Memoir Monday--Aug 9, 1961

This was the summer between  my last two years of high school, sliding to a close. Not too much excitement right then so I was going on about guys--heck, what teenager does not have males on her mind? I always picked 'different' ones to moon over being the odd-ball that I am (LOL). Still doing the cowboy girl gig of course which by this point was very routine and almost habitual in many ways.  Ride, feed, clean up, fix stuff and repeat. Over and over and over...

Aug 9, 1961

Today dawned bright and clear and promised to become hot. I, as usual, rode Ruby out to see to the monsters who were naturally o.k. I returned and rode up to get the mail. I got a letter from Wayne, as I knew I would. I always do if I make a real dire threat. Then I was off to Cottonwood. A couple of birds in an old bus kept bothering me. At last I picked up a rock but did not get to use it. I saw a real cute CTI driver who looked like Bert. I saw “Sandy” and one of Stan Allen’s brothers. This one is a livin’ doll. He looked at me real shy like. Sheesh! I bought my stuff (like this ink?) and came home. Charlie Mike and Clarence gave Mrs Walker back 50 cents on the yard and spent 50 cents more for ‘treats’ uptown. How dumb can those kids get? Wasting their money. Well this afternoon it rained—and how. Like in the old days. Dad got back earlier than we had expected and had rather discouraging reports. The land is not worth much etc. Too bad, but I had not counted on it much. If we get to Colorado it will be entirely due to our own efforts. I wish Wayne was here—a stormy night like this is no time to be alone. Maybe I am a naughty girl but I think I could sleep easier in someone’s arms. I didn’t see Gug this morning, only Sus and the truck, also Kewlman and the slob. Aw hell. I should stay AWAY from Gug anyway. If I had about $20 to spend on supplies etc for school, then I‘d wish school would start. This is my last year and I am going to have fun. Oh, I’ll work but not slave like I did last year. Of course I was pretty wild from Aug31 to October 30 but after that I just worked. I wish Wayne would make it down before school starts but then I’d have the problem of getting the folks to accept him. If it were Ray or Al I think that part would be easier. Well, adios, amigos.

I have mentioned Ruby before. She was a cute little red mule, a very pretty color similar to a dark Hereford cow and not a real common hue for mules and horses. She was a good little mule most of the time and barely big enough for me! A larger man looked ridiculous on her. I am pretty sure she was under fourteen hands--a hand being 4 inches--at the withers where equines are measured.  The withers is that 'bump' in the spine where the neck melds into the body. We have a bit of a bump there too. 

Besides eyeing local blue collar guys that I referred to as "the Young and Restless" I was writing pen pals. Right then my fave was Wayne, the rodeo cowboy who lived in Washington.  Ray was in the serivice and I think came from northern New Mexico and Al was about to get out of the Navy for a bit and go to work for Art Pollard, the racing Quarter Horse man based at Sonoita (to which I had not yet been here in southern Arizona. Made it ten years later.)

Bert was another semi-HH and Sandy was a cement truck driver for CTI who hauled linestone out of the newish plant. Stan Allen was my freind Maureen's step-father. Gug was one of many names for my nemisis who worked for the propane company. Bad news and I knew it but was still fascinated.... Wicked girl!! That almost blew up in my face a bit later. 

Charlie Mike and a friend had been doing yard work--a short-lived project! I was a bit miffed since I really did not have time to take on something like that to make some moola!! Did not seem fair. Charlie Mike did help me but it was not his full time job. Well, he was just near ten than. 

The "ranch hunt" still went on--in retrospect  such a huge waste of time and energy  but that was not yet really clear. And of courses there was never enouugh money and my share of what came in was always pretty slim. It helped that my grandmother sent me a dollar or two every month and I was always finding pop bottles on my rides which could be redeemed for a few cents. The ink I mentioned was a dark marooon or deep red with a touch of purple. I was hand-writing my journal of course and liked to use fancy colors. I either wrote with an old fashioned point-pen or used Lindies which came in many colors. 

Not many pix--I have had them posted before but here is Ruby and then Wayne, and a portrait I drew of one of the HH crew. (HH stood for "Handsome Hero", my semi-tongue-in-cheek term for my various crushes. Few were really handsome and most were more anti-heroes!)