Met up with my sister Sue in town yesterday to go to the Heart of Texas Fair and Rodeo that night. Hadn't been in years. Sue drove the sixty miles from Cranfills Gap to Waco, and I came from the big city of Elm Mott...about 20 miles away, if that! We consider that a long trip!
Actually, I like to conserve gasoline and save the natural resources when I can, so I try to combine errands as much as possible, and do all I can in one trip. I first stopped at Tractor Supply--my favorite store-- and put five bags of my special horse feed, Tiz Whiz 16%, in the front seat of my Chevy truck, so it would still be there after the rodeo.
(Note: I have always had a horse, sometimes way too many. Can't take the horse out of a country cowgirl, so don't try!)
After picking up a few things at the Waco Walmart on Franklin Avenue, Sue and I ate at Luby's Cafeteria, then ran by the DePaul Center, so I could turn in my badge and keys, as October 5th, 2007, was my official resignation date. My last day was last Sunday. I already miss my great coworkers and dear friends there... But it was sure nice to not have to work on Saturday and Sunday!
For the last seven years, I had worked weekends and most holidays as the front desk receptionist and switchboard operator, so I am just now discovering fun things to do on the weekends--things besides cleaning house! The downside of not working weekends is that now I don't have an excuse for not having a cleaner house.
Sue and I zipped on over to the Fairgrounds and parked in the guarded parking lot. It is worth the $5.00 to park there and know your vehicle is safe. Walking up to the Coliseum, we right away ran into folks we knew --- some from the Gap and some friends and family. The Heart of Texas Fair and Rodeo is a longtime tradition for Waco, McLennan County, and surrounding areas.
We went to the General Exhibits Building first and ran into more folks we knew. Saw a lot of good things I wanted, but sure don't need. Looked for the canning, cakes, pies, etc, in the Creative Arts building, but saw only a few items---figured it was because of the rule change made last year that dropped entries to a trickle. It was a shame to see it so bare! Just an almost empty building!
Sauntered down the Midway a little way, then veered off to see the cattlebarns and animals...Never made it there, though, as we spied J.W. White coming down the trail to the Contestant area. Had a cordial visit with him and his wife, Frances. Known them both since Sue and I were little kids. Their daughter, Vickie White, horse-showed with us back in the sixties. We were like one big family then. Everyone knew everyone and looked out for all the horse-crazy kids that would tag along. We had such fun!
We went on into the Coliseum for the Rodeo, walking all around the mid-level of the arena. I had twisted my knee a bit a few days before, so I was walking wih a slight limp. It is a really, really long way around that Coliseum when you are limping and looking for your old buddies! Found many of the old friends sitting behind the roping chutes, so they could catch that action up close.
Talked to Danny Uptmore who had his leather goods booth right where we went up to the mid-level of the Coliseum. Danny's work is beautiful. Sue and I both picked out several purses and leather goods we are going to buy when we win the lottery. Cattle and beef market are really high just now, so anything made of real leather is also costly. Danny's work is of truly awesome quality and, oh, so desirable.
I was carrying my saddle purse that my Gatesville cowboy husband, Noah Powell, had bought me at Jack Johnson's horse sale in 1964. Paid all of ten dollars, a princely sum then--equivalent to about a hundred dollars today. A saddle purse is all leather with an actual little saddle on the top of it. You lift the little stirrup-- with its tapaderos (leather coverings for the stirrups, to protect the rider's feet in brush country) and pull the little saddle back to open the purse.
Most saddle purses were made in Mexico, and this one is the best saddle on a purse I have ever seen. The authentic and to-scale little saddle is ten inches long and about six inches wide, with a chocolate suede seat, white buckstitching, and beautifultooled design on the square skirts, fenders, and sides. It is even sheepwool-lined as all regular size saddles are!
It doesn't have the fat horn of the usual Mexico saddle and could pass for a modern-day Billy Cook or pleasure show saddle of today. The life-size saddle today would cost you $1,500 or $2,000. The purse itself itself is also beautifully tooled, with a wide leather strap. There is no doubt you are dressing western when you carry this purse, as it is an interesting, unique item and a great conversation starter if you have never seen one.
Danny said to come to his saddle shop on Highway 6 near Speegleville for a special leather conditioner that would not turn my purse a darker color like Neatsfoot Oil does, but would still moisturize the leather. I plan to go by there one day.
Saw the Sweethearts of the Rodeo getting ready to ride into the arena and do their horseback drills. So many pretty horses and pretty girls! Sue and I reminisced about being in the 4-H Horseback Drill Team in the early '60's, out at the Wright Palomino Ranch, near China Spring and Lake Waco. Mrs. Wright, a crusty old lady who raised palomino horses with her daughter-in-law, Doris, ran the Drill Team and did a lot of 4-H activities.
Old cowboy friends we saw included Ronnie Parks, the cowboy banker--retired now-- and father to Todd Parks and son to Raymond Parks who passed away a few years ago. I also saw James Austin. James is an old friend and teenage boyfriend-- a Rondezvous, black-powder, muzzle-loading rifle sharpshooter and authentic mountain man, married for forty -plus years to his great wife, Carolyn.
I used to spend the night with James' beautiful little sister, Darlene Austin, with the ulterior motive of getting to see James, who was black-headed, green-eyed, tall, and very handsome, until my daddy and his daddy caught on! James is still a handsome man, with the same gorgeous green eyes and hair of silver.
Sue and I sat with Joe Burt and his wife, Darlene. It was really good to see Joe, an honest-to-goodness sweetie, a true gentleman, and one of my dearest childhood friends, with whom Sue and I had grown up. Joe and his twin brother, John Burt, were raised real cowboys and worked on their father's dairy farm at China Spring. I am one week older than Joe, and he was my very first cowboy boyfriend. (As you can tell, I think it is importantto be a "real" cowboy and not the "drugstore" cowboy.)
Our gang of kids would sometimes ride our horses from Cameron Park out to China Spring --a little trail ride---to visit with Joe and John. And of course, we all rodeoed together. Joe is still a good friend, one you'd trust to "ride the river with"--that's cowboy talk for being extremely trustworthy and a true-blue friend. I don't see him much, but Sue runs into him a lot, as he lives in Valley Mills and runs a dump truck/gravel business and does lots of work in Bosque County, Sue's part of the country.
Joe and Darlene Burt have been happily married for 38 years. Joe still rides, has two horses, and team ropes in the Old Timer Rodeo Assn. rodeos. It looked like both Darlene and Joe do a real good job of having fun with their grandkids and their son, Sambo, who were also there, enjoying the HOT Fair and Rodeo, too. Sue and I had a great time visiting with them and watching the rodeo, as Joe knew the scoop on the latest happenings in the horse world and all the old friends.
All too soon, the rodeo was over, and it was time to head back to the house after a very enjoyable outing to the Heart of Texas Fair and Rodeo, a familiar place that brings back so many wonderful memories.
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