend!

[jmort]

I love reading these chapter posts
Thank you for sharing

[castalott]

I love these stories!!!

[Blackwater]

Whenever old friends gather for a drink or something to eat, or especially around a camp fire, it's stories of our past that we tell most often. Reminiscing is a VERY functional thing. Realizing how dumb we once were (and maybe still are?) helps keep us humble, and when humbled, we tend to err less, for we THINK more readily before we act when humbled. And it's surely functional to realize how blessed and lucky we've been in this life, too. There's nothing like someone else's life's story to make us so very thankful for our own! Keep 'em coming, Charlie! And whoever else wants their turn, too!

[Boaz]

Whenever old friends gather for a drink or something to eat, or especially around a camp fire, it's stories of our past that we tell most often. Reminiscing is a VERY functional thing. Realizing how dumb we once were (and maybe still are?) helps keep us humble, and when humbled, we tend to err less, for we THINK more readily before we act when humbled. And it's surely functional to realize how blessed and lucky we've been in this life, too. There's nothing like someone else's life's story to make us so very thankful for our own! Keep 'em coming, Charlie! And whoever else wants their turn, too!

Dennis you dang near drove the nail with one blow in your comment .
Not many will actually be personal , give real information and certainly would not post their failings . I try to be real . I have failed many times . I post my failings here and own up to the simply fact ..I ain't too smart . I'm past putting on , past trying to make someone think I'm something I'm not . I have no hesitation posting my failings , I learned from them so maybe someone else can to . I'm past being prideful ...I'm nothing but a broken down old man . It's a relief to be rid of the compulsion to feed my ego . Being able to let go your failure is a blessing , a release . No longer bound to live a lie .

I'll try to explain something . I find it strange or odd that people don't seem to see whats happening around them . They seem unable to 'see' the storys unfolding constantly with others in their life . Most are concentrating on an immediate situation , goal or circumstance but don't 'see' the interlocking components of a bigger picture . They not understanding that all these interactions and situational circumstances are part of the whole they are involved or engaged in . Few of my storys include only me except my personal failings , I believe there is a correlation there that bears thinking about .

[Boaz]

Howard Lyles drove a 3/4 ton truck like a race car ! He was always in a hurry ! He would start in up , grit his teeth , shove the floor shift , get holt of the wheel with a death grip , lean forward , and you better be leaned back in the seat or he would put you there when he let out the clutch . YES ! Howard was always in a hurry !
He took me to Falls County in southern Archer County to check some pens and make sure they were good to round up a lot of cows . Falls county is as rough a country with cliffs , draws , saddles , breaks , ect as I have ever seen . We got south of Lake Kickipoo in the middle of no where and come on a place of Johnson grass higher than the hood on the truck as far as you could see . He pushed the pedal to the floor to bust through the grass as he humped over the wheel !! Could see nothing ! Grass flying up over the windshield ! I got holt of the armrest , knew we were going to run off in a draw , hit the big rock/stump or something !

Howard glanced over at me and seen I was drawed up and said ; Dang ! Man might not know there is a road here ..huh ?

[buckwheatpaul]

Charlie, great testimony and it makes me plum proud to call you a friend, brother! Paul

P.S. I had my purple people eater this last year....you know that story though!

[Boaz]

Charlie, great testimony and it makes me plum proud to call you a friend, brother! Paul

P.S. I had my purple people eater this last year....you know that story though!

Yea Paul if you have been around cattle much your going to find a purple people eater sooner or later .


I was working on the kill floor for Ebner Brothers packing house in the early 70's . Got hired because I had experience working cows . Got some big brahma mix steers in , range stock ..wild . Went down in the pens (on foot) and was driving a big black brindled one in to the kill cell . Long narrow pipe fence alleyway . He turned on me , I threw down the hotshot and tried to climb the fence , no where to run . I just started up the fence and he hung a horn in my back trying to pull me off , I finally got over the fence . He could have ripped out a lung but I wasn't letting go that fence . Wasn't anyone around and if he got me on the ground they would have just found my mangled corpse . LOL , still got the scar to prove that one .

[Boaz]

First gun I owned . Was an Iver Johnson Champion 410 shotgun . Belonged to my grampa , was his rabbit/squirrel getter . My dad gave it to me when I was 8 years old with instructions not to shoot myself because mom would kill him if I did . I remember thinkin I had the world by the tail when he gave it to me .
He helped me reblue and finish the stock when I was 10 or 11 years old . I carried this old shotgun thousands of miles walkin the creeks and pastures . I still have it .

[Goatwhiskers]

Yeah, I know whereof you speak when it comes to head huntin' cows and steers, tho I think you have a bit more experience than I do. Wanted to say you have started a train of thought this day about folks who have influenced my life and thinking in small and great ways, starting with Dad, a quiet man who served his time in the ATC (flew the Hump) and came home to raise a family, cows, and deliver the mail. I also think of old Sheriff Hamilton in Brazos County, who, my first day, told me "I have two rules in my department: Treat a man like a man, and if the sxxx starts, you win." Followed rule 1 to this day, never needed #2. There are many others, gonna spend some time remembering. GW

[Boaz]

Thank you Goatwhiskers . I never intended this thread to be about me . My hope is that it could provide the encouragement or possibly be a catalyst for others to understand or start a journey of discovery of themselves . This is not a self glorification of myself . I only use my experience to provoke thought . To see and understand connections , interactions , to accept your past to increase your future . To understand that our GOD has always been with us even when we fail . Your failures could be the beginnings of your greatest accomplishments . We believe in a truly loving merciful GOD .

[Boaz]

This was my mother . I'm sitting here trying to think . Where do you start trying to describe your mother ? The one who carried you , went through the pain of giving birth you and the one you depended on the most for your needs and love as a child .

My mom was born in San Angelo Texas in 1912 . Her family moved to Wichita Falls Texas shortly thereafter . Her father started a paint/wallpaper store and did well . He also contracted big commercial painting and paper jobs . During the Burkburnett oil boom in the late teens people were flooding into Wichita Falls by train to get to the boom 15 miles north . Train ended in Wichita Falls . They would walk or however to get to 'boom town' . Her mother started taking in boarders because there was no place for the travelers to stay . Mom said the family slept in the kitchen so they could rent sleeping space in the rest of the house . People even paid to sleep on the front porch . Her mother paid off their house in less than a year .

The depression hit later . Her father sold the store at a loss and bought 10 aches east of town . He built a small 3 room shotgun house and a mule . He started truck farming and did what contract jobs he could get . Mom and her mother mainly did the plowing , planting and picking . She said she remembered selling green beans for 10 cents a bushel . She raised chickens , sold eggs and put herself through beauty school so she could get a job making more money .

They were hard times . Her father got a big painting job when they built a huge elevator , manufacturing facility in town . People begged him for a job , mom said it broke his heart he couldn't help all these men trying to feed their families . He would park his 1928 Dodge Touring car down the road at a neighbors place and slip out of the house before sunrise and walk to the car . Point was to avoid the group of men that would gather on the road in front of their house wanting work . She said it hurt him that he couldn't help them all .

My mom married an oilfield toolpusher in 1932 . He moved to East Texas . He was always gone , working in the field . She had a baby , the baby was not healthy . The small town doctor didn't know what was wrong with him . It was cold weather , mom tried to feed him and kept him by the wood stove to keep him warm . She slept in a chair beside him , constantly checking him , trying to get him to nurse . He died , she was alone . She divorced the toolpusher . She said she couldn't bear it . She would never talk of it , it made her too sad . What little I have said here is a collection of 'mentions' over the years .

She married My sister's father in 1942 . He joined the navy and was killed in the war . She said he was a good man .

She married my father in 1949 , she was 40 when I was born .


Life ain't always easy .

As a child seems I took it on myself to torment my sister as much as I possibly could . I was so mean to her it's a wonder she still loves me , LOL . Mom was getting supper ready , had a chicken cut up and ready to fry and my sister was helping her (sister is 6 years older than me ) . I just walked up and hit her in the stomach . She immediately started beating me on the head , her being taller . I ducked my head and lit into her waiting for mom to tell us to stop it . Mom didn't say anything , she just stood there backed up against the counter with flour on her hands watching .
I stopped beating on her thinking something was wrong here , Mom just stood there and said ...HIT HER ! GO ON HIT HER...KILL HER !! Susan ! Beat his head in ...make him suffer ! I'm sick of the two of you !! If you hate each other ..KILL THE OTHER ! Do it ..go on do it ! I want you to get it out ! I have taught you to love one another but you don't . Just kill the other but be done with it .
Me and Susan never fought again but I did torment the livin snot out of her .

Mom died in 1992 . She told us she was ready to see her Lord . I praise him for taking her home .

[Boaz]

My brother in law was a good man . Closest thing to a brother I ever had I thank GOD for putting him in my life . He died about 8 years ago after a long fight to live . I could always depend on him .

He wasn't really an outdoor type but he hunted , fished , trotlines and such with me because he loved me .
I had some trotlines out at Lake Arrowhead and asked him if he wanted to go with me to check em ...He said SURE ! I had the boat hitched up so we took off . We were running the lines and ran out of shad for bait so motored out to deep water and was pitching a cast net to get some . I pitched it a few times and he said ; Hey ,, let me try that . I just said sure , sat down and told him what to do .

He made a few failed throws with me trying to instruct him . Brother in law had a pretty good gut on him , pretty good taper so ta speak . He reared back and pitched the net and I guess he sucked up some , his levi's fell down around his ankles , he tripped on em and pitched off the front of the boat . Hangin on by his knees in his fruit of the looms , all I could see was his butt and sure nuff never heard him cuss like what he was , I'd call it a steady stream of profanity . I knew he couldn't swim worth a dang so jumped up and straddled him trying to get a holt of his shoulders to drag him back in ( I hope your getting a visual out of that) . I'm pretty sure everyone on the lake heard him . I finally got him back in the boat and collapsed in a seat laughing , couldn't even talk...he's still trying to get his pants up cussin incohently .

He is sorely missed but he is home and no longer suffering . I thank my Lord for bringing him home .

[rl69]

Clean your inbox Charlie lol

[Boaz]

Dang wish I was smarter an less feeble minded ! ....Done .