Memoir Monday, March 14, 1959

Another visit way back, all the way to 1959. Hard to believe it has been that long! Sixty plus years-yikes!

March 14, 1959

Aye de mi! Que dia. I got off to a nice start anyway. I fixed breakfast for  Mom as a surprise. About 9:30 I saddled Tina and took off for Cottonwood. I looked all around the pasture and no mules so I got the mail and hurried home. Dad had just gotten back and Bert, Nellie, Tony and three other horses were down at the corrals. Dad notified Mickle who told Betty Andrews and her husband to come over and get their two. Betty’s little “Cookie” looks like Tina used to.  Dodie Mickle rode old Prince. I led Nellie on Tina, Betty’s man rode Tony and led a little sorrel and old Bert went his merry way.  We got them all back in and I loped Tina home. I think Betty is really nice. Dodie’s all right.   Betty’s husband is kind of nice too. Not much later we heard a small plane. Yes, it was Cameron. He is coming down tomorrow afternoon. Of course Dad had to tell us all about his adventures. He’d seen the rodeo parade and lots of stuff on TV. He said Kelo dropped his gun and fell off his horse and that "26 Men" is decidedly amateurish. On the whole, however, the westerns are improving. They have better writers. “Wyatt Earp”, “Rifleman”, “Sheriff of Cochise” etc are good. From what he said about the doctors, we’re getting quite a reputation. It is nice to be famous even if you are poor. We’ll get there yet, by gumbo. Boy this was some day. In my words “Some days it doesn’t pay to get up and other days it doesn’t pay to stay in bed.” This was one of the latter. I guess tomorrow will be a busy day  too. Real busy. If that saying “there’s no rest for the wicked” is true I must be plumb bad. Well I guess that’s enough for today. Don’t try to tell me I don’t have any adventures. I’m going to be “technical advisor” for the westerns when I grow up. Adios, Gaye

At this point we were edging into the mule business having sold five to Ralph Cameron who had the ride concession at the Rainbow Bridge and a guest ranch of sorts there. (The geographical, not the mythical one!) Since we had stock scattered around we had to collect them for the soon-to-happen sale and departure. (Al)Bert and Nellie were two of those that were going. Tony was my former little Navajo pony who had been traded to Charley Bryant for a mule and I think sold by him. I am not sure who owned the horse at this time.We did take him back later and sold him to the Verde Valley School's stable manager.

Dodie Mickle was a classmate at Mingus  and we had pastured some animals at her family's place on the outskirts of Cottonwood. I don't recall riding with her any other time nor other contact with the Andrews but that does not mean neither happened. Anyway we got the critters back that day.

I think Dad had just gotten home from the VA Hospital at Whipple outside of Prescott. Since Kelo Henderson was one of my current idols he had to make some snide and snarky remarks. I seriously doubt Kelo either dropped his gun or fell of his horse in a parade or on a regular TV show. Dad was never above resorting to fiction when he wanted to establish a point or lay shade on someone. By this stage I had given up much of my old hero-worship and respect for him that I had as a child and a grade school student when he taught at Camp Wood and Willard. Eventually that totally died and we were very much at odds for many years.

Anyway Mr Cameron showed up in his plane (I think he had a pilot's license) and I knew the next day would be round-up time to get all five mules and put them in the Santa Fe stockyard corral just south of Clarkdale where they'd be picked up. That actually happened two days later.

"Tech advisor" for the westerns, eh? Well, a good dream anyway and one that I could probably have done when it came to the equines and a lot of the historical facts because those were both passions of mine. When I was interested in something I tended to really dig in and learn all I could.about it. I read constantly and not only novels.That stood me in good stead through high school and college and even since then.

Photos: Chuck Connors of The Rifleman and Kelo Henderson of 26 Men.  Albert--the big ugly mule who never settled down well. Tony or Tonalea the little Navajo pony I had for awhile. The first is Charley Bryant leading Albert and me on Tony crossing the Verde River just down from the bridge at Clarkdale. Next I was leading Albert with a pack saddle in Mescal Canyon, just south of Jerome.  Then Kelo and Chuck, fan pix I had collected.