TRAILS END – The Novel

   Getting Acquainted

Is your first impression of someone always correct? I generally except people as being good, but I’m slow to get to know someone well. I’d like to think I’m a good judge of character, and most of the time if I have a negative or cautious attitude towards someone I meet, I keep it until proven wrong.

I guarantee I’ve been wrong several times.

When I was competing at high school rodeos, there was a kid my age that I thought was a complete idiot. I had never met or spoke to him, but I was convinced he was a goof that I would never want to be around. We showed up at the same college, and with in two weeks, we became friends. To this day, he is one of my closest best friends. I confessed to him at some point what I thought about him before our friendship, and he told me he couldn’t stand me because he thought I was a cocky and  arrogant. Me? Cocky? I was so insecure, I couldn’t believe he thought that of me.

Then there has been the person I considered to be the coolest most upstanding person, and eventually figured out they were a total phony. I guess all we can do is give the benefit of the doubt to the person we don’t know, and proceed with caution.

In TRAILS END, Donnie Williams is faced with evaluating character when he meets Jim Barnes’ Wife, Barbara. Let me assure you she is a character, and she scares Donnie to death. See what your first impression of her is, and if you end up hating or loving her.

Thanks for reading,

Joe

TRAILS END – The Novel

Getting the Facts

Last week I wrote about continuing to improve our abilities, and to learn new skills, even as we age. I attended the Team Roping school taught by Rickey Green, and would like to share a little about that experience.

In sports or any profession, there are individuals who completely change the standard methods in use. In his era, Ricky revolutionized the excepted way of roping the back feet of a steer, and left his competition behind. Everybody had to change what they were doing to catch up, because his ideas worked better and faster. After slowing down from full time competition, he then devoted himself to teaching others to rope. In the same way he competed, he so improved the process of instruction that he is today considered one of the best clinicians in the business.

If you want to improve your skills, in whatever field, you need to learn from the people who have made a living at doing it. Not someone who has made a living at teaching it, but someone who was successful producing income from it. Then you have to be sure that person is capable of instruction. This takes a lot of effort to develop. I’ve known World Champions who couldn’t teach you how to tie your shoe.

In the story of TRAILS END, Jim Barnes is that very type of person to teach Donnie Williams how to ride broncs, and how to win. But is the veteran bronc rider a good influence for the young and impressionable kid that worships him? I hope you will be interested to find out.

I would like to thank Rickey Green for a great positive experience. I wasn’t able to put the information to use during the school, but I’m confident I now have the tools for success. Thanks also Rickey, for making the learning fun.

Thank-you all for reading,

Joe

         TRAILS END – The Novel

              The Long Hard Road

My wife and I went out to supper tonight with our friends who are in the race horse business. They are the trainers for our horse, Rare But Special.

Hauling horses every mile, they had made two trips to El Paso, yesterday and today, getting back to Canyon at 5:00 this evening. They are leaving at 2:00A.M. this morning to go to OKC. They’re a bit younger than us, but I can’t imagine having that much energy and stamina anymore.

Rodeo requires this kind of travel, and in my day, I thought nothing of all night drives with too many miles and not enough time. One time, my traveling partners were both injured over the July 4^th run. They turned out at all the next weeks rodeos, and I went by myself.

I drove from Kansas City, MO to Roswell, NM to Tucumcari, NM to O’Donnell,TX.

From a night performance at O’Donnell, which is 60 miles south of Lubbock, I had to make it to Buena Vista, CO for an afternoon performance. I could write a short book on just that one trip.

Jim Barnes, in the story of TRAILS END, has the same challenges. He makes it from a night performance at Coleman, TX, to an afternoon show in North Platte NE. Then two other cowboys get in with him and they drive to Reno, NV, for the performance the next night.

If you want a taste of what it’s like on the rodeo trail, I hope my novel will serve that purpose. Keep in mind though, there’s much more to the story.

Thanks for reading,

Joe

         TRAILS END – The Novel

              The Long Hard Road

My wife and I went out to supper tonight with our friends who are in the race horse business. They are the trainers for our horse, Rare But Special.

Hauling horses every mile, they had made two trips to El Paso, yesterday and today, getting back to Canyon at 5:00 this evening. They are leaving at 2:00A.M. this morning to go to OKC. They’re a bit younger than us, but I can’t imagine having that much energy and stamina anymore.

Rodeo requires this kind of travel, and in my day, I thought nothing of all night drives with too many miles and not enough time. One time, my traveling partners were both injured over the July 4^th run. They turned out at all the next weeks rodeos, and I went by myself.

I drove from Kansas City, MO to Roswell, NM to Tucumcari, NM to O’Donnell,TX.

From a night performance at O’Donnell, which is 60 miles south of Lubbock, I had to make it to Buena Vista, CO for an afternoon performance. I could write a short book on just that one trip.

Jim Barnes, in the story of TRAILS END, has the same challenges. He makes it from a night performance at Coleman, TX, to an afternoon show in North Platte NE. Then two other cowboys get in with him and they drive to Reno, NV, for the performance the next night.

If you want a taste of what it’s like on the rodeo trail, I hope my novel will serve that purpose. Keep in mind though, there’s much more to the story.

Thanks for reading,

Joe

TRAILS END – The Novel

Getting the Facts

Last week I wrote about continuing to improve our abilities, and to learn new skills, even as we age. I attended the Team Roping school taught by Rickey Green, and would like to share a little about that experience.

In sports or any profession, there are individuals who completely change the standard methods in use. In his era, Ricky revolutionized the excepted way of roping the back feet of a steer, and left his competition behind. Everybody had to change what they were doing to catch up, because his ideas worked better and faster. After slowing down from full time competition, he then devoted himself to teaching others to rope. In the same way he competed, he so improved the process of instruction that he is today considered one of the best clinicians in the business.

If you want to improve your skills, in whatever field, you need to learn from the people who have made a living at doing it. Not someone who has made a living at teaching it, but someone who was successful producing income from it. Then you have to be sure that person is capable of instruction. This takes a lot of effort to develop. I’ve known World Champions who couldn’t teach you how to tie your shoe.

In the story of TRAILS END, Jim Barnes is that very type of person to teach Donnie Williams how to ride broncs, and how to win. But is the veteran bronc rider a good influence for the young and impressionable kid that worships him? I hope you will be interested to find out.

I would like to thank Rickey Green for a great positive experience. I wasn’t able to put the information to use during the school, but I’m confident I now have the tools for success. Thanks also Rickey, for making the learning fun.

Thank-you all for reading,

Joe