Sometimes I just pulled up my socks and said I was not going to admit doom or gloom for the whole day. And sometimes it worked. The weather must not have been bad that day for it would have been much harder to stay cheerful!
Feb 13, 1965 Sat
I awoke this morning and decided that this was going to be a good day. It was. I went down to feed and then ate and got ready to go to the pasture. We did all the chores and June came by and talked about hay etc. She has a lot of sad stories and wants the money. We fixed the mud hole and will do more soon. Came home and discussed some. I rode up for mail--a letter came from Uncle Dan with a $100 check and a letter from Governor Goddard. For me the TMC Bulletin, Nevada college data and…a Valentine from Dusty!! I nearly turned a handspring right there in the PO. Came home and rebuilt the little ponies’ feedbox with Charlie Mike. That was a major job. Finally got that and the noon chores done. After lunch we drove to June’s to argufy about hay. By talking horses for an hour we finally got 38 more bales for a total of $70--(for 38 + 30). That’s a pretty fair deal. It took some doing though. We did the pasture chores briefly on the way home and Charlie Mike helped me unload. We finished the home chores and came gladly in. Had supper quite late. I managed to get a letter written to Tee and that was about all. I’ve kept looking at Dusty’s Valentine all day. It is so pretty. He said he’d “right soon” so I’ll be looking for a letter next week…and looking hard. I was really thrilled anyway. So I get two this year but only one that matters. Better get me off to bed. There’s lots to do tomorrow. This morning I caught Annie and put her in the corral. Charlie Mike and I found two bottles down in the field too. Manana will be busy all day I know. Today was long, but really not bad. I’m so relieved. The Valentine was mailed Thurs in Flag.
Of course the chores went on as usual but we did drive out and then talked to June and later went over to Dead Horse Ranch and came home with some needed hay for a moderate price. In between there were the constant repair jobs, filling in mud holes that got stomped out when the wet times happened, and rebuilt gates and feedboxes. I got pretty good at picking out boards to replace a chewed up or broken one and geting it nailed or wired back in where it needed to go. Charlie Mike was catching on to this sort of task too, and we were learning how to work as a team and cooperate He was to turn fourteen this year but that was in the fall. Unloading hay was not fun; it got stacked in a tin building that was probably intended to be a garage and it got very stuffy and dusty up near the ceiling when we stacked high and you could bang your head or scrape your back on the beams and had to work hunched over. This batch was not the huge heavy bales anyway so we could manage them okay,
TMC was The Mustang Club. They were devoted to trying to save wild horses in the southwest and get them trapped humanely and then up for adoption. My friend Shirl (Shirley Coulter Atchley had given me a membership. They had a monthly newsletter or bulletin and several members advertised stationary and other thngs they had designed and made for sale. I never did but thought about it; finding the time and getting supplies were the roadblocks. I maybe could have advertised my western shirts since I had gotten pretty good at making them by this time.
Finding pop bottles was always a good thing. I can't remember what the recycle refund price was--just a few cents--but we valued every penny we could earn that way. I am not sure who I was riding at this point since I mention getting Annie in at the pasture. It may have been Prez or one of the smaller mules. I swapped them around a lot as we now had quite a few that were reasonably reliable.
Of course the Valentine from Dusty made my day. In an instant, I got over my pique at him for not writing for awhile. As I said, I looked at it over and over--it was pretty and sweet and a surprise, as well. He mentioned he'd write (spelled 'right') soon but it was actually a couple of weeks and the euphoria faded a bit in the meantime. But I treasured this token. I found it in my keepsake box which I finally got into after Jim had passed away, probably in spring 2004.
Pictures: The Valentine. Me with Annie and a mule called Mindy. Annie was tall but not quite as tall as Tina. I was about 5'7 3/4" and long legged enough to get up on the taller ones easier than when I was smaller and younger. And Charlie Mike with Ringo. Ringo was the only male in a litter Bonnie, a roadside rescue, produced so he became the family dog for some time; actually he was Charlie Mike's. This was probably spring 1964.
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