Baby Dolls and Moonlight

Big full moon, twinkling summer stars all shining down on the gravel road. Sometimes, a slight breeze in the air, sometimes just plain 'ol sticky hot!! Not that IT mattered, however. We were teenagers with a passion for the Beach Boys, late movies and our horses!
Yes, our horses. Some of my high school 'buds' loved horses...a few had horses...a few LVHS folks probably rode bulls and stuff in local rodeos. I didn't know them, but I'm sure they were around.
One of my 'bestest' friends ever, Francine had the same pure, passionate love for horses that I had. She lived in Bellmead and I lived in the country. Our moms knew each other, thus we became friends and to this day, doesn't matter how many weeks, months or years pass...if we call or see one another when I'm in Waco, it's as if no time had elapsed!
A man lived just off Bellmead drive and had a few horse stalls behind his house. Many days, you would see this tiny, gorgeous little Shetland Pony staked out back! Didn't take Fran long to befriend the man and before I knew IT, she was ridin' that little guy! Uh, she was 'exercising' the pony for his owner! NOT! She was lovin' that little horse too death for HER!!
As we grew older, became teenagers, she finally got her first beautiful colt, JOE! He was a striking man...nice to look at and did he ever get trained by one of the best. She kept Joe at her grampa's place not too for from the elementary school. I'd drop by now and again to see his progress and brag like a Texan on him!!
Now, her grampa had a garden near the pen where Joe lived. One summer day I stopped in to visit and he had placed an electric wire around the garden. He was having difficulty with critters and dogs and this and that. But, he told me he had taken care of it all. I said, "wow, that electric fence must really work well." He replied, "yep, it does." "All you have to do is straighten out metal coat hangers, wrap one end around the electric fence and attach a good 'ol hot dog to the other!'
Y EEE O W!! Hey, it worked, and made him a happy man. Me, I never set foot in his garden!! And not even I would have gone for the hot dog!!! Hey, ya have to have mustard to eat those!
Even though Fran had big 'ol Joe, we rarely met on the roads to ride together, but I had two friends from Connally High School who pastured their horses at Shorty Davis's place near the aiport.
Chrissy, the Major-General's daughter had a huge, dark red mare that her dad got for $1500! Whoa! Back then, we bought a horse for $125 and thought that was kinda high! Lolol...
Linda, was more my speed...she rode a little yearling buckskin mare that may have cost $50!!! Regardless, we were three and we all had a steed!
My gelding then was "Texas"...a beautiful paint horse that had the typical 'paint eyes' that mesmorized you when you gazed into them. He was a good 'ol boy and could outrun any of those other horses! ('tween you and me, I think it was due to the rider!)
During the summer, Chris and Linda would ride out to the farm. We'd hook up and wander all over God's creation until supper time. Then, we'd slip the horses in the calf pasture so we could go eat and watch tv or play games. Linda always brought the infamous Beach Boy album and we'd nearly wear it out as night progressed!
Around midnight, after mother and daddy were 'long gone' to sleepy land, we'd slip out the back door, bridle the horses and jump on bareback! The moon would be full and gently light the pathway on the road. We, of course, would be in our baby doll jammies, acting like we were sane! NOT!
But, back then, it was safe. You could roam around, enjoy life and feel pretty ok about it. We would stroll on our horses sharing our woes and goes...and, finally around 3 a.m., we'd head to the house and end the moonlight ride.
That was just fun. And, we did other fun things, like go to PLaydays with our horses. Well, when we could get my dad to haul us and drop us. It was hard for him to get away with all the routine of cows and milking and stuff.
One Sunday afternoon, my dad was going to haul us to Axtell to a Playday. We were so excited! Then, wham! Something happened, he couldn't do it. We had the cattle trailer ready, open air, just a trailer with four wheels.
Sooo, Chris called her dad...THE MAJOR-GENERAL JOHN C. MEYERS, Commander of Connally Air Force Base! She pleaded our case and much to his 'shigrin' here he came, ambling up our long, gravel driveway. He went into over drive SHOCK!
The aroma of the dairy wafting through the air greeted him. His perfect, loaded streamline Cadillac had some dust on it from the roads...and it took everything inside him to go ahead and take us. He let his 'Chrissy' know he WAS NOT PLEASED...he would pull us, leave the trailer and he was DONE.
Fine, she said to him, "there's the trailer right there." Kaaa Whaaam. The look on his face and those steel gray eyes, that pierced through your skin, were flashing. He said, "Chrissy, are you out of your mind?" She replied, "No, dad, it works."
He reluctantly circled the white goose and backed into place. We dropped the hitch down, latched it on and jumped in the back seat after the horses were loaded and tied down. He was so pppp ut out!! You see, the cattle trailer had wooden boards that made the sides and gate. When you haul cattle, they get nervous.
When they get nervous, they show it in a particular way. Their way splashes and plops on the trailer and dries in place!! I know, sort of gruesome if you're a Major-General! (hee hee)
He pulled us there, unhitched us and he was history, in a big cloud of dust!
My dad came late that afternoon and took us home. Daddy was my hero. He was there. And, he and mother were there throughout life!
Nah, no great mystery to this story, just some funny, enjoyable memories of life on the farm. Next time I call a Major-General to haul something for me though, I might clean the trailer...IF, I GIT A ROUND TUIT!!!