I'm an old cow hand from the Rio Grande

This is the best weather we have had for this party in several years and I was pleased to see they had a hugh turn out. It was Monday morning and time for the parade. I was going to drive one of my sister's miniature horses and carts with her, her mate and several other mini owners.

The photo is from a couple years ago when we were just getting comfortable with the great mini gelding. Don't Cee and I look a lot alike? LLLLL!

We met on time, for a change, unloaded the carts and horses and started decorating. My mate showed up and said he was going to watch the parade then left. We found out that the staging area was too far to cart over in time so we loaded it all back up and we went to another place in a long caravan.

We had spot 103 and there were more behind us. That's a lot of entries for a small town parade! We were doing red, white and blue ribbons and bandanas and I had Bunky strapped to the cart to ride with me.

Ten minutes before start time we drove our decorated horses and carts over to our staging area. We should have waited. The thing started late (of course) and then the ambulance got a call so they had to stop us and get them out to help someone. It was sunny and hot where we were. The horses were getting antsy so we drove them around a handy parking lot to keep them occupied. Sis went over things to avoid - getting too close to the crowd, manhole covers, camels and such and said if there was trouble just get out and walk the horses. We were way more than ready to get moving and, finally, we started again- about 40 minutes late.

Two areas up were some hot rod cars and a mini bike that ran around them. When they started up the horses jumped but we settled them down ok and went on. Sis's mare was being a little fussy and she decided to trot some of the ginger out of her, right in front of a manhole cover.....hmmmmm. She was right, the horses don't like them.

Her mare spooked at the cover and dodged full speed to the right, only I was to her right! She rammed right into me and the cart bar rammed right into my good horse's butt. Hard! So he jumped and tried to go left, against her. She freaked when he dragged her back where the scary thing was and put her head down - slamming my right knee into the steel cart with her forhead -and panicked again. The mare reared, coming down with her leg between the bar on my cart and my horse's leg. I had pulled hard to the left to get us off the road and into the grass, tried to watch her leg, made my best guess and yanked up on the reins to tighten them hollering "Whoa" a lot and then I jumped out!

I hit my left knee on the edge of the cart, as soon as we hit the grass where I was willing to risk an uncontrolled landing. The steel hip makes me leary of landing on hard surfaces. I made it on my feet, blessing my heavy boots, then ran up to grab my horse by the reins under his chin. I pulled his head against my chest and, with the blinders on, he couldn't see where to go so he stood all tensed up and ready to bolt - as soon as he could see. I could feel him trembling and I leaned into him, mashing my shirt into his face firmly while I caressed his neck and mumbled calming words to him. He was shaking hard and the #@$ pole was still jammed in his rump but he stood for me. Sis got out and snatched up her horse's head so she couldn't buck again. We assessed the situation. People that were with us came up to help.

We unhooked my cart and someone walked my horse out of the way. Sis stood and calmed her horse down for a minute then backed her up, getting her hoof over the bar and away from all the straps laying there. I had stayed where I was after I undid the last strap because I didn't want to freak the mare out by moving past her. We all breathed easier when we saw she was ok. Sis's mate took her mare to walk off the freak out while she rehooked my horse. Poor guy, he was so good, and he let her put him right back in the harness. Then she went and check her hookings on the mare and we were back up.

Our people had gone on that were in front of us because they didn't want to take the horses past the camel and the llahma for fear of spooking.them. For some reason camels really freak the horses. We were not going to try to catch up with them because of the hot rods and the camel so we fell in at the very rear of the parade with three carts and three minis walking with their people. One had big Elton John sunglasses on with a baby blue bandana around it's neck and matching bows in it's tail and one was a baby about 18 inches tall too cute for words. All the kids wanted to pet them!

I was pretty well settled down by the time we got back on the road and I had a better feel for the way my horse liked his reins held. He has such an easy mouth that if you just move your hand he starts to change direction. I found him easy to over steer and over correct but we worked it out by the third block. I was very alert for manhole covers and turned him so he would not see or step on any of them.

I got thinking about it and decided that if I can tell when I walk over something that there is a hole under there, like bridges and grates in the sidewalk, there then so can a horse. Asking a horse to walk over a hole is not going to be a good idea because for them holes mean a broken leg or a fall so they avoid them naturally. I figure the camel just smells wrong, not a horse and not a cow so something to be afraid of for the horses.

Things were going pretty good but I was out of water. This is bad. I carry a jug with me everywhere, 32 oz. and it was bone dry. As we came up on the library I spotted the mate up on the steps. I smiled and waved at him. He held up a bottle of water, pointed at it and then at me. I nodded vigorusly and he trotted out, switched the nice, full, cold one for my hot, empty jug and I told him I loved him as he smiled and went back to the steps. What a MAN! He hates crowds and doing anything to call attention to himself. I didn't even plan on him being there and he was not just there but thinking of me still and again and always. I am so blessed!

Refreshed by the cold drink and the horse moving along pretty good now I could search the crowd for friends. It made me sad to see that so few of them were there, like none. Then we spotted Uncle J and Aunt C in the crowd. He ran out and gave Sis a hug. She was leading her mare to avoid more accidents. I was driving so settled for a smile and a wave. A little further on we saw the Mom and cousin then the Aunt C. H. and her family. Way near the end of the parade I saw a couple and their foster girl that are long time pals and got to say hello to them and then the parade was ending.

Oh, crap! The guy with the camel was headed back toward us! Sis begged the use of a yard from a couple ladies watching from their front porch and we cut through to their driveway to wait till the nasty animals were gone. Then we decided to send for the truck rather than drive back across town with the worn and over heating horses.

I had to get to someplace quick so I handed off my horse and went up to beg the use of the john from our hostess. When the sunglasses came off I realized one of them was a buddy from when I worked at the bakery. She had run the local office for the paper in the next town and we used to visit back and forth. So they were ok with letting me in and I was able to maintain my impersonation of a functioning adult.

We got the carts off the horses and let them trim the grass. The nice ladies offered a big stainless bowl to offer them water in but they didn't seem to want any. The nephew, Bee, had been close to the end and took his car to take his Dad to the truck. They seemed to be gone quite a while but when he came back to collect his wife and child he had 3 cold bottles of water to hand us. I said, "You may turn out to be as good a man as your Uncle!" and he said, "I'm taking notes, he sent the water." I smiled. Bless that mate. He knew I would be sucking it down in the heat! He's so good he makes other men look bad even when he's NOT there, LOL!!

Bee had orders to fetch me back in the car, NOT to let me walk across town so we loaded up and rolled. As we came around the corner I saw the mate's bike parked near mine and the mate lazing in the shade, sitting on the top of a picnic table. My heart hurt and pounded. How did I ever get to have such a good friend as the Mate? I sure didn't earn it in my youth! He makes me smile every time I see him coming! The 25th will be 17 years married, 19 and a half years together for us and we still beat feet for home everyday. It's our place to be ourselves and we like each other and doing things our way.

We decided to get breakfast and went to the place I first had a real job, the old drive in. It used to be and A & W with real carhops when I was there. It's on about the 6th owner since my old boss retired and I was glad to see the current one was a fair cook.

We ate and he was going to head home while I was going to stay to see the talent show finals. He scooted and I lagged in the air conditioning till they chased me out. I went to get out of the booth and my knee screeched - so I made a detour to the ladies room and had a look. It was scraped raw and tender with a nice bruise coming along on the outside. The left knee just got banged, sore but no bruises. I decided, since I was on the bike and holding them up takes leg power, that I was going to have to head for the house and ice it up good. It's my "real" leg and I don't want it screwed up. I was a little bummed but it was ok, I was going where life is good.

I must have been about 20 minutes behind the mate. I came in and changed into shorts before I showed him my boo-boo. He got the bandages and goop and doctored me up. I got a few entertainment supplies together and piled them in the living room next to my seat on the couch. I got the legs up and he brought the ice. Then we sat and watched stupid movies, ate popcorn and talked the rest of the day. I melted the whole bag and got up to see how it was doing. It was going to be ok.

See, kids? Even old people have fun and adventures and get their feelings hurt and don't understand people and feel the pounding heart of love and the fires of desire. Just because we look funny doesn't mean we can't party! AGE ON!