School days
We were using slates no scribblers they came in later on. The hickory stick and the strap was still being used. Evesham school had three rooms but when the hard times hit they went to two. I had just turned six on my first day.
Dad put me on Dolly and made a deal with the high school boy to put me on her to go home. There were seven in grade one and we stayed seven until grade 10 and I got hurt with a horse and had to drop out so it broke up the class. I never went back. There were no lights in the school so grade one’s sat on the floor so we could see the board.
My friend Bill Henry and I were on the floor together and for something to do I took his boots off. Every one thought it was funny but me as I was taken up to Ruth Schroeder’s desk and I remember her lecture she gave me. “Hugh I hate to do this but I am going to strap you. I do not like to do this but I want you to remember you are here to learn and not fool around and I am here to teach you.”
This was her first school and she was only about 19. As it was a two room school I had her for a number of years. She was not only a good teacher but a good friend to me. As a small child she pulled a boiling tea kettle over her face and neck and shoulder, it left her scared for life. She was married that year and had a lovely family.
At an Evesham homecoming Ruth was there, after over 50 years. I asked her if she remember my strapping she did not but she said it must have been a good one to remember for over 50 years. It’s interesting as
I look back she took a special interest in me of which I well remember. When the party was over it was a sad parting for us as the time seemed just too short. But I never will forget her. My dad used to tell us “your school days are the best days of your life.”
Nice hymns
On Sunday the Grassy Plains Gospel Church entertained the folks at the Tweedsmuir House with a hymn sing plus a nice visit which we all enjoyed. We had the pleasure to meet a new member of the choir. She is a very talented pianist and we enjoyed her playing.
Calving season
The ranchers are right in the middle of calving. The weather so far has been good but there has been some cool nights but the days are warming up. No matter how careful you are a few get lost and that takes what profit out of the cattle business. It’s a pretty close margin.
Then try lambing out, a hundred or so ewes, you sleep with eyes open and you just get so tired you walk around in your sleep. Lots of nights you sleep in the sheep pen rolled in some hay.
A sheep is the most helpless animal they make if they want to die they die. Once lambing is over you feel a big load has been taken away. The only good thing about it all they were a money maker.
Saved a pony
This is a story that I am going to pass onto you. It’s true and this really happened to me. I will call it a human interest story. It’s sad but it happened. This was maybe 60 years ago, give or take a few. If my memory is right it was a very late spring and cold. A friend of mine stopped at the store and told me there is a little buckskin pony in a small field at the J.P. Ranch and it was starving could I do something for it. I knew the guy that was care taking the ranch so I said I would see what I could do for it.
There she was almost dead. I had never seen anything so bad and still be alive. This really upset me and I was mad. Fred the caretaker was wintering this pony for some folks in town and they had no money to pay Fred and Fred had no money to buy feed. The cost was $35 for feeding her. We went into the house and I laid $35 on the table and gave Fred a pen and said give me a bill of sale and the pony is mine.
I was afraid to load her, she was so weak, so I walked her home. A horse in this condition you must be very careful feeding them as they may choke for eating to fast or get colic so for a week we all worked on her. At last she was out the danger zone and was eating well.
Lots of grain and good hay, her ribs were filling out and she was over the hump. In a month she had filled out, she stopped throwing her head, she was not afraid. She had been abused so badly. I got some story on her. She was a twin and the Peebles family had her and she served them well for years. Now we had her sister. Peebles mare was called Midge and ours was Misty. Next day I was taking her up to the other horses for a while and then re-break her as she was so abused and scared.
Then the fun, if you call it that, had just began. There was some kids targeting in the pasture so I stopped that right now. Misty came down for her treat and she was lame in her off hind foot. It got worse so I got Gin Saul to come out as he was very smart with lame horses but he was unable to figure it out.
Dr. Holmes came out twice and a number of friends came out, no cure. Gin Saul came out again and said she is worse as her hip was swollen up so Gin said you had better put her down but be sure to cut off that hind foot and bring it into town.
This is a mystery and I want to find out. I had got to love that little mare and it hurt to have to put her down. I shed some tears that day. I took her foot into Gin and he opened it up and right in the main joint was a 22 slug all festered up.
The target shooters were to blame, it was no an accident. Poor little Misty, she was just starting a new life. She would have been a lovely pony for my wife Jo. Good horses are hard to find, especially like this little buckskin mare was going to make and then to lose her.
Poem I wrote
The ice is gone, the grass is green, two wild canary’s I have seen. They flit around so wild and free, I hope they summer in our tree. Some humming birds I’ve also seen with colors yellow, red and green.
So now my poem I must close, the smell of breakfast in my nose.
Have a nice safe week and always remember God loves you and so do I.