Johnny is also broke to ride but I have yet to talk my middle daughter, Christie, into climbing aboard Alvin. Christie, who is now l9, is my top hand and has bucked out some pretty cold-backed horses, but has a problem with Alvin's impressive set of horns. We have all watched in awe as he swats a fly on his back with a horn tip with pinpoint accuracy. No matter, both the steers work well together, and are gentle as dead pigs to handle, hook up and work. I am jam-up proud to own them and brag on them a fair amount to boot.

Well, as to their function, they are definitely attention getters! I have presented the following argument quite often: if my play pretties have this kind of quality, you should see my registered cow herd.

My original intent was to produce another Wild West Show and use them in the wagon train act. (Our first show was held in April of l995.) We also had a Longhorn cattle drive that included our herd of Texas Longhorns. Our "Old Frontier Wild West Show" was the first authentic show in the southeast in more than l00 years. The first one was produced by Buffalo Bill Cody himself, and was part of the Cotton Exposition held in New Orleans in l884. I am currently trying to obtain the corporate sponsorships necessary to put on an even bigger and better show.

Another idea that would make the steers quite useful would be to allow local schools to visit our farm for a field trip outing. I would show them the wagons, stagecoach, and buffalo, and have Johnny and Alvin pull the big Conestoga wagon around the farm. This would be a great opportunity to promote my Longhorn cattle also to children who may have never seen a Texas Longhorn.

We recently had a great time giving wagon rides at a Cowboys for Christ "Ranch Day for Jesus." We brought Johnny, Alvin, and our California-Rack wagon to the function, along with Bill, another gentle riding steer. The kids loved it and their smiles were worth a lot to us.

Another outing for the steers was the Dixie Texas Longhorn Field Day that was recently held in Magnolia, Mississippi. There was a mixture of old and new members, but they all looked like a calf looking at a new gate when they saw those steers work circles, stops and backs with mule bits in their mouth. We have also had our girls' local 4-H and FFA clubs over for field days at our farm. Activities ranged from chicken catching by members to the fastest team to fill a five gallon bucket using a well hand pump. Again, Johnny and Alvin were the talk of the day. The Ag teacher was a little nervous to stand in front of the steers while I was hooking the yoke to the wagon tongue, so my youngest daughter, Becky, politely asked if she could take his place, and she did. They were so large (about 2000 lbs. each) and Becky appeared so little, but it made dad proud.

We have not paraded them yet locally, but it is not that they couldn't. It is because I don't want to give away too much thunder. I still may do another Wild West Show in this area, and I want to keep them a novelty for the show. Now, if I get an invitation to the Rose Bowl Parade, then that may be a different story.

My next idea may be the most lucrative eventually. I am trying to promote all my wagons, mules, bison, Longhorns, and yes, even Johnny and Alvin in the movie business. I have been in a few movies in past years and I would like to try my hand at it again. I was in one movie with Henry Fonda way back a long time ago, and I had to drive a 4-up hitch of mules onto a barge on the Mississippi River. Well, the first few takes were fine, but then for some unforeseen reason, the mules backed the wagon off the barge. I came close to a hellish death all mixed up with mules, harness, and a big freight wagon. I got a standing ovation and those movie folks got to see first hand a mule skinner at work when that wagon flew back onto that barge. In spite of the danger, I would do it again to give Johnny and Alvin a chance at stardom because they are the "stars" of Heaven View Farm.

Well, I reckon I'll just say this, I love to trade and I love Longhorns. I'd rather trade than eat, and I'm a big ole' boy! But if you are figuring on tradin' me out of Johnny and Alvin, you'd better tighten your belt and bring along your banker. You may also have to deal with my oldest daughter, Danielle, who claims ownership of the steers.

Yes, I was taught to trade a dozen eggs for a coop of chickens, but maybe I am getting a little sentimental in my old days. Or maybe God allows even an old horse and cow trader to own something jam-up every once in a while. And boys, as far as bragging, give it up. It is hard to impress me with your super-duper bloodlines when I own Johnny and Alvin.