Day 10 -- April 18 Bull Talk

Saturday, April 18th was our day to have Tex, the mascot for our Waltz Across Texas trip with Adventure Caravans.  

We visited the WWII aircraft carrier, Lexington, in Corpus Christi.  Tex was a naughty animal.  He crawled on some of the airplanes and on a jeep hood when the sign clearly said not to do this. He poked little children with his horns, and he even made one little child cry.  

Guy and Tex learning about the airplanes on the Lexington 

That evening, Norma and I were both reading.  I thought I heard someone saying "Hey, you!!" I looked at Norma but she was deep into her book. I looked outside, thinking that someone there was speaking to me. I went back to reading my book.  A short while later, 
I heard "Hey, stupid!"  Again, I wondered if Norma was talking to me, and then I realized it was Tex.  

He told me I was a Real cowboy because I could hear Bull Talk.  The others on our tour who hosted him were not Real Cowboys, because they could not hear Bull Talk. 

Tex said, "You were at the King Ranch the other day and I saw you looking at that picture of the bull.  Do you know the name of that bull?"  

"No," I said, "I do not remember."  
"Well, I was that bull, and I am going to be one of the bulls in the rodeo that you'll see in a few weeks."
"So what do you want me to do?" I asked.  
Tex answered, "I need someone to practice riding…someone I can toss off.  We need to practice that, you know.  How 'bout that Viola gal?"  
"No," I said, "she rides a scooter."

"The way I see her riding that scooter reminds me more about bull riding than scooter riding," said Tex.  

Then I remembered Jerusha.  She has traveled with us from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from North to South.  And in her younger days, she was a champion bull rider. I explained the situation to her, and Jerusha agreed, with great enthusiasm, to ride Tex.  "I will kill him," she screamed, pumping her monkey bones in the air.  

I set things up and helped Jerusha wrap her hand tightly with the rope, and then opened the gate.  Tex came out jumping, twisting, bucking, kicking his hind feet up in the air…but Jerusha hung on. I rang the buzzer, but Jerusha would not get off, and Tex refused to give up. He twisted, turned, spun, jumped, kicked and braked. Jerusha hung on like she was fastened to Tex with SuperGlue.  

Eventually, Tex began to wind down, like his spring had run out. He landed on his four feet with his tongue hanging out. 

He turned to Jerusha and said, "Hang on there, Jeri!  As soon as I get my breath, we are going to go at this again, and THIS time, you are going to go flying!  Do you know WHY?" 

"Why?," asked Jerusha.  
Tex answered, "Because in this world, a Little Bull goes a long way!"  

Guy tells the story of Tex and Jerusha with the enthusiasm of great Bull Talk 

Today's storyteller:  Guy Grube, and Norma, his biggest fan