Memoir Monday, April 4, 1959

1959--seems like maybe a prior lifetime!  Sooo long ago. I was a sophomore and not too enamored of school at that point. 

April 4, 1959

I simply live for weekends. I got off to a flying start before breakfast and I just now landed. I really cleaned out the tack shed and switched the stuff all around. Dad went over to Prescott to hear about a horse deal. I rode to Cottonwood this afternoon. Old Rusty was fine. I rode up to the feed store via an alley and was nearly scared out of my boots when Moose stepped out in front  of me. I guess my ideal man would be sort of like Buster and Moose all rolled into one. What a man! Dad says Sam Steiger is a real polite guy but looks faintly like Herb Metzgar. Gollee. We may work some deal with him on Rusty. 

 Adios, G

I always preferred to be busy and most of th time I was. This must have been a Saturday. That shed was behind our main house (we rented two in Clarkdale, one for office and workshop and lived  in the other) I think it had been for coal storage at one time. It was divided in two with a half-high wall of heavy planks. Anyway as we got more animals and more equipment, it became the tack room. Taking care of the saddles and all the rest, and cleaning it up was one of my jobs, partly self-chosen.

Rusty was one of two Tennessee Walkers we got in a trade when we sold five mules in March. He was a bright almost carroty orange sorrel with flaxen mane and tail, tall as that breed usually was, but a nice horse with the running walk gait for which the breed is famous. He did not quite strut like they do in the shows and events but really could walk out, a nice rocking easy pace. He was on a pasture at that time; do not recall where but Cottonwood area.

Oh my, Moose! That was the nickname--not mine but in general--for Marvin Kallsen who was then a senior and on whom I'd had a crush from 6th grade at Willard School in Bridgeport. I'm not sure--was he working at Patterson's Feed Store then? Buster was the cowboy foreman of the guy who had bought the mules and I had a crush on him too! They were quite different but morphed together would have been unique! LOL. I had strange tastes, maybe!

Sam Steiger polite?  Well, maybe. I guess dealing with a potential customer he was. He had a sales barn and dealt in livestock over near Prescott.  As a rodeo announcer, half-drunk, he was loud, crude and pretty abrasive--but funny.  Whatever!!  Herb Metzgar had a ranch  in Bridgeport, sold not much later,  and also a ranch up on the rim out from Flagstaff. We had bought the two old cow ponies from him, our first horses, Lady and Chindy. Herb  was pretty good looking in a dark cowboy way.  Two of his kids were at Willard , both younger than I was, Jack and Diana -both very blonde and their mom had somewhat strawberry blonde hair.  Funny the memories that  pop up.

A few random photos: . Marvin Kallsen and Virgl Stotts, 8th grade grads at Willard, May 1955; Jane Metzgar with Jack and Diana, about June 1955; Mom and me on Chindy (Gray) and Lady (Bay)  about 1954. Did not have Rusty long and have no photos of him but he was a handsome horse.