Memoir Monday June 19, 1965

There was no Junteenth celebration in 1965 that I ever heard of. I think this custom come along quite a bit later. It was just June 19 and another ordinary day in my world at that time.

 June 19, 1965 Sat

 Woke up at 3:00 am to check on a drunk howling down in the canyon and stayed awake ‘til dawn. So that sort of slowed me down. Then I had a bad dream about a blonde hussy rival. Rode out late with just Prez and Buzzie. I was worried about the mail but only got a letter from Carol. I led Leo and the rest up and exercised the two little ones. Rode out to do the midday exchange and got back at 2:30. I ate lunch, sorted my dresser drawers some and washed my hair. Charlie Mike and I took the fillies up the canyon and sat for an hour and then went out to do the pasture chores. I led Chief out. Still no mares in. Got done rather late what with cleaning the burrs out of their mouths etc. I took a shower before supper as did Charlie Mike. After we ate we went to the ball game. The local team got beat by a Prescott outfit 1-8. It was terrible! We found three coke bottles anyway. I am getting really fidgety. I shall have at watch myself carefully. They’re having floods east of Albuquerque. I hope ATSF doesn’t send someone east! As it is, I guess I am expecting them to pull in here Thursday--maybe. How I’ll ever live until then I don’t know. When I stop to recall that he really kissed me I get a funny feeling inside. Mostly it doesn’t seem real but when it does I find myself far too anxious for the next one. I’m nearly afraid, Dusty… Hell, I’m going to bed.  Oh, I sneezed four times today…see your sweetheart tomorrow.

This memory is vague but there was someone--at the time we thought a drunk Indian but now I have no idea--it could have been any weird person. I do not think they were close to the corrals but of course we were concerned and checked it out--going down with firearms in hand I believe. No issues.So once awake at o'dark thirty it is not easy to go back to sleep. I still have that problem at times. Like today when a leg cramp woke me around 4:00 

I think the fillies I refer to were Buzzie and Lyno. They were just past two years old and not really mature yet so I guess that is correct although they were basically mares now, both having been ridden and gone through some training. Even on very hot days it was not bad up in the canyon where there was grass under a thicket of big mesquite trees. It is even woodsier looking now, many years later.

I think I have mentioned the burrs in mouth issue before. We had gotten a batch of crappy hay that had sandburs or something similar in the alfalfa and grass. This obnoxious junk did get in the horses' mouths and I had to reach in and clean them out. Luckily they do not bite much that way as a dog would. I do not think this actually caused any sickness but then it could have and was certainly not ideal!  Knowing what I know now I would have made the person we bought from take it back and refund our money but...well, that was then, and I was not in charge. 

The usual out after supper and another ball game. The locals got their butts kicked! And I was still hoping and expecting that B&B 6 with Dusty in charge would be getting back to Clarkdale any day so I was on pins and needles. It was very hard to keep my cool at least outwardly and not reveal any hint that would draw questions which I would be hard-pressed to answer and probably cause many more "talks". 

I had been "addicted to romance" since about age twelve but the experience of actually being in love in an adult way was still new and at times almost overwhelming to me. For twenty two, I was very naive and inexperienced and traveling new emotional routes. Remember,  I had been so severely constrained socially and missed the dating and normal teenage stuff which would have been a time to transition. Whether I would have been truly better off I do not know but I am almost sure it would have helped me cope!

Old pictures. Can hardly find new ones for this era!  First Patsy and Twinkles, her second colt, born May 26 and then Bunny with Little Dusty, born May 19. I mentioned his naming in the May 31 bridge post. I may have mentioned the pregnant mares briefly while covering the early May sickness issues. Both were not effected and the colts were fine. Little Dusty was a stud colt and Twink was a filly.  Next is me on Buzzie, a photo I seldom use as she was standing awkwardly. And last, Buzzie, Lyno and Ginger, who I had recently begun to ride and train, up in the canyon.

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