Horse Don't You Tell

          or "Lucky Turkey"

The slim Texan sat up and ran his hands through his dark wavy hair then swung his bare legs out of bed and sat there for a moment, focusing his sleepy green eyes on the scene outside the bedroom window.  The sun was just barely beginning to appear on the horizon, spreading streaks of yellow orange across a wide Texas sky. It would be another hot sunny day in San Marcos Texas.   As tired as he was from the gig at the Honkytonk the night before he forced himself to get up. Being a singer/musician at night and a ranch foreman during the day was not an easy life. He had a family to take care of, but he also had a dream. 

At times he had come close to giving up but in his heart he knew he had what it took to make it as a singer.  It was a dream, something that had developed early on but it was his Army stint that sealed the deep desire he had to sing and reach out to people.  The fact that he was stubborn might be good or on the other hand it might be bad.  But he always tried to be honest with himself, and he knew he would know when to quit trying to make it as a singer because his family came first.  

After a quick breakfast he pulled his Wranglers on, stomped into his boots, tucked his shirt in, ran a comb through his hair and settled his hat on his head. He left a kiss on his wife's lips then he tried to tip toe out in his boots without waking her up.  She turned over and went back to sleep, a smile on her lips.

With one last sip of coffee he was out the door into the subtle gray of the morning, and into his waiting truck.  Martindale Texas was not too far to drive and the ride gave him time to think.  If the Record company did what they had promised he might hear his song on the radio before long but he wouldn't believe it until it happened. He had tried so many times in Nashville for a record deal and had always been disappointed.  He settled into his daily job of ranch Foreman, accomplishing quite a bit for the day. 

The sun was low in the sky, it was getting on to dusk when he headed some chosen cattle to different pasture.  He was thinking of the gig they had to play that night when his attention was captured by movement in the next pasture.  It was one lone wild turkey strutting his stuff.  Those beady eyes looked daringly back into his own and the cowboy grinned.  He pulled his horse up, took off his hat and wiped his brow.  "You're lucky I don't shoot you Mr. Gobbler, Thanksgiving is still too far away."  As though understanding him the turkey wandered closer to the fence.

George walked his horse and swung his rope at a few more lagging cows heading them to the gate then looked back at the turkey as it flew over the fence.  "Dadgummit, you sure are tempting me." He turned his horse and followed the turkey, taking a few half-hearted swings at it with his rope but the turkey would bounce out of the way at the last minute. Then it would turn, cock it's ugly head, and look at him as though it were laughing at him. Giggling at himself, he got off his horse, took a few steps closer and the dang turkey looked at him like it was daring him.  Well George let loose with his rope and the loop settled nicely over that Turkey's wings and he pulled it tight and had him. He watched him bounce around trying to get away and laughed at himself.  What was he gonna do with the dadgum thing now that he had it.  He was satisfied enough that he had been able to rope him.  He looked around to see if anyone had been near and seen him with his little escapade, but he was all alone out there, just him, the cattle, his horse who was staring at him, and that durned Turkey.

"Well Mr Turkey, I guess I taught you a lesson. This time you're lucky."  As he walked over to the turkey he hauled his rope in, and careful of the turkey's claws and beak he loosened the noose and lifted it off.  Mr. Turkey flew back over the fence and headed for the woods at a turkey run and the cowboy watched him, laughing the whole time and shaking his head at his own foolishness.  Walking back to his horse he stood there for a moment stroking big red's neck, then he swung easily up into the saddle.  "Horse don't you tell no one about that turkey."  With that the handsome smiling Texan spurred his horse after the cattle.

 

This page was last updated: November 22, 2011

I have an interview on tape that George did in Nashville years ago.  Among the questions given to George, at the end of the interview, if I remember correctly, was:  "We know you like to rope steers.  One of your friends told us a story about you roping a turkey, tell us about it."   George was amazed that turkey story had wandered all the way to Nashville, and eventually admitted it was true.

So started my Strait fevered imagination, and the result is below.   Seems appropriate for Thanksgiving.

My apologies to Mr. Strait.  This has been on my website for years, and I can assure you that your fans would love to hear the story again -- Strait from you.

Shoot, I bet it was a female turkey anyway.

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George's Turkey Story