There are many benefits to being a
syndicated columnist. Although you work for a pittance, the gifts you
get more than make up for the paltry salary. For example, I wrote that I
had a barb wire collection and Dan from South Dakota, a longtime
reader, sent me his entire barb wire collection. Years ago Jack, a
longtime friend from Nebraska, sent me a really nice three foot windmill
that he made from barb wire. Consequently when people enter my home
they don't know if they've entered a private residence or a barb wire
museum.
Speaking of our home, due to
all the nice gifts people have given me over the years our house
currently runneth over. I hardly have room for all the books people have
sent me because my bookcases are filled with my miniature anvil
collection. Publishers have sent books hoping I'd give them a plug while
many others have sent me books they wrote. I read most of them too and
came to the conclusion that there are a lot of people out there who can
write better books than what I find in Barnes and Noble. After
Renaissance Magazine ran a couple of my columns they paid me off with a
1957 red Chevy Bel Air convertible. Too bad it's only three inches long.
I
collect practically everything and people have added to my knife, spur,
bit, hat, bullet pencil, art and clock collections. Will and Deb
donated to my branding iron collection by sending me one that folded up.
Bob made me a miniature branding iron of my own iron and Range Magazine
gave me a bigger golden version of my brand that I cherish even though
it isn't real gold. One of my most meaningful gifts was a cutting board
Skinner made from wood from his own ranch and EC has given me 40 years
worth of date books I've used to tell me where to be and when.
Butch
sent me several blabs for my blab collection (they prevent a calf from
sucking) and the Red Bluff Bull Sale Committee gave me a beautiful
bridle, reins and Garcia bit. John sent me a favorite piece of art that
is a pencil drawing of the stages a horse goes through to become a
reined cow horse and Jerry, a great artist and cowboy columnist himself,
sent me one of his original oils that will be worth a fortune someday
when we're both dead. As a Mad Jack cartoon fan I created a shrine of
sorts with the eight he drew, colored, and signed for me. Jerry also
sent me one of his original cartoons.
The
Western States Beefmaster folks gave me a plaque with a clock on it,
the Brangus Association gave me a Cross matching pen and pencil set, and
Bubba from the Akaushi Association sent me a container filled with
great tasting steaks. People must look at my skinny body and think I
need fattening up because I've received everything from A to Z in
foodstuffs: from almonds from Bill to zucchini from Glen. The bottles of
wine people have given me would have filled a cellar.
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