Soapweed
Well-known member
Monday, February 26, 1968 Journal
As I had to study for some tests, Mom woke me up at 6:00. I had breakfast with the "first-table bunch," and then studied until time to leave for school.
Mom and Sybil were going to Rapid City today with Uncle Joy and Aunt Lois, so Sandra and I took the pickup to town. Nancy Jean stayed with Grandma, and Dad and Lloyd had to batch.
Mr. Phipps had us work on "Hermit of Kildare" all of band period. That is really a "quaint" song.
McKay was really in a foul mood during typing. He was missing a test paper and kept insinuating that one of us sophomores borrowed it to memorize the test. We kept telling him he probably misplaced it. After about the fourth exchange of this type of talk, McKay blew up. I won't repeat what he said, as a few words of profanity were used. He was really "torked" and threw tools around, kicked open a door, etc. to punctuate it. We, of the sophomore class, just quit typing altogether and had a good laugh.
The Philippine Islands and New Zealand were the topics of discussion during Geography. Everyone finally got straightened out on time zones and date lines also.
In Geometry, Mr. Card gave us a spelling test on mathematical words. I floundered through with 100%.
At 10:40 a fire drill brought us all out of our trances. We paraded outside, got a breath of fresh air, and came back into the school.
Mr. Krotz thrilled us with a six-week test in Biology. I lucked out with a 98%, which boosted my morale considerably.
For dinner we had sloppy joes, corn and peaches. I went back for seconds and probably gained a few pounds [Maggie Harner, the school cook made wonderful homemade buns for her sloppy joes]. During noon hour I worked on Geometry and Geography.
Book reports were given in English. Mine was on the book THE WEST THAT WAS, by Nellie Snyder Yost. It portrayed an old cowpuncher, John Leakey, and his life story.
We had the same tests over again that we slaughtered on Friday. I remembered which ones I missed, so I made 100%.
Study hall was down in the cafeteria, as McKay kicked us out of his room. I got a Literature assignment done.
When Phys Ed period came around, we boys and Mr. Nelson piled into his car and took surplus groceries from Saturday back down to the store. We made about $26.00, so are still $10.00 in the hole. The rest of Phys Ed was used for those who are out for track to pick out uniforms, so Ernie and I didn't have it too strenuous.
After school, Sandra stayed at Grandma's, so I came on home. First I got the mail and a few groceries. While in the store, Dad called to tell me to get the horses in on the way home.
I got the horses in the corral and went up to the house. Dad was in, so he looked over the mail while I changed clothes and grabbed a cookie.
We caught up our favorite mounts and headed out in the meadow to round up the cows. Say, our outfit is about as well supplied with horses as it has been for quite a spell. Sassy is my pride and joy. She will be five in the spring, and is a good looking lively sorrel. Jig and Stampede, both coming three, are my horses also, and are both just green broke.
Penny is Dad's high private. He is getting up in years, about 15, but is still the best cow horse in the country. Silver is a stylish four-year-old half Arabian-half Quarter Horse, sorrel with flaxen mane and tail, four stocking legs and blaze face that Dad is also partial to. Sandra has a good sorrel mare, Ribbon, and Sybil claims Spot (we all learned to ride on her—she is now 21 years old. Our other horses include: Hawk Eye, Crackerjack (the pet of the place), Skippio (Kenny Allison is now breaking him), and unnamed mare, and her colt, Toodles.
Dad and I sorted out 33 heavies and put them in the heavy lot. Lloyd was fixing some fence, and then he fed the bulls. We doctored three lame cows, milked out one, and sewed up another before we called it a day.
Dad was chief cook and bottle-washer, as Mom and the girls didn't get home until after 9:00. Hamburgers were the main course, and Joe Pine [talk show host on KFAB, Omaha] was the entertainment.
As I had to study for some tests, Mom woke me up at 6:00. I had breakfast with the "first-table bunch," and then studied until time to leave for school.
Mom and Sybil were going to Rapid City today with Uncle Joy and Aunt Lois, so Sandra and I took the pickup to town. Nancy Jean stayed with Grandma, and Dad and Lloyd had to batch.
Mr. Phipps had us work on "Hermit of Kildare" all of band period. That is really a "quaint" song.
McKay was really in a foul mood during typing. He was missing a test paper and kept insinuating that one of us sophomores borrowed it to memorize the test. We kept telling him he probably misplaced it. After about the fourth exchange of this type of talk, McKay blew up. I won't repeat what he said, as a few words of profanity were used. He was really "torked" and threw tools around, kicked open a door, etc. to punctuate it. We, of the sophomore class, just quit typing altogether and had a good laugh.
The Philippine Islands and New Zealand were the topics of discussion during Geography. Everyone finally got straightened out on time zones and date lines also.
In Geometry, Mr. Card gave us a spelling test on mathematical words. I floundered through with 100%.
At 10:40 a fire drill brought us all out of our trances. We paraded outside, got a breath of fresh air, and came back into the school.
Mr. Krotz thrilled us with a six-week test in Biology. I lucked out with a 98%, which boosted my morale considerably.
For dinner we had sloppy joes, corn and peaches. I went back for seconds and probably gained a few pounds [Maggie Harner, the school cook made wonderful homemade buns for her sloppy joes]. During noon hour I worked on Geometry and Geography.
Book reports were given in English. Mine was on the book THE WEST THAT WAS, by Nellie Snyder Yost. It portrayed an old cowpuncher, John Leakey, and his life story.
We had the same tests over again that we slaughtered on Friday. I remembered which ones I missed, so I made 100%.
Study hall was down in the cafeteria, as McKay kicked us out of his room. I got a Literature assignment done.
When Phys Ed period came around, we boys and Mr. Nelson piled into his car and took surplus groceries from Saturday back down to the store. We made about $26.00, so are still $10.00 in the hole. The rest of Phys Ed was used for those who are out for track to pick out uniforms, so Ernie and I didn't have it too strenuous.
After school, Sandra stayed at Grandma's, so I came on home. First I got the mail and a few groceries. While in the store, Dad called to tell me to get the horses in on the way home.
I got the horses in the corral and went up to the house. Dad was in, so he looked over the mail while I changed clothes and grabbed a cookie.
We caught up our favorite mounts and headed out in the meadow to round up the cows. Say, our outfit is about as well supplied with horses as it has been for quite a spell. Sassy is my pride and joy. She will be five in the spring, and is a good looking lively sorrel. Jig and Stampede, both coming three, are my horses also, and are both just green broke.
Penny is Dad's high private. He is getting up in years, about 15, but is still the best cow horse in the country. Silver is a stylish four-year-old half Arabian-half Quarter Horse, sorrel with flaxen mane and tail, four stocking legs and blaze face that Dad is also partial to. Sandra has a good sorrel mare, Ribbon, and Sybil claims Spot (we all learned to ride on her—she is now 21 years old. Our other horses include: Hawk Eye, Crackerjack (the pet of the place), Skippio (Kenny Allison is now breaking him), and unnamed mare, and her colt, Toodles.
Dad and I sorted out 33 heavies and put them in the heavy lot. Lloyd was fixing some fence, and then he fed the bulls. We doctored three lame cows, milked out one, and sewed up another before we called it a day.
Dad was chief cook and bottle-washer, as Mom and the girls didn't get home until after 9:00. Hamburgers were the main course, and Joe Pine [talk show host on KFAB, Omaha] was the entertainment.
I remember many an evening sitting around the kitchen table at the ranch listening to KOMA country on AM radio in the background while we played cards. It was the only radio station you could get on the west desert after dark and it came clear from Oklahoma! That was amazing for a kid to think about. I guessed they cranked up the watts in the evening hours and it bounced in clear as a bell to the radio sitting on top of the propane fridge in the ranch house. Your journal also reminded me of many of the horses from my childhood. Taco, Cimarron, Yo-yo, Bar Ran, Dude, Skunk, Sue, Red Rooster Ray, Strawberry, Wally and a few others. Now without being too mean, I have never heard of folks sitting around reminiscing about the 4 wheelers they used to ride!