"Cowboying" in the Old West was never considered a part-time occupation.  It wasn't exactly full-time either.  After fall round up and the sale of stock, a lot of successful ranches laid-off extra cowhands for the winter with the promise or hopes of reemployment in the spring.  There was always work to be done on these spreads, just not on a full-time basis all winter long.  Some out of work cowboys often spent the winter riding from one ranch to another to visit, get some grub, do a little work for food and bunk, and move on to the next ranch.   The visit by the wandering cowhand was actually quite welcome to the families and towns around the map.  The cowboys brought and received word of distant happenings, world events, and a fresh perspective about the winter and the popular opinions of the neighbors about the coming years prospects.