pages 242-243

Pages 242-243

                Little Jackie became my pet and our alarm clock.  Around five a.m. each morning the braying being more like a distress signal brought us out of bed before we were hardly awake.  Jim had kept the horses in the corral that night instead of turning them loose to get an early start on hauling the bay.

                When Jim got out there the horses were fighting, squealing, and kicking as though something had excited them with Jackie trying to keep out of the way of the flying hoofs.  Jim put a halter on each, tying them to the rack with hay, examining the ground closely and found footprints of a wild cat.  So it seemed. “That’s it.” He said when I went out where he was.  Taking my arm showed me the tracks.  “that’s what excited them, one of these times that thing Is going to show up one time too many and his reward will be a load of buck shot.  It may not kill him, but might make him think he’s not supposed to be in this part of the valley, but back up in the mountains where he belongs,” said Jim.

                Later while Jim got everything ready I fixed a lunch for 1 intending having a hayride instead of staying home alone.  Soon ready, Jim helped me into the wagon and we were off.  The spring seat was wired across the wagon side V=shape rack Jim had made.  That kind of rack and when not needed could easily be dumped off, standing like a long “V” shape Teepee.

                We sat with our feet upon the rack braces.  We did not drive too fast, just a slow like jog.  When we got there, he removed the seat loading about half the load and finding he could finish the load by noon continued, put the spring seat up on the load, then climbed up on and he would place it so he could load a much larger one.  Going so far he wanted to haul as much on each load as possible.

                It was real fun going back, sitting high up taking the country side in.  I spread my big Mother Hubbard apron I was wearing, brushed the hay leaves from the lunch sack, set it in my lap and passed Jim a sandwich, taking one myself.

                Thus we sat inhaling the pure mountain air while we ate our lunch on the soft bouncy hay.  The sun was warm for February for there was no snow except in the high mountains.  Jim pointed to several of the drifting clouds above us, calling them thunder heads saying, “We could have rain in a few days if those clouds mean what they indicate.”

                The silver on the sage was glistening from the suns bright rays as we plodded slowly along homeward with the birds giving out a cheery note, at each bend in the road so narrow we would lose a small bunch now and again dragged off by the sage, like blazing a trail, or leaving a marker for someone else to follow.  That worried us little, but what we saw jumping here and there among the sage did---the long eared jacks.  They were multiplying and on the increase and would harvest many an acre of the ranchers grain, indications from the rains and snows there would be a good crop for all and much left after the big long-eared bunnies had eaten and damaged what they could.

                Nearing home the horses put a little faster gait in their pulling turning into the section lane that went to our place and here we were .  Jim slid down from the hay, a hand on each horses hip and on the wagon tongue, jumping down from the double tree, opened the gate for me to drive through and on to the corral.  The hill somewhat steep with the load pushing them they almost got into a trot.  Jim ran up beside them calling,  “throw me the reins,”  I did.  Soon he pulled them down, not wanting the load to upset with me on it or before he got to where he wanted it.  He guided them up beside the fence rack.  Then he unloaded the hay while I went in to fix the fires, and get something for our evening meal.  The clear fresh ozone gave one an appetite that brought on hunger.

                It was not long until Jim came in.  I had warmed over some cold meat, gravy and made potato cakes from left-over mashed potatoes.  And each had a cup of hot tea, a bowl of peaches and doughnuts for dessert.  Lighting the lamps, set them on each table knowing it would be dark before the meal was over.

                Jim read an excellent story and several Bible stories that were always enjoyed no matter how many times they were read.  Finally laying it aside we both read from different magazines of things we were interested in until we almost fell asleep to the singing of the tea kettle and the quiet tranquility of the surroundings with the popping of the stove, cooing off as the last embers flickered out.  Taking the lamp to light out way, retired to the bedroom.

                Rising early to little Jackie’s braying, built the fire while Jim drew several buckets of water from the cistern, putting it on to heat a wash boiler.  I prepared breakfast and Jim did the chores.

                I then put two old chairs together to set the tub on, filling it with warm water, put in a teaspoon of lye to make it softer.  It was spring water and quiet soft anyway.  Then I put a half bar of soap on the top of the board, stuck the white clothes in, I then rubbed each piece on the board.  After rubbing the soap on first, and rinsed them in cold water.  After a couple of hours of rubbing and rinsing, I had a basket of white and colored clothes to hang out.

                A slight wind came up so they whipped and popped in the breeze.  They looked real nice hanging there and I was proud of my accomplishment.  When I had finished I went out to where Jim had just finished cutting and trimming Nigs foretop and mane.  Now  he was ready for Jackie.  He trimmed his mane that had grown long enough to flop down on his neck so it would stand straight up.  My what a difference it made, but I think he looked cuter with the hair sticking out of his long ears.  This made Nig look more like a tame horse.  When the clipping was finished, Jackie’s coat was curried and brushed until it shone.