Monday Memoir, June 3, 1966

This was a fairly ordinary day for the year and the season. Hardly a sleepy, dusty Delta kind, though. It was not real hot yet but getting there. The work went on as routine but having Dad (The Boss) participate was not really typical. He was absent on 'other business' more often than not. This time it did not turn out well for him...   His judgment was not always right on. (IMO!) 

Jun 3, 1966, Fri

Got up at 7:00 and fed. We visited over the breakfast table a bit so got off to a rather late start on the chores. For Pete’s sake, I’m damned if I am going tp let this become a habit like last summer. That was awful. When we got back from the pasture we saddled the red mares and rode uptown. I got a letter from Shirl which I don’t even think I’ll answer. Charlie Mike had to help The Boss with the mouth spreader so  I led Rico and Twink with Lyno. She was a bit high. We put a flank rope on Rico. He is an ornery little bird. The Boss got on Lyno to haze him for me and she threw a fit with the sharp spurs (Not sure who I was riding now) . She fell in the street and then tossed him again in the alley. He rode it out of her though and about killed her and Rico both in the process I can’t complain that my old man is a coward but he doesn’t seem too have good sense sometimes. He got banged up pretty bad. We had a late lunch and rested briefly. I went up to the library to get Wendell Wilkie’s “One World” and a couple  of paperbacks. Then quickly led Chief with Leo and brought Cindy up with Leo too. He did okay. Drove out to feed and I spent the evening reading til 11:30. The moon was full and lovely and I wanted Dusty so bad I could have cried. So I dreamed about him. He was most likely alone tonight too. Sometimes it is so hard.

Here I called it visiting rather than 'talking"; I think I explained the difference between "talks" and any other verbal exchange  recently. But even if it was not ugly, I refused to delay work when we had so much to do and often weather to work around for just chit-chat. What a waste. I guess Mom and I drove out, maybe Charlie Mike too. 

The mouth spreader is a tool that kind do looks like a medieval torture device but is not too painful to a horse or mule. Has to be used to work on teeth--grinding a broken one or leveling any that are getting uneven and maybe doctoring a sore or problem in the mouth. I am not sure what was done here or even to what animal but that gives an idea. 

That job got done and I was trying to lead Rico, who could get a little ornery. He was not as sweet-natured as Bravo, his one-year-older brother.  We did put a flank rope on him which helped some and then Dad got the bright idea to come behind and "encourage" him--one way or another. So I probably got Buzzie and he got on Lyno. He had recently sharpened his spurs, I think to use on a mule, and forgot that when he gave Lyno a goose. Oooops, big mistake. She leaped, slipped on the pavement and fell. He got her up, got back on and got mad so he was going to "buck her out." She was mad by then too and she put on a good rodeo up and down the alley. He got tossed at least once but finally rode her to a standstill.  I did not laugh, I did not protest, I didn't really do shit. He hobbled into the house to clean up the road rash and likely went to bed. I put the animals away. So much for that effort. Oh Cindy was the new filly called Syn Mas--we gave her that nickname. I was also getting Leo to do leading and he took to it okay. 

The rest of the day was rather dull and ordinary. I do not know why I was going to read "One World." I do not remember anything about it now. Charlie Mike and I were still half-expecting and more than half hoping B&B 6 would be coming back soon. Of course Dusty was much and often on my mind. That hope dimmed slowly over several weeks. 

Photos? Gee, I do not have any good bucking shots. Actually our animals seldom did. The red mares and Leo were three years old now, basically full grown and most of the time very well behaved. So heck, I will steal a nice painting I love--credit to the artist--since I can identify with the scene very well. The artist is well known western painter, Jack Sorenson. I follow that with a shot of Rico--he was a yearling and going to be a big horse. And then Lyno and Buzzie, sharing some hay about a year later. They were together a lot and good friends.