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Unregistered
Bull
Choice gleanings
from 45-plus years of Unregistered Bull
The traveler in the parked car
laboriously pulled himself up from the seat. He
stretched his stiff legs, shivered, and looked at
his watch. Six a.m. Again he fumbled for a
cigarette and looked around him. What a town, he
thought. What a fine town to spend Christmas
morning in. One rundown café. One shabby gas
station. A handful of shaky houses rattling a
dozen dismal tunes in the cold wind. Not a sign
of life. A little jerkwater point on the highway
waiting for the dawn of another bleak day.
Christmas! |
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Doc
Blakely
Pokin' Fun
The Christmas season is upon us
again, but in the modern version, the three wise
men have been replaced by Visa, MasterCard, and
American Express. Jolly old Saint Nicholas can't
come down any chimneys for fear of getting shot
as an intruder; Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer has
a restraining order placed on him by an
environmental group for polluting the atmosphere;
and about the only place you get a hearty
"Ho, Ho, Ho" is when you try to borrow
money for frills like food and clothing. |
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Monte
Noelke
Shortgrass Country
Thursday is the deadline to buy
groceries for weekend company at the ranch. I
have to start cooking on Friday morning, or I
won't be able to stay even. Mertzon lost its
grocery store four years ago. We have two
convenience stores, but they stock more canned
macaroni and cheese and Vienna sausage in tomato
paste than food to satisfy appetites whetted by
country air. |
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Baxter
Black
On The Edge Of
Common Sense
On the first day of Christmas my
new love gave to me a cowdog who played the
trombone. (Which was okay because I knew she
loved animals and she was going to veterinary
school to reduce their suffering and make her
contribution for the benefit of mankind. Besides,
she had the best little parakeets in town.) |
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Linda
Mussehl
As
I See It ...
A balmy night breeze riffled the
palm trees and the starry evening was silent and
clear. The cloying scent of night-blooming
jasmine was heavy on the warm night air.
Christmas had arrived once again in Saudi Arabia. |
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Lee Pitts
Its The Pitts
Every year my in-laws make it a point to
invite someone to Christmas dinner who is poor,
downtrodden and an outcast from society. Usually
it's me, so it's no surprise when I receive a
polite request every year to drive five hours one
way to attend their annual Christmas feast. And I
assume they are not surprised every year when I
decline, always with the same excuse: "I
have to stay home and feed the animals." |
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Dale
Rollins, Ph.D
Wildlife
By Design
When my preacher starts a Sunday sermon
that's likely to hit close to home, he always
precedes his remarks with "now, I want y'all
to know that I'm not mad at any of you."
When you hear that, better hunker down as the
message is about to make you squirm. |
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