Cowboys and Airplanes ~ By Austin Brown
Cowboys and Airplanes ~ By Austin Brown
Back in the 1980’s, I had put a lot of hours
On a Cessna airplane that was ours
Flyin ’around south and west Texas to work;
To get there quick was quite a perk.
I could make it in a couple of hours, or so,
And not be sittin’ in a pickup all day below.
If I was checkin’ cattle water from above,
I’d put down my flaps and glide like a dove.
Back in the 1980’s, I had put a lot of hours
On a Cessna airplane that was ours
Flyin ’around south and west Texas to work;
To get there quick was quite a perk.
I could make it in a couple of hours, or so,
And not be sittin’ in a pickup all day below.
If I was checkin’ cattle water from above,
I’d put down my flaps and glide like a dove.
JD told me of a man who wanted to buy a plane.
He owned a ranch a Tynan. Welder was his name.
We flew in there to talk about this bird of mine.
It was a solid plane and it should last him a long time.
When we landed, we saw a lot of smoke and dust.
There were cowboys. BBQ, and clays to bust.
We settled in and got us a plate of beef and beans
And asked the boss if we could talk. “By all means!”
He said, as he loaded his shotgun and broke a few,
“What’s up?”, he inquired, but I guess he knew.
I mean, we had landed right there in his front yard.
He asked JD who I was. JD replied, “Just an ol’ pard.
Welcome to the party. You’re in time for the race!”
He pointed to a pen in a white circle,”That’s home base”.
All the loopers were gathered round some guineas in a pen!
This guy had put a number on the leg of every hen!!
“Choose one, give me its number, and 20 bucks”.
We all did and he wrote’em down as we loaded on trucks.
I wasn’t sure what was goin’ on with this crazy guy,
Bit I had seen the elephant and couldn’t let this go by.
I looked around for some kind of racetrack to use
to race guineas! I was lookin’ hard for clues.
Then we pulled up to an old Piper Super Cub plane.
These little machines are workhorses of great fame.
I couldn’t believe it but they loaded those birds
in that clunker and no one even said a word.
I couldn’t exactly believe what I was seein’
But, there I was, soon to see ground birds flyin’!
After the plane took off in a cloud of dust,
Everyone headed to the white circle in a rush.
When the little clunker got to 1,000 feet,
They threw those birds out, the ground to meet!
But NO! Who would have ever known it?
I would not have believed it had I not been shown it!
Those cluckie little round balls of feathers
Could soar for miles on wing hard as leather!!!
And, not only that, they were homers, too,
And could find their way home from the wild, wild blue.
Now, here’s the deal. Some are smarter mothers
And can find their way home before the others.
If your bird gets back there first to its home nest,
Then you get the money put up by all the rest!
Wow! Now, that’s a race for the modern age!
I’ve seen a lot but this just turned a new page!!
What Happens if one crashes and burns on the ground?”
“Then we all get some fried guinea to pass around!
But, they never do — they’re all great,” he said with pride
“And now you’ve seen you first…. GUINEA GLIDE” !!!!!!!
Written By: Austin Edwin Brown II ~ February 15, 2019 copyright 2019
Notes from the author: I kid you not! This really happened and even today, at special BBQ’s around Victoria, one might still see those little birds soaring around lookin’ for home base.
No harm was done and I can’t remember who won the jackpot but it wasn’t JD or me. Yes, Mr Welder bought my old Skylane and it served him well many years……and enabled me to buy a new plane. I promise, though, I never threw a guinea out of it !!!
Y’all stay cool this summer and remember to wear you duckin’ brush jackets when on horseback. They’ll keep you cool just like a swamp cooler does!
These are crazy times. Always watch your back when you go to town. Lock and load. Be prepared and, just like the chaplain said during the attack on Pearl Harbor, “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition”!!!
Austin Brown (paso por aqui)
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