Bean Time!

Lunch time was sacred at the ranch. Although it never came at a set time, the ritual usually  remained the same. The only time it differed was during a cattle drive when lunch was eaten while riding a sweaty, stinky, fly-covered horse. 

When Bean Time was called, all work would stop and all workers would grab lunch boxes and thermos jugs and search for a place to eat. Most of the time, this was under the partial shade of a vehicle or outbuilding. Sometimes we were lucky enough to be at a corral with a nearby house that was clean enough to eat in.

 As we ate, we would tell and hear many different stories and experiences from the cowboys. For many years, cowboys came and went from the ranch every few months. The only permanent cowboys were the old-timers who were there more for enjoyment than for pay. The stories were mostly about experiences at other ranches around the country. Out of respect, we would listen to the same old stories from the same old people, over and over again, as if we were hearing them for the first time. Most of the time, we were hearing a new version of the same story, each time a little more unbelievable.

  Lunch time always ended with a long siesta. I realized soon why many countries followed this practice. It was just too damned hot to work from noon till 2:00 p.m. We spent nearly 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, on the ranch, so a small siesta was just fine with me! We always woke up groggy with no desire to go back to work, but we would shake off the effects of the nap and continue on with just a little more energy.

  I always enjoyed working with my older brother, Justin, especially because of his lunch routine. When lunch came, we would set off in the truck, driving at least a mile or two to find the perfect lunch tree. A good lunch tree was a large, bushy cedar tree that had enough space to park a truck under its branches. This was often very difficult and took an hour or two of diligent searching. The lunch tree served several purposes. First, it provided sufficient shade for eating and the subsequent siesta. Most important, however, is that it provided camouflage from the prying eyes of the owner and foreman who may be out checking on our daily activities.

  The lunch tree was a great idea, and I continued to use this method for years after Justin left the ranch for college and later, the Army. So Dad, now you know why you could never reach us on the two-way radio. We were usually not in a low area with no signal. We were crashed out, under a large cedar tree, miles from any road, with the stereo turned up and the radio turned off. Heaven didn't have much compared to a good lunch tree.