Hooray for weekends!

Saturday was hot and muggy, and Sarah & I were just chillin' at the house, when old friend, Prairie called to say she was in town (from Lubbock), and could we all go riding?  So, using our 3 horses:  Apache, Ranger & Gabby;  and Babe, a little mare owned by my co-worker, Ann S.; and Diamond & Lucky, two horses owned by a friend & neighbor, Janet F., we had enough horses for everyone.  It was me, Sarah, Prairie, Prairie's mom, Nancy, Nancy's husband's nephew, Peter, from New York, and Peter's girlfriend, Ann N.  We had a great ride, but the weather cut the ride short, as you can see in the picture--the one with the dark blue in the background!  Luckily, we got the horses and tack all squared away before the storm hit.  Later, Bob, Sarah & I went to Gainesville.  We ate supper at the Taiwan Restaurant on Grand Avenue.  They have a fantastic buffet, that included things like crab legs and sushi.  I am not too big on seafood, but Sarah ate both.  Her friend, Lael, taught her to like the raw fish dish...or at least, to be brave enough to eat it--HA!  After supper we shopped at Wal-Mart, and waited for our pictures to be developed...maybe a digital camera WOULD be nice?!  Sunday morning it was Mass at 8:00, then Bob & Sarah to Grandma H., while I went to my dad's.  The rain last night (0.65") was much needed, and the cold front that came through is pretty amazing for this time of year...I'm actually chilly!  This afternoon, Sarah (on Lucky), Janet on (Diamond), and I (on Ranger) rode around the lake.  Later, just Sarah and I rode the same horses on the road and cross country...I got a little sore, too!  The cool weather made my horse FRISKY! 

From the past--July 24, 1996:  I babysat Eland from 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Sarah, Sherie B. and I went over to Forestburg in the evening so Sarah could practice roping.  We took Mollie and Lady and Donna (all 3 horses).  George Esparza brought some calves.  Brett B., age 9, roped a calf from horseback for the very first time, and got his hand tangled up somehow, and got a bad rope-burn, and swollen knuckles.

Mollie was Sarah's roping horse, a tall, Lineback Dun (Buckskin).  Lady was a little gray mare that belonged to Sherie, but we kept her at the farm with Mollie.  Donna was a sorrel mare that belonged to Uncle Gary H.   We probably kept her a year or two.

Picture #2, returning to the barn, with a storm in the west on the way! L to R: Ann N. on Apache, Nancy on Babe, Peter with Diamond, Sarah with Lucky, and Prairie on Ranger. Photo by Janette on Gabby. At Felderhoff's barn, Saturday, July 24, 2004

Prairie on Ranger, Ann N. on Apache, Janette on Gabby, Sarah on Lucky, Nancy on Babe, and Peter on Diamond. July 24, 2004, in the Horse Pasture, at The Farm.

Wow! 2 days in a row!

This week went by pretty fast.  Worked on Military seats most of the week, then ATA, and wrapped cables in between.  Finished up the week with a new shipset of Military, and left work 23 minutes early today because we ran out of backs.  On the Military seats, I had an easy job; popping rivets to attach metal Life Vest Boxes.  The only hard ones were the quads (4 seaters), as they are heavy to move.  First, I turn the 4-seat section on its back, to pop the front rivets, then I stand it back up, then lay it down on its front, so I can pop the back rivets.  Then I set the section upright again.  Each seat is called a PAC, so a quad is essentially a 4-PAC--Ha!  Ann has been on vacation all this week, and she was missed.  But she came to visit me at the farm on Wednesday evening, along with her son, Cory, her sister, Sharon, and Sharon's daughter, Ronnie.  Ronnie's 9-year old daughter rode Apache in the horse pasture, and Cory & Ann took turns riding Babe barebacked.  I rode (Ranger) with Janet Felderhoff (on Diamond) Monday night, and we heard the coyotes howl at dusk.  Last night (Thursday) I rode (Apache) with Sarah (on Ranger's bare back) till good dark.

On this day in 1992 (Thursday), when I was 33 & Sarah was 10:  Sarah rode her bike to the Library; she stayed there a long time.  Dad called me from Glenn Hess's repair shop to take him home, and my pickup wouldn't start (again).  So I drove Bob's, but I had a hard time getting it to back out of the driveway.  It would start all right, but it kept dying when I tried to go up into the street.  I had to pump the gas like crazy.  Both our pickups are on their last legs, I'm afraid.  Prairie & Emelia Endres came over on their bikes, and Sarah went riding with them.  Their faces were SO red when they came back!  Stacie & Andrew came at 3:30.  Then Sherie came in, too.   I fixed 5-lbs. of potatos for supper, for Sarah, Sherie, Stacie, Andy and Bob, and there weren't too many leftovers!  Later, Sarah, Sherie, Prairie & Emmy went bike riding.  They came home after sunset, so I grounded Sarah from her bicycle for four days.

Our pickups have had their bad times, all right, but Bob always manages to fix them up, and we are still driving them...a 1977 GMC High Sierra, and a 1978 GMC Sierra Classic.  Sarah wouldn't tell anybody she was grounded from biking, I don't know why.

Sunday, July 23, 1995 (Sarah was 13 years old):  Sarah & I left early and picked up the trailer over at Paul Endres's...then we headed to Bonita.  Gates...got a bucket of horse cubes and from out of nowhere the horses came running.  Sarah caught & saddled Mollie and Gates and his daughter, Mila, caught & saddled the stallion...Mila will be 10 years old in two weeks.  Gates and I drove to town (Nocona) ...to buy a newspaper & to get gas, then we went to his house, where his wife, Karen, and their son, Eli were.  Gates cooked breakfast for everyone,  and by the time the food was ready, the girls (Sarah & Mila) showed up on their horses, and they came in to eat, too...Afterwards, Gates did all the washing up, while Karen & I looked at old pictures of when they still lived in Canada, and of the horses they used to own.  Finally it was time to go...we loaded Mollie in the trailer and we headed home.  Tonight, Sarah rode Lady.  Mollie has a swollen area on her withers, and some places where the stud rubbed off the hair on her withers, so she should just rest for a few days.

Huh, I don't remember if that was our first or our second attempt to breed Mollie, so that Sarah could raise/train a replacement horse.  Mollie did get PG, but I guess she was just too old to carry, as she lost the baby both times.  Gates is our farrier, and a good friend.  When old Mollie couldn't give us a foal, we ended up buying a 5-month old weanling from Gates, out of his registered paint mare, Sophie, and by his AQHA registered stud, Kid.  Kid's registered name was Spencer's Poco Barton, and Sophie's registered name was Rangerette's Image...yes, you guessed it, they are the parents of Sarah's horse, Ranger, who is now 8 years old.  And lastly,

Tuesday, July 23, 1996 (when I was 37 & Sarah was 14):  Sarah had Dance Team practice from 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.  I babysat Eland 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

This & That

My journaling is not always consistant, but I do have several entries for this day.  The first one is from Wednesday, July 22, 1992.  I was 34 years old, and Sarah was 10...Mom and Henry came after church.  It was 9:00 and Sarah was still in bed.  Mom wanted to invite her to go spend the day at the farm.  So I woke her, she grabbed some clothes & shoes and she was gone.  Stovall came to pay the rent ($125) while I was watching Oprah Winfrey (4:00 to 5:00), and while he was here, Sarah called me to come get her.  When we pulled up at home, Sherie was here.  I fixed fried chicken legs for supper, and Sherie ate with us...It was getting late when I washed the dishes.  Sarah was very grouchy.  She accidentally knocked the sugar bowl out of the cabinet and it broke.  Then Sarah cried!...I told her it was alright.  I vacuumed the floor, to get up all the glass.  I was tired, too.

I actually remember that day.  I wonder what-all Sarah did while she was with her grandma at the farm.  Now my mother is gone; she died October 12, 1997, and my oldest brother, Henry, is also gone; he died May 16, 2003.  Sherie is Sarah's 1st cousin; my oldest sister's youngest daughter.  She and Sarah were BUDS, even though Sherie was about 21 months older.

The next entry that I can find for this date, is Saturday, July 22, 1995.  I was 36, and Sarah was 13.

All 7th, 8th & 9th graders--J.E.L.L.Y.--Mass at 8:00 a.m., then doughnuts & milk under the pavillion, then softball at the ball park.  It was announced that from now on, J.E.L.L.Y. would only be the 7th & 8th graders, and that the 9th grade would be with the older kids, now called L.I.F.E., instead of J.A.M.  At 2:00 p.m., Sarah & I went to the Gainesville Riding Club arena and watched the 1st Annual Mounted Drill Team Competitions.  It was awesome!...on the way home from Gainesville, we went out to Hood and picked up Endres's stock trailer & brought it to town...Sarah & I went to the 7:00 p.m. Mass so we could leave early Sunday morning for Bonita.

If I recall correctly, J.E.L.L.Y. stood for "Jesus EverLasting Loving You".  I don't remember what J.A.M. stood for, but these were our parish's youth groups.  The last entry I have for this date, is Monday, July22, 1996.  I was 37 and Sarah was 14.

10:00 a.m.  Books open for Forestburg Youth Rodeo.  Sarah is entered in 4 things:  Breakaway Roping, Goat Tying, Pole Bending and Barrel Racing.  At $20.00 per event, the total cost to enter is $80.00  This will be her first time ever to really be enterd in a real rodeo, and not just signed up for "exhibition" barrel racing after the rodeo.  Sarah had basketball practice at 7:30 p.m.  I babysat Eland 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (9 hours).

 

Old Stuff

Well, Sarah found my old journals that were in the attic. A few highlights from this past week, ten years ago, when Sarah was 12 years old...

Friday, July 8, 1994 Tara's 15th birthday. [Tara is the daughter of my older brother, Doug]. Babysat Stacie & Andrew today--right up until the minute we left for the rodeo, when Jo Ann came, at 6:30. [Stacie & Andrew are children of my younger brother, Melvin]. John Endres hauled Honey to town, and Prairie & Emelia rode double from their Grandparent's house to our house. Left Honey tied, then we all went to Paul & Marie's to get the trailer, then out to the farm to get Mollie. It was me, Andrew, Stacie and Emmy in the front, and Prairie & Sarah in the back (of the pickup). At the farm, I drove out into the pasture to clean out the trailer, while Sarah hosed the dirt & mud off her horse, since it had rained. When we got back to town...Sarah got dressed in her red shirt, new red boots, & bluejeans. Meanwhile, I had Prairie & Emmy make themselves a sandwich. I was so hot & sweaty, even after a bath, that I couldn't wait to leave, just so I could cool off in my air-conditioned pickup! Sarah, Prairie, Emmy & I went to the rodeo at Forestburg. Nancy met us there later. It was a big Grand Entry. After the rodeo we stayed for all the slack roping and barrel racing, then they had exhibition barrel racing, and Sarah & Prairie both did that. Left the horses and tack and trailer all at Prairie's house, where Sarah spent the night.

Oh, those rodeo days! On to the next day...

Saturday, July 9, 1994 The girls had planned on finally getting to ride from Prairie's house to Muenster, but it was raining with thunder & lightning all morning. So I made other plans! First, I cleaned house...Nancy brought the girls to town, as she had to settle a car deal anyway (she bought Ed Cler's car from the Estate sale). Sarah, Prairie & I went to Gainesville. First we went to the 4:00 p.m. Mass at Saint Mary's. Then we went to eat at Long John Silver's. Then we went to K-Mart, then to the movies to watch The Flintstones. After the movie we went to Tom Thumb... Prairie now spent the night with us.

Huh! I can barely remember there ever being a K-Mart in Gainesville! There's a Sack-N-Save there, now. On to the next day...

Sunday, July 10, 1994 We got up at 5:30 to eat breakfast, but is was raining AGAIN, so after I washed the breakfast dishes, I went back to bed. Sarah woke me at 10:00 a.m. asking if we could go now; it wasn't raining. But it was still threatening to! Such strange weather. One minute clear, the next rainy--like being in the Tropics. Well, we did go to Prairie's house, where the horses already were. They saddled up and took off for Muenster, with their rain ponchos in Prairie's saddlebags. I stayed at Nancy's awhile...when I caught up with the girls they were already 4 miles away, in Myra! I stopped at the Myra store and waited a minute for them to get there. They were going to buy a snack at the store but it was closed. Endres's old dog, "Gravy", had followed the girls to Myra. When I was sitting on the tailgate as they rode up, Gravy jumped right in and layed down--tired dog! So I drove her back home [the girls were going to be riding along Highway 82, no place for a loose dog]. When I got back, the girls were now between Myra and Highway 82. I stopped so Sarah could go to the bathroom behind the pickup. Then I went home and fixed sandwiches for lunch, went back to the girls, and we ate along the highway. It was around 1:00 or 2:00, and we had eaten breakfast so early! It showered a little, but it didn't REALLY rain until later--then it POURED! I went to see where the girls were, and they had just arrived in town, and were sitting on their horses under the shelter of Bayer's Kolonialwaren's gas pumps. They were still mostly dry, and from there I should have gone for Don's trailer and hauled them the rest of the way! But they wanted to finish...they rode all the way to the farm, in on-again, off-again pouring rain. They were DRENCHED, and so was the tack. Fifteen miles! What a grand ride! What horsewomen! Well, time was running out! At the farm, we stripped the tack off the horses, and zoomed back to town, where Nancy & Emmy were waiting at our house. The Wet Ones changed--Sarah took a quick bath--they were waiting for John to come with some dry shorts for Prairie. But Prairie said she was too cold for shorts, so she put on a pair of Sarah's bluejeans. When John came, they all left and went to the 5:30 showing of "The Lion King" at Gainesville. They ate at Taco Casa after the movie.

Wow. Prairie was only 11, Sarah was 12. That was probably the first time ever that they were allowed to ride along Highway 82 like that. That was their first Big Ride; to go so far...15 miles! Well, on to the next day...

Monday, July 11, 1994 Sarah had swim lessons at 9:00 a.m.--she is in Level 6. She couldn't stay afterwards to help teach the other two hours, because we needed to pack for 4-H Camp. We arrived at the meeting place early, which was the south parking lot of the Civic Center in Gainesville. They were supposed to leave there at 12:30 for Lake Texhoma, but of course it was later than that. Sarah rode with Nancy, Prairie & Emmy in their new, blue car. I went to Wal-Mart, then to Piza Hut for take-out.

Not much on that day, or the next one...

Tuesday, July 12, 1994 Sarah still at camp.

I don't know what I did that day...guess I didn't have much of a life that wasn't centered on my daughter--HA! And finally, on this day, ten years ago...

Wednesday, July 13, 1994 Sarah was dead tired when I picked her up at Gainesville this afternoon! She went right to sleep when we got home, but I had to wake her for softball practice. She didn't want to get up! They kept them busy at camp! She told me all about it--sounded like she had a good time.

Well, that's all for now. Hope you enjoy this, and that Sarah doesn't get TOO embarrassed!

Happy 4th!

WOW! The Celebrate Freedom '04 at Southfork Ranch yesterday was totally awesome!! Sarah drove us in her Cadi--Bob, Courtney L. (from Whitesboro) and I. My favorite band was Mercy Me from Greenville. When they sang their, "I Can Only Imagine" song, I was very moved...in fact, tears were streaming down my face! We had to leave when Point of Grace was just getting started, but they were the last band and we didn't want to get stuck in traffic for hours. And we also left before the fireworks show. Even so, it was 1:00 a.m. when we got home. Today we (Bob, Sarah & I) went to Mass at 8:00 a.m., then out to the farm for breakfast. I ended up staying out there all day, mowing and weed-eating in the horse pasture. Ann and her sister, Sharon, came for a surprise visit while I was weed-eating...I was sure glad for the rest-break!! We petted the horses, and I showed them "Baby-Momma"'s three kittens in the Big Chicken House. Then we sat on the front porch and chilled. It was such a pleasant day, with a good breeze and NO RAIN--Ha! I'm glad I finally got to meet Ann's sister. Towards evening, Doug came out on his (Henry's old) motorcycle, and he and Dad and I sat on the front porch, "watching the evening 'tire" (John Denver, "Poems & Prayers & Promises). We heard coyotes howl, and saw fireworks here and there off in the distance. Happy 4th of July!

Heh, heh

So, I never know what to say, and I got to thinking, why not dig out one of MY old journals...here, in edited form, my entry for this day in 1999, when Sarah was 17 years old.

Got up at 4:30 A.M. Walked 14 laps at track...Finally a whole week of walking--that hasn't happened in a while. Tired, though, because I got to bed at 11:00 p.m. (again) last night. I had to get Bob a juice box at 6:30 when his alarm went off and he couldn't get up. Sarah, Prairie and I went to the Whitesboro Rodeo at 8:00 p.m. Sarah rode Ranger in the Grand Entry, Prairie rode Honey and I rode Apache. Ranger reared straight up with Sarah, and once jumped sky high--he was a mess. Apache wasn't much better! We didn't get there early enough to ride beforehand to help acclimate them to the madness. But no one came off or got hurt so AMEN! The rodeo was great as usual. A nice South wind kept us comfortable, even with my long-sleeved white blouse (tucked in!) and my Sarah-made lined vest. A 17-year old girl (like Sarah!) rode a saddle bronc, though she didn't make the buzzer, and we were all thinkin', "Sarah could do THAT; she just did (on Ranger!)." After the rodeo there was a great fireworks display, then slack (more bull riding & barrel racing), and during that there was a dance. We watched some of the slack, then rode our horses around just enough to calm them slightly and make my legs quake (from fear). It was dark/bright lights/shadowy, which was scary, with big diesel rigs pulling out, with only parking lights on, people and horses everywhere. I was glad to get off. That Ranger; during the rodeo (while the horses were all tied up to the trailer) he chewed up the end of my right tug on my breast collar, and unbuckled it! Which I didn't notice in the dark; until we'd ridden into some light! We were parked as far away as you can get, in the North East corner, and no lights back there. But that's how incredibly crowded it was. My flashlight was dead, naturally. On the way home I finally had to make the girls start talking to me so I wouldn't fall asleep. Between Gainesville & Muenster my pickup started sputtering, like I was pumping the gas pedal. It kept jerking, especially when we went uphill. I said, Pray, girls! My pickup's dying! Well, it quit doing that off & on. Miraculously we made it onto Oak Street before it quit for good. We were stopped in front of Alvin & Joannie Hartman's house. Sarah said I should try starting it & going on, but that only resulted in us getting stopped in front of their driveway. Finally, it wouldn't start at all. We unloaded the horses and walked them home (except Prairie rode Honey bareback with only a halter & lead rope to guide Honey). We put them in the garden & turned them loose. I made Prairie go home right away, after first calling John & telling him that she was on her way. Then Sarah and I took Bob's pickup down the street to bring home all the tack and stuff. I filled a trash can full of water for the horses. Took my bath after Sarah and got to bed at 2:02 A.M.

Well, that was an exciting night! I remember I was pretty scared riding Apache that night. He sure has mellowed out over the past few years, and is now a much calmer ride. Ranger was only a 3-year old at the time, and I believe that that was his first rodeo. He, too has come a long way since then, thanks to Sarah's good training. Good times, good times.