DUST, SMOKE AND A SINGIN’ ROPE

Bill has had the opportunity to work with his rancher and cowboy friends in Arizona at Spring or Fall gatherings.  He feels privileged that these “real” working cowpunchers trust him enough to let him work alongside them.   Many of Arizona’s working cattle ranches are in dusty, rugged, malapai boulder, and cactus filled country, where pickup trucks cannot be used, so punchers have to do all their gathering horseback. Bill enjoys all aspects of the  work, but one of his favorite’s is to rope and drag calves to the branding fire, as other cowboys are doing the ground work; holding the calf, makes a cut or ear mark, doctoring, while another cowboy brings over the “iron” from the smoking fire.  The roper builds another loop and heads back into the herd to drag another calf, till all have been branded, doctored, and the day’s work is done. This job of branding calves is filled with Dust, Smoke and Singin’ Ropes.