Horseback riding

Horseback riding at Hi Ute Ranch

Betsy never liked horseback riding. She never felt safe.  The family bought horses when she was in high school.  We kept them at a ranch that was a half hour out of town.  Richard always tried to get her into going horseback riding with him but she never wanted to.  Finally he said "Come go with me and I'll help you saddle them up."  We took them out of the barn and Richard put the saddle and reins on and got them ready to go. Betsy climbed on the horse and the horse got spooked and ran into the barn.  The horse kept running around in the barn, and Betsy kept hitting my head on all the rafters.  All the while she  was screaming bloody murder.  That was the end of horseback riding that day.

Richard talked her into going back the next week and promised her  that nothing would happen. They got up to get the horses and the horses were out in a big pasture.  They took the reins out to get the horses and bring them back in.  The horses were clear at the end of the pasture.  Richard didn't want to walk them all the way back to put the saddle on so Richard said "Let's just put the reins on and ride them bareback."  Of course Betsy didn't want to do it but he talked her into it.  We were riding the horses back in, and we had to go through a little stream.  The horse galloped over the stream and Betsy landed in it.  Needless to say she didn't go horseback riding for another 10 years.  Richard is always trouble.

Pigeons

Homing Pigeons

When we had homing pigeons you have to train them.  First, you take them about a house away and they fly back.  Then you go about a block away and you have them smell something so they'd learn to come back to the house.  We would keep going a little further away each day.  It took all summer to train them.

Pets

Not Your Typical Pets

All the kids worked for dad.  Once we got to junior high we'd walk down to the store after school (about a mile and a half).  I was in charge of dusting and vacuuming and once in a while I could file.  We started at 25 cents an hour.  The older kids when they got to 16 got to start delivering furniture.  When Craig was out delivering furniture and when he'd drive out in the country he'd always come back with animals.  He'd bring home pigs, rabbits, homing pigeons.  My mom about flipped out.  She didn't let us keep the pigs.  We even killed the rabbits once and ate them for dinner.