Fall weather, which just came in all at once with a real blockbuster of a Norther, sure gets the juices flowing. Maybe because I was born in the fall it’s my favorite season. It’s also when things start happening in ranch country. Fall weather means lots of riding and roping and sorting, good work for young horses and young people.Lately we’ve been recording new baby calves on a pretty regular basis. On my daily rides, prowling the pastures, I find new, fresh little bulls and heifers that I enter into the tally book. Soon we will pen the herd and put ear tags on the calves so we know who belongs to whom, it’s part of “mothering-up”. Later when we sell the calves, that ear tag will tell us who the cow was that produced that particular calf. My tally book then tells me which cows are working for us and which ones are freeloading. It’s all part of the management of a cattle operation. Then, too, when we gather the herd, we also vaccinate the calves for blackleg, and we brand them. This involves roping and wrestling with the little varmints. It is frequently accompanied by lots of laughing and jollification. Then when it’s all done we trail the herd back to the pasture and ride home to crank up a fire and see what damage we can do to meat, taters, beans and cornbread. At the end of the day this time of year brings some of the most vivid, blazing sunsets. Colors from Gold, to pink, to deep red, purple and all sorts of indescribable pastels spray fluffy and streaky clouds in the western sky. Makes you want to get down the guitar and strum an old cowhand song. So we do.
Monthly Archives: December 2016
Texas Egg (aig) Pie
“Real men don’t eat quiche (‘Kwitchey’)” -C. H. McClure
Many years ago we went to San Angelo to watch the roping fiesta. Part of the reason we could do this was that we could stay with Sally’s brother, Bill, at “good buddy air patch “ (a.k.a. Goodfellow Air Force Base) his previous assignment had been to Saragosa, Spain where he had indulged himself into the culture of northern Spain, its people, language, wine, and cooking. One of his favorite dishes, which he proceeded to teach me, was called “tortilla.” It’s not the flat bread Texans are used to, it’s a sort of “coarse potato omelette” as James Michener said. Years later I fixed it for a friend who ranched in East Texas, who thought it reminded him of quiche. But he said “real men don’t eat kwitchey, so we’ll call it Texas aig pie!”Like many Spanish dishes this one starts with an iron skillet, olive oil and an onion. The chopped onion goes in at moderately high temperature, immediately followed by slices of potatoes. When the onion is soft, and the potato begins to brown, we throw in a handful of chopped olives with pimentos, garlic salt, some bell peppers and tomatoes, even. Depending on your taste some pepper, black or red is good. And you might want oregano, and thyme, but the Spanish keep seasoning simple. When it’s near done, pour in enough beaten egg to cover, and using a spatula, lift the veggies to get egg all through the tortilla. We put grated cheese on top and pop it in the broiler for a minute, but in Spain they used two skillets, and flip it. There, It’s a big deal with a lot of fanfare. By the way, I’ve never had leftovers, and never seen anyone not like it!
The Campaign School
In our school, the basic training of a horse involves three phases. The first is kindergarten, or work in a small pen, called a picadeiro, like the round pen work as seen on RF D/TV. It is the initiation of a horse to the saddle and to the aids, and is the time required to make sure the colt doesn’t develop bad habits like bucking or bolting. Usually this phase lasts from 30 to 45 days, and is slow, detailed work.
The next phase begins when the colt appears to have all the basic controls in place such as, go forward, stop, turn left, turn right, side pass, walk, trot, and canter (or gait). This phase is a time of consolidation. We call it the “campaign” school. In this phase which could be months or even years, the colt goes out into the open with the rider. At first it is helpful to have a buddy, or “Padrino” (Godfather) in the form of an older experienced horse, ridden by another Horseman. General George Decarpentry, a famous French cavalryman, and one of the writers of the rule book for dressage competition, was a great believer in this field work, even for a horse who would eventually go into “manege” or high school work. The horse has to deal with terrain: hills, mud, rocks, water, bushes,vines, and trees. There will be monsters to deal with, oil wells, tractors, highway noise, malignant mineral feeders, cows and dogs. He is allowed time to investigate, he is encouraged to be obedient to the aids without specific dressage letters on cones on the ground. He develops wind, bone and muscle. He learns to look at what is stepping on, not the white cow three pastures away. He becomes a partner.