Spring Fever

    In the Spring of 1970, Chubby and I had had just about enough of living in the city. We got out of town every so often with my friend Ruth who had a car and a dog as well. We would sometimes take the dogs for walks to the Glenmore Reservoir and then we started going to a place called Twin Bridges Riding Academy. This place was owned by some friends of Ruth's and I enjoyed days out there especially well.

   As the weather got nicer it got harder and harder for me to concentrate on my work at the General Hospital.(Housekeeping staff).  More than once my supervisor would find me leaning on my mop and looking out the window, wishing I was out riding my horse.

Although Trouble was still too young to ride I had started to saddle him and get on and off of him. My parents had bought me a grade quarterhorse to ride while I was at the dog farm and I had both horses boarded out while I worked in the hospital. The General Hospital was only four blocks from my parents place but it was a long ways to where Duke was pastured.

   It was no small feat for me to go riding in those days. I would have to pack my saddle over one shoulder and walk to the bus stop and then change buses as well. At the end of the route I would then have to walk many blocks to the pasture. Needless to say I got many strange looks even though this was supposedly a Western-type city. With half of my day off already gone by this time, it was up to Duke whether I got to ride or not. He had been enjoying his time off and was not easily or successfully caught on these days. Some days I returned home without ever having put a hand on him. I really dislike horses that are hard to catch!
    In those days I had yet to discover that you could walk a horse down. With much patience you can get to them psychologically, by slowly following them until they give up. I have done this many times and it's like they cannot handle it and eventually give up. Being chased is a fun game but being walked down is entirely different and each time you do it, it takes less and less time on the following occasions.

   Then one day, Ruth told me that Twin Bridges was looking for another woman to work there. Apparently the English girl they had imported was pregnant and would not be able to fulfil her duties as time went on. She would however, remain as the supervisor or “head” girl. It sounded good to me and I wasted little time in resigning from the Housekeeping staff.  I remember my supervisor telling me I had worked well and could come back any time but she didn't feel my “heart” was in this job. Well you got that right! What outdoor gal, or anyone for that matter, got a kick out of cleaning and housework? I was ecstatic and excited to be moving on and of course the job included my horses being there and Chubby Chicken. I figured my life was finally beginning to work out all right.