What Do a Cowboy and a Telephone Pole Have in Common

Loving the cowboy life from the time I can remember, Iapproached his regular turning point at the telephone
fell in love with a cowboy who's cowboy life prior topole! Right again, nope, that old gelding held true to
this time, consisted pretty much of owning a horse heform and pulled a right hand turn at the speed of light,
shared with his younger brother! Living in the outskirtsin spite of my cowboy leaning left and laying into those
of the then, not too large, greater Portland area, myreigns.
cowboy spent time riding his shared horse on hisWhat happened next, I will tell as I am certain it is in the
parents land and up the well traveled 92nd Ave.best interest of any would be cowboys who ride a
As was typical for the family of the 50's to live on ashared horse! When the old horse approached his turn
small acreage, raising a small kitchen garden andand made it, my cowboy left the saddle at the speed
hanging their laundry outside on a clothes line, to dry forof light, landing with the base of the telephone pole
free in the sun, such was the fair for my cowboy.cuddled into his neck and shoulder pocket.
What with responsibility for planting, weeding, mowing,Now as a cowboy would do, determination set in and
and haying, one would think there would be little timethis old cowboy climbs back up in the saddle and with
for enjoying the out of doors, not so for my cowboy!the every intent to show that horse who was boss, he
As he tells it, he ran round from early morning till justturned that old boy around and raced back to the
before suppertime, with no one even worrying for hishouse!
whereabouts.Spinning around on a dime, he turns the old horse,
What a life, you might say, perhaps 'tis true, but thinkraces back up the street to pass the telephone pole.
about this, when that cowboy took a ride on the horseAs horse sense would have it, that old horse knew his
that got ridden most often by his sidekick and youngertrail and would not for the death of him, stray from it!
brother up and down 92nd Ave. to the first turn at theAs my cowboy picked himself up from cuddling the
first telephone pole, you can just imagine what that oldtelephone pole once again, he solicitously picked up the
horse thought his responsibility was! Yep, you guessedreins walked that old horse back to the barn, never to
it, it was to make that turn at all costs!mount him again!
Now being the bigger brother, one would think that heIt would only be a matter of time before he would
would have the fortitude and upper body muscle toclimb into the saddle on the back of a much more
stop that old horse from turning when theyresponsive bay called Cocoa!