Tailgatin!

I have a large working collection of cast iron pots, pans and ovens just like these. My bucket collection numbers one, though. The Lodge Company in South Pittsburg, Tn, is the only foundry making cast iron cookware in the USA. Nothing cooks like cast iron.

Drawer on the right looks as if it has a timer on it. Suppose that's for a little microwave just in case the fire goes out. As for the buckets -- well, sometimes Cooky's cooking ain't so good, so ...

According to the Texas lore handed down by my dad a horseshoe was used to check the coffee's strength.If it floated in the coffee it was strong enough.

I think you're looking at an early dude ranch experience, or at the very best, a hunting party. Bowties? A white bowtie no less? White dress shirts? Those bundles by the wagon are obviously tents of some kids--hardly living rough.

No, I think you're looking at three City Slickers and one real cowboy cooking the food.

Mmmm!

Sourdough sheepherder's bread, coffee, bacon, stew or beans, reconstituted dried-apple pie & maybe some eggs if you weren't too far from a ranch. All liberally greased with lard.

Wait, I'm not sure if that's making me hungry or not.

"The coffee was strong enough to stand a spade in." Just the juxtaposition of the spade and the pot. I knew some wood cutters in Canada who would put a gallon of water on the fire when they got to the work site at 8, throw in six teabags, and let it boil until the 10 o'clock break. Nobody got sleepy.

With the exception of the one who is moist likely "Cookie" the rest are rather well dressed (and pressed) to be actually involved in a round-up. Not too many cowboys would be wearing cuff-links while herding.

Either they're going in to town or they're just visiting.

Also, that's rather a lot of pots set out to make one meal.

Other than one lonely horse, I don't see anything that needs rounding up.

Any more beans, Mr. Taggart?

Taggart: I think you boys have had enough!

All are wearing clean, freshly pressed white shirts with bow-ties. Clint and his buddies never looked that clean on Rawhide. Just saying.

Hey Dave - How many references to Blazing Saddles do you expect to get?

But does it really take 11 buckets, pots, and pans to get a cup of coffee and a plate of beans?

You don't want to know how much we pay in 2010 for an experience like this!

Many ranchers still move cattle a couple times a year by dogs and horseback. Chuck wagons are still sometimes still pulled by teams. And dudes from "back east" pay good money to go "out west" for a few days of pushing cattle, semi-primitive camping, and feasts by Cookie.

You see, kids, back in the old days cowboys had to cook a horseshoe in their stew to get their daily requirement.

And not a six gun in sight.

It was little Joe the wrangler
He'll wrangle never more
His days with the remuda, they are done
It was long late in the evening
When he rode up to the herd
A ragged looking stray and all alone.

He was looking kinda hungry,
he was looking for some work
But he didn't know straight up about no cow
But the boss he kinda liked him
So he cuts him out a mount
Guess he sorta liked that little stray somehow.

Taught him how to herd the horses
And to know them all by name
And to get them in by daybreak if he could.
And to load the old chuck wagon
And to always hitch the team
And help old Cocinera gather wood.

-- looks uncomfortably out of place.

"I say, old chaps, you wouldn't happen to have any proper teacups made of china, would you?"