Return to the Sunny Slopes of Long Ago...

As I look back on my short life, the things that run clearest in my memory are the fun things we did, the work we put in, the laughter...

My hours spent horseback, our hide-out in the dry riverbed out on Macy's, the days spent swimming at the waterfall on Kirkpatrick's, me & Laura Lou's "island" in the horse pasture at the OBs, playing in the Colorado River when it came down behind the house on Muleshoe's...Listening to Momma sing 'Blue Kentucky Girl' while her & Daddy strummed their guitars, playing checkers with Great Grandaddy, painting nails with NaNaw, feeding horses with Pa, sewing with Gran Gran, fishing in the stock tanks with TaTaw, smelling roses grown in Great Grandmother's garden, sitting on the porch with Aunt Mattie Belle, the faint memories of TaTaw Bull that I long to be stronger than they are...the horses I've rode, the dogs that stole my heart...swimming in the springs with Kylia after working cattle all day at Indian Canyon...the day my saddle slipped, the day Daddy rode like the man from Snowy River, the day Wendy came off Ten and broke her tailbone behind NaNaw & TaTaw's and me & San Dee high tailed it for help...watching Daddy and Big Roger high step it across the arena after mugging down a mean ole momma cow to become the "World Champion Wild Cow Milkers of Garza County"...my Momma winning the sugar booger back up...me falling off Earl in front of the whole crew, flanking calves with Desert Dan, jabbing a needle in Mickey's leg twice in the same day, falling asleep on Sueno while we were gathering a pasture, watching my sister fly around the barrels on Dumplin...the wars we had with the fruit off of the bear grass - loping through the pasture chunking them at each other, jumping mesquite trees and dodging flying fruit (when we shoulda been watching the cattle we were pushing...). 

The laughter, the joy...they are what really matters.

There are bittersweet memories too - the day Ten & San Dee died, Sueno, Choppo, Earl, Prissy, the day Buddy waited for me to tell me good bye...finding out we had to leave the ranch...Dumplin...Sam killin badgers and Wanda fighting bulls...Lucy protecting me, Jack who was around for 17 years of my life, he was the ever faithful friend...

I could go on for hours...for days...

Maybe I will someday. Heck I could write a book on the things I've seen, the cowboys I've worked with, the horses I've rode and the dogs that ran at those horses' heels....o the stories. 

I'm feeling a little reminiscent today, if you can't tell.   So here's to the sunny slopes of not-so long ago...



Me on Uncy & Wendy on Dumplin'

 Peace, Love & Memories,

W