Under the Wire

The shiny new four wheel drive pickup rolled into the yard. As Rancher Smith walked up to the driver’s side window he was greeted by a big jovial smiling face.

“Howdy, I’m your new neighbor across the road and I just wanted to stop in and say Hello,” the obviously happy fellow beamed. “The Misses and I have wanted to move out here in the country for years and we’re just tickled pink we finally got to do it,” he went on. As he got out of the pickup it was obvious that if he was tickled pink or any other color for that matter, it would take a heck of a lot of paint to do the job.

“Yep, we're goin' to get us some cows for our ranch and sure look forward to neighborin’ with you folks. Gosh this bein’ out here in the wide open spaces is great. I get up in the morning and drink my coffee in my underwear right out on the front porch. Not a sole in the world can see me,” he gushed. “Lucky World,” Rancher Smith thought.

“How many cows do you think I can run on my 40 acres?” the visitor asked.

“Summer or year around?” Smith replied. “Oh, probably year around,” Big Boy answered.

“Two,” Smith estimated. Big Boy didn’t seem to hear the answer, instead bubbling on about the peacefulness of life out on the ranch. After a while he left but returned occasionally to ask a question and ignore the answer. Once or twice he even came by to help out. Actually, he brought his hired man to help. “Health problems,” he’d explained concerning why he wasn’t able to help himself. Rancher Smith’s sometimes uncontrollable mind flashed an observation which he kept to himself. If he would break a sweat once in a while he might loose a little ‘finish’ and be healthier. If this guy were a feedlot steer, he should have left the feed bunk several months ago. Soon not two head of cattle but twelve appeared on his ranch. “That’s OK,” Smith thought, “It’s his place. Now he has something to look at in the morning in his underwear. Poor cattle.”

Several months later the jovial soul made another unscheduled stop in Smith’s yard. “Wanted to let you know we just bought the place next to you, straight across the road from our home place,” he announced. Rancher Smith and his wife had always hoped if that land ever came up for sale they could add it to their own. They were disappointed, even a little jealous, but that’s just the way things work sometimes, they decided. Big Boy wanted a bigger ranch, he was just like everyone else. More power to him. At least now he could go out on his porch, underwear and all, and the view he admired so much would be his. At least his cattle would have something to eat. Thinking his twelve head wouldn’t be enough for this larger place, Smith had an idea. Maybe he could rent some of it from him.

“What are you going to put in there?” Smith asked.

“Houses,” he beamed. “I’m going to cover that hillside with houses.” The rancher couldn’t believe his ears. Big Boy had been so happy with his new ranch experience. He had gone on and on about the wonderful silence created by not having neighbors. The view was so refreshing to him. Of course, there was the underwear clad morning coffee on the porch, too. Now he was going to spoil it all by selling off lots to bring the neighbors, noise and congestion out to his precious country setting. The Smith’s too, will now have neighbors close by. That’s not all bad, though, they decided. They would try to become friends and good neighbors to them. The new folks may have kids they can get to do their chores once in a while.

Rancher Smith was kind of worried about them, though. Will anyone tell them about the view they will have when they look across the road early in the morning? The shiny new four wheel drive pickup rolled into the yard. As Rancher Smith walked up to the driver’s side window he was greeted by a big jovial smiling face.

“Howdy, I’m your new neighbor across the road and I just wanted to stop in and say Hello,” the obviously happy fellow beamed. “The Misses and I have wanted to move out here in the country for years and we’re just tickled pink we finally got to do it,” he went on. As he got out of the pickup it was obvious that if he was tickled pink or any other color for that matter, it would take a heck of a lot of paint to do the job.

“Yep, we're goin' to get us some cows for our ranch and sure look forward to neighborin’ with you folks. Gosh this bein’ out here in the wide open spaces is great. I get up in the morning and drink my coffee in my underwear right out on the front porch. Not a sole in the world can see me,” he gushed. “Lucky World,” Rancher Smith thought.

“How many cows do you think I can run on my 40 acres?” the visitor asked.

“Summer or year around?” Smith replied. “Oh, probably year around,” Big Boy answered.

“Two,” Smith estimated. Big Boy didn’t seem to hear the answer, instead bubbling on about the peacefulness of life out on the ranch. After a while he left but returned occasionally to ask a question and ignore the answer. Once or twice he even came by to help out. Actually, he brought his hired man to help. “Health problems,” he’d explained concerning why he wasn’t able to help himself. Rancher Smith’s sometimes uncontrollable mind flashed an observation which he kept to himself. If he would break a sweat once in a while he might loose a little ‘finish’ and be healthier. If this guy were a feedlot steer, he should have left the feed bunk several months ago. Soon not two head of cattle but twelve appeared on his ranch. “That’s OK,” Smith thought, “It’s his place. Now he has something to look at in the morning in his underwear. Poor cattle.”

Several months later the jovial soul made another unscheduled stop in Smith’s yard. “Wanted to let you know we just bought the place next to you, straight across the road from our home place,” he announced. Rancher Smith and his wife had always hoped if that land ever came up for sale they could add it to their own. They were disappointed, even a little jealous, but that’s just the way things work sometimes, they decided. Big Boy wanted a bigger ranch, he was just like everyone else. More power to him. At least now he could go out on his porch, underwear and all, and the view he admired so much would be his. At least his cattle would have something to eat. Thinking his twelve head wouldn’t be enough for this larger place, Smith had an idea. Maybe he could rent some of it from him.

“What are you going to put in there?” Smith asked.

“Houses,” he beamed. “I’m going to cover that hillside with houses.” The rancher couldn’t believe his ears. Big Boy had been so happy with his new ranch experience. He had gone on and on about the wonderful silence created by not having neighbors. The view was so refreshing to him. Of course, there was the underwear clad morning coffee on the porch, too. Now he was going to spoil it all by selling off lots to bring the neighbors, noise and congestion out to his precious country setting. The Smith’s too, will now have neighbors close by. That’s not all bad, though, they decided. They would try to become friends and good neighbors to them. The new folks may have kids they can get to do their chores once in a while.

Rancher Smith was kind of worried about them, though. Will anyone tell them about the view they will have when they look across the road early in the morning?