Memoir Monday, February 22, 1959

Me with Louie (left) and Lily (right)

Two sketches

 

Chuck Connors, The Rifleman

Kelo Henderson, 26 Men

Feb 22, 1959 , Sunday

Happy birthday, George! Didn’t do much this morning. Enjoyed myself some in the afternoon. Rode Tina. Even gave Mike Rutledge and Jonah a ride. Tina had never carried double before but she took to it okay. I love to run her. I’d swear she floats. Lord, I wouldn’t trade that mare for a house full of TV sets. Not when she goes like today. She jumped once but I jerked, spurred and cussed her and she settled right down. I’ve got my room pretty well decorated. I look up and see the Superstitions and George Phippen, ropin’  a calf, up more and see Kelo, Chuck, Jim, Jack, Johnny etc. and four of my own sketches. Reckon I am pretty well fixed, Huh? Well, tomorrow we get another new mule. Hope she is nice. Guess I’d better light and ride. Gaye

1959--how long ago was that?  I think back in the Dark Ages when I was growing up "in the old country." Yes, we did have automobiles and even television, refrigerators instead of ice boxes and a few other modern conveniences LOL. But no cell phones, no internet, no Yahoo or Google or You Tube etc. How did we ever amuse ourselves? 

Most of my readers know now who Tina was. I had enjoyed her for three years by this time and she was pretty well trained but still young and could be frisky at times. Mike Rutledge was a neighbor kid, about Charlie Mike's age and I think Jonah was a Native American boy about that same age. He may have been one of Charlie Mike's friends. Mike R was one reason Charlie hated to be called Mike. That was one ornery little kid; he had been sick (maybe rheumatic fever?) and I think was kinda spoiled! By then I was getting pretty competent as a horse woman and only occasionally allowed Tina to intimidate me a little. She was a big mare and high spirited. And yes, I did cuss!! I had learned I could say Damn and Hell and worse and lightning did not strike me--so long as it was not in front of my parents. 

My wall decor. I dimly recall a photo or maybe painting of the Superstition Mountains; not sure where I got it or where it went. George Phippen was a fine western artist who lived near Prescott and did calendars and covers for magazines like Western Horseman  of which of course I read every issue. I had written him a 'fan' letter and he sent me a signed copy of one of his good paintings--it was probably not a self-portrait but there was a cowboy roping a calf with Granite Mountain in the background. 

The guys named were all actors in the TV westerns of the time, most of which were big faves of mine. I sent lots of fan letters and got lots of pictures, probably mechanically signed but a good collection anyway. I still have a few in a souvenir binder. And I was actually sketching faces--I had suddenly found a way past the kiddie art I had done  earlier: lumpy horses, stick figures and crayon-colored landscapes--and was doing some fairly realistic faces of some of my current crushes and heroes. I have shared a few of them in other posts. I even illustrated some 'ranch romance' type fiction I was starting to write. "Rio Ransom" was one of the heroes of a Zane Grey imitation.

As for the new mule, we had already entered a deal to sell some of our older ones and the new one was to be a replacement or maybe go with the five we were selling so we could keep one of them. I called her Louisa (she looked like the old mule Louie we had) and  Luz for short but she somehow soon became Nelly. So much for my exotic names. I recall little about her now as she did get sold with four others and left in March that year.