Monday Memoir, May 1, 1965

May Day, May Day--a traditional distress message! Well this date was not quite that bad, actually not too negative at all. It does seem very very long ago as I travel back those many years. This was edging into a rather difficult month though--sick animals and other issues and an amazing surprise in the final day and hours...  We'll get there in due time!

May 1, 1965 Sat

 I got up a little bit late to do my chores but not much. We had biscuits for breakfast and then Mom drove us out. Rico is doing good so far. Charlie Mike went up for mail. I got my photos back and they were good but nothing from Dusty. That was shattering. We unloaded a lot of the hay--some task. This long grass is prickly and bad for hay fever, too. Watered and fed the stock and came in for lunch. Mar came over about 2:00 to take me to the VV Fair Horse Show. It didn’t amount to much, really. I saw a lot of people that I can do without and not many pretty horses. Aw hell. We drove by the pasture to see Rico. Mar still wants a colt by each of our studs. She has two little Clabber fillies of Blackburn’s and wants to make a deal with them. Charlie Mike and I rode out quite late. He said they should have a B&B outfit in here soon. No se importa! (Not much!) Did the evening chores and came in late and weary. I need to take a shower now and get me ready for bed. I’m so tired I can’t see straight. It’s been a long hard day. Maybe tomorrow won’t be quite so. I’m mad at Dusty. I’ll go back to Rio (who I thought I saw today) or Jim McL (who I dreamed about last night) if he does not treat me better. He is being quite finky really and I am getting disgusted.

Tina had her second colt on my birthday so Rico was now five days old. He was a big husky colt and it soon became clear he had taken a lot out of Tina, to carry and birth him. But at this moment, they both seemed to be good. 

When had we gotten a big load of hay? A few days before I think and probably in Big Green, the F700 dually flatbed. Some went into the former garage that was our primary hay storage and I expect some was stored outside since rain was not real likely at this point. They were big three wire or twine bales,  darn heavy to stack 3-4 high in the stuffy space. 

Maureen came over--I rather think she did not the previous week--and we went to the Verde Valley Fair  Horse Show. Compared to the much larger breed shows for Appys and Quarter Horses which I had been to at least twice, I did not find it too impressive. On the way back that afternoon we went by the pasture so she could see Rico. She was hoping to be able to get a colt by each of our stallions, perhaps using the fillies mentioned. Clabber was another famous Quarter Horse Foundation Line sire so they were quality stock.

The evening work schedule was a bit on the late side and by the time the final chores at were done, it was deep dusk and I was tired. Naturally, I had been disappointed not to hear from Dusty, but most of my complaints were not meant seriously.  Rio was my nickname for a Texas bronc rider we knew who had ridden a strange little horse we'd had that liked to buck. He meant to buy Lobo but was never able to. Of course Jim McL was my former English teacher on whom I did not have a crush although we did date casually in 1966-67 after I was up at NAU. Charlie Mike and I were looking forward to a B&B Gang (like B&B 6) coming back but we had to wait most of the summer before it happened.

A few pictures  to give some life.  The first is Rico and Tina, later that summer. Rico was growing well. Next is Rico, just hours old, maybe having his first meal. Tina was a very caring mother. Next is me on Chief.  That building behind us is the hay storage shed I mentioned. And last is Leo Mix, at about two years old. He was growing into a very handsome horse and had a fine disposition. He was standing almost  'stacked' like the show dogs are posed!