[Leica] Lucky Day. WILD WILD WEST! :-)

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (tedgrant at shaw.ca)]

R. Clayton McKee  offered:
Subject: [Leica] Lucky Day.


> Why I love used book stores:
>
> http://shrunk.net/4230c3f7
>
> Sadly, it doesn't appear to be an autographed copy.<<<<<<<

Hi Clayton,
WOW!!!!!!! :-) Nice find! :-) It's Kodachrome and Tri-X from Leica cameras M 
and R. From a series of assignments during a year to get the actions of the 
seasons.

The best story out of this one was during the branding of young calves in a 
huge coral and me being grabbed by a half dozen young cowboys who very 
quickly had me on the ground, relieved me of my boots, trousers and most 
embarrassment? Even my under shorts! So I was prepared for "Branding!" One 
might laugh at it but it sure was embarrassing being bare assed in the 
breeze!

First thing, somebody brought a branding iron right out of he fire pit and 
put it to my butt, so close I could feel the heat I thought for sure I was 
going home with a cow brand on my ass! That wasn't enough though, then they 
came along with a huge syringe they use for inoculating calves and made like 
they were going to stick me. The damn thing was so big I figured it would go 
in one side of my body and out the other! :-)

However the best and worst? Most embarrassing? Was "Cutter Old Harry" with 
his castration knife when he spread my legs and knelt down with what 
appeared in full state of removing me of my blessed jewels! Cringe with that 
thought! Right out there in the open air for all the working branding 
round-up crew to see! All were laughing!

Now he's kneeling there and all of a sudden I can feel some unbecoming and 
embarrassing movement about the private parts with his damn sharpened knife 
and he says, "These jewels are hardly fit for man or mouse! It'll only take 
a second to snip them off!" I damn near died right there, all the time 
trying to think this is some kind of cowboy ritual of initiation.

Obviously he didn't remove them. But he did spray me from knees to belly 
button with a purple dye coloured aerosol can pressure antiseptic he used on 
the young calves after removing their testies. Then everyone began laughing, 
the young guys threw my clothes and boots around and let me go! So there I 
was bare ass naked & purple, running about picking clothes up and dressing 
while all these cowboys were whooping and hollering. Yes and the guys on 
horse back were cutting back and forth killing themselves laughing also.

If you look on page 115 it will give you an idea of how they had me on the 
ground, only in this case it's a real calf being "fixed!" And the young 
cowhand boy standing with the aerosol antiseptic can in his hand is what 
Cutter Harry sprayed me with.

The next day I flew home to Ottawa, so just try to imagine what my wife 
thought when she saw me all purple from knees to belly button and without 
question? Everything in-between! Hey I wasn't laughing! But she was when she 
heard the story.

Clayton I trust you like the book as much as I did shooting it during the 
year.

cheers,
ted