Interesting observations found at coffee time 

You know I always thought that I learned more working at a sale barn than I have anywhere else. 

But this morning I realized that is not true. Getting coffee this morning I learned a lot or let’s say the conversation covered a lot of different topics. The first guy said, “I learned a long time ago that if you want to get something done ask a lazy person to do it.” And you can imagine my response because I have always tried to hire people who were not lazy and have always said, “If you want something done ask someone who is way too busy as they will get it done.” 

Another man was telling their company was fixing to change hands so at their location they worked extra hard. They had everything looking perfect to impress the new boss in order to keep their jobs. But it backfired on one of the employees cause the new boss took a look and said with everything looking that perfect you have too much help so he fired one of them. Wow, I guess you should try hard but not too hard. 

A man walked into to get coffee and he was extremely skinny. One of the chubbier guys at the table said, “I wish I could be that skinny.” Another man said, “Well, smoke two packs of cigarettes and drink a case of beer a day and you might get there.” See, Mom, I knew beer and cigarettes were good for you. 

Another guy said his neighbor was feeling depressed cause his long, loved cowdog just died. Both those neighbors worked cattle together all the time. He was trying to cheer him up so he said, “We’ll bury him right in the middle of the gate because that’s where he spent all his life.” 

Some of my friends should actually work on Labor Day cause they have spent the other 364 days doing nothing. 

I was in a grass pasture to where my boys had their cattle and I hadn’t been there since they had them turned out. Some of the grass was as tall as the hood on my pickup. I was telling another guy that and he said, “When was the last time you could say that?” 

And I said, “Well, I don’t want to tell my age. I will just say a long time ago.” About 40 years ago I did remember having dryland cane that was as tall as I was on my horse. 

Let’s not just say, “Wow, this was a good year plus good cattle prices”—tell God thank you and maybe it will happen again. 

Editor’s note: The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not represent the view of High Plains Journal. Jerry Nine, Woodward, Oklahoma, is a lifetime cattleman who grew up on his family’s ranch near Slapout, Oklahoma.