Cloud Chasin'

Leave it to a Texan to find an innovative approach to, or exit from, any tight sitch-ee-way-shun.

     Cloud Chasin', by Bob "Bubba" Badger
     Swish, by Don "Tatereye" Tidwell
     The Champ, by Perry L. "Willie" Williams
     My Hero, by Bubba Badger
     Rescuin' Bubba, by Willie Williams

Bubba Badger writes:

	        CLOUD CHASIN'

	I live on the West Texas plain.
	I'm kind of a dry desert dweller.
	I rarely get wet from the rain
	Even though I don't own an umbrella.

	I went on a trip a while back,
	And I think it deserves some explainin'.
	The trav'lin' was fun, for a fact,
	But the weather was chilly and rainin'.

	Though most of my friends have seen showers
	And wallowed in puddles for fun.
	It's rare that a storm lasts for hours...
	A few puny drops, and it's done.

	I asked myself while I was soakin',
	Is this really Fairbanks or Nome?
	My buddies'll think I'm just jokin',
	So I'd better take this cloud home.

	Now, I am a bit of a wrangler,
	It's said I'm more apt than the norm.
	And this little would-be frog-strangler
	Don't look like too much of a storm.

	I took out my lariat rope
	That I'd thought to bring from the garage.
	Then that cloud made me look like a dope...
	‘Cause when I'd fling a loop, it would dodge.

	But I finally met with success
	And dallied around Roland's wheel.
	Then me an' ol' Roland went West
	And the storm up above kicked its heels.

	But before I could snug up my noose
	The cloudburst gave one mighty heave
	My best ropin' lasso came loose.
	And the cloud and its rain took its leave.

	You might think that I've gone to lyin'
	But I'm sure chagrined that I missed.
	And, although that cloud went a-flyin',
	The rainbow is next on my list.

				bubba

Tatereye Tidwell writes:
Bubba ... Somehow, your stuff inspires a response I can't control, so: Here we go again !! (Big Grin :-) )

	               SWISH

	I just had a note from an hombre
	who lives on the West Texas Plain..
	He told a tall tale of great daring
	about him and 'Ol Roland and rain

	He claimed that while him and 'Ol Roland,
	was cruisin along feelin proud,
	He suffered uneasy discomfort
	because of some pesky rain cloud..

	But bein from Westernmost Texas,
	he wasn't about to sit still,
	and put up with the misdeeds of nature,
	for goin against his strong will.

	He took out the nylon riata
	he'd fetched from 'Ol Roland's garage,
	and built him a loop with a flourish,
	to use when he launched his barrage.

	His plan was to lasso that culprit,
	and with 'Ol Roland's help he allowed,
	that he'd tighten the noose on that sucker,
	and squeeze all the rain from that cloud.

	Well, he throwed that big loop doin thirty,
	and he roped that old cloud with a laugh,
	But when Roland slammed down on the rubber,
	it plumb cut that raincloud in half!

	Poor Bubba now faced a dilemma...
	He didn't know what he should do,
	for before where there'd been only one cloud,
	He was now gittin rained on by two.

	Him and Roland got wetter and wetter,
	So they both headed back to the barn....
	Meanwhile Bubba's head was devisin a plan
	that would let him stand tall with this yarn,

	He stopped in at Smoky's to git him a beer
	before goin home and to bed,
	and he told all his cronies "Thet cloud was no challenge."
		    *------*
	"I'll ketch me its rainbow, instead."

				Tatereye
				19 Feb 1997

Willie Williams writes:
If Bubba gets away with this cloud ropin' thing, we won't even be able to have competition in dusty rodeo arenas anymore. Them clouds jumpin' outa the chute will have it soggy and messy as a Bill Upchurch crawdad fishin' contest!!!

		THE CHAMP

	He growed up on the prairie
	Where he watched the clouds pass by
	He always was a lonesome kid
	And sometimes wondered why

	Them clouds was sometimes lilly white
	And sometimes blackish, blue
	They sometimes rolled and tumbled
	And they sometimes blowed right through

	But bein' awful lonesome
	He thought that he would get
	A noose around a fat one, and
	He'd keep it for a pet

	But Bubba weren't much roper
	Didn't know it ain't allowed
	For a macho Texas cowboy
	To be ropin' at a cloud

	And so he starts to ropin'
	And flingin' at the sky
	He latches to a fat one
	But he cain't figger why

	That when he jerks his slack up
	He don't get no resistence
	Cain't rope and tie up no dang cloud
	In spite of his persistence

	And so Ol' Bubba stands there
	His rope is wet and limp
	His right arm is a throbbin'
	And his leg is kinda gimp

	But Willie says, don't worry pard
	As he gives out a chuckle
	With practice you will someday win
	....A rare, " Cloud Ropin' Buckle"

			Willie

Bubba Badger writes:

	      MY HERO

	When I'ze a kid, and silly,
	I knew him as a chum.
	A "top hand" known as Willie
	Oft to my aid he'd come.

	He guffawed at my tries
	At ropin' clouds for naught.
	Imagine his surprise
	When I finally got one caught.

	It was a little cirrus
	That fell prey to my noose
	But, then things got quite serious
	'Cause I couldn't turn it loose.

	And then, here come his Daddy,
	A big ol' thundercloud.
	He'z actin like he'z mad.  He
	Was boomin' extra loud.

	Then, from thin air, there'z Willie!
	He took two breaths...real deep.
	He fought that cloud until he
	Had made it tame as sheep.

	And that's how Willie knew that
	A rodeo clown he'd make.
	Not many men can do that...
	Savin' cowboys from mistakes.

				bubba

Willie Williams writes:

		RESCUIN' BUBBA

	It didn't take a fearless clown
	To save Ol' Bubba when he got down
	Plumb underneath a Papa Cloud
	Who's actin' nasty, mean and loud

	It just took cowboy suave and tact
	To get that hombre to go back
	In Texas skies where clouds should be
	After Bubba set his young un free

	And I told Bubba, get it straight
	Drag no more clouds in through that gate
	Just rope the chickens, rope the dog
	Catch a goat, tie up a hog

	But pard, I'm tellin' you out loud
	You just ain't built for catchin' cloud
	You got to wear a rubber suit
	For when you catch that wet galoot

	Don't tie 'im with a piggin' string
	A garden hose is what you bring
	To wrap 'im up and tame 'im down
	And lead him meekly in to town

	Oh Bubba, boy what will we do
	With a cloud ropin' pard like you
	We want to see you up on top
	But this ropin' clouds.......

	        HAS GOT TO STOP!

			Willie