COWBOY WISDOM

Saturday was the Facebook party for the National Cowboy Day. Great bits of cowboy wisdom were shared and it reminded me of a collection I have by Texas Bix Bender titled DON’T SQUAT WITH YER SPURS ON! A Cowboy’s Guide to Life http://amzn.com/B00V5ML7F4

Here are some of the pearls from that book:

Don’t never interfere with somethin’ that ain’t botherin’ you none.

Talk low, talk slow, and don’t say too much.

Don’t worry about bitin’ off more ‘n you can chew. Your mouth is probably a whole lot bigger than you think.

Makin’ it in life is kinda like bustin’ broncs: you’re gonna get thrown a lot. The simple secret is to keep getting’ back on.

You can just about always stand more ‘n you think you can.

There’s two theories to arguin’ with a woman. Neither one works.

A woman’s heart is like a campfire. If you don’t tend to it regular, you’ll soon lose it.

Control your generosity when you’re dealin’ with a chronic borrower.

Too much debt doubles the weight on your horse and puts another in control of the reins.

Don’t let so much reality into your life that there’s no room left for dreamin’.

Never miss a good chance to shut up.

Nobody ever drowned himself in his own sweat.

Honesty is not something you should flirt with—you should be married to it.

Cowboys are always a welcome subject, aren’t they? In fact, I love reading anything about the West, which is why I write and read western romances. My latest release is the historical romance, McCLINTOCK’S RELUCTANT BRIDE, book three of the McClintock series. Didn't Skhye Moncrief do a fabulous job designing the cover?

Here’s the blurb:

Nettie Clayton’s well-planned life is stolen in a few moments. All she wants is a better life for her family in McClintock Falls, Texas where her father can recover from years spent coal mining. Her teacher’s salary is slated toward saving for her younger brother to attend medical school. Her dreams are dashed when Josh McClintock mistakes her window for that of her neighbor. She wants to resist her parents’ decree, but there’s no way to win.

Josh McClintock’s free-wheeling life comes to an abrupt end after his birthday celebration. He works hard by day on the family ranch; he plays just as hard on weekends. He loves being single to play the field of willing females and has no plan to marry for five or six years. One drunken mistake alters his life and Nettie’s forever.

While Nettie and Josh struggle to deal with an unwanted marriage, a crazed villain planning his revenge against the McClintock family targets Josh and Nettie.  What happens when the villain attacks?

Here are buy links:

Amazon http://amzn.com/B011LGDP8U

Amazon Canada http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B011LGDP8U

Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B011LGDP8U

Amazon in Deutschland  http://www.amazon.de/dp/B011LGDP8U

Amazon Australia http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B011LGDP8U

Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mcclintocks-reluctant-bride-caroline-clemmons/1122296093;jsessionid=55F2EC55DF788F41BD04EB496DE920AD.prodny_store03-5?ean=2940152252132

Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/mcclintock-s-reluctant-bride

Google Play Books https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Caroline_Clemmons_McClintock_s_Reluctant_Bride?id=fNsoCgAAQBAJ&hl=en

Apple https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1019315302

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The Wit and Wisdom of the American Cowboy

Cowboys branding a calf. (National Park Service)

By Kathleen Rice Adams

It’s been said that when a cowboy is too old to set a bad example, he hands out advice. According to the National Park Service, which lists several historic ranches among its properties, old cowboys weren’t all that common, at least during the days when cattle roamed the open range.

Crusty old cowboys were mainly an invention of movies. Most cowboys were young, some only eleven or twelve. By the time they were in their mid-20s, most had taken up ranching on their own or found a less strenuous way of life. It was a young man's trade, for the hardships of six-month trail drives and the injuries sustained in working with livestock took a physical toll. Some cowboys eventually became cattlemen, while others stayed on the ranches as cooks and handymen.
—Brochure for the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, Montana

Nevertheless, cowboys have a reputation for passing along hard-earned wisdom in some downright colorful ways. Even today, folks who work ranches—and country people in general—speak a language all their own.

Here are some choice tidbits one might hear from a cowboy.

"The Cow Boy," J.C.H. Grabill, photographer
Sturgis, Dakota Territory, c. 1888 (Library of Congress)

About conversation

Don’t expect mules and cooks to share your sense of humor.
Don’t make a long story short just so you can tell another one.
Don’t worry about bitin’ off more’n you can chew. Your mouth is probably a whole lot bigger’n you think.
If you have the opportunity to keep from makin’ a fool of yourself, take it.
Never trust a man who agrees with you. He’s probably wrong.
Speak your mind, but ride a fast horse.
When there’s nothin’ left to be said, don’t be sayin’ it.

"Branding Calves on Roundup," J.C.H. Grabill, photographer
South Dakota Territory, 1888 (Library of Congress)

About conflict

Always drink your whiskey with your gun hand, to show your friendly intentions.
Don’t bother arguin’ with a rabid coyote.
Don’t corner somethin’ meaner than you.
Don’t wake a sleepin’ rattler.
If you climb into the saddle, be ready for the ride.
Never drop your gun to hug a grizzly.
When your head’s in the bear’s mouth ain’t the time to be smackin’ him on the nose.

Frederic Remington drawing
(Harper's New Monthly magazine v.91, issue 543, August 1895)

About life in general

Don’t get callouses from pattin’ your own back.
Don’t use your spurs if you don’t know where you’re goin’.
If it don’t seem like it’s worth the effort, it probably ain’t.
Keep skunks, lawyers, and bankers at a distance.
Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction.
Never follow good whiskey with water, unless you’re out of whiskey.
Never take to sawin’ on the branch that’s supportin’ you, unless you’re bein’ hung from it.