Even More Storytellin...

As my irregular readers know... I'm wont to tell a story from time to time. The best, or worst, thing about these tales is well... that they're true.

Now I could tell you the story about when my great uncle took out his false teeth and set them on the table, but I won't.

Or I could tell you about the times that we went skinny dippin' in the beaver ponds... but I won't.

Or I could even tell you about the time in high school when we had a football game that was won in the last seconds by our defense and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. But once again... I won't.

No... today's tale is the sad tale of Brent and his magic disappearing steak.

We were camped up on the mountain moving cattle to the high range. As I've told you all before... during the summer rides, such as this one, we'd get up before sunrise and eat breakfast and then head out and move the cattle around until around lunch time. After that... we'd come back to the cabin and eat lunch, take a little nap, and then catch another horse and head back out for another evening ride until around dark or so. We spent many a night trotting back to the cabin in the dark, which is actually kinda cool. As you trot along... the horse's shoes strike against the rocks on the road and throw sparks. It can be kind of interesting to watch. But alas... by that time, you're so tired it doesn't hold the fascination that it should. Anyway...

Anyway... my mom and one of the other wives always went up there and cooked for all of us. We'd always have a hot meal waiting for us whenever we'd get back. Believe it or not... that's no small item when you're hot and tired.

On this day, the fare was creamed corn, dutch oven spuds, and steak... freshly cooked steak.

Back in the day, we didn't have tables or anything like that to eat on, there was only room for chairs in the camp wagon. So you'd go get your plate full of food, pick out your favorite chair, sit down and eat. Of course, if you had a drink, you'd have to try to balance your drink too, or set it on the ground, and take a hit when you needed one.

Well... we'd all lined up and got our plates filled, sat down and started eating. Everyone, except for Brent. Brent finally filled his plate up, but ran out of room, so he had them just put the steak on top of the already full plate, then he sat down.

He looked around and could tell he was in a quandry. He had a full plate in one hand... a full drink in the other. One of them had to go. An easy choice. Brent turned his head to the left and looked for a good semi-level spot to set his drink down.

Due to the layout of the chairs... a few of us were looking right at him as he was going through the much repeated routine. Of course... there was another looking at him too. This particular foe had evil in his mind from the moment that he saw that large chunk of meat laying right on top of the plate. When Brent turned to the left to set his drink down, he made his move.

The dog slipped in silently and quickly while Brent's attention was turned and snatched the steak right off of his plate and then ran off with his booty.

Now the rest of us were watching in somewhat stunned silence at the events as they transpired and Brent sat his drink down and turned back to chow down but... erm... Wha???

I'll never forget the look on his face and neither will anybody else that was there. The complete and utter look of confusion as he looked at his plate, then at the ground, then at the people sitting closest to him, all the time wondering what the hell happened to his steak.

We all busted up at that point and told him what had happened. He couldn't help but laugh either so he had to get back up and get another chunk of meat. However this time he gave all the dogs a dirty look as he sat down and might have even cussed a couple that were giving his new steak longing looks...

Needless to say... I've never taken my eyes off of my plate when eating up there ever since.

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Today's mystery lyric: (Remember the rules folks, no online searching of the lyrics, if you don't know it, you don't have the answer!) Tough one folks!!!

Take a chance
Leave everything behind you
Come and join me
Won't be sorry
It's easy to survive

Answer to last lyric: Like a Stone by Audioslave. Way to go Beth!