Brooks and Ross

I met Linda in the cookhouse.   She was cleaning up from breakfast and preparing dinner.. (I love how they call lunch - dinner.. and dinner - supper, here)...  I left her to go meet Brooks  (The manager of  Pitchfork).  Managers usually run the show for 20-30 years.  I was a bit nervous to interrupt busy cowboy business, but he was quite excited to meet with me and had plenty of questions for me, as I did for him.  I explained the lack of consistency in my life in the past year.  It blew him away.  He was a great person to chat with.  A really enthusiastic character, about life in general.  We chatted for a couple of hours until Ross (the interesting fella that gave me a ride from Pitchfork the week before towards Lubbock) got back from running some morning errands.  After explaining myself to Brooks, I asked him about how life on a ranch works...We talked about how agriculture works (basically).  He explained how their Angus and Hereford cattle are raised naturally and hormone free.  And although that is all good and well, he also explained how irrelevant that is to the rest of the processing industry (unfortunately)... It amazed me when he drew it out for me, that about less than 5% of the population is feeding at least 95% ... That just shows how hard these men out here work... to provide quality beef to 7.6 billion people 365 days out of the year.  Through harsh elements.  Rain or shine.  The perks are quite ideal, in my eyes... a good, simple, tight knit community.  Working outdoors. Riding horses in the country.  Goofing off from time to time with your buddies.  Sunrises and sunsets.  The ultimate quietness of the windy flat plains.  Brooks and I continued to discuss organic and commercial crops.  Where they come from.  The inevitable scale of "quality" vs. quantity.  After a solid two hours, I met Amanda, Brook's wife, and son, Brooks Clay.  The dinner bell (lunch) rang around 12... Linda, as always, had a feast waiting for about 12 hungry, hard working, men.

 I had the pleasure of joining them...  Tender brisket, potato casserole, biscuits, and baked beans... (nuff said).  When the boys cleared their plates and started for the kitchen to get some dessert, Brook's Clay jokingly sprouted concern about the ice cream status... (After religiously eating with these fellas, the little guy knows good and well about their bulldozing appetite)... Luckily, it was a 5 gallon tub, so there was plenty left for his little self.

I know men aren't too fond of talking when they are eating, but you especially don't want to get in the way of a cowboy and his dinner ;) ... Luckily I got a few minutes to visit with some, but before I knew it,  they were headed back out to finish up weaning calfs for the day, before dark.  (I'll go back, one day, and next time I'll be ready to go out and wrangle with them.)

Next time you go grab some steaks, or ground beef, don't forget where it all starts.  

After lunch (dinner), Ross rallied and we went to feed 5 different pastures he cares for day to day.
He told me a little about Pitchforks history.  He had worked on Pitchfork land for about 26.  For 15 of those years, when Pitchfork owned some land on a River, a ways from Headquarters, he would spend the winter, camping, in his teepee.  The Geese would fly in and eat the cattle feed... Ross would sit, in the noises of nature, with the occasional gun shot, keeping the birds away from the feed... where he scored the name of "Goose Ranger" from the other cowboys.  Now, Ross helps feed and move the horses, daily.  While also watching out for illness and pregnancies in the pastures.

Ross is a ripe character...  He is a wise fella with some great stories.
At one point I asked Ross, "what makes a good cowboy"?
He replied, "Dedication... Common sense... And knowing when to keep your mouth shut."
It made me smile to hear something my own grandfather would say.

Although, he is kind of a lone ranger, he still works, because he loves the job.  He loves working with horses.
He told me he doesn't believe in a bad horse.  Only in "an incompetent son of a buck who should take a good look in the mirror to find the problem..."

I sure will miss the lingo here in West Texas.  It is quite something, and I think I am starting to get the hang of it.

After a long day, driving from pasture to pasture, learning about the history of the ranch's ups and downs, I was about ready to go have a nap.  We finally headed back to headquarters so Ross could finish up his work day, wrangling the saddle horses.  At the barn, I walked back to the cookhouse to wait for Jammye to pick me up... I grew to enjoy the distance from place to place.  It made for a nice long conversation...  That night I stayed at her home, where she lived with her husband, Clay (who I met at dinner earlier that day).  They have been with Pitchfork for almost 21 years now, since 1994.  They raised their daughter, Kelsey and son, Drew.

That evening I spent some time telling them about my story, and getting to know a little more about the Jammye and Clay.  The family that took a chance on a me.