He’ll take your daily catch of trout,
slit and clean them in one sitting.
Then cut through the shiny pile that’s
left,just to see what the fish were hitting.

He’ll set a screw in your fishing reel,
cut the twine from alfalfa bales,
splice reins, scrape the bot eggs from horses’
hair, and clean his fingernails.

He’ll cut bandages from an old wound, and
use the blade to bell a mule,
skin an elk, pry the caps off fly repellent
and the cans of Coleman fuel.

“Don’t you think you should wash your knife?”
You offer him this warning.
“Sure,” he nods, “ I boiled it in the coffee pot,
just the other morning.”

He looks at you, then smiles and winks, says,
“Just kiddin”, I don’t really mean it.”
“When I think my ol’ Buck needs a change of
Oil, I slice an orange to clean it.”

So, if your guide offers an apple slice,
just smile and say, “Of Course.”
Then ease off gently away from the group,
and feed it to your horse.

But, if an orange slice is his only gift,and
now your gut’s not feelin’ placid.
It’s time to develop a sudden allergy
to all forms of citric acid.

John Nelson
The Gunnison Country Guide Service
P.O. Box 1443
Gunnison, CO 81230
(970)641-2830

Please send a check or money order to the above address for the CD Word Wraglin' and Wrymin' for $15.00  and the Video Just One More Day for $20.00.