July was a "hot" time in 1965 if my reactions and memories can be trusted. Some weather and a lot of life. I guess 'stressed out' is mostly putting my mental state mildly. I think I have covered the 'why' I did not just bug out though that seems like a most logical course of action at many point during this complicated and troubled summer. But I did not... Maybe that was fated; I may never know.
Jul 24, 1965 Sat
Got up about the usual hour and fed. Then got started restacking the pipe etc. Why I did that I can’t say. I’m always doing silly things. We got started talking and it was 10:30 before we left for the pasture. Damn, that is really about the limit. No mail for me still. Brought Ginger home and finished the pipe. Got the midday chores done at 2:30 just in time to miss the little shower. I’d though it would rain hard today but it didn’t. You never can tell. I rested the afternoon away. Charlie Mike rode Ginger out and I led Chief. Jolly seemed to be in; I hope she hasn’t gotten fouled up. The situation has been pretty tight around here today . I sure would like to pull out… Had very little supper. Charlie Mike and I went to a ball game. I hadn’t wanted to but was glad we did. We sat on Jim Blevin’s truck. He hit a triple, walked and hit a fly that was caught. The score was 5-3 for the VV team. Saw Johnny Garvin’s truck go by--over to the depot, bridge or ? and later back. I think there were two people in it but don’t know. I’ll still be watt-ching tomorrow for sure. But probably to no avail. So be it. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day than today anyway. Too many of these and I’d just purely have to leave or go berserk. Dusty, don’t you know I need you??
I always wanted to get an early start to do first the home feeding etc and then go to the pasture to take care of that but so often it did not work out. I admit I got pretty ticked off about the delays which I felt were not necessary and probably was often not very nice! I did try not to take my peeve out on the animals or on Charlie Mike as he was usually right there with me. I am trying to picture what pipe needed to be stacked--it was in the 'shop' yard for sure but beyond that I cannot see it. More of the almost continual clean up and organize efforts anyway.
No use to belabor the "talks" matter as I have covered it often. It seldom happened but if I could grab breakfast and get out before Dad was up and about I would be home free but that was seldom. Prisoners at the table where we ate all meals in the kitchen, once he launched into the current instructions, complaint, diatribe or allegedly "encouraging"' words you could expect at least an hour, often more. At times it would have felt so good just to scream STFU as loudly as I could; I am sure Charlie Mike thought it often but we were not quite that daring. We knew not to wave red at an unruly bull!!
I was still riding Ginger almost daily but was just a day or two away from starting Patrick. I was satisfied Ginger was well broke with a good start on being trained so it was time to give her a rest. She was trustworthy enough to let Charlie Mike ride her going along with me and controlling her himself. Jolly was the gray Quarter Horse mare that strongly resembled Leo, the young stallion we had got at the same time. She was now three and about 15 hands high and muscled out well. I would have liked to start working on her too but that never happened. She was one of two who we had taken to New Mexico the prior fall supposedly to be bred to one of the man's QH/Appy studs but they both came back in the spring. I never knew if they were bred or not. Apparently not, or if so, she had likely miscarried the foal.
Charlie Mike and I were still getting out in the evenings and went to any ball games that were happening up at the old grade school. Jim Blevins was a neighbor and I think the current husband or boyfriend of the mother of some younger kids we knew. Beyond that memory is vague! Apparently he had a good night for the local team that time. We also saw Johnny Garvin, who as I have said previously, was one of the crew on B&B 6. He lived in Cottonwood and was usually home on weekends. Having not heard from Dusty for close to a month, I was getting anxious and concerned. Were they going to get back to Clarkdale or not? May 31 was now many weeks past and though special, that brief evening was the only time I had seen him since January.
Photos, probably not new and certainly not exciting! First Jolly. Her registered name was Jolly Babe and she was of Joe Reed linage. This was probably just after she had come home in spring 1965, a bit banged up. Next is Charlie Mike with Ginger. He hated his hair skinned off that way but got it cut often whether he wanted to or not. And last is Patrick, a shot I am sure I have used before. He was a good looking horse though and I really liked him, enough that I had given up Bravo, Tina's first colt, to have him be mine.
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