Samantha Cole leaned down and patted a small young calf on the ground as she walked towards Mary’s paddock. Mary is Sam’s cow. Sam had trained Mary to cooperate in a rodeo when Sam competed on Topone her horse. Topone is well trained and instantly obeys Sam’s commands. Sam continued toward Mary’s paddock with her rope halter. When Sam whistles Mary comes trotting in a cow way up to the fence. Sam slips the halter on and at the same time slipping an apple slice into Mary’s mouth. Sam hears the warning bell for breakfast to tell the dudes to hurry up. Sam starts running quickly to help Mama serve up the dudes. Sam lives on a dude ranch where people, or on the ranch “dudes”, can help out, explore, and have fun. When Sam reaches the house she can already tell what’s for breakfast. Biscuits and Gravy with pork sausages on the side, orange juice or milk. Sam washes up and waits for the dinner bell while she pulls on her kitchen gloves. Finally, when Sam is in her position the dinner bell rings. Dudes come flowing in full of chatter of what they plan to do that day. Then Sam busies herself pouring gravy onto crumbled biscuits as dudes pass her. One girl even remembered to say please and thank you. After all the dudes had their food Sam serves herself and sits at a table in the smaller kitchen for her family.
After her, her little brother Michal comes in and behind him are her parents Debra and Don. We all sit down to say a prayer. We dig in and our parents explain our duties for the day, but they always promise 2 free hours sometime during the day. My duties are to first lead a group on an “Explore the Trail’ trail ride, then give a beginner barrel racing lesson, after that I have to do my assigned barn chores, and after that I’m to help the cook prepare lunch for everyone. Then I have my 2 free hours. Then I have to lead a trail ride that goes till an hour before supper, and then I help with supper. Then off to bed for the dudes and I. During my 2 free hours I spend a half hour barrel racing and another half hour practicing roping with Topone and Mary. Luckily Mary doesn’t struggle so we are a winning team at rodeos. For the next hour I go on a trail ride on Mary. Her gait is a rocking slow gait in a walk or a trot but in a canter or a gallop her gait is as smooth as butter. After I finish breakfast I put my dishes in the dishwasher and head to the large stable to help get ready to explore the trails. I help a small girl get tacked up and mount. I promise to keep her at my side. Her name is Laura. When the group is ready I signal Topone to start off at a walk. Soon the whole group follows me onto our “Explore the More” trail.
Everyone listens as I explain things around us. Laura asks me “What is that beautiful place with all the bushes?” I tell her and the rest of the group that we are stopping here to eat berries and dangle our feat in the stream. The whole group yells startling Puddle, Laura’s mount. Quickly Sam reaches over and grabs Puddle’s reins before he runs off. After a break we head back and I give the barrel racing lesson while she goes to see a horse race with her parents then I start my barn chores. When I finish, I help the cook make cold cut sandwiches with homemade chips. Pretty soon I am taking orders from dudes of what sandwich they want and what flavor of chips they want. My mother takes my place and I gobble my lunch down to help pour drinks. Most dudes tell me thank you then walk off but Laura asks me if she can watch me in my 2 free hours. I tell Laura yes and to meet me at the door to the small kitchen in 15 minutes. I finish serving dudes and meet Laura at the entrance to our small kitchen. I explain to her what I do and what she can do. While I practice Laura watches every move I make like a hawk. When I finish practicing I ask her if she would like to ride the other cow that I trained, PadMay. We mount up and I show her around my favorite trail before we head back. I offer to let her ride PadMay during the kid trail ride. Laura says yes excitedly and opens her mouth to say something but I tell her the other kids think cows stink! We laugh at how could they think that. We both lead the pack of chatting kids through the trail.
When we get back Laura wants to know what I do, so starting tonight she is my buddy or my sister. While I serve hamburgers to the dudes I think of the fun we’ll have tomorrow. Laura is sleeping in my room tonight so after supper we run up the stairs and snuggle down in our beds. We fall into a deep happy sleep. At 12:00 we both woke up and started telling jokes like
Where is the best place to get a tan?
— Montana
or What did Obi One Kanobi say to Luke Skywalker at breakfast?
— Use the fork Luke!
or Why did the coach of a football team go to the bank?
— To get his Quarter Back!
or What is Illinois’ favorite season?
— Springfield!
or What is an acorns favorite state ?
–Oak-lahoma!
Both girls giggled at each other’s jokes. Then gave riddles like
Mary’s parent’s had 5 daughters. Lily, Loni, Lidia, and Lisa. What was their 5th daughter’s name?
–Mary!
or What box has no hinges or no lid and is in the refrigerator?
— An Egg!
My mom and dad came in and told us to be quiet but we kept giggling over our jokes and telling each other about our egg incidents like I told her about a Gymaka where she kept dropping eggs on her boots. So her boots were a mess. We both giggled. Then Laura told me once she tried to make fried eggs and ended up making fried shells and slimy floor. Boy was she in trouble. She got grounded for 2 weeks straight. She never tried to make her own breakfast again. We both giggled. But we got caught and my parents told us to be quiet! We then snuggled down to sleep having happy dreams followed by a dreamless sleep.
I have a riddle for you too:
What is:
Alive without breath, cold as death
never thirsty, always drinking
All in mail, never clinking?