Memoir Monday, Oct 7, 1966

First the journal entry for that day. 

 Oct 7, 1966

 It was raining when I awoke but cleared by mid-morning into a pretty nice day. I only had one class all day and then freedom for the rest of the hours.  I went uptown and bought a radio at McClellan's. I think I’ll enjoy it the $4.15 worth all right. It’s a cute little beast. After lunch I went down and took the written part of the driver’s license test. Have to find a car by next Friday to take the driving part. Only missed two questions and I got in with the examiner. Got rained on coming back. I rather thought Dusty might call but if he did I was out. Carol and I ate early and went for a long hike. I took a nap when we got back and then we went to Yiya’s with another girl named Frances. She is 23 and a junior now but spent some time in nurses’ training in Phoenix. She cusses awfully but it’s just a pose. I drove out east with her to get a motel reservation for her folks for Mom and Dad’s Day. The ditcher work train is back by the freight depot so I’ll have to run up early in the morning to get the numbers. I sure hope Dusty shows up tomorrow. If not, I’ll stew all day long.

 Next a few bits of fill-in to catch up:

The weekend of Oct 1-2 flew by. As Charlie Mike and I rode, it hit me what a relief it was to skip the pasture chores. They had been a slave collar on me for so long. We rode up the track to mile and bridge #368 (# seems wrong but I wrote that) and found a small rock slide which we reported to Agent Lantz. The next day got hay, met and argued a bit with a local rancher and the brand inspector over Prez and Peachy being where they were not supposed to be. Of course the Boss just told them off and then made no effort to go find the two mules. Well, where would we put them? The pens at Clarkdale were full. I worried but  really did not have time to do anything anyway.  The local never got thru on Saturday but came in early Sunday morning. I was going back early Monday as the Old Man was driving me up. Back to time and space travel again to stay up for a couple of weeks.

 I was thinking  of asking Jim M to come up for homecoming; we were writing often now and developing a sort of friendship. But that did not happen. I ran my heels off Monday (Oct 3rd) barely making it to my first class--had to dash into the dorm and change when we got to Flag.  I was still hopeful of getting that driver’s license. Then it was Oct 4. I got a reply from Rollins (an ATSF Official in Winslow who’d passed the fan club stuff up channels.) I was studying in the room after supper when Joanne fetched me for a long distance call. There were two JoAnn(e)s. JoAnn Kendall, who was in rodeo club and a class with me and an "outdoorsy girl" while the other, Joanne Armstrong, had a room close to me in the dorm. This old dorm only had a few pay phones. 

I had to tell the operator who I was and then a familiar voice said “Guess who?” or “Do you know who this is?” Instantly I knew: Dusty!! He said he’d tried several times and always missed me. B&B 6 was at Drake, way out in the boonies. He was on a pay phone, I think in Williams, and it was very noisy. He really wants to see and talk to me but work is difficult lately so he was not sure when but he will be in touch. I was weak with relief, just to hear his voice after so long. June 16 to October 4 had felt.almost like forever.

 It rained again the next day; seemed it would never stop that fall. I still had not gotten my second check and worried about getting my coat and boots out of layaway before winter really hit. Then Oct 6 I got a letter from another Santa Fe official who wanted  an appointment to meet a “Clarkdale Santa Fe Fan Club officer” about November 1. And I finally got that illusive check, signed and sent it off at once to be deposited and went to pay off the boots and coat. I still loved them. I was also still using my checking account in the Verde. It was getting awkward and I would change it before long. I still remember that little radio--a transistor. It was round and blue! After I paid the next cafeteria bill, I would  have about $95.  I even read the original of Antigone along with Pygmalion which was assigned in a class. The former becomes pertinent before long. This jumping back and forth between two totally different lives can be hard at times. But still no deep regrets.As a much later friend once said, "You are always where you're meant to be." Could that be true?

A couple more NAU photos. Not much else to share. The first is how the Liberal Arts building looks now, taken off an alumni website. (Still LA!)  Then the second as it was then--it was probably where I had the most classes really. And last, another homecoming parade shot along the main drag in Flagstaff. Probably 1967 but not sure.