Dear James,
Sorry about the delays, but I'm swamped. But I thought of you this morning and wondered a bit how you and you-know-who would have enjoyed and reacted to today's ride high up in the Mountains? I got back earlier and have some time before dinner and thus thought you might enjoy it if I wrote it up and dropped you a note given love of the West.
The friends with the horses are an interesting group. More red-neck (certainly much more than I am!), cowboy boots, Wranglers, hats and those huge silver belt buckles that hang over the older guys' hanging bellies. Yes, they are Arizona dessert rat characters and about five of them own and live around a small ranchero near the base of the mountain in what could be a setting for a John Wayne movie. The eldest two (one extremely thin) have been together sixty-two years and met on a cattle drive, believe it or not (they both look like old weathered cowboys and that's exactly how they've lived their lives). None of them are really my "type" (make money on swamp meets and concessions, I think), but they've been friends of a close friend for years and I enjoy riding with them. They're all rather earthy in their choice of language, keeping me constantly blushing, but Western folk tend to be a bit more earthy and let-it-all-hang-out naturally. You better believe they know the value of a sharp strap cracked across a boy's tight jeans when he get's out of line. You, too, must know that from your own time here? How long's it been since you've had the strap across your own bare bottom?
As an aside, it's always intrigued me about what I've noticed around the world among those who believe in (and use) corporal punishment on boys like you. These earthy cowboys and farm folks (especially in The Netherlands and Germany) typically do, but then again there is a segment of the more "top class," more elegant society (especially in Europe and on both US Coasts) who do as well, often in luxurious and very well put on settings. In America you can frequently notice an overweight women in what used to be called peddle pushers swatting small boy's behinds in your Malls here and similar men making threats to teenage, or younger, boys in camp sites or on the weekends. Why is it that overweight Americans seems to be the ones saying these things to very attractive and small teenagers these days? Who knows?
But back to this morning. There were fifteen of us on the trail up today including the above cowboys. They ranged from the extremely old (but extremely good with horses) to three or four in their late teens, early twenties. Among the younger was a guy, run-away (apparently) from the South, trying to be "western" with the tightest and thread bare jeans I've ever seen that showed the imprint of his young _c_o_c_k_ sliding down inside his jeans and, when he turned around, what had to have been a good tight butt, firmly encased in his denim Levi's. Nice cowboy hat and books, but unconvincing. With him was another taller guy with blond shoulder length hair parted in the center, thin, quieter but a bit _c_o_c_k_y in normal fitting jeans. Isaac and Zach -- their real names, believe it or not. The run-away (Isaac) had drifted through and somehow linked up with Hickory, a man much older than I with a real western junk yard aura, who had taken him in. Those young two were typically a bit up ahead on the trail on their horses, talking, though Isaac kept dropping back and talking with "Hick" (as he's called) periodically. The older guys kept talking about Asia and their mis-impressions/fascinations that they'll never fulfill and strange assumptions about Asian men (all absolutely wrong). As the day wore on, it became obvious that Zach and Isaac were both staying with Hick. In addition to Isaac's jeans and cowboy boots, Isaac had on a black T-shirt with a royal blue open shirt flopping over it. His long hair, parted in the middle was pulled back in a pony tail -- good looking guy especially with deep set blue eyes and the reddest thin lips I'd ever seen. Zach wore jeans, boots, gray t-shirt and blue and white checkered shirt hanging loose.
Two family groups also joined our group and increased our size as the horses wormed their way into the canyons. The one family I didn't know, but Bob and his wife (a real mountain cowgirl) were along with their son (about fifteen now) who I've known a long time and on occasions have baby sat for years and years ago. He's a very shy little guy, Timmy, cute as a button baseball hat on backwards in his smaller horse as we all headed further up into those early morning canyons.
With the families more to the front of the trail and a group of men at the rear, Hick was talking up a storm (I only know him slightly) about life in general and Isaac in particular. Seems the guy needs to work to earn some cash and Hick was trying to get one of us to hire the lad or at least let him make a little money with some yard work or something inside (don't look at me, Jose!). Hick's high on the kid -- typical abused background teenager who turned to beer and cutting loose who then only got strapped for it so badly by his Dad that the kid took off on his own for the West -- but there is probably more to it as Isaac apparently has somewhat of a exhibitionist streak and lounges around Hick's place is just his white cotton Jockey's (probably because his jeans are far too form fitting to be comfortable). To hear Hick talking, Isaac favours real tight ones that leave nothing to the imagination, out front or back; and Zach's apparently started doing the same, though his were describes as old and worn out ones with no fit left. What can I say? A bunch of cowboy's for whom this new occurrence at Hick's place seems to be the height of their social year. I just listened (more my style).
We went forward and up into the mountains, crossing those dry streams with cactus and wild flowers that make those mountains famous and beautiful. Though pausing now and then, we didn't really stop until about noon-ish when the families and some of the older men began pulling out foods from their saddle bags and giving the horses a bit of water. Beautiful up there, high scenic boulders and vistas worth a million.
Isaac and Zach had taken the horses over under a bit of shade where Timmy was helping them. Though we were mixed around on the rocks lunching a bit, the two families were off to the side talking. Timmy soon was over with his own Dad. The two guys were talking among themselves off to the side when Hick started extolling the virtues of having two boys around his place. One of the eldest men came right out and asked if Hick was bedding down Isaac to which Hick replied, "Hell, No! Zach's enough though with both of them around, Zach keeps falling back into some of his old habits."
"And I suppose you're still strapping that young one's bottom for it too?" the old man continued.
"You better believe it" Hick replied laughing and toasted with his caned cola in the direction where the boy's were sitting. "But you ought'a know that."
The old man nodded affirmatively and launched into an unsolicited account of a time last month when Zach was trying to make some extra money and doing some work in yard at his own place and Hick had just appeared madder than a hoot owl about one thing or another and after a brief but loud discussion between them right there in his own back yard had dragged young Zach pushing and shouting into his horse barn and with the old guy himself standing there had shoved the boy over a saddle on a straw bale and strapped his bare bottom so well you could have heard Zach's screaming and crying and promising "all the way to New York City."
Everyone laughed and Hick added "Well, the kid's got a darn mean stubborn streak in him but he sure straightens up real fast when he sees I've got this here belt doubled up in my hand for him!" Hick was fingering his belt buckle.
I looked over and watch Zach and Isaac engrossed in their own conversation a short distance away oblivious to the conversation around me.
"You better believe I whipped him that day. I'd warned him several times about just disappearing without leaving me a note but still I'll be _d_a_m_n_ed if when I got home from work he was no where to be found. He was just lucky Isaac was there and knew where he'd gone and I could come and get him."
"Yea," the old man added, "but you didn't have to whip him that hard."
"Hell," Hick shot back, "that was nothing. He was just lucky I found him at your place before I got really angry and took a horse strap to his ass. The kid's gott'a learn some time, right Zach?" he spoke to where the boys were sitting talking.
When they heard him mention Zach's name, they stopped talking and Zach started to wander over, lean and tall, smiling, a coke can in his hand. He moved with a nice look and manner about him, though a bit lanky.
"What, Hick?" He replied.
"That night I strapped you at his house," he said, pointing to the old man. "Taught you that lesson about not forgetting to leave a note when you went out, didn't it?"
Zach immediately turned several shades of scarlet and stopped moving. His eyes widened noticeably as his face flushed and his whole body tensed, and he stood still with Isaac around him, "Yes, Sir."
"_d_a_m_n_ed right I did." Hick went on. "You guys go back to your own conversations. This here's men's talk, boy."
The two of them walked away more quickly now and with Zach walking and looking over his shoulder, his own butt was fairly undefined in those loose fitting jeans he was sporting. From then on, Zach kept looking over at where we were all sitting, just talking and listening to Hick and the others go on.
The men just continued on.
"Sure is a nice looking boy, though," the old man picked up in a few minutes. "Takes a beautiful lick'in too, he sure does" he chuckled to himself, "feel free to bring that one over anytime."
"Just might do that, too," Hick added, swatting a fly on his boot. "Couldn't hurt him none. He can be a real problem sometime, especially with Isaac around now. The two of them can really get into it, just their age, growing and all like, you know."
Certainly everything in that group nodded knowingly.
"So you're whipping both of 'em boys?" another guy sitting there asked the question that was probably on each of their minds.
"Not really." Hick went on with pride. "Still spank Zach a lot, but Isaac's only gotten himself spanked a couple of times so far though I had to warn him last night he's getting awfully close to feeling my strap. Had to spank 'em, both last night though. Got real good red rear ends on both of 'em, I do, right now. It's why they're both watching themselves today. Neither want's a repeat of what they got last night. I almost left 'em both back at the house today, but then I relented, but watch how gingerly 'em both ease on the horses." He hit his boot again and started laughing as all the men were looking at the boys over a bit away.
I looked over too and watched them squatting gingerly on logs, playfully and fully engaged in conversation. Zach has obviously forgotten about what Hick was talking about. Or, he could have cared less? Hick was carrying on for all it was worth and he had the attention of the others. It had little to do with Hick's spanking the boys. It was more the fact that the other's lives rather dull and very uneventful lives with little in new companions except a bottle of beer or two, I suspected.
Anyway the day went on. Much later on the way down, though, we'd stopped to rest a bit. The boys and two other men and I were all over among the horses just sort of talking and playing around after what had turned out to be a long but super ride. I don't know how it all started but we were all just joking a bit and playing when all of a sudden Zach just up and made a jerking motion my way and when I came back at him, he laughed squealed and stepped back abruptly, knocking into Timmy (Bob's young son) and Isaac and all of three of them laughed and stumbled together falling and knocking over the bucket with all the remaining water for the horses. It spilled everywhere and we all started laughing at the mess. I thought it was just great fun!.
It turned out I was the only one who thought it was fun (although I might have missed something).
Hick and Bob were there almost immediately and the boys' turned white. Bob grabbed Timmy's left arm and swatted him very hard several times on his jeans as the young boy tried to get away unsuccessfully and soon began crying. "Don't you ever do that again," Bob kept saying.
"Sorry, sorry sorry, " the kid yelled as he was wiggling around as his Dad swatted the seat of his jeans, but his Dad just kept spanking him that way and soon the kid was crying loudly and sobbing his little heart out in front of everyone. Timmy was mortified!
But it was MY FAULT! I was embarrassed and tried to say it had been my fault!
Hick just stood there and stared at Zach. "You know better than horsing around like that, Zach, now don't you?"
"Yes, Sir, Hick!" Zach looked even whiter now.
"You're _d_a_m_n_ed right you do! You and I's gonna' take a little walk over there 'cause you just got yourself a spanking, boy." Zach looked both embarrassed and horrified but he didn't attempt to argue. He just stood there looking at Hick.
Then Hick turned to Isaac, "And as for you, my boy. You best get your act together real fast, boy, and you listen up, my boy, 'cause you're liken to get a yourself a real good whopping tonight when we get home!" He nodded. "You understand me, boy?"
"Yes, Sir." The kid with the tight jeans and the angelic eyes just looked at him politely, almost smiling.
"You need a whupping tonight, Isaac?" Hick faced him off bluntly, his face no more than six inches for Isaac's.
"No, Sir." Isaac replied sharply, his smile gone now. "I can do it, Sir. You don't have to whip me, Hick."
But Hick just snorted at Isaac and grabbed Zach by his upper arm, walking Zach a bit down off the trail as we all stood there watching them go. We could see them both standing over there and talking, with Zach a bit animated and then Hick sat down on a big rock, took the teenager over his lap and spanked him hard on the seat of the boy's jeans. After a few minutes Hick stood him up and pulled both Zach's jeans and briefs down to his knees with one strong yank and regardless of Zach's objecting, took the young guy over his knees again. With the sounds of Hick's palm slapping Zach's now very bare fanny in the otherwise calm of that mountain location, those slaps soon produced whimpers and finally sobs and tears. I'm not sure whether Hick was just doing it to impress the rest of us or not, but he went on spanking the boy hard and long after I would have stopped. Zach got it good from his man although I really don't think he had done anything to deserve it.
When Zach and Hick walked back together to where we were all waiting patiently by the horses, Zach had a switch in his hand and tears still in his eyes. His face was very red and wet and he was sniffling back tears still as he went for his own horse, stuck that switch in his saddle bag sticking up, and mounted, falling into line right beside Hick on his own. Zach neither looked at or spoke to any one. He was real quiet on the ride back.
But then again, so were Isaac and Timmy who had his own tears in his eyes and a red face. Isaac followed Hick and Zach's horse on the way down, but Timmy stayed with his own Dad now.
Still, the ride was a good one and soon normal conversations began again, at least amongst the rest of us, and when we all parted at the stables and went out own ways, things seemed OK ever for Zach and Isaac.
Hick, on the other hand, called at the end of the evening and wants to get together tomorrow evening about Isaac and maybe some leads for some work for the guy. At least that's what I think he wants to talk about.
I hope your Fall vacation was a good one and lived up to your dreams.
Cal