Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2019 13:47:28 -0800
From: Backwoods Boy <backwoodsnatureboy@gmail.com>
Subject: The Ranch Boy Next Door - Part 2

Learning the Ropes

"Did you have a good day, Toby?"

"I sure did, Mom.  I really like living here in the country.  I had a great
time at the creek swimming and lying in the sun."

I was helping Mom put the food on the table.  She and Dad had just arrived
home from work and had brought Chinese takeout with them.

We sat down to eat.  "I'm glad you're enjoying it.  But I'm concerned that
you haven't met any kids your age yet."

I smiled.  "Well, that changed today.  I met a guy who lives on the ranch
across the road.  He's three years older than me, but we hit it off really
well.  We'll be in high school together this fall."  The last part was a
guess, but I was trying to make Logan as appealing as possible.

"I'm glad to hear that.  I hope you can get better acquainted with him.
What's his name?"

"Logan.  And he invited me to come help him move irrigation pipe tomorrow
morning.  I'll have to be there by five o'clock to do that."

Dad teased me.  "Do you really think you can get up that early?"

I grinned at him.  "Yeah, I can.  It's gonna be fun learning about country
life."

Mom looked worried.  "Is it going to be safe?  Work on a ranch can be
dangerous."

"Don't worry Mom.  It's just a matter of lifting lengths of pipe that
aren't that heavy and moving them a few feet.  It will be good for me."  I
was becoming really good at making things up.  "When you get up, you can
look out the window and see us.  We're gonna be working right across the
road."

Dad spoke up for me.  "One of the reasons we moved out here is so that Toby
can learn what life is like in the country, Dear.  This looks like an
excellent opportunity for him to do that.  But Toby, let us know before you
tackle any other activities.  Your mother is right.  Some ranch work is
dangerous, and we would like to help you make those decisions."

"Sure, Dad.  I'll do that.  The work will take a couple hours, and after
that Logan invited me to join him for breakfast."

Mom approved.  "That will be good.  Then maybe you can meet his parents."

I didn't comment.  She could think that if she wanted to.  First, I was
quite sure it would be just Logan and me at the bunkhouse, and second, I
didn't know whether his parents owned the ranch or if he just worked there.

************

I was up at four-thirty.  I'd set the alarm, but I didn't need it - my
internal clock knew I had to be awake by then.  The chance to spend some
time with Logan and learn what he did was as exciting as the thought of
having sex with him again.

Even at the start of summer, it was still dark.  I pulled on the clothes I
thought would be appropriate.  My hiking boots would have to do for work
boots for the day.  Socks, a pair of Levis, an old hoodie, and a baseball
cap completed the work uniform.

Quietly letting myself out the front door, I walked across to the field.
Daylight was just beginning to intrude on the darkness of night.  The air
was crisp and cold, and bird songs filled the air.  I recognized the smell
of hay in the air.  The rest of the odors I would have to learn later.  As
I thought about it, the air smelled a lot like Logan did.  Maybe it all got
into your bloodstream and just oozed out.

I climbed over the fence, happy I was there first.  Within a couple
minutes, an old pickup came up the dirt road inside the fence and stopped
beside me.  Logan was dressed much like I was.  I'd chosen my work clothes
well.

"Hi, early-bird Toby.  Have ya ever driven a stick shift?"

"No."  Actually, I'd never driven before.

"Well, yer gonna learn right now."  He hopped out, leaving the motor idling.

"Come over here and get in on the driver's side.  Yer gonna get
ed-u-ca-ted."

I got behind the wheel.  Logan closed the door behind me and got in on the
other side.

"Press the clutch in and put it in second gear.  Good.  Now let the clutch
out slowly while applying the gas."

I stalled it, of course.

"Okay, push the clutch in, start the engine, and try it again.  This time
give it a little more gas and let the clutch out slower."

It lurched, but I had it moving.

"Okay, now push in the clutch and put it in third gear."

It wasn't smooth, but it happened.

"Keep on drivin' to the end of the field.  When we get there, let up on the
gas, push in the clutch, step on the brake, and turn off the motor.  In
that order."

I drove at a slow but steady speed.  At the end of the field, I did as
instructed.

"Good job, hot-kid Toby!  Yer a natural.  Okay, shift into low gear to
park.  The parkin' brake gave up years ago."

Logan got out, and I followed his lead.  I shut the door, and it popped
back open.

"Ya gotta slam it.  This ain't no city slicker truck.  It's been driven
hard, and a few things don't work too good no more."

It took two more tries before I succeeded.  Logan was grinning.  "Ya got a
lot to learn about ranch life, but I'm here to teach ya."

"I wanna learn all I can."

"Great.  So let's start with the irrigation system.  Look along the side of
the field there, and you can see the risers stickin' up out of the ground.
The water is pumped from a well into a pipe under those risers.  You can
see there's a water line attached to every fifth one.  That's what we're
gonna move.  I'll do the sections on the riser 'cuz that's a little more
technical.  You grab the next section not quite at the center, push against
the line a little and twist it to get it loose, tip it to drain the water,
and then carry it to the next riser, line it up carefully with mine, and
reattach.  Hookin' it up is the reverse of unhookin' it.  Once it's hooked,
be sure to pull it tight.  They ain't that heavy, but remember to lift with
yer knees.  We leapfrog each other as we go, doin' one line at a time.
Then we walk back along the line we just finished and start the next.
There's four lines to be moved.  Let's give it a try.  Except hold on a
minute.  I wanna do somethin' first."

The day before, the time I'd spent with Logan I'd been flat on my back.
Standing beside him, I realized how much bigger he was - a good five inches
taller and thirty-five pounds heavier.  I had my work cut out to keep up
with him.

Logan got in the pickup, turned it around and pointed it in the direction
we'd come from.

"Okay, let's go."

By the time I'd done my second section of pipe, I had it figured out.
After two more sections I was moving nearly as fast as Logan.  We paused at
the end of the field.  The sun was up, and we were hot.  Logan pulled off
his sweatshirt, and I got an instant boner.

"Now we're gonna go back and do the same thing three more times.  Ya doin'
okay?"

"Sure!"  I was lying, but I wasn't going to admit I was hurting and hungry
as hell.

He handed me his sweatshirt.  "I want ya to walk back along the road, get
the pickup, and park it down there at the end of the last line.  That way
it'll be there when we're finished."

I was standing there with the deer-in-the-headlights look again.

"Get goin'!  You can do it.  When it's parked, walk back up the next line
and meet me.  Walk along the line.  Ya don't wanna tramp all over the
alfalfa field.  And there's a box of granola bars in the backseat.  Eat one
and put a couple in yer pocket."

I walked back to the pickup and got inside.  I put my sweating hands on the
wheel.  Talking my way through the steps I had taken after I'd killed the
engine, I got the truck started and rolling.  I shifted into third gear
without any problem.

Parking the truck where Logan told me, I got out and slammed the door like
I'd done it a million times.  I tossed my sweatshirt into the bed of the
pickup along with Logan's and walked up the line to where he was working.

"Did that work okay?"

I had to be cool about it.  "Yeah."

He grinned.  "I thought it would.  Go ahead with the line now like ya were
before."

It took us a two and a half hours to finish the job.  Even with the granola
bars, breakfast was on my mind, but I'd lost interest in being on the
menu.  I wanted to have breakfast, go home, and go back to bed.

Logan got in the driver's seat this time and headed for the ranch
buildings.  The bunkhouse was the first building we came to, several
hundred yards from the main house.  A large barn and several other
outbuildings completed the main ranch complex.

************

Pulling to a stop, Logan got out of the pickup and headed for the bunkhouse
with me following.  We entered into a central living area, finished in
knotty pine.  A wood stove on the back wall divided the kitchen area from a
lounge area.  At the end of the lounge area were doors to two bedrooms with
a bath between.  There was a round table with six chairs in the kitchen
area.  The lounge area held a TV in one corner with two sofas in front of
it.  All of it was neat and clean.

"How about some bacon, eggs and toast?"

"Sounds good to me."  Anything sounded good about then.

"Great.  You get the table set and the bread in the toaster, and I'll do
the rest."

Logan obviously did this a lot.  He had things going in no time.

"I eat breakfast here and usually take lunch out with me.  I have dinner
with my grandparents at the main house."

"How big is the ranch?"

"A little over 2500 acres.  Two sections that my grandparents own, and two
more that we lease.  Most of it is dry land grazing.  Some of it is dry
land wheat.  We only irrigate a small portion for hay.  Our part includes
the woodland area on the west end near yer house.  By the way, yer welcome
to wander around the woods over there anytime ya wanna.  I told my
grandparents about ya, so they know ya might be out there.  And sunbathin'
and skinny-dippin' are also okay.  And wankin'."  The last he added with a
grin.

I was more amused than embarrassed.  "So, you saw me wanking too?"

He grinned.  "Yeah, I seen ya out there several times.  I've been keepin'
an eye on ya."

Breakfast was ready, and I dug in.  Logan wasn't eating much.  "Don't you
eat a lot for breakfast?"

He grinned.  "I already ate breakfast.  This was part of my recruitment
plan.  Would ya like to help me with the irrigation regularly?"

"I'd love it!"

"How about every mornin' for two to three hours until we shut the system
down before harvest.  For twelve dollars an hour, plus benefits.  And just
so ya know, fourteen-year-olds can work on farms in Idaho without their
parents' permission, as long as it's not dangerous work.  What do ya say?"

There was no hesitation.  "You're on!  Thanks, Logan!"

"No problem.  We had a ranch hand, lived in that other room, but he left
for greener pastures last week.  I suggested this to my grandparents, and
they told me to use my own judgement.  You were pretty impressive this
mornin', hard-workin' Toby, especially for a city slicker.  Alone, that
would have taken me four plus hours.  Once you've done it a couple times,
we'll have it down to just over two hours together."

"Okay.  And you mentioned benefits?"

"Breakfast, of course, but ya gotta walk over here at four-thirty for
that."  I'm sure disappointment showed on my face.  He grinned.  "And
certain other things too.  Which reminds me, why don't ya drop over about
nine or ten o'clock and spend the night.  That way, yer gonna be here for
an early breakfast and we'll be sure to get started on time.  I've even got
a spare toothbrush.  You can make that a regular habit if ya wanna.  The
second bedroom is yers with my grandparents' approval."

My heart was beating so hard I was sure he could hear it, but I had to
maintain my composure.  "Sure.  Sounds like a good plan."

Logan stood up and stretched.  "Okay, now I gotta get back to work.  I
usually work all day, five days a week, and a little on the weekend for the
things that gotta be done."

"So how did you have time to ... ummm ... take a break yesterday?"

He grinned.  "Well, I'm on my own schedule, so long as the work gets done.
And actually, that was more than a break.  It was the other part of my
recruitment plan.  Now, ya gotta walk home.  I gotta head out in the other
direction.  You okay with that?"

I grinned back.  "No problem.  See you this evening."

I grabbed my sweatshirt out of the pickup and walked the half-mile home
with my head in the clouds.  I couldn't believe how well this was working
out.  But I had some decisions to make.  I could work without my parents'
permission, but maybe I needed to be diplomatic and get it.  I wasn't sure
what I would do if they said I couldn't.  I decided to take that risk.
Which brought me to the overnight issue.  I would have to play that one by
ear.


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