How would it be?

[Delmonico]

Yer gonna have to have enough chckens to lay twice as manny eggsa as ya need, cause with out art-er-fish-al light at heat, they gonna quit layin' when it gets coold and dark early.  Keep the extras in the cellare, coat the shells with lard and cover them with bran.

Yer gonna need two cows and breed then at different times to have milk all the time.

Honey was there but scarce, the honey bee moved in only 'bout 15-20 miles ahead of the settler and there wern't much clover or lucerne (alfalfa) to make the nectar for the honey.

Most likely if'n ya don't buy yer sugar yer gonna have to raise sorgum to make sorgum 'lasses.

"twas also cheaper to buy yer coffee green and roast it as needed, 'bout half the cost of the Arbuckles.

The grasshoppers et yer garden, we ain't had the time to build the outhouse, use the bushes, or the chamber pot, there's a blizzard goin' on and you'll get lost goin' out.

Rustler got yer cattle so thir ain't no money to buy powder or cat-rid-ges, yer wife went crazy with the wind and got sent to the insane assylum.  Tain't no money to buy flour either, use what corn the hoppers didn't eat and grind in in yer coffee mill.

It's gonna rain tonite so ya better fix the roof on the soddy so it don't coo-lapes.

"sides that I bought yer morgage from the bank and the sheriff done kicked you out.

Don't make no differance anyway, ya ain't got no water cause the tor-nader got the windmill spinnin' to fast and it's three counties over.


I gots time also.

[Stump Water]

Yah Del... I mighta known you'd come along and give us the sugar-coated, Hollywood version.   

[Delmonico]

That's the problem with too much research, the reality of it would kill most modern folks.

A period correct cowboy would likey not have enough ammo on hand to shoot more than one or two stages.

Ya ever been in an outhouse at -25.   I think that's where the Nebraska comedian got the term, "Git er Done."

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[Stump Water]

That's the problem with too much research, the reality of it would kill most modern folks.

I reckon yer right about that.  Camille and I have had "what if" discussions.  As in, "What if the [proverbial] poo-poo impacted the oscillating air movement mechanism?"  All modern convienences were suddenly gone.  Who would make it?  Where would ya go? Etc.

It can be kinda humbling... and frightening.

Ya ever been in an outhouse at -25.   I think that's where the Nebraska comedian got the term, "Git er Done."

Now that's funny right there.  I don't care who ya are. 

[Camille Eonich]

I ain't been in an outhouse at -25 but I been in a few at about 25 and it's so cold that it's hard to "git 'er done" 

[Delmonico]

That's whats nice about what we do, we can take Period Correct as far as we want to and when we get to cold or hot or tired or sick we can come back to the modern world.

Totally PC, yer favorite cosie would be dead many times, including about a week ago.

Now let me cut ya a steak off un that hind quarter of beef, it ain't been over 90 since we butchered it a week ago.   Ya ever wonder why cowboys perfered their beef unaged and cooked well done.

[Delmonico]

Just remembered, there is a poem I often recite at Living History Demos that kinda sums it up.  don Edwards does a wonderful version to music along with several others, but I can't sing.

Cowboy Song

Pushin' horns wern't easy, like the movis showed was,
I don't remember dance hall girls and hotel rooms with rugs.
Ya worked till you wer hot and tired and nasty and yer ponies head hung low.
There were nights you couldn't sleep, cause it was to danged cold.
And we sang Stawberry Roan and Little Joe.

The time we hit the river, the rain was comin' down,
Water risin' so danged fast, we thought i'd drowned us all.
We lost a lot of steers that day, and 4 or 5 good mounts,
But when all the boys rode in to camp, we knew that's what counts.
And we sang Yi-pi-eye-ki-yi-ay and Amazin' Grace.

The night they broke behind us, and took us by surprise,
I whistled out to Bonner, saw the terror in his eyes.
He rode for all his horse would ride, I know he down his best.
But he crossed over Jordan, ridin' Dunny to his death,
and we sang Bringin' in the Sheaves and Rugged Cross.

When you see the cowboy, he's not ragged by his choice.
Never meant to bow those legs, or put that gravel in his voice.
He chasin' what he really loves, whats burnin' in his soul.
Whishin' to hell that he was born a hundred years ago,
Still singin' Strawberry roan and Little Joe.

For some reason doin' it tends to choke me up a bit, cause I think there is at least a bit of that in all us on this board, otherwise would we be here?

May the real workin' cowboy live on, he ain't the fella of movies and he don't line dance in the bars.
I never mind sweepin' up the dried cow poop from his boots when he comes into the store, the conversation I have with the real ranch hands is well worth it.  He's not really a dyin' breed, you just can't often see him from the road.

[Stump Water]

May the real workin' cowboy live on, he ain't the fella of movies and he don't line dance in the bars.
I never mind sweepin' up the dried cow poop from his boots when he comes into the store, the conversation I have with the real ranch hands is well worth it.  He's not really a dyin' breed, you just can't often see him from the road.

Yep.  And them what's back here to the east are wearin' work boots or duck shoes, over'hauls or cover'hauls, and a cap... more'n likely from the local co-op.  Don't look like "cowboys", but they are... all the way through.

[Delmonico]

And many do out here also. 

The real ones are made of whang leather (rawhide) met an old retired rancher last summer.  We was cookin' fer a trail ride out in doc Middleton country and he liked our setup and kinda hung around the cook camp.  Course we fed him and like a stray dog he stayed around a lot. 

He said he spends his time either ridin' or out botherin' the kids at the ranch.  Well on Sat, after about 4 hours they came and got the six hole horse trailer cause someone's horse went down. (It was about 90)  When the got back there were 3 horses and riders and one was our friend.  He unloaded his horse and took care of it and wandered over.  He said when the horse went down, he got off his and went and watered a bush and was to stiff and sore to get back on.  Seems the ol' fellar had a hernia repaired 8 days before.