Mid-Week #Humor from Slim Randles

Since there’s still lots of winter happening, even here in NE Texas, I thought this arrangement of sunflowers and carnations would help everyone think Spring. I’ve been down with a nasty cold since Sunday, so I’m planning to stay wrapped in blankets tomorrow.

The carnations are left from a bouquet that I bought two weeks ago. Many of them wilted, but a few have managed to stay bright and perky. The sunflowers are a gift from my neighbor, who has been bringing me chicken soup and other goodies since I got sick.

The flowers were as welcomed as the soup.

My neighbor doesn’t speak English and my Spanish is limited to maybe four words, so it’s been hard for me to let her know that I don’t need eight bananas, twelve tortillas, and ten donuts.

Truth be told, I don’t need any donuts.

This family lives across the street from me – not the neighbors next door that I’ve written about before – and there are three generations in the house. The grandmother, Consuela, is the non-Engish-speaking lady. Her daughter, Anna, speaks passable English, and her three children speak it very well. 

Anna Texted me earlier to tell me to take the extra food over when the kids are home to let Grandma know why I’m returning it. I hate to appear ungrateful – I am very grateful – but I also don’t want to let good food go to waste, and there is simply too much for one person to eat. 

This morning, Consuela, whose name means comfort and caring – how appropriate, brought me a Spanish porridge called Avena con Leche. It was more drink than cereal, but it was delicious. Maybe she’ll bring  more tomorrow. 🙂

Now here’s a bit of fun from Slim Randles and the gang at the Mule Barn Truck Stop. Enjoy…

“This is ‘bout the best time of year,” said Steve, “to get out and do something fun, like go to a rodeo.”

“Awful cold out there right now, Steve,” said Doc, who has more degrees than a thermometer. “I guess it’s a good thing they have all those building rodeos these days.”

“Well, that would take all the sport out of it, wouldn’t it?” Steve said. “Dud, pass the sugar please.”

Dud passed the sugar. “Don’t know what you mean, Steve. Why would it take all the sport out of rodeo if the folks in the stands were comfortable?”

“Cold factor,” he said.

“What?”

Now Steve was our resident cowboy here at the Mule Barn truck stop’s philosophy counter. He still worked on ranches and lived in bunkhouses and saddled his horses one at a time, but his rodeo days were far behind him. It’s a sport with a very short career … one way or another.

“You see,” Steve said, “when it’s cold, the rough stock bucks harder … ‘specially the broncs. Not sure why, but you can see it even with broke horses. On a cold morning, they’re liable to hump their backs and hop a few times just for fun, or to shake out the kinks. Same with rodeo broncs. With them, I think it’s just more fun, though.”

“Well, I can see where watching broncs in cold weather would make it more fun to watch,” Doc said.

“That’s only half of it,” Steve said, grinning. “Those poor cowboys who ride them are cold and stiff, too. Doesn’t help much with riding rank stock. And that’s the reason it’s more fun to watch a rodeo in cold weather.

“It tends to rain frozen cowboys.”
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Brought to you by Ol’ Jimmy Dollar, Slim’s children’s book about a happy hound-dog man and his “kids.” See it at riograndebooks.com.

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In addition to hosting a radio show, Slim Randles writes the nationally syndicated column, “Home Country” that is featured in 380 newspapers across the country. He is also the author of a number of books including  Saddle Up: A Cowboy Guide to Writing. That title, and others, are published by  LPD Press. If you enjoy his columns here on the blog, you might want to check out the book Home Country. It features some of the best of the columns he has shared with us, as well as the 4 million readers of the newspapers where his columns appear.

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Here’s another reminder about the contest over at BookSweeps, where I’ve joined 29 other authors to give away a huge collection of Crime Fiction & Thriller novels to two lucky winners!

The Grand Prize winner also receives a new eReader – either a Kindle or a Nook.

You can win my historical mystery, Boxes For Beds, but enter now. The contest ends at midnight tonight.