Cowboy Fact #24; or, Yes, Virginia, There Still Are Cowboys
A recent sojourn to Idaho revealed another essential cowboy truth–cowboys still exist. You just have to know where to look for them.
Oliver’s in Pocatello: Deep into a thick omelette and excellent coffee. Along the counter are seated several men, all with sneakers and jeans and polo shirts or button-down shirts and baseball caps (the new rancher/farmer garb). All but one, that is. A tall, rangy man, tanned and fit. His broad-rimmed cowboy hat is centered and low on his head* and his cowboy boots show honest wear, and they show styling shine. He’s settled on the counter stool as if he’s riding on the range: careless and easy. His handlebar mustache is gray and thick and curled just so, a la Sam Elliott** 
and when I caught his eye, I also caught this far-off squint of Elliott’s, the exact look of this still from Conagher. I felt the breath of the plains cross over me. I felt the rub of a saddle and the easy sway of a horse. In his eyes was the West.
I was stricken with shyness and couldn’t even approach him. The Cowboy.
Idaho Vista copyright 2008 es
Young Cowboy: You’re a hard man, Conagher.
Conn Conagher: It’s a hard country, kid.
from Conagher (TV 1991) ***
* Apparently okay to wear hats inside nowadays. I guess I missed something.
**Apparently others also sense a smolder despite culture-notions about age. See this Sam Elliott fan site.
*** The quote selections are dizzying, especially when you pair them with the sound of Elliott’s deliberate delivery. L’Amour (author of book) can deliver the hard-boiled goods.