Times Were Changing

                                                          Times Were Changing 

                                                                           By

                                                                   Mike Capron

We had gathered almost all the renegades on the ranch. Ol 45, Shaq, Madame Motley were gone.  We just don’t know where Madam went.There were still some cattle that needed working but not in big bunches.  They were traveling with some gentle bunches and they were on the agenda, but the boss was busy with the wind towers , the geologist, and the deer feeding program. I was most fortunate not to be included in any of these .

 He was aging and told me “Mike, get ready.  I plan to sell this ranch.” This meant that as soon as he got the money for the ranch, we are on our own…..!!!!!!

 Wilson had graduated from college and had moved back to 6 bar and was making bits and spurs full time. He was roping PRCA and told me he planned to move soon also. Liz was in graduate school and planned to be a speech therapist.  Anne and I were very busy feeding and housing geologist . I wasn’t sure what the next step was going to be as the boss was trying hard to sell the ranch and I was busy showing and telling.  

Every chance I had I would gather the puppies and Carmen and we would go make a round looking for slick ears and Madame Motley . We made lots of miles, worked a few slick ears along the way thoroughly enjoying the outing. Didn’t see any sign of Madame Motley. I was always hopeful. We were in her old stomping grounds and when Carmen hit a trail I  knew he was on to something. No telling what. I was right on his trail excited.  Carmen was busy trailing something that I couldn’t see. I just followed Carmen. I was excited because we were in the same part of the world where we saw Madame Motley for the first time. Maybe she had returned to her old stomping grounds. It was hard  to tell where the trail was. Everybody was following Carmen and he kept looking and trailing something right next to this cutbank gully. It was ten to fifteen feet deep and I couldn’t see any way in or out of the draw. I hadn’t seen anything in the draw either. The country side was mostly open and flat easy to see a long ways.  We all had our eyes on Carmen when he came to a complete halt and was looking hard down into the cutbank draw.   We all stopped and looked down as far as we could into the cutbank draw. I didn’t know what to do, as I didn’t know what was down there. It was getting late in the day and I didn’t have time to ride around and get a better look at what was down there. I was convinced we had some cattle hiding under neath a rock overhang. They were in a good spot to just leave them until I had more time and could make a plan.  We rode off and went to the house.