Memoir Monday, May 29

 I was not reluctant to see the screen door hitting May in the derriere on its way out. The end was going to be soon and not a bit regretted. Well, not quite. The best or only 'real good' part --besides Charlie Mike's graduation-- was at the very end. (There is a bridge post for this if interested. Link provided shortly.  

May 29, 1965 Sat

 Got up and off at 6:30 but worked rather slowly on this first day of summer. It was hot. We unloaded some hay to haul. Mom drove us to the pasture  and we went to Cottonwood for grain etc. Had to chase seven cows out of the pasture which was a nasty task on foot. Got home at noon and had a brief snack. I rode Annie up for mail. Dusty, I am mad at you! Watered and fed and then took a break for lunch and talked awhile. Started  leading at 2:45. I led the two little ones first and then Leo. Then I saddled Buzz and led Lyno off her with Charlie Mike hazing for me. That worked out okay. We drove to the pasture rather late and worked on the new mules some. They seem like pretty good mules. Buddy is quite lame, a kick in the left shoulder it appears. The mares and colts are fine. I spent the evening playing records and wrote notes to Judy and Carol. It’s bedtime now so I guess I must beat it.  Busy days ahead, doubtless.

Friday the 28th had been Charlie Mike's graduation from the eighth grade. I know he was not sad to see that milestone come and pass. That day was 'all about him' as well it should be. I recall hemming a pair of slacks, ironing a shirt, likely the only dressy white one he had, and the whole family going to the ceremony. I do not think they had caps and gowns.

Although he often felt our dad treated him like the proverbial red-headed step kid, and I tended too agree, for this event it was not so much. We were surprised when Dad actually got out the "good" professional camera --I think one of the two Rolleiflex -- and took pictures. Had he done that since my graduation, three years before? Not that I remember. Several of these pix will show up below.

Although our stock did trespass at times both in Tavasci's and on the river which was mostly leased by Pete Grosetta, there were times cattle from both were in our leased area too.  This was one of those. Since we usually had hay and other feed out, we were not anxious to let someone's cows get that! So that was an added task to the pasture chores that day for Charlie Mike and me.

The two mules I mentioned were part of deal where we got a large batch of hay from a dealer in Phoenix at a good price but had to take two mules off his hands as well. We paid slaughter house prices for them. I think this was the two we named Hubert and Lyndon (Humphrey and Johnson?). They were big, just short of draft size, and not very tempting as saddle mules but they were docile and not mean. Buddy mentioned here was a jenny burro. If memory serves, she was a light gray or dirty gray-white and had been with us for awhile as she came with Lila, another jenny who was black and had two black colts (a year apart) who became Robin and Martin. (don't ask, it was not a  politically correct name!)

Again I did not get a letter from Dusty and was distressed. I still corresponded with some pen pals, but only women or girls. Judy was year older than me and mom of two so hardly a girl and Carol was the wife of my earlier crush Buster Ordiway, Carol became a pen pal when she answered  a carefully innocuous letter I wrote when I saw his picture in the newspaper and found he worked at the Buffalo Park in Flagstaff. She was real sweet and friendly. She was also mom of two, little boys a year apart.

Photos. Charlie Mike before we went to the school. Mom, Alex and me  dressed up to go. And Charlie Mike and me--he was shooting up and passed my 5'7" that summer. He was  going to be 14 in November. I wore my own graduation dress since it was still a favorite and added pink accessories for some color.