Texas Swing in the Big Empty

'Spanish Two-Step' was a simple melody that Bob Wills had made up in the early '30s. He'd written the fun instrumental piece when he was living and working as a barber in Roy, New Mexico, inspired by a style of dance out here. He recorded it in 1935, and renamed it 'San Antonio Rose'.

"The Big Empty" refers to the beautiful expansive rolling prairie, east of the Canadian River, from the northeastern New Mexico Highlands to the Texas panhandle. Those who love this area appreciate it for what it was and what it still is.

Wagon Mound Supply puts on a dinner and dance through the summer months known as the "Solano Starlight Ballroom" out in Solano, NM, which is between Roy and Mosquero.

Here is a photo of the historic buildings where the dances are held. They string the lights and spread corn meal on the dance floor. The band sets up on a flatbed trailer. It's a great time, next year will be their third year to hold the dances. They have four of them - from June - Sept. and it's always a good turnout. Good clean community and family fun.

Via con Dios, Fuzzy. And thank you....

BEYOND THE FENCELINE

When you look beyond the fenceline
and see that I'm not there,
Please remember that I'll never forget
how much you really cared.
I appreciate all the love you put into my soul,
often making me feel as though I was once again,
a newborn foal.

When you look beyond the fenceline
and see an empty space,
I'm hoping for thoughts of joy
to replace those tears on your face.
Although our time together was taken away too soon,
I'll always be watching over you -
through the sun, the stars and the moon.

When you look beyond the fenceline
you should not feel all alone,
for a part of you came with me
the day I went to God's home.
Although I didn't want to so soon, to be put to rest,
I assure you dear friend,
that my spirit and soul still feel the very best.

When you look beyond the fenceline
and think of me for a while,
remember all the fun we shared and
those times I made you smile.
Remember how we'd run the fields but never run away,
I'll never forget your gentle touch on my coat of bay.

So when you look beyond the fenceline,
don't think we're far apart,
for every time you think of me,
I'm right there in your heart.

When The Rains Came

We've been blessed this summer with nearly daily rains since June. I wouldn't mind enough days of dry weather to get the hay cut and cured - as long as it comes back for a good while once the hay's up.

Of Colts and Critters

It's been awhile since I've posted about Gator and Smokey. Both were sent down to Josh Armstrong back in Feb. 08 for 60 days to be started and are riding great. We're putting mostly ranch riding miles on them this year. Gator will be one of my barrel horses and Smokey will be Dale's cutting horse.

All creatures great and small....
This little guy needed my help the other morning and spent about 45 minutes getting back on his feet sitting on my hand while I fed him. Just call me "The Bird Whisperer".

A girl and her pony

Meet Fuzzy. We used to not let Jayden ride when she was really little as all we had were colts. Once I got a nice quiet mare she refused to ride. I was sure I'd ruined her on horses for good. Her dad was tickled...less mouths to feed, tack to buy, farrier work to be done, you get the idea. But recently she has started asking for a pony. Ponies are an endangered species in New Mexico, even rotten ponies. So we forgot about it for awhile and stocked her up on bright pink and purple riding gear (an obvious barrel racer in the making) to keep her occupied. Then a couple weeks ago, someone donated 2 horses to the ranch. Lifelong companions, one a team roping horse, the other...Fuzzy. A 27 yr. old "gummer" mare who really I'm sure thought her riding days were over. But that she's needing some specialized care, we offered to do that for her, took her off welfare and asked Jayden if she'd like to have her own horse. Jayden laid eyes on her and it was love at first sight. She wanted to ride her as soon as she could get into the corral. That smile hasn't left her face. She's caught the bug. She loves Fuzzy. She thinks this old toothless mare is the greatest horse there ever was. It chokes me up to see her busting with pride telling everyone she meets about her Fuzzy. Wants to ride her morning and night and makes sure we're feeding her correctly and when it's time to go inside for the evening, always tells her "Goodnight Fuzzy...I love you."

Our discriminating carnivore.

Not long after we moved here we had an unfortunate late-night meeting with a thieving undesirable. That coupled with the fact that my husband has "never met a stranger" put fates together that night.

Needless to say we started looking for an intimidating gate-greeter, and found her. She's a Bullmastiff/Great Pyrenese mix we purchased from a Cane Corso breeder who does rescue on the side. She's just what we'd hoped, was easy to train, is highly protective, not intimidated, loves "her" people and is our steadfast guardian. Call before you drop in. :)

We also have oodles and oodles of fearless bears out here, a few mountain lions. We had hoped she'd make a good bear-protection dog, but that isn't her forte'. I'm pretty sure she'd offer me up as a sacrifice so she could get a good headstart for home if we ever crossed paths with one.

The Kidlets

We're "late life" parents. Had my daughter at 37, my son at 38. It's not actually 'having' the kids later in life that's difficult, I mean really....I was well-medicated during the 'having' part. It's going through toddler-hood completely unmedicated that's rough on a gal. :)

But reality is that God is good and blessed us with two beautiful and very easy-going kids. Jayden is wise beyond her years and Jace is our comic relief. He is SOOOOO gonna hate me when I create his own page here. He has no shame, anything for a laugh and I have the pictures to prove it. Should be good fodder to show all his girlfriends someday.

Halloween 2007

December 2007

Our "Rides"

Boon A Little

with Bill Freeman aboard

It was supposed to be real easy. We had a real simple plan. I'd get back into competition and so would Dale. Well...in the last 4 years we've bought, traded, lost, bought, gave-away, bought again, sold again, retired, found again and are selling again (which means I get to buy again) a number of performance prospects over the last couple of years searching for the right one(s). And besides, a girl's got to have two horses to haul with. According to my daughter, one to wear pink, the other to wear purple.

Dale left the cutting pen for a number of years in order to finish his Masters degree and eventually be reinstated as a non-pro. Finally after spending four years working with my barrel horses he finally found "THE" new cutting prospect he'd been waiting for. A young gelding by Boon A Little (140k NCHA) and out of Peppy Docs Mimosa (100k NCHA). Good works do pay off! He was finally and justly rewarded for having a wife who barrel races - and especially having to help train her mares. ('nuff said on both counts).

Peppy Docs Boon - AKA "Smokey"

Boon A Little x Peppy Docs Mimosa

The long-awaited, much-anticipated and well-earned WUNDERPFERD.

I don't know about the barn name though. Our daughter named him. And well, she's 3. Maybe it was all those early-morning father/daughter Gunsmoke-watching bottle-feedings in her infanthood making an impression on her. Dale likes it a whole lot better than her first choice, "Cherry". Smokey is 2, won't be futuritied so he gets to be a fat pasture colt until early 2008, where he'll be going to Josh Armstrong, then he'll be started and on his way to a career in cutting.



Georgia Dash - AKA "Gator"

Sour Mash Dash x Sunny's Little Cuss

(And believe you me, she comes by "Gator" honestly). Denise's up and coming "go fast" horse. 2 yr. old granddaughter of First Down Dash. She's also got Easy Jet, Custus Rastus, Chickarun and Go Man Go. She's a bit of a...well, she's a snot. But she's intelligent, athletic and FAST. She's the sweetheart of the barn - even though Dale accuses her of having a "malicous and larcenous heart" he'll still refer to her as "Precious". I write that here because he would call me a liar if I told that in public. :)

A Drift Of Roan - AKA "Salty"
Ortiz Star x Driftwoods Poco

Our newest addition! 4 yr. old mare, 16 hands. Orphan Drift, Two Eyed Jack, Leo, Clabber Bar, and Poco Bueno. Solid, hard-knocking, rodeo, roping and ranch lines. You can't ignore "want to" and she's got it in spades. She's just started her slow pattern work, but she's got the "can mortally fly" part down pat. Powerful and talented horse, wicked fast. She was being held back by her breeder/owner to be her replacement pro-rodeo horse, but she decided she's got too many to get out from under and sell before she can get back on the rodeo road, so rather than make the mare wait much longer, she decided to let her go to a competitive home. She'll also be trained to rope.

Home Sweet Home!

We love it here in northeastern New Mexico. Where ranches and ranching are becoming endangered species elsewhere, it's nice to see cowboys horseback and cattle moving any day of the year again. The grass is tall and the water plentiful. I guess most people only see New Mexico from the interstate - that's why the rest of it is still a well-kept secret. We live at 7,000 ft., with really mild year-round temperatures. Mid-80's in summer, 50's in winter and very little snow.

Welcome!

Welcome from The Parker Clan and Rafter P Performance Horses of northeastern, New Mexico - where the Grasslands meet the Rockies.

God's Country!